Gear oil chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551247-B2
Application number	US-200913055502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2009
Priority date	Jul 24, 2008
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A transmission oil sump comprises a main oil compartment, in which a suction line of an oil pump is located, and a secondary oil compartment. The secondary oil compartment is in fluid communication with the main oil compartment via an opening. To prevent the introduction of air during rapid acceleration, cornering at high speeds and/or rapid deceleration of the vehicle, a barrier closes the opening to prevent the flow of oil out of the main oil compartment into the secondary oil compartment so that the oil level, required for the oil pump in the main compartment, remains adequately high. When not closed, the opening of the secondary oil compartment is open to ensure oil flow from the secondary oil compartment to the main oil compartment. The secondary oil compartments is arranged so as to collect oil that leaks from transmission components.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transmission oil sump for a vehicle which prevents air from being sucked into an oil pump, the transmission oil sump comprising:
a main oil compartment ( 1 ) in which a suction line to the oil pump is arranged;
a secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) being located in a clutch bell and being in fluid communication with the main oil compartment ( 1 ) of the transmission oil sump via at least one opening ( 6 ) located in a housing wall, and the clutch bell communicating with the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) so as to permit leaked oil from the clutch bell to flow into the secondary oil compartment ( 2 );
the main oil compartment ( 1 ) and the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) being axially aligned with one another with respect to a forward driving direction of the vehicle, with the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) being located in front of the main oil compartment ( 1 ) with respect to the forward driving direction;
the housing wall being located between the main oil compartment and the secondary oil compartment and the housing wall extending vertically from a top most portion of the oil sump to a bottom wall of the oil sump so as to completely separate the main oil compartment ( 1 ) from the secondary compartment so that the secondary compartment is only permitted to communicate with the main compartment when the opening is at least partially open;
a hinged flap ( 3 , 8 ) comprising a cylindrical pin, being provided by which, during rapid deceleration of the vehicle caused by a braking process, the hinged flap pivots about the pin into a closed position, against the housing wall,
in the closed position, the flap lying in a plane extending normal to the forward driving direction of the vehicle and blocking the at least one opening ( 6 ) to prevent oil from flowing out of the main oil compartment ( 1 ) into the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) such that oil only flows from the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) into the main oil compartment ( 1 ) and an oil level in the main oil compartment ( 1 ), for the oil pump, is maintained at a sufficiently high level so as to prevent introduction of air into the oil pump via the suction line that is connected between the main oil compartment and the oil pump, but in a situation without any rapid deceleration of the vehicle occurring, leaked oil which accumulates in the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) pivots the hinged flap, about the pin, away from the housing wall and into the main oil compartment ( 1 ) so that the hinged flap is pivoted into an at least partially open position which facilitates the flow of leaked oil through the at least one opening ( 6 ) of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) into the main oil compartment;
during operation of the oil pump, other than during rapid deceleration, the oil which leaks from the clutch bell into the secondary oil compartment and accumulates in the secondary, oil compartment ( 2 ) can flow from the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) through the at least one opening ( 6 ), and then flow into the main oil compartment so as to maintain the sufficiently high oil level in the main oil compartment thereby preventing the introduction of air into the oil pump via the suction line during rapid deceleration of the vehicle; and
a bottom surface of the main oil compartment ( 1 ) is located sufficiently vertically below a bottom surface of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) so that the oil level contained within the main oil compartment ( 1 ) is normally located vertically below the bottom surface of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) to facilitate the flow of the oil from the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) through the at least one opening ( 6 ) into the main oil compartment ( 1 ) when the at least one opening ( 6 ) is at least partially open.

2. The transmission oil sump for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening ( 6 ) of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) is closable by the hinged flap such that oil flows in only one direction from the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) into the main oil compartment ( 1 ), and is prevented from flowing in an opposite direction.

3. The transmission oil sump for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening ( 6 ) of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) is at least one of opened and closed by displacement of the hinged flap, the hinged flap is displaceable by at least one of inertia, a force of a spring, and hydrostatic and hydrodynamic dynamic pressure of the oil.

4. The transmission oil sump for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hinged flap is designed as a hinged flap valve ( 3 ) such that the hinged flap ( 8 ) of the flap valve ( 3 ) is opened toward the main oil compartment ( 1 ) and, in the situations when rapid deceleration of the vehicle is occurring, the flap is forced against the housing wall ( 4 ), located between the main oil compartment and the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ), by virtue of an inertia of the flap ( 8 ) and dynamic oil pressure produced in the main oil compartment ( 1 ) such that the opening ( 6 ) is blocked, whereas in situations other than during rapid deceleration of the vehicle, by virtue of hydrostatic pressure, any leaked oil present in the secondary oil compartment forces the flap ( 8 ) toward the main oil compartment ( 1 ) to permit flow.

5. The transmission oil sump for a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one opening ( 6 ) of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) is formed at an end of the housing wall ( 4 ), between the main oil compartment ( 1 ) and the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ), which is adjacent to the bottom wall of the transmission oil sump.

6. A transmission oil sump for a vehicle, the transmission oil sump comprising:
a main oil compartment in which a suction line to an oil pump is arranged;
a secondary oil compartment being located in a clutch bell and the secondary oil compartment being in fluid communication with the main oil compartment of the transmission oil sump via an opening located in a housing wall such that leaked oil to flows from transmission components in the clutch bell into the secondary oil compartment;
the main oil compartment and the secondary oil compartment being axially aligned with one another along a forward driving direction of the vehicle, with substantially all of a bottom surface of the secondary oil compartment ( 2 ) being in front of a bottom surface of the main oil compartment ( 1 ) with respect to the forward driving direction;
the housing wall being located between the main oil compartment and the secondary oil compartment and the housing wall extending vertically from a top most portion of the oil sump to a bottom wall of the oil sump and completely separating the main and the secondary compartments from one another so that the secondary compartment is only permitted to communicate with the main compartment via the opening;
a hinged flap comprising a cylindrical pin, the pin defining a pivot axis extending normal to the forward driving direction of the vehicle, the flap being provided for opening and closing the opening so that, during rapid deceleration of the vehicle incorporating the transmission, the hinged flap pivots about the pin and toward the housing wall into a closed position for blocking the opening to prevent oil from flowing out of the main oil compartment into the secondary oil compartment and thereby maintaining an oil level in the main oil compartment, for the oil pump, at a sufficiently level so as to prevent introduction of air into the oil pump via the suction line, but in situations without any rapid deceleration of the vehicle occurring, leaked oil which accumulates in the secondary oil compartment pivots the hinged flap, about the pin, away from the housing wall and into the main oil compartment so that the h

Assignees

• Michel Christian
• Ebenhoch Michael
• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Michel Christian
• Ebenhoch Michael

Classifications

• F16H57/0443

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• F01M2011/0041

  for accommodating movement or position of engines · CPC title

• F01M11/064 Primary

  Movement · CPC title