Provided are a reinforced structural body where an internal tension can be sufficiently generated in a reinforcing member against a deformation input to a body member thus allowing the reinforcing member to properly exhibit a reinforcing effect, and a method of manufacturing the reinforced structural body. An oil pan includes a body member made of a resin which has a plurality of fixing portions to be fixed to a counterpart member which is a fixing object, a reinforcing member which is integrally formed with the body member and has higher rigidity than the body member, and a plurality of bushings which have a higher yield stress than the body member and are fixed to the plurality of fixing portions respectively, wherein the reinforcing member extends between the plurality of bushings so as to connect the plurality of bushings.

The teachings herein are related to assemblies, such as oil pan assemblies, including a laminate bottom portion and a nut attached to the laminate bottom portion. The nut may provide a sealable opening to a cavity of the assembly. The laminate bottom portion preferably includes a polymeric layer sandwiched between two metallic layers. The nut preferably is a clinch nut.

A lubricating device for lubricating an internal combustion engine irrespective of orientation, which device comprises a housing that forms a housing part of the internal combustion engine, is, in order to make it possible to reliably lubricate an internal combustion engine, irrespective of orientation, by means of simple constructive means, designed and developed such that a first working chamber for storing lubricant and a second working chamber that is separate from the first working chamber are arranged in the housing, such that a passage is formed from the first working chamber to the second working chamber, such that the second working chamber comprises an opening to a crankshaft receiving area of the housing, and such that the first working chamber comprises a lubricant channel to the crankshaft receiving area, the opening and the lubricant channel being spaced apart from each other in a height direction such that lubricant can be supplied to the crankshaft receiving area, irrespective of orientation, at least via the opening or the lubricant channel.

Provided are oil reservoirs and engine oil circulation systems including an upper sump capable of receiving oil from an engine, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump, a valve-controlled orifice (VCO) penetrating the upper sum bottom, an oil chimney capable of receiving oil and communicating oil to the lower sump, and an oil conduit capable of extracting oil from the lower sump. Methods for operating systems include maintaining the VCO in an open position for a draw down duration temporally proximate an engine cold start, subsequently circulating oil between the engine and the oil reservoir, actuating the VCO to a closed position subsequent to the draw down duration for a warmup duration, and actuating the VCO to an open position subsequent to the warmup duration. Methods can further include actuating the VCO to an open position during the warmup duration in response to an increased oil demand event.

An oil pan may include a pan body forming a dual chamber including a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, and a mesh. The primary chamber and the secondary chamber each contains a different amount of oil, and the mesh allows a different amount of oil permeation discharged from the secondary chamber to the primary chamber based on temperature of the oil.

An oil sump for supplying an assembly of a motor vehicle, including: a housing including a housing frame, a housing base and a housing cover; and an oil accommodating space enclosed by the housing, and a suction channel which extends into the oil accommodating space and includes an opening via which oil can be delivered or suctioned from the oil accommodating space through the suction channel. The housing frame is arranged between the housing cover and the housing base. The housing frame itself and/or the housing frame together with the housing base and/or the housing cover forms one or more oil channels.

An oil sump for supplying an assembly of a motor vehicle, including: a housing including a housing frame and a closure part, such as for example a housing cover, which is joined to the housing frame; an oil accommodating space enclosed by the housing. The housing frame circumferentially surrounds the oil accommodating space; and a suction channel which extends into the oil accommodating space and includes an opening via which oil can be delivered or suctioned from the oil accommodating space through the suction channel. The suction channel is formed by the housing frame and the closure part.

A pan system suitable for an engine housing structure has trough-shaped inner and outer pans with bottoms and upright walls. The inner pan accommodates engine oil. The outer pan bottom and upright walls run at least in certain areas at a distance from the bottom and walls of the inner pan, forming a channel-like intermediate space containing engine for affecting the temperature of the inner pan. Fins are provided on the inner walls and the outer walls. The bottoms of the inner and outer pans interact through a supporting system. Preferably, the inner and outer pans are made of metallic material and the inner pan is provided at least on one inner side of the bottom and upright walls with a cooling fin system that optimizes heat transfer. The upright walls of the inner and outer pans are connected to the engine housing structure.

A lubricating device for lubricating an internal combustion engine irrespective of orientation, which device comprises a housing that forms a housing part of the internal combustion engine, is, in order to make it possible to reliably lubricate an internal combustion engine, irrespective of orientation, by means of simple constructive means, designed and developed such that a first working chamber for storing lubricant and a second working chamber that is separate from the first working chamber are arranged in the housing, such that a passage is formed from the first working chamber to the second working chamber, such that the second working chamber comprises an opening to a crankshaft receiving area of the housing, and such that the first working chamber comprises a lubricant channel to the crankshaft receiving area, the opening and the lubricant channel being spaced apart from each other in a height direction such that lubricant can be supplied to the crankshaft receiving area, irrespective of orientation, at least via the opening or the lubricant channel.

Provided are oil reservoirs and engine oil circulation systems including an upper sump capable of receiving oil from an engine, a lower sump disposed vertically below the upper sump, a valve-controlled orifice (VCO) penetrating the upper sum bottom, an oil chimney capable of receiving oil and communicating oil to the lower sump, and an oil conduit capable of extracting oil from the lower sump. Methods for operating systems include maintaining the VCO in an open position for a draw down duration temporally proximate an engine cold start, subsequently circulating oil between the engine and the oil reservoir, actuating the VCO to a closed position subsequent to the draw down duration for a warmup duration, and actuating the VCO to an open position subsequent to the warmup duration. Methods can further include actuating the VCO to an open position during the warmup duration in response to an increased oil demand event.