Assembly for receiving a fluid subjected to fluctuating pressure, in particular in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

An assembly for receiving a fluid subjected to fluctuating pressure has a housing with at least two housing parts. A tensioning bolt connects the at least two housing parts to each other. The tensioning bolt has at least two spaced-apart threaded sections, wherein the at least two threaded sections each are screwed into a respective counter thread in the at least two housing parts. The assembly can be a suction pipe or an air filter device of an internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. An assembly for receiving a fluid subjected to fluctuating pressure, the assembly comprising: a housing comprising: a first housing wall; a second housing wall oppositely positioned from the first housing wall, wherein the first housing wall is spaced apart from the second housing wall, forming a receiving space therebetween, the receiving space subject to fluctuating pressure and vacuum forces directed at pushing apart the oppositely positioned housing walls, as well as vacuum forces, which are directed at compressing together the oppositely positioned housing walls; a double tensioning bolt comprising: a first threaded section having: a first thread pitch; and a first outer diameter; a second threaded section spaced axially away from the first threaded section, the second threaded section having: a second thread pitch; and a second outer diameter; wherein the first thread pitch matches the second thread pitch; wherein the first outer diameter is greater the second outer diameter; wherein the first threaded section is threadably engaged into a first counter thread in the first housing wall; wherein the second threaded section is threadably engaged into a second counter thread in the second housing wall; wherein the first threaded section and the second threaded section have a same thread handedness such that rotating the double tensioning bolt in a first screwing direction advances the first threaded section axially into the first counter thread of the first housing wall and advances the second thread section axially in the second counter thread of the second housing wall; wherein the matching first and second thread pitches maintains a fix axial spacing along the double tensioning bolt between the first housing wall and the second housing wall, the spacing fixed as the double tensioning bolt is advanced in the counter threads of the first and second housing walls; wherein the fluctuating pressure or vacuum forces acting on the spaced apart first and second housing walls are absorbed by the double tensioning bolt in case of increasing as well as decreasing pressure by means of the first and second threaded sections so that the axial spacing of the first housing wall to the second housing wall is held to a fixed spacing by the double tensioning bolt.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two housing parts include a housing part comprising a blind bore recess with a closed bottom, wherein an end face of the double tensioning bolt projects into the blind bore recess.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two threaded sections of the double tensioning bolt include one or more threaded sections connected by an adhesive or sealing substance with the respective counter thread.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive or sealing substance is applied onto the one or more threaded sections prior to screwing in the double tensioning bolt into the respective counter threads.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises at least two housing parts; wherein a first housing part of the at least two housing parts has the first housing wall; wherein a second housing part of the at least two housing parts has the second housing wall; wherein the at least two housing parts connected by the double tensioning bolt form spaced-apart parallel housing walls.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the at least two housing parts connected by the double tensioning bolt are embodied as one piece.

7. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the at least two housing parts connected by the tensioning bolt are embodied as two separate parts.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing is produced by plastics injection molding.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly is a suction pipe for an internal combustion engine.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a charge air cooler, wherein the double tensioning bolt passes through the charge air cooler.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly is an air filter device for an internal combustion engine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and expedient embodiments can be taken from the additional claims, the figure description and the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a suction pipe in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, partially in section view, with an illustration of a tensioning bolt through a charge air cooler for connecting oppositely positioned parallel housing walls of the suction pipe.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a section view in the region of the housing walls of the suction pipe connected by the tensioning bolt.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective illustration of the tensioning bolt with the connected housing walls.

(5) FIG. 4 shows an individual illustration of the tensioning bolt with two axially spaced-apart threaded sections with different outer diameter.

(6) In the Figures, same components are provided with same reference characters.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) In FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as in the detail view in FIG. 3, a suction pipe 1 is illustrated which is arranged in the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and in which a charge air cooler 3 is integrated for cooling the compressed combustion air in the intake manifold. The suction pipe 1 comprises a housing 2 in which the charge air cooler 3 is received. As can be seen in FIG. 1, by means of a housing-associated intake socket 4, the combustion air is introduced according to arrow 5 into the suction pipe 1 and, according to the additional arrows 6 and 7, is guided farther through the charge air cooler 3 and subsequently out of the suction pipe 1 and in the direction of the inlet of the internal combustion engine.

(8) The housing 2 of the suction pipe 1 comprises in the region of the charge air cooler 3 two housing walls 8 and 9, each forming a housing part, which delimit a receiving space for the charge air cooler 3 and are positioned parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. The two oppositely positioned housing walls 8 and 9 are connected to each other and fixed relative to each other by a tensioning bolt 10 that is embodied as a double tensioning bolt and comprises two axially spaced-apart threaded sections 11 and 12, wherein the axial spacing relates to the longitudinal axis of the tensioning bolt 10. The first threaded section 11 is located immediately adjacent to a radially expanded bolt head 13 of the tensioning bolt wherein an inner polygon socket 14 is provided in the bolt head 13 for insertion and actuation by means of a socket wrench.

(9) The second threaded section 12 is located immediately adjacent to the free end face of the tensioning bolt 10 which is positioned axially opposite the bolt head 13. The threaded sections 11 and 12 comprise the same thread orientation (also known as handedness, i.e.: right handed or left handed thread, see FIG. 4) and the same thread pitch but a different outer diameter wherein the outer diameter of the first threaded section 11 neighboring the bolt head 13 is greater than the outer diameter of the second threaded section 12 neighboring the end face. The outer diameter of the first threaded section 11 is, for example, at least by 50% larger than the outer diameter of the second threaded section 12. The different outer diameters of the threaded sections 11 and 12 enable demolding of the housing 2 from the same side when producing the housing as a plastics injection molded part. This makes it also possible, as can be seen in FIG. 2, to introduce into the second housing part 9 a blind bore recess 15 with a closed bottom 16, wherein the tensioning bolt 10 projects with its second threaded section 12 into the blind bore recess 15. Due to the embodiment as a blind bore recess 15, at this location an absolute flow-tight sealing of the interior in the housing 2 with the charge air cooler 3 is provided. A sealing element at this location is not needed.

(10) At the inner side of the bolt head 13 and at the same time at the outwardly positioned side of the first housing wall 8, a sealing element 17 is provided, in particular a sealing ring that is positioned between the housing wall 8 and the bolt head 13 and is axially compressed by the bolt head 13. In this way, in the region of the first housing wall 8, a flow-tight sealing action is provided so that, by means of the recess in the housing wall 8 through which the tensioning bolt 10 is passed, no fluid can escape from the interior of the housing to the exterior.

(11) The embodiment of the tensioning bolt 10 as a double tensioning bolt with the two axially spaced-apart threaded sections 11 and 12, between which a section without thread is located, and the screwing action of each threaded section 11 and 12 with the correlated counter thread in the recesses in the housing walls 8 and 9 enables a fixation of the housing walls relative to each other in both axial directions, relative to the longitudinal axis 18 of the tensioning bolt 10. Pressure fluctuations of the combustion air which is guided through the suction pipe 1 are absorbed by the tensioning bolt 10 in case of increasing as well as decreasing pressure by means of the threaded sections 11 and 12 so that the axial relative position of the housing walls 8 and 9 to each other in both axial directions is fixed. A permanent fixed connection between the tensioning bolt 10 and the housing walls 8 and 9 is produced so that seal-tightness is ensured for a long period of time.

(12) The axial length of each threaded section is dimensioned such that a reliable and fixed connection with each housing wall 8 and 9 is ensured. The axial length of the two threaded sections 11 and 12 is at least approximately the same. The axial length of each threaded section amounts to, for example, approximately one fourth of the total length of the tensioning bolt 10.

(13) For producing the connection, the tensioning bolt 10 with the threaded section 12 positioned adjacent to the end face of the tensioning bolt is first passed through the recess in the first housing wall 8 as well as through a sleeve 19 which is provided in the charge air cooler 3 and which extends completely through the charge air cooler 3. The tensioning bolt 10 is inserted so far into the housing 2 that the threaded section 12 reaches the region of the blind bore recess 15. In the embodiment of the housing as a plastics injection molded part, expediently the threaded section 12 cuts the counter thread into the inner wall of the blind bore recess 15. However, it can also be expedient to arrange in the blind bore recess 15 a pre-manufactured counter thread into which the threaded section 12 of the tensioning bolt 10 is screwed.

(14) Simultaneously with screwing the threaded section 12 into the counter thread in the blind bore recess 15 or cutting the counter thread into the blind bore recess 15, the threaded section 11, in the region of the first housing wall 8, is also screwed into the correlated counter thread at the inner wall of the recess in the housing wall 8. In a corresponding manner as described in regard to the second housing wall 9, the counter thread is produced in the first housing wall 8 also by cutting by means of the threaded section 11 of the tensioning bolt 10. Alternatively, the counter thread in the recess in the first housing wall 8 is pre-manufactured and the threaded section 11 is screwed into the pre-manufactured counter thread.

(15) Screwing is carried out to such an extent that the bolt head 13 contacts the exterior side of the housing wall 8 or a sufficiently high axial compression is produced at the sealing element 17. The screwing action can be carried out with torque control in that a tightening torque is preset and, when reached, the screwing process is terminated.