Air pipe for the intake tract of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

Air pipe for the intake tract of an internal combustion engine, for example a turbo engine, including a first pipe component composed of a first material and a second pipe component composed of a second material, the first material being more flexible than the second material.

Claims

1. An air pipe for an intake tract of an internal combustion engine, the air pipe comprising: a first pipe component composed of a first material; and a second pipe component composed of a second material, wherein the first material is more flexible than the second material and the first pipe component and the second pipe component are connected to each other by a welded joint, the welded joint runs along a contact surface between the first pipe component and the second pipe component, the first material comprises a polyamide which is selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6, polyamide 46, polyamide 66, polyamide 66/6, and polyamide 6T/66/6I, and the second material comprises a reinforced polyamide which is selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6, polyamide 46, polyamide 66, polyamide 66/6, and polyamide 6T/66/6I.

2. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material is unreinforced.

3. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second material further comprises a reinforcing material selected from the group consisting of: carbon or carbonaceous fibers, glass fibers, glass beads, minerals and combinations thereof.

4. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first material is (poly(hexamethylene adipamide co-caprolactam).

5. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second material is glass fiber-reinforced.

6. The air pipe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second material comprises a homopolyamide.

7. The air pipe as claimed in claim 6, wherein the homopolyamide is of the diamine-dicarboxylic acid type.

8. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pipe component and the second pipe component are connected to each other in a materially locking manner.

9. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pipe component and the second pipe component are connected to each other by pressure joint welding.

10. The air pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pressure joint welding involves friction welding.

11. The air pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pressure joint welding involves rotary friction welding.

12. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air pipe is an air intake pipe.

13. The air pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air pipe is a charging air pipe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The following is shown diagrammatically in the figures:

(2) FIG. 1: an embodiment of an air pipe according to the invention and

(3) FIG. 2: a longitudinal section of a part of the air pipe shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(4) FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic illustration of an air pipe 100 which comprises a first pipe component 110 and a second pipe component 120.

(5) The first pipe component 110 and the second pipe component 120 are connected to each other in a materially locking manner. The first pipe component 110 and the second pipe component 120 are preferably connected to each other by means of a welded joint. The welded joint preferably runs along the contact surface between the first pipe component 110 and the second pipe component 120. The welded joint is preferably a friction-welded joint.

(6) The first pipe component 110 is composed of a more flexible material than the second pipe component 120.

(7) The material of the first pipe component 110 preferably comprises a copolyamide. The copolyamide is preferably produced by polycondensation of hexamethylene diamine, adipic acid, and -caprolactam (polyamide 6/66).

(8) The material of the second pipe component 120 preferably comprises a reinforced, more particularly a glass fiber-reinforced homopolyamide. The homopolyamide is preferably polyhexamethylene adipamide, i.e. a polycondensate of hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid (polyamide 66).

(9) Both the copolyamide of the first pipe component 110 and the homopolyamide of the second pipe component 120 show sufficient mechanical strength, stiffness, and temperature resistance to withstand the pressures and temperatures arising during operation of an internal combustion engine, more particularly a turbo engine.

(10) At the same time, the copolyamide of the first pipe component 110 has sufficiently flexible properties to allow a sealing connection with an engine air filter to be achieved, for example.

(11) The air pipe 100, more particularly the first pipe component 110, can be connected at its upstream end 111 to a connecting piece 115, for example for an air filter. The connecting piece 115 can be configured as a sleeve, and from the standpoint of increased sealing, it is preferably composed of an elastomer material, more particularly ethylene acrylate rubber.

(12) FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows a longitudinal section of a part of the air pipe 100 shown in FIG. 1.

(13) It can be seen that an upstream end 111 of the first pipe component 110 having an enlarged diameter compared to the rest of the first pipe component 110 is engaged in a preferably circular ring-shaped recess of the connecting piece 115. For this purpose, the upstream end 111 preferably comprises two ridges 113; 117, spaced parallel to one another and running circumferentially, which are accommodated in the recess on engagement of the protrusions having complementary shapes.

(14) It can also be seen that a projecting upstream end 121 of the second pipe component 120 is accommodated by a groove formed on the downstream end 119 of the first pipe component 110, which is open in the direction of the upstream end 121.

(15) A welding seam preferably runs in a circumferential direction of the air pipe between the groove and the upstream end 121.

(16) In order to prevent a throttle valve from being damaged by condensed water, it can further be provided that the second pipe component 120 comprises a condensed water non-return valve 123. This valve collects condensed water and allows it to evaporate.

(17) Moreover, the connecting piece 115 can comprise a circumferential groove 116 for accommodating a fastening means, such as e.g. a hose clamp.