OIL SUPPLY DEVICE FOR A VACUUM PUMP OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

An oil supply device for a vacuum pump of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a car, including an oil feed line via which the vacuum pump can be supplied with oil for lubricating the vacuum pump. The oil feed line includes a valve connected to the oil feed line in an oil-conducting manner, which valve has a piston that is accommodated in a valve interior of the valve and can move at least between a supply position in which it allows a supply of oil to the vacuum pump and a blocking position in which it prevents the supply of oil to the vacuum pump, and has a spring element, by means of which a spring force that holds the piston in the blocking position can be applied to the piston when the internal combustion engine is at rest.

Claims

1. Oil supply device for a vacuum pump of an internal combustion engine, in particular of a car, comprising: an oil feed line via which the vacuum pump can be supplied with oil for lubricating the vacuum pump, wherein the oil feed line comprises a valve connected to the oil feed line in an oil-conducting manner, the valve has a piston that is accommodated in a valve interior of the valve and can move at least between a supply position in which it allows a supply of oil to the vacuum pump and a blocking position in which it prevents the supply of oil to the vacuum pump, and has a spring element, by means of which a spring force that holds the piston in the blocking position can be applied to the piston when the internal combustion engine is at rest.

2. Oil supply device according to claim 1, wherein the piston can be displaced from the blocking position into the supply position counter to the spring force by means of an oil pressure of the oil that is applied to the piston during operation of the internal combustion engine.

3. Oil supply device according to claim 1, wherein the valve has a ventilation aperture via which air can be exchanged between the valve interior and the surroundings of the valve when the piston moves between the blocking position and the supply position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0014] Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be found in the following description of a preferred embodiment and with reference to the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description and the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and/or shown in the drawings alone can be used not only in the respectively given combination but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0015] In the drawings:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vacuum pump which can be supplied with oil via an oil supply device, a piston of a valve of the oil supply device being in a blocking position;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the oil supply device which shows the piston of the valve in the blocking position in which the piston prevents the supply of oil to the vacuum pump; and

[0018] FIG. 3 is another sectional view of the portion of the oil supply device, the piston being in a supply position in which it allows the supply of oil to the vacuum pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a vacuum pump 20 of an internal combustion engine (not further depicted here) comprising a blade element 22 which is rotatably accommodated in a working chamber 24 of the vacuum pump 20 in order to produce a negative pressure by rotating the blade element 22. In order to supply the vacuum pump 20 with oil 12 for the lubrication thereof, an oil supply device 10 is provided which comprises an oil feed line 30 and a valve 40 connected to the oil feed line 30 in an oil-conducting manner. The valve 40 has a valve housing 44 which delimits a valve interior 42. A piston 50 is accommodated in a valve interior 42 of the valve 40, which piston can move between a supply position 52 in which it allows a supply of oil 12 to the vacuum pump 20 and a blocking position 54 in which it prevents the supply of oil 12 to the vacuum pump 20. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the piston 50 in the blocking position 54 thereof, whereas FIG. 3 shows the piston 50 in the supply position 52 thereof. The oil feed line 10 further comprises a spring element 60, by means of which a spring force F that holds the piston 50 in the blocking position 54 can be applied to the piston 50 when the internal combustion engine is at rest.

[0020] The piston 50 can be displaced from the blocking position 54 into the supply position 52 counter to the spring force F by means of an oil pressure p of the oil 12 that is applied to the piston 50 during operation of the internal combustion engine, as can be seen from looking at FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 together.

[0021] Moreover, the valve 40 has a ventilation aperture 70 via which air can be exchanged between the valve interior 42 and the surroundings of the valve 40 when the piston 50 moves between the blocking position 54 and the supply position 52.

[0022] The valve 40 can also be referred to generally as a stop valve for supplying lubricating oil to the vacuum pump 20, i.e. in other words as a stop valve for supplying oil 12 to the vacuum pump 20.