Method for mounting an oil sump and arrangement of an oil sump on an assembly formed by a crankcase and a flywheel housing

Abstract

An oil sump is mounted on an assembly formed by a crankcase and a flywheel housing of an internal combustion engine. The flywheel housing has a first parting plane to the crankcase and to the oil sump. In mounted state, the joint faces of the flywheel housing, the crankcase, and the oil sump lie on each other. The crankcase has a second parting plane to the oil sump. In mounted state the joint faces of the crankcase and the oil sump lie on each other. At least one guide is provided between the flywheel housing and the oil sump, the guide orienting at least the joint faces of the oil sump and the crankcase relative to each other during connection of the oil sump to the assembly formed by the crankcase and flywheel housing, such that on creation of the abutment connection between the oil sump and the crankcase, these joint faces are oriented substantially planar parallel.

Claims

1. A method for mounting an oil sump on an assembly formed by a crankcase and a flywheel housing of an internal combustion engine, wherein the flywheel housing has a joint face that forms a first parting plane with a first joint face of the crankcase and a first joint face of the oil sump, the joint face of the flywheel housing forming the first parting plane lies directly or indirectly on the first joint face of the crankcase and the first joint face of the oil sump in an abutment connection in the mounted state, and wherein the crankcase has a second joint face that forms a second parting plane with a second joint face of the oil sump, the second joint face of the crankcase and the second joint face of the oil sump forming the second parting plane lie on each other directly or indirectly in an abutment connection in the mounted state, the method comprising the steps of: joining the crankcase and the flywheel housing to form the assembly; attaching the oil sump on the assembly; providing at least one guide between the joint face of the flywheel housing and the first joint face of the oil sump, the at least one guide orienting at least the second joint face of the oil sump and the second joint face of the crankcase relative to each other during the step of attaching the oil sump to the assembly, such that the second joint face of the oil sump and the second joint face of the crankcase are oriented substantially planar parallel during mounting on creation of an abutment connection between the oil sump and the crankcase, wherein the at least one guide is disposed on the joint face of the flywheel housing and on the first joint face of the oil sump.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the oil sump on the assembly includes a final oil sump mounting substep in which the oil sump is moved along the first parting plane in the direction of the crankcase in the mounting and application direction (z), wherein at least one guide element of the at least one guide prevents at least one of twisting about and tilting relative to an oil sump axis running transversely to the mounting and application direction.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one guide element used in said step of attaching comprises at least one linear guide element allowing only a linear movement of the oil sump in the mounting and application direction.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first parting plane between the flywheel housing, the crankcase and the oil sump is oriented substantially perpendicular to the second parting plane between the crankcase and the oil sump.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first parting plane between the flywheel housing, the crankcase and the oil sump is oriented substantially perpendicular to the second parting plane between the crankcase and the oil sump.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching the oil sump includes a first oil sump mounting step in which the oil sump and the flywheel housing are joined together by the at least one guide, such that the first joint face of the oil sump and joint face the flywheel housing come to lie on each other directly or indirectly in the first parting plane, and a movement of the oil sump relative to the flywheel housing is still allowed, so that in a final oil sump mounting step, the oil sump is moved along the first parting plane in the direction of the crankcase, guided by the at least one guide.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guide is formed by at least one pin-slot connection between the flywheel housing and the oil sump, in which a pin cooperates with a slot which is substantially adapted to the pin in form or contour, and the step of attaching includes inserting the pin into the slot.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pin is a bolt, and the step of attaching includes initially tightening at least one bolt connection with a predefined tightening torque in order to position the oil sump relative to the flywheel housing and the crankcase, then transferring the oil sump to the final mounting position, and tightening the at least one bolt connection to a final torque after the oil sump has reached a final mounting position.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the guide further comprises at least one feed-in device, the step of attaching including guiding the oil sump with the feed-in device before insertion of the at least one guide pin of at least one pin-slot connection, with a feed-in groove on one of the first joint face of the oil sump and joint face the flywheel housing and a guide pin on the other of the first joint face of the oil sump and joint face the flywheel housing.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the feed-in groove is oriented at least one of parallel to the mounting and application direction of the oil sump and perpendicular to the first parting plane between the crankcase and the oil sump.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein a function part protrudes from one of the oil sump and the crankcase over the second parting plane and can be introduced in a corresponding receiver of the crankcase and the oil sump, the method comprises positioning the guide pin on the flywheel housing or the oil sump so that the guide pin first engages in the feed-in groove before the function part comes into contact with the receiver during the step of attaching.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guide is formed by at least one pin-groove connection between the flywheel housing and the oil sump, the step of attaching further comprising attaching at least one bolt connection by inserting a bolt through a slot in the flywheel housing and into a threaded hole in the oil sump, and transferring the oil sump to the final mounting position guided by the at least one guide and the at least one bolt connection.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one pin-slot connection includes at least three pin-slot connections, the three pin-slot connections arranged in a triangular three point mounting that prevents tilting and twisting of the oil sump relative to the flywheel housing during mounting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1 in a sketch-like depiction, an assembly of an internal combustion engine for commercial vehicles, consisting of a crankcase, an oil sump and a flywheel housing;

(3) FIG. 2 the pre-mounting assembly of crankcase and flywheel housing attached thereto, in inverted arrangement for mounting of the oil sump, with the oil sump situated on a crane in the advance position;

(4) FIG. 3 in a first mounting step, the oil sump advanced from above with flange face laid on the vertical flange face of the flywheel housing;

(5) FIG. 4 in a second mounting step, the partially lowered oil sump which is pre-fixed in the horizontal direction via a guide device with bolts, a guide pin and a feed-in groove;

(6) FIG. 5 in a final mounting step, the oil sump lowered onto the horizontal flange face of the crankcase in the final position and attached to the crankcase and the flywheel housing;

(7) FIG. 6 a three-dimensional view of the flywheel housing attached to the crankcase, showing the guide device with guide pin and feed-in groove on the oil sump;

(8) FIG. 7 a three-dimensional view of the oil sump with feed-in groove formed on its flange face facing the flywheel housing, and with a suction line for lubricating oil with pipe connector protruding above the corresponding flange face; and

(9) FIG. 8 a partial end view of the flywheel housing with bolts arranged inside the flange face with slot guides for pre-fixing the oil sump during mounting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) FIG. 1 shows, as a rough sketch and only insofar as relevant for understanding the present invention, an internal combustion engine 1 for a commercial vehicle, which consists of a crankcase 2, an oil sump 3 and a flywheel housing 5 flanged thereto in a first vertical parting plane 4.

(11) The flange connection between the crankcase 2 and the oil sump 3, or their respective joint faces, lies in a second horizontal parting plane 6.

(12) On assembly of components 2, 3 and 5, the mutually facing joint or flange faces in parting planes 4 and 6 lie in alignment or planar parallel to each other, in order to prevent leaks, damage to sealants and/or component stresses.

(13) FIGS. 2 to 5 show the mounting sequence according to the invention, in which according to FIG. 2, the relatively massive and heavy oil sump 3 is advanced to the inverted and pre-mounted assembly of crankcase 2 and flywheel housing 5, for example by means of a lifting device 7 or a crane, from above the assembly 2, 5 in relation to a mounting and application direction z and hence in relation to a vertical axis direction (see FIG. 2), and according to FIG. 3 is brought with its vertical joint face or flange 3a to rest on the assigned joint face or flange 5a of the flywheel housing 5 which protrudes freely upwards.

(14) Then as shown in FIG. 4, the oil sump 3 is partly lowered until a guide pin 8, which is arranged on and protrudes from the joint face or flange 5a, enters a feed-in groove 9 (to be described below) which has been worked into the flange 3a of the oil sump 3, and thus positions the oil sump 3 laterally (vertically to the drawing plane) in a targeted fashion such that the joint or flange faces 3a and 5a of the flywheel housing 5 and the oil sump 3 are oriented substantially planar parallel to each other.

(15) Then the oil sump 3, while it is raised from the crankcase 2, is pre-tensioned against the flywheel housing 5 by means of several bolts 10 (FIG. 8) with a defined low tightening torque, so that the joint or flange faces 3a and 5a of the flywheel housing 5 and the oil sump 3 lie on each other in a superficial abutment connection, preferably with the interposition of a gasket, wherein the oil sump 3 in this pre-fixed state is then oriented with its horizontal joint face or flange 3b planar parallel to the joint face or flange 2b of the crankcase 2.

(16) Then the oil sump 3 (FIG. 5), where applicable under its own weight, is placed completely on the crankcase 2, wherein the bolts 10 can be moved within the receiving slots 11 (FIG. 8) accordingly relative to the flywheel housing 5. The bolts 10 and their assigned slots 11 thus form pin-slot connections and hence guide means, in the concrete example linear guide means which allow only a linear guidance in the z direction and hence along the parting plane 4.

(17) Due to the positioning of the oil sump 3, oriented precisely by means of the guide means relative to the flywheel housing 5 and then to the crankcase 2, damage to the sealant (for example an adhesive bead, flat gasket etc.) between the oil sump 3 and the crankcase 2 is prevented, because in the final oil sump mounting step, the oil sump 3 is placed on the crankcase 2 without twisting about and/or tilting relative to an oil sump axis Y running transversely to the mounting and application direction Z.

(18) Also in this procedure, any connections of function parts between the oil sump 3 and crankcase 2 can be oriented aligned accordingly.

(19) After application of the oil sump 3, the components are firmly connected together for example by insertion of further bolts (not shown) in the flange 5a, 3a or 2b, 3b. Then the three bolts 10given here as an exampleare now tightened to the full, structurally specified tightening torque.

(20) FIG. 6 shows a view of the vertical joint or flange face 5a (parting plane 4) of the protruding flywheel housing 5 and the horizontal joint or flange face 2b (parting plane 6) of the crankcase 2. According to the mounting position of FIG. 4, the guide pin 8 protruding from the joint and flange face 5a now engages in the feed-in groove 9 (merely indicated here, see also FIG. 7) of the oil sump 3 and fixes this laterally, as stated. A kinematic reversal, i.e., an arrangement of the guide pin on the oil sump and a formation of the feed-in groove on the connecting or flange face 5a, is naturally also possible.

(21) The feed-in groove 9 preferably has a rectilinear portion 9a of the same width corresponding to the guide pin 8, and a widening portion 9b open to the joint or flange face 2b of the crankcase 2.

(22) FIG. 8 shows an end view of the flywheel housing 5 with the peripheral joint or flange face 5a. Within this joint or flange face 5a, for example three slots 11 of a pin-slot connection are provided, in each of which a bolt 10, adapted in form and contour, of this pin-slot connection engages.

(23) The slots 11 are all oriented the same way and here preferably oriented in the mounting and application direction z of the oil sump 3, or in other words in the vertical direction, and hence oriented vertically.

(24) Furthermore the straight line connections (shown in dotted lines) through the bolts 10 form a triangle, as can be seen.

(25) The bolts 10 are each screwed at the end into a corresponding threaded bore 12 of the oil sump 3 (FIG. 7), and together with the assigned slots 11, during mounting as described above, allow only a linear guidance for the oil sump 3 in the mounting and application direction z, while holding or fixing the oil sump 3 immovably in any other direction.

(26) As an alternative to the embodiment just described, for example in conjunction with less heavy and massive oil sumps, the feed-in groove 9 and its assigned guide pin 8 may possibly be omitted.

(27) In a further embodiment, one of the slot-bolt connections 10, 11 of FIG. 6, for example the lower central slot 11 in the figure plane of FIG. 6 and its assigned bolt 10, may be omitted and its function assumed by the feed-in groove 9 together with the assigned guide pin 8.

(28) According to these preferred embodiments, it is only important that the guide means supporting the movement of the oil sump 3 preferably forms at least one triangular three-point mounting, so that the oil sump cannot tilt or twist during mounting.

(29) For example a suction line 13 is arranged as a function part in the oil sump 3, not described in more detail, and in the normal manner conducts lubricating oil for the internal combustion engine 1 from an oil sump (not shown), and is connected to a suction channel in the crankcase 2 (not shown) via a pipe connector 14 protruding above the connecting or flange face 3b.

(30) The guide device or guide pin 8 with the feed-in groove 9 on the flange face 5a of the flywheel housing 5 and on the oil sump 3 are configured such that, on mounting of the oil sump 3, firstly the oil sump 3 is pre-fixed before the pipe connector 14 comes into contact with the corresponding suction channel in the crankcase 2. This ensures that the pipe connector 14 aligns with the suction channel and no damage can occur to sealing elements.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(31) 1 Internal combustion engine 2 Crankcase 2b Horizontal joint or flange face 3 Oil sump 3a Vertical joint or flange face 3b Horizontal joint or flange face 4 Vertical parting plane 5 Flywheel housing 5a Joint or flange face 6 Horizontal parting plane 7 Lifting device 8 Guide pin 9 Feed-in groove 9a Rectilinear portion 9b Widened portion 10 Bolts 11 Slot guides 12 Threaded bores 13 Suction line 14 Pipe connector