JP7537385B2 - Air cleaner for internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine.

Patent Document 1 discloses an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine. This air cleaner is equipped with a lower case having an inlet, an upper case that can be opened and closed relative to the lower case and has an outlet, and a filter element that is held between the two cases.

The lower case has a pair of gate-shaped receiving members that protrude from one side of the periphery of the opening of the lower case toward the upper case. The upper case has a pair of protrusions that protrude from one side of the periphery of the opening of the upper case toward the outer periphery. The pair of receiving members and the pair of protrusions form a hinge that rotatably supports the upper case relative to the lower case.

With this type of air cleaner, the upper case is rotated away from the lower case using the hinge as a fulcrum, and the upper case is slid relative to the lower case in the direction in which the protrusion protrudes, thereby pulling the protrusion out of the receiving member. This allows the upper case to be removed from the lower case.

Patent Document 2 also discloses an air cleaner connected to an outlet duct that is connected to the intake side of the engine. The outlet duct has a bellows structure.

JP 2016-156291 A JP 2013-50059 A

However, while the outlet duct is prone to bending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet duct, it is difficult to expand and contract along the axial direction of the outlet duct. Therefore, when the protruding direction of a pair of protrusions on the upper case coincides with the axial direction of the outlet duct, the outlet duct restricts the upper case from sliding relative to the lower case in the protruding direction of the protrusions. As a result, it may become difficult to remove the upper case from the lower case. In this case, the worker will have to remove the outlet duct every time they replace the filter element, which may reduce workability.

The object of the present invention is to provide an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine in which the cap can be easily removed from the case.

To achieve the above-mentioned objective, an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine comprises a case having a first side wall defining a polygonal first opening and an inlet, a cap having a second side wall defining a second opening having the same shape as the first opening and an outlet to which an outlet hose is connected, and a filter element provided between the case and the cap. The cap has a protrusion that protrudes from one side of the periphery of the second opening toward the outer periphery, and the case has a fitting portion that protrudes toward the cap in the opposing direction in which the case and the cap face each other and has a hole into which the protrusion is fitted in the protruding direction of the protrusion, and the protrusion and the fitting portion form a support mechanism that supports the cap so that it can be opened and closed relative to the case, the outlet protrudes from the outer surface of the second side wall in the protruding direction of the protrusion and is provided at a position away from the protrusion in the extending direction of the side, and the case has a clamp that fixes the cap and the case, and the clamp is hooked to a side of the periphery of the second opening that is different from the side.

When removing the cap from the case with the outlet hose connected to the outlet of the cap, the worker first releases the fixation by the clamp.
According to the above configuration, the case and the cap are provided with one fitting portion and one protrusion that constitute the support mechanism, and the outlet protrudes from the outer surface of the second side wall in the protruding direction of the protrusion and is provided at a position separated from the protrusion in the extending direction of the side.

Next, the worker slides the cap relative to the case in the direction in which the protrusion protrudes, while bending the outlet hose in a direction intersecting the axial direction along the opening surface of the first opening. This causes the cap to rotate relative to the case around the outlet, and the protrusion of the cap is pulled out of the hole in the insertion portion of the case. In this way, the cap can be removed from the case with the outlet hose connected to the outlet of the cap. Therefore, even if the outlet hose does not easily expand or contract in the axial direction, the cap can be easily removed from the case.

In addition, the above configuration simplifies the structure of the air cleaner compared to when the support mechanism is composed of two protrusions and two fittings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine with an outlet hose connected to an outlet of a cap. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the air cleaner of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the air cleaner of FIG. 4 is a front view showing a protrusion of the cap of the air cleaner of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a protrusion of the cap of the air cleaner of FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the air cleaner of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the protrusion of the cap is fitted into the fitting portion of the case. 7A to 7C are plan views of the air cleaner of FIG. 1 showing a process in which the protrusion is pulled out of the fitting portion. 8A to 8C are plan views of the air cleaner of FIG. 1 showing a process in which the protrusion is pulled out of the fitting portion. 9A to 9C are plan views of the air cleaner of FIG. 1 showing a process in which the protrusion is pulled out of the fitting portion. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the air cleaner of FIG. 1 with the protrusions removed from the fitting portions.

Below, one embodiment of an air cleaner for an internal combustion engine will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. Note that in this embodiment, the present invention is embodied as an air cleaner for an on-vehicle internal combustion engine.

<Overall configuration of the air cleaner>
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the air cleaner for an internal combustion engine includes a case 10 having a cylindrical inlet 11, a cap 20 having a cylindrical outlet 21, and a filter element 30 provided between the case 10 and the cap 20.

An outlet hose 90 is connected to the outlet 21. The end of the outlet hose 90 in the extension direction is connected to a throttle body of the engine (not shown). The outlet hose 90 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. The outlet hose 90 also has a bellows structure 91 midway in the extension direction. Note that the outlet hose 90 is not shown in FIG. 3.

The air cleaner has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape.
In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the air cleaner will be referred to as a first direction X. The width direction of the air cleaner perpendicular to the first direction X will be referred to as a second direction Y. The height direction of the air cleaner perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y will be referred to as a third direction Z.

<Case 10>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the case 10 has a bottom wall 12 that is rectangular in plan view, and a first side wall 13 that extends from the periphery of the bottom wall 12 .

The first side wall 13 is provided with an inlet 11. More specifically, the inlet 11 protrudes in the first direction X from the outer surface of a portion 13a of the first side wall 13 that is located on one side in the first direction X (the right side in the left-right direction in FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular first opening 14 is defined by the tip of the first side wall 13. The opening surface of the first opening 14 extends along an imaginary plane V along both the first direction X and the second direction Y (see FIG. 6). A pair of long sides of the first opening 14 extend in the first direction X. A pair of short sides of the first opening 14 extend in the second direction Y.

A flange portion 15 that protrudes from the first side wall 13 toward the outer periphery is provided around the entire periphery of the first opening 14. The outer edge shape of the flange portion 15 is rectangular in plan view.

2 and 3, the case 10 has clamps 16 that secure the cap 20 and the case 10. Three clamps 16 are provided on the periphery of the first opening 14. Each clamp 16 is attached so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum located closer to the bottom wall 12 than the flange portion 15 in the third direction Z. One of the three clamps 16 is provided on one side of the periphery of the first opening 14 in the first direction X (the right side in FIG. 2). The remaining two clamps 16 are provided on one side of the periphery of the first opening 14 in the second direction Y (the upper side in the vertical direction in FIG. 2), and are arranged at intervals from each other in the first direction X.

One fitting portion 40 is provided on the short side of the pair of short sides of the first opening 14 located on the other side in the first direction X (left side in FIG. 2). More specifically, the fitting portion 40 is provided on the end face 15a of the flange portion 15 on the other side in the first direction X (left side in FIG. 2). The fitting portion 40 has a pair of base ends 41 protruding from the end face 15a in the first direction X, and a main body portion 42 connecting the tips of the base ends 41. The main body portion 42 is gate-shaped with an open side on the bottom wall 12 side in the third direction Z. The main body portion 42 rises from the tip of the base end portion 41 and protrudes in the third direction Z. The inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 42 forms a hole 43 extending in the first direction X.

<Cap 20>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cap 20 has a top wall 22 that is rectangular in plan view, and a second side wall 23 that extends from the periphery of the top wall 22 .

The second side wall 23 has a corner 23d between a portion 23a located on the other side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 2) and a portion 23b located on the other side in the second direction Y (the lower side in FIG. 2). The second side wall 23 also has a corner 23e between the portion 23a and a portion 23c located on one side in the second direction Y (the upper side in FIG. 2).

An outlet 21 is provided in a portion including the portion 23a and the corner portion 23e of the second side wall 23. The outlet 21 protrudes from the outer surface of the portion toward the other side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 2). In detail, the outlet 21 is inclined so as to move toward one side in the second direction Y (the upper side in FIG. 2) as it moves toward the other side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 2). In addition, the outlet 21 is inclined so as to move closer to the top wall 22 in the third direction Z as it moves away from the second side wall 23 in the first direction X (see FIG. 1).

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a rectangular second opening 24 is defined by the tip of the second side wall 23. The opening surface of the second opening 24 extends along the imaginary plane V (see Figure 4). The second opening 24 has the same shape as the first opening 14. A pair of long sides of the second opening 24 extend in the first direction X. A pair of short sides of the second opening 24 extend in the second direction Y. The second opening 24 faces the first opening 14 of the case 10 in the third direction Z (see Figure 3).

A flange portion 25 is provided around the entire periphery of the second opening 24, protruding from the second side wall 23 toward the outer periphery. The outer edge shape of the flange portion 25 is rectangular in plan view. The outer edge shape of the flange portion 25 has the same shape as the outer edge shape of the flange portion 15. The flange portion 25 faces the flange portion 15 in the third direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 20 has a hook portion 26 on which the clamp 16 is hooked. Three hook portions 26 are provided on the periphery of the second opening 24. Each hook portion 26 is provided at a position corresponding to each clamp 16. The cap 20 is fixed to the case 10 by hooking each clamp 16 to each hook portion 26.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the short side of the pair of short sides of the second opening 24 that is located on the other side in the first direction X (the left side in Figure 2) is provided with one protrusion 50 that protrudes toward the outer periphery. More specifically, the protrusion 50 is provided on the end face 25a of the flange portion 25 on the other side in the first direction X (the left side in Figure 2). The protrusion 50 protrudes in the first direction X from the end face 25a. The protrusion 50 is provided at a position away from the outlet 21 in the second direction Y. More specifically, the protrusion 50 is located on the corner 23d side of the cap 20 in the second direction Y.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the protrusion 50 has a top wall portion 51, and a first side wall portion 52 and a second side wall portion 53 that extend in the third direction Z from both end edges of the top wall portion 51 in the second direction Y toward the case 10. Of the two side walls 52, 53, the first side wall portion 52 is located on the outlet 21 side in the second direction Y. In this embodiment, the outer surfaces of the first side wall portion 52 and the second side wall portion 53 correspond to the first side surface and the second side surface of the present invention, respectively.

The protrusion 50 also has a third side wall portion 54 that extends in the third direction Z from the tip of the top wall portion 51 in the first direction X toward the case 10 .
The top wall portion 51 has a first inclined surface 51a that connects with the outer surface of the first side wall portion 52, a curved surface 51c that connects with the outer surface of the second side wall portion 53, and a first flat surface 51b located between the first inclined surface 51a and the curved surface 51c.

The first inclined surface 51a is inclined toward the other side in the second direction Y (the right side in the left-right direction in FIG. 4) as it moves toward the other side in the third direction Z (the upper side in the up-down direction in FIG. 4). In other words, the first inclined surface 51a is inclined toward the outlet 21 in the second direction Y as it moves away from the case 10 in the third direction Z.

The first flat surface 51b extends in the second direction Y.
The curved surface 51c is curved so as to move toward one side in the third direction Z (the lower side in FIG. 4) as it moves toward the other side in the second direction Y (the right side in FIG. 4). That is, the curved surface 51c is curved so as to move closer to the case 10 in the third direction Z as it moves away from the outlet 21 in the second direction Y. The first inclined surface 51a, the first flat surface 51b, and the curved surface 51c form the end faces of the protrusion 50 in the third direction Z on the side opposite to the case 10, i.e., the end faces on the other side in the third direction Z (the upper side in FIG. 4).

The first side wall portion 52 extends in the third direction Z.
The second side wall portion 53 has a second flat surface 53a located at the base end of the protrusion 50 in the first direction X, and a second inclined surface 53b extending from the second flat surface 53a and continuing to the tip end of the protrusion 50 in the first direction X.

The second flat surface 53a extends in the third direction Z.
The second inclined surface 53b is inclined toward one side in the second direction Y (upper side in the up-down direction in FIG. 5) toward the other side in the first direction X (left side in the left-right direction in FIG. 5). In other words, the second inclined surface 53b is inclined toward the outlet 21 in the second direction Y toward the tip side of the protrusion 50.

The third side wall portion 54 extends in the second direction Y and the third direction Z. An outer surface of the third side wall portion 54 is continuous with the first inclined surface 51a, the first flat surface 51b, and the second inclined surface 53b.
The protrusion 50 and the fitting portion 40 form a support mechanism 60 that supports the cap 20 on the case 10 so that the cap can be opened and closed.

<Filter element 30>
3 , the filter element 30 has a filtering portion 31 that is rectangular in plan view, and a seal member 32 provided on the outer periphery of the filtering portion 31. The filter element 30 is assembled between the case 10 and the cap 20 in a state in which the filtering portion 31 is housed inside the case 10 and the seal member 32 is sandwiched between the flange portion 15 of the case 10 and the flange portion 25 of the cap 20.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When removing the cap 20 from the case 10 with the outlet hose 90 connected to the outlet 21 of the cap 20 , the worker first releases the fixation by the clamp 16 .

Here, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the case 10 and the cap 20 are each provided with one fitting portion 40 and one protrusion 50 that constitute the support mechanism 60. In addition, the outlet 21 protrudes toward one side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 2) from the outer surface of the portion including the portion 23a and the corner portion 23e of the second side wall 23, and is provided at a position separated from the protrusion 50 in the second direction Y.

When the clamp 16 is removed from the hook portion 26, a reaction force in the third direction Z from the seal member 32 of the filter element 30 acts on the case 10 and the cap 20. As a result, the first flat surface 51b of the protrusion 50 is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43 of the fitting portion 40 by the reaction force (see FIG. 6).

Next, as shown in Figures 7 to 10, the worker slides the cap 20 relative to the case 10 in the first direction X, while bending the bellows structure 91 of the outlet hose 90 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the outlet hose 90 along the opening surface of the first opening 14. This causes the cap 20 to rotate relative to the case 10 around the outlet 21, and the protrusion 50 of the cap 20 is pulled out of the hole 43 of the fitting portion 40 of the case 10 (see Figure 9). In this way, with the outlet hose 90 connected to the outlet 21 of the cap 20, the cap 20 is removed from the case 10 (see Figure 10).

When attaching the cap 20 to the case 10, the worker rotates the cap 20 in the reverse direction relative to the case 10 around the outlet 21 with the outlet hose 90 connected to the outlet 21 of the cap 20. This causes the protrusion 50 of the cap 20 to fit into the hole 43 of the fitting portion 40 of the case 10, and the first opening 14 of the case 10 is closed by the cap 20. In this state, the clamp 16 of the case 10 is hooked to the hook portion 26 of the cap 20, thereby fixing the case 10 and the cap 20 together.

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The cap 20 has one protrusion 50 protruding from the end face 25a of the flange portion 25 in the first direction X. The case 10 has one fitting portion 40 that protrudes toward the cap 20 in the third direction Z and has a hole 43 into which the protrusion 50 is fitted in the first direction X. The protrusion 50 and the fitting portion 40 form a support mechanism 60 that supports the cap 20 on the case 10 so that the cap 20 can be opened and closed. The outlet 21 protrudes toward one side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 4 ) from an outer surface of a portion including the portion 23a and the corner portion 23e of the second side wall 23 and is provided at a position separated from the protrusion 50 in the second direction Y.

This configuration provides the above-mentioned effects. Therefore, even if the outlet hose 90 is difficult to expand and contract in the axial direction, the cap 20 can be easily removed from the case 10.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the structure of the air cleaner can be simplified compared to a case in which the support mechanism 60 is configured by two protrusions 50 and two fitting portions 40 .
(2) The protrusion 50 has a first side wall portion 52 located on the outlet 21 side in the second direction Y, a second side wall portion 53 located on the opposite side to the first side wall portion 52, and a top wall portion 51 continuing to the first side wall portion 52 and the second side wall portion 53. The top wall portion 51 has a first inclined surface 51a continuing to the outer surface of the first side wall portion 52. The first inclined surface 51a is inclined so as to move away from the outlet 21 in the second direction Y as it approaches the cap 20 in the third direction Z.

A seal member 32 is provided around the filtration section 31 of the filter element 30. Therefore, a reaction force in the third direction Z from the seal member 32 acts on the case 10 and the cap 20. As a result, the protrusion 50 is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43 of the fitting section 40 by the reaction force.

When removing the cap 20 from the case 10, and when attaching the cap 20 to the case 10, the worker rotates the cap 20 relative to the case 10 around the outlet 21 with the protrusion 50 pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43.

According to the above configuration, the top wall 51 of the protrusion 50 is provided with a first inclined surface 51a that is continuous with the outer surface of the first side wall 52, and the first inclined surface 51a creates a gap S between the protrusion 50 and the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43. This suppresses interference between the protrusion 50 and the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43, allowing the cap 20 to rotate smoothly relative to the case 10 around the outlet 21.

(3) The second side wall portion 53 has a second inclined surface 53b that is continuous with the tip of the protrusion 50 in the first direction X. The second inclined surface 53b is inclined so as to approach the outlet 21 in the second direction Y as it approaches the tip side of the protrusion 50.

When an operator rotates the cap 20 relative to the case 10 around the outlet 21, the second side wall portion 53 of the protrusion 50 may interfere with the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43 of the fitting portion 40. This may make it difficult to pull the protrusion 50 out of the hole 43 and to fit the protrusion 50 into the hole 43.

In this regard, according to the above configuration, the second inclined surface 53b provided on the second side wall 53 suppresses interference between the second side wall 53 of the protrusion 50 and the inner circumferential surface of the hole 43 (see FIG. 8). This makes it possible to easily pull out the protrusion 50 from the hole 43 and easily fit the protrusion 50 into the hole 43. This makes it easier to remove the cap 20 from the case 10 and to attach the cap 20 to the case 10.

<Example of change>
This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.

The number and arrangement of the clamps 16 and the hook portions 26 are not limited to those exemplified in this embodiment. In other words, the number and arrangement of the clamps 16 and the hook portions 26 may be changed as appropriate as long as they are attached to the peripheral edges of the first opening 14 and the second opening 24 on sides other than the sides on which the fitting portions 40 are provided.

The second inclined surface 53b may be omitted from the second side wall portion 53 of the protrusion 50. In this case, the tip end portion of the protrusion 50 has the same shape as the base end portion.
The first inclined surface 51a may be omitted from the top wall 51 of the protrusion 50. In this case, the shape of the portion of the top wall 51 that is continuous with the first side wall 52 may be changed as follows. That is, the top wall 51 may have a curved surface that is curved toward one side in the third direction Z (the lower side in FIG. 4) toward one side in the second direction Y (the left side in FIG. 4). Also, the end of the first flat surface 51b on one side in the second direction Y (the left side in FIG. 4) and the end of the first side wall 52 on the other side in the third direction Z (the upper side in FIG. 4) may be extended and connected at a right angle.

The shape of the protrusion 50 is not limited to that configured by the top wall portion 51, the first side wall portion 52, the second side wall portion 53, and the third side wall portion 54 as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, the shape can be appropriately changed as long as it has a first side surface located on the outlet 21 side in the second direction Y, a second side surface located opposite the first side surface, and an end surface that is connected to the first side surface and the second side surface and faces the opposite side to the case 10. In this case, the protrusion 50 can have a rectangular or elliptical cross section. In addition, in accordance with this change, the shape of the hole 43 of the insertion portion 40 can also be appropriately changed to match the shape of the protrusion 50.

The arrangement of the protrusion 50 and the outlet 21 is not limited to that exemplified in this embodiment. In other words, as long as the outlet 21 protrudes toward one side in the first direction X (the left side in FIG. 2) and is provided at a position away from the protrusion 50 in the second direction Y, the arrangement of the protrusion 50 and the outlet 21 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the outlet 21 may protrude from the outer surface of the portion 23a and the corner 23d of the second side wall 23, and the protrusion 50 may be provided on the end surface 25a of the flange portion 25 on the corner 23e side of the cap 20 in the second direction Y.

The shape of the first opening 14 is not limited to the rectangular shape exemplified in this embodiment. In other words, the shape of the first opening 14 may be modified as appropriate to suit the mounting requirements of the air cleaner, as long as it is a polygonal shape, such as a pentagon. In this case, the shape of the second opening 24 of the cap 20 and the outer edge shape of the filter element 30 may be modified as appropriate to match the shape of the first opening 14. Also, in this case, the shapes of the bottom wall 12 of the case 10 and the top wall 22 of the cap 20 may be modified as appropriate to match the shapes of the first opening 14 and the second opening 24, respectively.

S: gap; V: imaginary plane; X: first direction; Y: second direction; Z: third direction; 10: case; 11: inlet; 12: bottom wall; 13: first side wall; 13a: portion; 14: first opening; 15: flange portion; 15a: end surface; 16: clamp; 20: cap; 21: outlet; 22: top wall; 23: second side wall; 23a, 23b, 23c: portion; 23d, 23e: corner portion; 24: second opening; 25: flange portion; 25a: end surface; 26: latch portion; 30: filter element; 31: filtering portion; 32: sealing member; 40: fitting portion; 41: base end portion; 42: main body portion; 43: hole; 50: protrusion; 51: top wall portion; 51a: first inclined surface; 51b: first flat surface; 51c: curved surface Reference Signs List 52: First side wall portion 53: Second side wall portion 53a: Second flat surface 53b: Second inclined surface 54: Third side wall portion 60: Support mechanism 90: Outlet hose 91: Bellows structure

Claims (3)

a case having a first side wall defining a polygonal first opening and an inlet;
a cap having a second side wall defining a second opening having the same shape as the first opening and an outlet to which an outlet hose is connected;
a filter element provided between the case and the cap,
the cap has one protrusion protruding from one side of a periphery of the second opening toward an outer periphery,
the case has one fitting portion that protrudes toward the cap in a direction in which the case and the cap face each other and has a hole into which the protrusion is fitted in the protruding direction of the protrusion,
a support mechanism that supports the cap on the case in an openable and closable manner by the protrusion and the fitting portion;
the outlet protrudes from an outer surface of the second side wall in the protruding direction of the protrusion and is provided at a position separated from the protrusion in the extending direction of the side,
the case has a clamp that fixes the cap and the case,
The clamp is hooked to a side of the periphery of the second opening that is different from the side.
Air cleaner for internal combustion engines. the protrusion has a first side surface located on the outlet side in the extension direction, a second side surface located on the opposite side to the first side surface, and an end surface connected to the first side surface and the second side surface and facing the opposite side to the case,
the end surface has a first inclined surface continuing to the first side surface of the protrusion,
The first inclined surface is inclined so as to move away from the outlet in the extension direction as the first inclined surface moves away from the case in the facing direction.
2. An air cleaner for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1. the protrusion has a first side surface located on the outlet side in the extension direction, a second side surface located on the opposite side to the first side surface, and an end surface connected to the first side surface and the second side surface and facing the opposite side to the case,
the second side surface has a second inclined surface continuing to a tip end of the protrusion in the protruding direction,
The second inclined surface is inclined so as to approach the outlet in the extension direction toward the tip side of the protrusion.
3. An air cleaner for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or 2.

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