Patent Publication Number: US-11661869-B1

Title: Oil pan assembly

Description:
CLAIM TO PRIORITY 
     This non-provisional patent application claims priority to and benefit of, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/075,637, filed Sep. 8, 2020 and titled “Oil Pan Assembly”, all of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     CROSS-REFERENCE 
     Cross-reference is made to U.S. Design patent application No. 29/749,677, filed on Sep. 8, 2020, and titled “Oil Pan,” all of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Present embodiments relate to an oil pan assembly. More specifically, but without limitation, present embodiments relate to an oil pan assembly including a windage tray which cooperates with the oil pan. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Internal combustion engines, including diesel engines, use lubricating oil for many purposes including for example, lubricating moving parts. Typically, an oil pan is connected to the engine, for example disposed beneath a cylinder block and crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. The oil sump is configured to receive oil that drains or is otherwise exhausted from the cylinder block, crankshaft and/or main bearings that support the crankshaft. The oil collects in a sump of the oil pan, after being slung from the crankshaft or otherwise draining, and is then pumped from a sump pick-up location into a lubrication system associated with the engine. 
     When higher horsepower engines are built, it may be desirable to increase the diameter of the crankshaft or adjacent parts. However, the oil sump may have to be varied in shape to accommodate such. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present embodiments provide an oil pan assembly which is located adjacent to an engine. The oil pan assembly may include the sump and a windage tray, which reduces air flow disturbance of oil within the sump. A windage tray locating and securing technique/design incorporates tabs that are located into pockets to vertically secure. The windage tray may include a plurality of tabs that locate the tray relative to a flange of the oil pan. Additionally, the sump may include inserts which apply a biasing force against the windage tray when the oil pan is connected to the engine. The windage tray may also include features which locate the tray relative to the oil pan. A compressible spring element is provided to the lower surface of this pocket to close any gap resulting from manufacturing of the related components. This spring element pushes the tabs upward to the engine flange and fills any gap between the tab and pan. To assure these tabs do not get horizontally outside of the intended pocket during assembly, additional horizontal alignment locator tabs on the windage tray mate to notches in the pan. These horizontal locating tabs may be shaped so that the tabs find or locate (center relative to) the notches. The result of the above is a positively located windage tray that will not move during engine function and not be an element in vertical stacking and tolerances. 
     According to some embodiments, a windage tray comprises a panel having a curved surface extending between a first edge and a second parallel edge, a plurality of tabs disposed along each of the first edge and the second parallel edge, at least one locator disposed along each of the first edge and the second parallel edge. 
     According to some optional embodiments, the following feature may be utilized with the windage tray either alone or in combination with other features. The plurality of tabs may comprise a first size tab and a second size tab. The plurality of tabs may be differing in orientation in at least two locations along each edge, so that the windage tray is capable of proper orientation in one direction. One of the plurality of tabs at one end of one of the first or second edges differs in size from a second of the plurality of tabs at a second end of the one of the first or second edges. The plurality of tabs may comprise a single size. The at least one locator being angled relative to an adjacent tab to provide a centering function. The windage tray may further comprise a plurality of holes along one side of the windage tray. The windage tray may further comprise a plurality of apertures in the panel, at least one of the apertures having a cover spaced from the aperture. 
     According to some embodiments, an oil pan assembly comprises an oil pan with a flange about an upper perimeter of the oil pan, a windage tray disposed along an inside upper perimeter of the oil pan, a plurality of tabs disposed along each of two parallel edges of the windage tray, a plurality of pockets disposed along the an upper surface of the flange, at least one slot disposed in the plurality of pockets, a crush insert disposed in each slot and engaging an undersurface of each of the plurality of tabs. 
     According to some optional embodiments, the following feature may be utilized with the windage tray either alone or in combination with other features. The oil pan assembly further comprising a locator at one end of each of parallel edge of the windage tray. The flange further comprising a perimeter seat for a seal. The plurality of tabs comprising at least a first size and a second size. At least one tab of the plurality of tabs having a first orientation and at least one second tab of the plurality of tabs having a second orientation. The windage tray may only be properly seated in the flange in one direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the embodiments may be better understood, embodiments of an oil pan assembly will now be described by way of examples. These embodiments are not to limit the scope of the claims as other embodiments of an oil pan assembly will become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon reading the instant description. Non-limiting examples of the present embodiments are shown in figures wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is an exploded perspective view of an engine and oil pan assembly; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the oil pan assembly; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of an oil pan; and, 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a windage tray. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It is to be understood that an oil pan assembly is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The described embodiments are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in some embodiments” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  1 - 4   , an oil pan assembly is provided which utilizes an oil pan and windage tray. The windage tray is provided with a plurality of tabs which seat within pockets to bias the windage tray when the oil pan assembly is fastened to an engine. Features are provided which also locate the windage tray relative to the oil pan and so that the tray may only be oriented in one, correct manner. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  1   , an exploded perspective view of an engine  10  is provided which may include an example oil pan assembly  20 . The oil pan assembly  20  is shown comprising an oil pan  30  and a windage tray  50 . 
     The engine  10  is shown in an engine block  12  form with numerous parts removed. The engine block  12  may have a plurality of cylinders (not shown) formed therein. The engine may be, for non-limiting example, a four cylinder, six cylinder, or an eight cylinder engine. At one end  16  of the engine block  12 , a transmission may be connected by clutch or torque converter  13  and along a bottom  14  of the engine block  12 , the oil pan assembly  20  may be located. The location of the oil pan assembly  20 , however, is not limited to the bottom  14  and may be at other locations depending on the configuration of the engine block  12  and the engine design. 
     The engine block  12  and other parts associated with the engine may have a plurality of lubricating passages through which oil is pumped. Upon circulating through the engine, and lubricating parts, the oil returns to the oil pan assembly  20 . 
     Below the engine block  12  is the oil pan assembly  20  which is exploded. The windage tray  50  is shown first and covers an upper opening  32  in the oil pan  30 . The windage tray  50  limits force effects within the oil pan  30  created by the crank, crankcase, and pistons, and limits infusion of air into the oil in the oil pan  30 . 
     The windage tray  50  fits within a flange or lip  31  of the oil pan  30 . The windage tray  50  has a plurality of tabs  54  which are received within pockets  44  ( FIG.  3   ) formed in the flange or lip  31 . The windage tray  50  has a generally rectangular shape, corresponding to the shape of an opening in the bottom of the engine block  12 . The windage tray  50  may comprise a plurality of edges  52  that define the example rectangular shape. The windage tray  50  may also comprise a curved surface which generally follows the curvature of the crank (not shown), so that the two of the parallel edges  52  of the windage tray  50  may comprise a plurality of tabs  54 . The tabs  54  may comprise various sizes and shapes, and in some embodiments the sizes and shapes may all be the same or may differ in whole or in part. In the depicted embodiments, the plurality of tabs  54  may comprise various shapes. The tabs  54  may be shaped and/or sized to fit and in corresponding oil pan  30 . 
     Beneath the windage tray is the oil pan  30 . The oil pan  30  is shown as a mid-sump oil pan but alternatively, may be a front or rear sump embodiment. The oil pan  30  has a long dimension and short dimension defining a rectangular shape at an upper periphery of the oil pan. The oil pan  30  may be cast, stamped, or forged for example. The oil pan  30  comprises a flange or lip  31  that surrounds the upper opening  32 , and a body  34  defined by a plurality of sidewalls  33  depending from the flange or lip  31 . The oil pan  30  may have one level or may have one or more upper level  36  and a sump  38  as shown. The upper opening  32  corresponds to the windage tray  50 , so that the windage tray  50  covers a large portion of the upper opening. The windage tray  50  limits air and pressure effects in the oil pan  30 . 
     The upper portion  36  may include long baffles  76  which are depicted spaced from inner sides of the sidewalls  33  of the oil pan  30  in the upper portion. The long baffles  76  further comprise short ribs or baffles  78  extending therefrom. As the oil falls into the upper portion  36 , the oil is desired to move to the sump  38  for pick up and pumping to through the engine  10 . The baffles  76 ,  78  guide oil toward the sump  38 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  2   , the oil pan assembly  20  is shown in perspective view. In this assembly view, the windage tray  50  is disposed in the oil pan  30 . The oil pan  30  includes the flange or lip  31  and a plurality of fastener apertures  39 . The flange  31  also includes a groove  40  which extends about the flange  31  and receives a seal  42 , for example an O-ring seal. Other seals may be utilized however. The groove  40  may be curvilinear and extends about the periphery of the flange or lip  31 , and moves around the apertures  39  and the pockets  44 . While the groove  40  is shown in a specific shape, it should be understood that the shape may vary. The seal  42  inhibits oil from escaping from between the oil pan  30  and the engine block  12  ( FIG.  1   ). 
     The flange  31  further comprises a plurality of pockets  44 . The tabs  54  may be received by the pockets  44  so that the windage tray  50  is located and seated relative to the oil pan  30 . The pockets  44  may be of various size and shape. For example, the sizes and shapes may all be the same or the sizes and shapes of the pockets  44  may differ. In the instant embodiment, the pockets  44  differ in size and shape and as a result, the windage tray  50  will only locate and sit properly in one orientation. For example, along one side of the windage tray  50 , some of the tabs  54  are trapezoidal in shape, while on the opposite side of the windage tray  50 , some of the tabs  54  are rectangular. Still further, other tabs may be other shapes, all of which aid to ensure the windage tray  50  is oriented appropriately relative to the oil pan  30 . While the tabs  54  may aid to ensure proper orientation, the tab  54  may not touch the edges of the pockets  44 . Instead the pockets  44  may be slightly oversized relative to the tabs  54 . 
     The windage tray  50  includes the plurality of locators  56  ( FIG.  4   ). The locators  56  are shown at ends of the edges of the windage tray  50 . The locators  56  are folded downward relative to an adjacent tab  54  and may engage a sidewall or notch  49  of the oil pan  30 , and may additionally have a centering function for the windage tray  50  relative to the oil pan  30 . The locators  56  have a horizontally aligning function relative to the pan  30 , so that once properly aligned, the tabs  54  are aligned with the pockets  44  and cannot be positioned outside of the pockets  44  nor between the pan flange  31  and a flange on the engine bottom  14 . This further allows for proper sealing between the o-ring seal  42  and a flange on the engine bottom  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  3   , the oil pan  30  is shown with the windage tray  50  removed. The pockets  44  are shown more clearly. The pocket  44  on one side of the flange  31  may or may not be opposite to the pocket  44  on the opposite edge of the flange  31 . Further, the shape of the pockets  44  may differ. This provides for a corresponding fit relative to the windage tray  50 . 
     Within the pockets  44  are insert slots  46 . Each of the insert slots  46  may include an insert  48 , for example a rubber, plastic, elastic, or other material which can exert a biasing force on the tabs  54  of the windage tray  50 . The inserts  48  may be placed in the slots  46  and may extend into the pocket  44  so that the tabs  54  rest on the insert  48 . The inserts  48  provide a biasing force against the tabs  54  when the oil pan assembly  20  is torqued against the engine block  12 . 
     The locator notches  49  are also shown at ends of the long edges of the oil pan  30 . The notches  49  may be angled slightly matching the angle of the locators  56  to horizontally align the tray  50  relative to the pan  30 . Together these features aid to center the windage tray  50  within the opening of the oil pan  30 . The locators  56  are tabs which are folded to seat in notches  49  of the oil pan  30 . When the locators  56  are located appropriately, the tabs  54  are aligned to seat in the pockets  44 . Once seated, the inserts  48  close any gap between the tabs  54  and the oil pan  30 . As a result of the assembly, the windage tray  50  will be positively located and will not move during engine function. There will not be vertical stacking and tolerance issues between the engine bottom flange  14 , windage tray  50 , and the oil pan  30 . Stacking is generally understood to be interfaces between pairs of parts or surfaces, which increase with the addition of more parts in an area. 
     Additional notches or scallops  70  may be located along the pan  30 . For example, at the intersection of the flange  31  and the body  34 , of the oil pan  30 , there may be the scallops or other drain path structures  70 , so that oil can return from the pockets  44  or between the windage tray  50  and the flange  31 . 
     The oil pan  30  may comprise a single-level or multi-level floor  71 . The oil pan  30 , for example may comprise an upper level  36  and a sump  38 . The floor  71  has a higher elevation in the upper level  36  and a lower elevation in the sump  38 . The floor  71  may be tilted for gravity feed from the upper level  36  into the sump  38 . As shown there may be one or more upper levels  36  and they may be at the same or differing elevations. 
     With additional reference to  FIG.  2   , the interaction of the tray  50  and oil pan  30  may be described. The windage tray  50  comprises the plurality of tabs  54 . The oil pan  30  comprises the corresponding pockets  44 . The tabs  54  fit within the pockets  44 , and the tabs  54  may be loosely positioned within the pockets  44  to provide clearance for positioning therein. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   , a perspective view of the windage tray  50  is shown. The tray  50  corresponds to the shape of the opening in the oil pan and the bottom crankcase are of the engine block  12 . The windage tray  50  has a plurality of edges  52  which define the perimeter of the tray  50  and a plurality of tabs  54  which extend from the edges  52 . 
     Within the perimeter of the edges  52 , the windage tray  50  includes a curved panel  58 . The panel  58  follows the curvature of the crank rotation. The curvature of the panel approximates that of the diameter and path of the crankshaft rotation. Thus, the radius of the curvature may be larger if a larger crankshaft is used, for example with higher horsepower, higher performance engines. The curved panel  58  may have a plurality of apertures  57  for returning oil that slings from the crank. The oil is able to pass through the panel  58  via the plurality of apertures  57  into the oil pan  30 . According to some embodiments, each aperture may have a cover  59 , spaced from the upper surface of panel  58  to allow oil to pass to the aperture  57  and into the oil pan  30 . Covering the aperture  57  again limits impact of the wind and pressure from the crank in the oil pan  30 . The panel  58  may have one or more notches or openings to accept additional features such as an oil pick up or the like. 
     Disposed along one or more edges of the windage tray  50  are a plurality of scrapes  61 . The scrapes  61  extend upwardly from the windage tray  50  and are in close proximity to the rotating crankshaft. As a result, the scrapes  61  function, in part, to cause oil removal from the crankshaft and direct the hole through the apertures  57 . Likewise, the covers  59  may also functionally remove oil, without touching the crankshaft, and thereby also cause the oil to pass through the aperture  57 . 
     One or more clearance features  63  may be disposed about the tray  50  or within the panel  58  to allow passage by, or through, of a pickup tube assembly (not shown). 
     The tabs  54  are engaged on a bottom by the inserts  48  to maintain a biasing force on the bottom of the panel  58 . The insert  48  prevents direct contact between the tabs  54  and the oil pan  30  and further provide a vibration damping function. 
     The tabs  54  may be formed of various shapes as previously described. For not limited example, the instant tabs  54  may comprise four shapes. A first shape  62  of the tabs  54  have be a trapezoidal shape with one angles side or a second shape  64  may include two angled sides. Others shapes  66  may be rectangular. Some tabs have angled edges that extend in a first direction or a second angled direction. All of these features aid to locate and orient the windage tray  50  relative to the oil pan  30 . 
     While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the invent of embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. 
     All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms. The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. 
     Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc. 
     As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law. 
     As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc. 
     It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited. 
     In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures. 
     Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in this specification and claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently-disclosed subject matter. 
     As used herein, the term “about,” when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration or percentage is meant to encompass variations of in some embodiments ±20%, in some embodiments ±10%, in some embodiments ±5%, in some embodiments ±1%, in some embodiments ±0.5%, and in some embodiments ±0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed method. 
     As used herein, ranges can be expressed as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. It is also understood that there are a number of values disclosed herein, and that each value is also herein disclosed as “about” that particular value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. It is also understood that each unit between two particular units are also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed. 
     The foregoing description of methods and embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention and all equivalents be defined by the claims appended hereto.