Patent Publication Number: US-10774700-B2

Title: Lubricating nozzle with simplified production

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND PRIOR ART 
     This invention relates to a piston cooling spray nozzle and/or to an internal combustion engine chain lubricating nozzle. 
     A spray nozzle, as shown in  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , is an oil spraying device, for example on the piston head of an internal combustion engine. 
     The spray nozzle  10  can also be intended to dispense oil onto an internal combustion engine chain. 
     In this respect, a lubricating nozzle  10 , known by a person skilled in the art, is intended to cool the piston head or lubricate the chains of an internal combustion engine, the spray nozzle  10  comprising: 
     a metal spray nozzle body  11  comprising a first end, said first end having a contact surface  13 , the spray nozzle body  11  comprising an axial channel  12  opening out onto the contact surface  13 , and thus forming an oil inlet, the spray nozzle body  11  further comprising a lateral channel communicating with the axial channel  12 , the spray nozzle body  11  further comprising a second end connected to the first end via a lateral surface  15 , the lateral channel opening out onto the lateral surface  15  to form an oil outlet; 
     a retaining screw  16 , opening out onto the contact surface  13  of the spray nozzle body  11 , intended to imperviously clamp the contact surface  13  of the spray nozzle body against the block of an internal combustion engine, and imperviously connect the oil inlet of the spray nozzle body  11  to an oil supply of said block; 
     an orienting plate  17  comprising a hole into which the spray nozzle is inserted; 
     However, said device is not satisfactory. 
     More specifically during operation, a lubricating nozzle must be precisely positioned and oriented inside the engine block in order to guarantee a suitable direction of the oil jet relative to the parts to be cooled and/or lubricated. 
     Moreover, the assembly of the spray nozzle inside the engine block must guarantee that it will not collide with the surrounding engine components. 
     To achieve this, a step of orienting the oil outlet of the spray nozzle body  11  relative to the orienting plate is generally performed by brazing the components of the lubricating nozzle, whereafter the latter is positioned in the internal combustion engine and secured using a retaining screw  16 . 
     The soldering step is used to rigidly connect the body of the spray nozzle and the orienting plate to one another and thus guarantee the stability of the orientation of the spray nozzle inside the internal combustion engine. 
     This configuration thus requires the use of metal materials which significantly add to the weight of the lubricating nozzle. 
     Moreover, the brazing steps complicate the manufacture of such spray nozzles and above all are very costly. 
     One purpose of this invention is thus to propose a lubricating nozzle with simplified production. 
     Another purpose of the invention is to propose a spray nozzle, the weight whereof is reduced relative to the spray nozzles of the prior art. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The above purposes are at least partially achieved by a lubricating nozzle comprising: 
     a metal spray nozzle body comprising a first end, said first end having a contact surface, the spray nozzle body comprising an axial channel opening out onto the contact surface, and thus forming an oil inlet, the spray nozzle body further comprising a lateral channel communicating with the axial channel, the spray nozzle body further comprising a second end connected to the first end via a lateral surface, the lateral channel opening out onto the lateral surface to form an oil outlet; 
     a retaining screw, opening out onto the contact surface of the spray nozzle body, intended to imperviously clamp the contact surface of the spray nozzle body against the block of an engine, and imperviously connect the oil inlet of the spray nozzle body to an oil supply of said casing; 
     an orienting plate comprising a hole into which the spray nozzle is inserted; 
     the spray nozzle body being mounted inside the hole, such that it abuts against a first face of the orienting plate via abutment means, and such that the contact surface of said body is flush with a second face of the orienting plate opposite the first face, the spray nozzle body and the orienting plate comprising first complementary orienting means which engage such that the oil outlet is oriented, according to a predetermined orientation relative to said first orienting means, the orienting plate further comprising second orienting means designed to orient said plate on the engine block. 
     According to one particularly advantageous embodiment, the orienting plate is made of a plastic material. 
     According to another embodiment, the abutment means comprise a head of the retaining screw, such that said head is at rest on the first face of the orienting plate when the retaining screw clamps the contact surface against the block of an engine. 
     According to one embodiment, the abutment means comprise a first shoulder formed on the lateral surface of the spray nozzle body intended to ensure the mounting and abutment of the spray nozzle body inside the hole of the orienting plate. 
     The abutment means can further comprise a second shoulder, complementary to the first shoulder, formed on the inner surface of the hole of the orienting plate. 
     According to one embodiment, the spray nozzle comprises an injection tube including a first end and a second end, the first end being imperviously connected to the oil outlet, and the second end being intended to direct the oil jet when the lubricating nozzle is in operation. 
     According to one embodiment, the first complementary orienting means are formed on the lateral surface of the spray nozzle body and on the inner surface of the hole of the orienting plate. 
     For example, the first complementary orienting means comprise a flat section formed on the lateral surface of the spray nozzle body and a flat section formed on the inner surface of the hole, said flat sections being intended to be placed in contact with one another in order to orient the oil outlet relative to the orienting plate. 
     According to one embodiment, the first complementary orienting means comprise lateral abutments positioned on the first face of the orienting plate, the lateral abutments being positioned such that they guide the injection tube, such that the oil outlet is oriented in the predetermined direction. 
     According to one embodiment, the second orienting means comprise a lug, formed on the second face of the orienting plate, and intended to be inserted into an orienting hole of the engine block. 
     According to another embodiment, the first face and the second face of the orienting plate are connected via a second lateral surface, the second orienting means comprising at least a flat section formed on the second lateral surface, intended to be in contact with a flat section formed on the engine block. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       This invention shall be better understood upon reading the following description with reference to the appended figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1 a    is a diagram showing a perspective view of a known lubricating nozzle from the prior art, 
         FIG. 1 b    is a diagram showing a partially-exploded, perspective view, after removal of the retaining screw, of a known lubricating nozzle from the prior art, 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a spray nozzle body according to the invention, 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the orienting plate according to the invention, 
         FIG. 4 a    is a longitudinal sectional view of the lubricating nozzle according to the invention, wherein the mounting and abutment of the body of the spray nozzle are achieved using a single shoulder, 
         FIG. 4 b    is a longitudinal sectional view of the lubricating nozzle according to the invention, wherein the mounting and abutment of the body of the spray nozzle are achieved using one shoulder on the lateral surface of the spray nozzle body and one shoulder on the inner surface of the hole, 
         FIG. 4 c    is a longitudinal sectional view of the lubricating nozzle according to the invention, wherein the mounting and abutment of the body of the spray nozzle are achieved by the screw head of the retaining screw, whereby the screw head is at rest against the first surface of the orienting plate, 
         FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of a lubricating nozzle according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 2 to 5  show one example embodiment of a lubricating nozzle according to this invention, suitable for cooling a piston or for lubricating a chain of an internal combustion engine. 
     The lubricating nozzle  100  comprises a spray nozzle body  101 . 
     The spray nozzle body  101  can be made of a metal material. For example, in a non-limitative manner, the spray nozzle body  101  can be made of steel. 
     The spray nozzle body  101  comprises a first end  101   a  and a second end  101   b . The first end has a contact surface  101   d , and the second end has an exposed surface  101   e . The contact surface  101   d  and the exposed surface  101   e  are connected by a lateral surface  101   c.    
     The lateral surface  101   c  can be rotationally symmetrical. 
     The spray nozzle body  101  comprises an axial channel  102  oriented along the axis XX′ in  FIG. 2 . 
     The axial channel  102  opens out onto the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101 . The intersection of the axial channel  102  with the contact surface  101   d  forms an opening, referred to as an oil inlet  103 . The contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101  is intended to be placed in contact with a surface element of the engine block. The surface element of the engine block comprises an oil feed intended to be connected to the oil inlet  103 . 
     The axial channel  102  can also open out onto the second end  101   b.    
     The spray nozzle body  101  further comprises a lateral channel  104 . The lateral channel  104  communicates with the axial channel  102  and opens out onto the lateral surface  101   c . The intersection of the lateral channel  104  with the lateral surface  101   c  forms an opening, referred to as an oil outlet  105 . 
     The lubricating nozzle  100  further comprises an orienting plate  106  ( FIG. 3 ). The orienting plate  106  comprises a first face  106   a  and a second face  106   b  connected to one another by a second lateral surface  106   c.    
     Advantageously, the orienting plate  106  can be made of a plastic material, for example of a loaded thermoplastic material, advantageously made of glass fibre-loaded polyamide. Plastic materials have the advantage of making the lubricating nozzle  100  lighter than known nozzles in the prior art. Moreover, an orienting plate  106  made of a plastic material, and more particularly made of a thermoplastic material, can be easily manufactured using injection/moulding methods capable of being repeated in large series. 
     The orienting plate  106  can be made of any material, for example a metal alloy. 
     The orienting plate  106  comprises a hole  107  passing through the orienting plate  106  from end to end. More specifically, the hole  107  opens out onto the first face  106   a  and the second face  106   b.    
     The hole  107  is intended to house the spray nozzle body  101 . More particularly, the spray nozzle body  101  is mounted such that it abuts inside the hole  107  against the first face  106   a . The mounting and abutment are achieved using abutment means. The abutment means are suitable for preventing any movement of the orienting plate along the axis XX′ of the spray nozzle body  101  when the nozzle  100  is mounted on the block of an engine for example. 
     The mounting and abutment can be obtained using a so-called first shoulder  101   f  of the lateral surface  101   c  of the spray nozzle body  101 . 
     In one advantageous embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 a   , the first shoulder  101   f  of the lateral surface  101   c  is at rest against the first face  106   a , such that the inner surface  108  of the hole  107  does not require any additional shoulder. 
     In another advantageous embodiment ( FIG. 4 b   ), the inner surface  108  of the hole  107  further comprises a shoulder, the shape whereof is complementary to that of the first shoulder, referred to as a second shoulder  107   a . In this arrangement, the first shoulder is at rest on the second shoulder so as to ensure the mounting of the spray nozzle body such that it abuts against the first face  106   a.    
     The mounting of the spray nozzle body  101  such that it abuts against the first face  106   a  is not limited to the formation of shoulders. The lateral surface  101   c  and the inner surface  108  can, for example, be conical in shape. 
     Upon reading the remainder of the description below and with reference to  FIG. 4 c   , the mounting of the spray nozzle body  101  such that it abuts against the first face  106   a  can be seen to be achieved using the retaining screw  110 . 
     Moreover, according to the invention, the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101  is flush with the second face  106   b  of the orienting plate  106 . 
     Again according to the invention, the orienting plate  106  and the spray nozzle body  101  comprise first complementary orienting means for orienting the oil outlet  105 . 
     Said first complementary orienting means are intended to orient the oil outlet  105  relative to the orienting plate  106 . The orienting plate  106  further comprises second orienting means intended to orient said orienting plate  106  inside the engine block. 
     Thus, the first complementary orienting means and the second orienting means are suitable for orienting the oil outlet  105  relative to the engine block. 
     The first complementary orienting means will now be described. 
     According to a first embodiment, the first complementary orienting means can be formed from an inner surface  108  of the non-circular hole  107  (not shown). For example, the inner surface of the hole  108  can comprise one or more flat sections. Additionally, the section of the lateral surface  101   c  of the spray nozzle body  101  in contact with the inner surface  108  of the hole  107  can further comprise one or more flat sections intended to be connected with the one or more flat sections of the inner surface  108  of the hole  107 . Thus, the interlocking, flat section against flat section, of the spray nozzle body  101  inside the hole  107  will allow the oil outlet  105  to be oriented relative to the orienting plate  106 . 
     According to a second alternative and/or complementary embodiment, the spray nozzle body  101  can comprise an injection tube  112  ( FIG. 4 b   ) connected, in an impervious manner, to the oil outlet  105 . Thus, the injection tube  112  includes a first end and a second end, the first end being imperviously connected to the oil outlet  105 , and the second end being intended to direct the oil jet when the lubricating nozzle is in operation. The injection tube  112  can advantageously rest on the first face  106   a  of the orienting plate  106 . Moreover, lateral abutments are positioned on the first face  106   a  and on either side of the injection tube  112  so as to prevent any rotational movement of the spray nozzle body  101  relative to the orienting plate  106 , when inserted into the hole  107 . 
     In other words, the injection tube  112  is guided by the lateral abutments. The lateral abutments can, for example, be formed by a groove for receiving the injection tube  112  ( FIG. 3 ). Such an arrangement thus allows the oil outlet  105  to be oriented relative to the orienting plate  106 . 
     The orienting plate  106  further comprises second orienting means intended to orient said plate  106  relative to the engine block. The second orienting means, shown in  FIG. 3 , can comprise, for example, a lug  109  positioned on the second face  106   b  of the plate  106  and intended to be inserted into a hole in the engine block (not shown). 
     Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the second orienting means can further comprise a flat section formed on the lateral surface  106   c  of the plate  106 . The orienting plate  106  can have a plurality of flat sections, for example 2, 3 or 4 flat sections so as to provide said plate with a square shape. 
     A complementary shape is also formed on the engine block, for example a flat shape, intended to engage with the flat section formed on the lateral surface  106   c  of the orienting plate  106 . 
     Thus, the orientation of the orienting plate  106  relative to the engine block, and the orientation of the oil outlet  105  relative to said plate  106  allows a precise orientation of the oil outlet  105  to be obtained inside the engine block. 
     The first complementary orienting means and the second orienting means do not require brazing in order to fix the orientation of the spray nozzle body  101  relative to the orienting plate  106  and relative to the engine block. 
     The nozzle  100  further comprises a retaining screw  110 , opening out onto the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101 . The retaining screw  110  is intended to imperviously clamp the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101  against the casing of the internal combustion engine, and imperviously connect the oil inlet  103  of the spray nozzle body  101  to the oil supply of said casing. 
     Advantageously, the retaining screw  110  is mounted in a coaxial manner to the axial channel  102  such that it opens out onto the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101  at the oil inlet  103 . The clamping of the retaining screw in the oil supply hole of the engine allows the lubricating nozzle  100  to be held in a stable position. 
     The retaining screw  110  is also suitable for allowing oil to flow from the engine supply hole to the axial channel. For this purpose, a recess  115  ( FIG. 4 a   ) can be formed along the length of the screw thread along the axis of revolution thereof. The retaining screw  110  can also be hollow, i.e. it can comprise a channel formed in the volume thereof along the axis of revolution thereof in order to guide the oil from the oil inlet to the lateral channel  104 . 
     The retaining screw can pass through the spray nozzle body  101  from end to end, from the exposed surface  101   e  thereof to the contact surface  101   d  thereof. 
     Alternatively to the embodiments of the abutment means shown in  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   ,  FIG. 4 c    shows another embodiment of the abutment means. In this embodiment, the abutment means comprise the screw head  110   a  of the retaining screw  110 . When the retaining screw  110  clamps the contact surface  101   d  against, for example, the engine block, the screw head  110   a  of the retaining screw is at rest against the first face  106   a  of the orienting plate such that it prevents any movement of the orienting plate  106  along the axis XX′ of the spray nozzle body  101 . 
     In a particularly advantageous manner, the fact of having the contact surface  101   d  flush with the second face  106   b  of the orienting plate  106  minimises the stresses exerted on said plate when the retaining screw  110  imperviously clamps the contact surface  101   d  of the spray nozzle body  101  against the casing of an internal combustion engine. 
     Thus, the minimisation of the stresses applied to said plate allows for the use of plastic materials, such as glass fibre-loaded thermoplastic materials. Moreover, when using plastic materials to produce the orienting plate  106 , the clamping of the retaining screw can be adjusted such that the stress exerted on said plate  106  is less than the elastic limit of the plastic material. 
     Moreover, the use of an orienting plate  106  made of a plastic material has no effect on the mechanical strength and/or deterioration of the functioning of the nozzle  100  according to the invention. 
     This document will now describe the assembly of the nozzle  100  in  FIG. 4   b.    
     The assembly comprises the provision of the spray nozzle body  101 . The injection tube  112  is then also inserted into the oil outlet hole  105 . 
     The injection tube  112 /spray nozzle body  101  assembly is then brazed so as to fix, in a permanent and impervious manner, the injection tube  112  onto the spray nozzle body  101 . The brazing step is performed using techniques known to a person skilled in the art and is therefore not described herein. 
     The injection tube  112 /spray nozzle body  101  assembly is inserted into the hole  107  via the first face  106   a  of the orienting plate  106 , and such that it abuts against said first face  106   a . The abutment function is obtained by the first shoulder  101   f , and potentially by the second shoulder  107   a  described hereinabove. The oil outlet  105  is oriented relative to the orienting plate  106  by the first complementary orienting means during insertion of the spray nozzle body  101  into the hole  107 . The oil outlet can, for example, be oriented by installing the injection tube  112  between the two lateral abutments or inside the groove. The injection tube  112  can be folded so as to orient the oil jet. 
     Finally, the assembly comprising the spray nozzle body  101 , the injection tube  112  and the orienting plate  106  can then be assembled onto the engine block such that it connects the oil inlet  103  of the orienting plate with an oil supply of said engine. 
     During the assembly step, the orienting plate  106  is oriented relative to the engine casing using second orienting means. The lug  109  is, for example, inserted into a hole formed in the casing of the engine. 
     The clamping screw  110  thus secures, in a stable manner, the nozzle thus formed. 
     This manufacturing method requires fewer assembly steps compared to known nozzles of the prior art. 
     Moreover, the nozzle  100  according to the invention makes it possible to use plastic materials to manufacture the orienting plate  106 , which reduces production costs.