# US 10,865,671 B2 · Oil pan assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,671 B2 - Document ID: US10865671B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/697,936 - Filed: 2015-04-28 - Published: 2016-11-03 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-28 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Tenghua Tom Shieh; Shohei Nomura; Swetha Minupuri; Dong-Hyun Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865671B2 ## CPC - F01M 11/0004: {Oilsumps} - F01M 2011/0033: {with special means for guiding the return of oil into the sump} - F01M 2011/005: {with special anti-turbulence means, e.g. anti-foaming means or intermediate plates} - F01M 2011/007: {Oil pickup tube to oil pump, e.g. strainer} - F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING ## Abstract An oil pan assembly having an oil pan and an intake pipe attached to a bottom of an engine block is provided. The oil pan assembly includes an inner plate mounted to the oil pan so as to be disposed between the oil pan and a bottom surface of the engine block. The inner plate is configured to slow the flow of oil to an intake pipe so as to provide additional time for entrained oil to de-areate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oil pan assembly having an oil pan and an intake pipe attached to a bottom of an engine block, the oil pan having a floor, the oil pan assembly comprising: an inner plate mounted to the oil pan and disposed between the oil pan and the engine block, the inner plate having a first panel, the first panel having a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the first panel disposed on a first plane and is angled with respect to the floor of the oil pan, the first panel extends an entire length of the floor of the oil pan, a ramp contiguous to the first panel and disposed on a second plane angled with respect to the first plane, the first panel having a first peripheral edge opposite a second peripheral edge, a top wall extends outwardly from the second peripheral edge of the first panel, the second peripheral edge being lower than the first peripheral edge, wherein oil is pooled against the top wall slowing the flow of oil so as to allow the oil to aerate before reaching the intake pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 1, further including a bottom wall, the bottom wall disposed on the bottom surface of the first panel, the bottom wall having a first portion angled with respect to a second portion so as to form a catch for disrupting the flow of oil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the top wall is on one side of the first panel and the bottom wall is on the other side of the first panel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the inner plate includes at least one through hole, the at least one through hole adjacent to the top wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bottom wall is spaced apart from the first peripheral edge of the first panel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first plane of the first panel is angled and wherein the top wall is elevated relative to the bottom wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The oil pan assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall are generally orthogonal to the first panel. ### Claim 8 An engine assembly having an engine block, wherein the engine block is tilted, an oil pan assembly mounted to a bottom of the engine block, the oil pan assembly having an oil pan, an intake pipe and a pump, the oil pan having a floor, the floor disposed along a generally horizontal plane, the oil pan assembly configured to catch oil, direct the oil to the pump wherein the pump returns the oil to the engine block, the engine assembly comprising: an inner plate mounted to the oil pan and disposed between the oil pan and the engine block, the inner plate having a first panel, the first panel having a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the first panel disposed on a first plane, the first panel extends an entire length of the floor of the oil pan, the first plane angled with respect to the floor of the oil pan, the first panel having a first peripheral edge opposite a second peripheral edge, a ramp contiguous to a first surface and disposed on a second plane angled with respect to the first plane so as to direct oil to the intake pipe, a top wall extends outwardly from the second a peripheral edge of the first panel, the second peripheral edge being lower than the first peripheral edge, wherein oil is pooled against the top wall slowing the flow of oil from the peripheral edge of the first panel so as to allow the oil to aerate before reaching the intake pipe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 8, further including a bottom wall, the bottom wall disposed on the bottom surface of the first panel, the bottom wall having a first portion angled with respect to a second portion so as to form a catch for disrupting the flow of oil. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein the top wall is on one side of the first panel and the bottom wall is on the other side of the first panel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein the inner plate includes at least one through hole, the at least one through hole adjacent to the top wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein the bottom wall is spaced apart from the peripheral edge of the first panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first plane of the first panel is angled and wherein the top wall is elevated relative to the bottom wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The engine assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall are generally orthogonal to the first panel.