Flexible oil pan assembly
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsTerry L. Beranek, Joseph R. Brinker, Stephen Lawrence
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible oil pan assembly of a flexible internal combustion engine has a plurality of spaced apart flexible baffles disposed between and connected to a first surface of first and second spaced apart side walls and a plurality of stiffening ribs connected to a second surface of the first and second side walls at preselected spaced locations. The combination of the baffles and stiffening ribs facilitates controlled deflection of the first and second side walls and reduces the potential for cracking of the first and second side walls.
Claims12
A flexible oil pan assembly for attachment to a flexible engine block, comprising:
- a first and a second spaced apart elongated flexible side walls each having first and second ends and first and second side surfaces;
- a first and a second spaced apart end walls connected to the first and second ends, respectively, of the first and second side walls;
- a bottom wall connected to the first and second side and end walls at a location adjacent to a lower end of the first and second side and end walls;
- a flange connected to the first and second side and end walls at a location adjacent to an upper end of the first and second side and end walls;
- a plurality of flexible baffles disposed between and connected to the first side surface of the first and second side walls at predetermined spaced apart locations along the side walls and extending between the bottom wall and the flange, said baffles enabling relative deflection of the first and second side walls at said spaced apart locations;
- a plurality of stiffening ribs connected to the second surface of the first and second side walls and extending in directions between the bottom wall and flange and away from said second surface, said stiffening ribs being located along the side walls at predetermined spaced locations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.