Structural assembly with an oil filter for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

An assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising an oil filter in a first housing structure 11 and, for instance, an oil separator in a second housing structure 12. The two housing structures can be combined to form a modular assembly. The assembly includes duct structures 20, 21 which are combined to form a common line segment 22 to reduce the material and manufacturing costs for the assembly. The different duct structures may include, for example, an oil drain 20 for the oil filter, which simplifies service (changing the filter element). The duct structure of the second housing structure can serve, for example, to transport crankcase gases to an oil separator in the second housing structure or to return separated oil from the oil separator to an engine crankcase. The oil drain of the oil filter housing may be combined with the drain the oil from the oil pan of the internal combustion engine, and the two drains may optionally be closed by a single drain plug.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.