|
(11) | EP 1 482 135 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | Oil pan structure for an engine |
| (57) An engine 1 comprises a crankcase 2, a crankshaft 3 supported on the crankcase 2
for rotation about an axial center 4 extending approximately in the horizontal direction,
and an oil pan 9 fixed to the lower end of the crankcase 2. The oil pan 9 comprises
a bottom plate 25, and vertical walls 26-29 protruded upwardly from outer edges of
the bottom plate 25 and fixed to the crankcase 2 at the protruded ends. The bottom
plate 25 and the vertical walls 26-29 are formed integrally with one another by casting.
The bottom plate 25, as viewed as a whole, is formed approximately in agreement in
shape with part of a spherical surface 34 with a center 33 at a point above the oil
pan 9. Such an arrangement can prevent vibration in portions of an oil pan during engine operation for the prevention of generation of noise from the oil pan and to achieve with simple structure and without increasing the weight of the oil pan. |