| Oil discharge assembly for a turbocharger -> Monitor Keywords |
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Oil discharge assembly for a turbochargerRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Motor Driven, Fluid Motor, Rotary Motor, Unitary Pump And Motor Rotors, Overhung From Central SupportOil discharge assembly for a turbocharger description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070092387, Oil discharge assembly for a turbocharger. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates in general to turbochargers and, more particularly, to preventing oil leakage into the compressor of a turbocharger. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Turbochargers can have a turbine wheel that is connected by a shaft to a compressor wheel. The turbine wheel is driven by exhaust gas exiting an internal combustion engine. The rotation of the turbine wheel is communicated to the compressor wheel by the shaft. The compressor wheel is used to increase the pressure of intake air prior to mixing with fuel and combustion in the engine. The speeds at which the shaft, turbine wheel and compressor wheel are rotated is very high, and can be in excess of 250,000 rpm. Therefore, bearings used to support the shaft must be lubricated with pressurized oil. During normal operation of the turbocharger, pressure within the compressor is sufficient to retard the flow of oil from the area of the bearings into the compressor. However, during certain operational states, pressure is reduced in the compressor and pressurized oil can be drawn into the compressor area where the oil will contaminate the intake air. [0003] This lubricant is ultimately emitted into the environment via the exhaust, contributing to emissions that may not be in compliance with the increasingly stringent emissions standards that turbocharged vehicles are required to meet. Further, such emissions can potentially harm certain downstream components (i.e., catalytic converters). However, it is a challenge to prevent the flow of lubricant into the compressor, considering that lubricating oil is pumped in under pressure, at a high flow rate, to lubricate and remove heat from a turbine shaft rotates at high speeds. [0004] One example of such a system for containing the flow of lubricant into the compressor is shown in FIG. 1. The system includes a turbocharger 10 that has a turbine wheel 14, a compressor wheel 18, and a connecting shaft 22. A first journal bearing 26 and a second journal bearing 28 can be provided to support the shaft 22. An oil intake 30 communicates with oil passages 34, 38 to deliver oil to the first journal bearing 26 and the second journal bearing 28. Additionally, a thrust collar 40 is fixed to and rotates with the shaft 22. The thrust collar 40 includes a first radially outwardly extending wall 44 and a second radially outwardly extending wall 48 (FIG. 2). A thrust bearing 50 has a radially inner end 54 that rests in an annular channel formed by the first radially outwardly extending wall 44 and second radially outwardly extending wall 48 of the thrust collar 40. The thrust bearing 50 controls axially directed movement of the shaft 22 as well as radial shaft vibration. [0005] Lubrication is provided by oil passageway 60 which receives oil from the oil intake 30. Oil escaping from the interface between the first radially outwardly extending wall 44 and the thrust bearing 50 is prevented from reaching the compressor wheel 18 by the provision of a seal assembly including an oil deflector 64 and an insert 68. The deflector 64 has an irregular form to facilitate the drainage of oil. Oil passing the deflector 64 is contacted by an oil thrower 72. The oil thrower 72 is connected to the shaft 22 and rotates therewith. Oil is thrown by the thrower 72 into the chamber 76 where it contacts a deflecting surface 80. The deflecting surface 80 collects the oil and the oil flows gravitationally to the outlet 84. [0006] However, this configuration is mechanically complicated because it introduces an additional component (the oil deflector 64) to the assembly. Further, oil can become stuck between two surfaces due to surface tension and capillary action, preventing the oil from draining due to gravity and potentially blocking the drainage of other oil. Any oil trapped in the area increases the likelihood that it will be drawn into the compressor. Despite the tortuous path created by the presence of the insert 68, the oil deflector 64 and the oil thrower 72, the oil can nevertheless flow past the interstices between the insert 68 and the oil thrower 72 to reach the compressor wheel 18. [0007] The prior art is replete with additional systems for preventing lubricant flow into the compressor. For instance, many references are directed to systems with double ring seals. Some references use pressurized gas or venting to air in combination with the seals to prevent undesired migration of the lubricant. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,825,311; 4,196,190; 5,076,765; and 5,890,881 as well as in International Publication No. WO2004/063535 and European Patent Specification No. EP0941431. However, these systems can be overly complicated, unreliable, expensive to incorporate and thus not universally adopted, and liable to wear out. Thus, there is a need for a turbocharger assembly that can minimize such concerns. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] A turbocharger assembly according to aspects of the invention includes a thrust collar, a thrust bearing and an insert. The thrust collar has a first radially outwardly extending wall and a second radially outwardly extending wall. The first and second radially outwardly extending walls are axially spaced such that an annular channel is defined therebetween. The first radially outwardly extending wall has a proximal face and a distal face. Likewise, the second radially outwardly extending wall has a proximal face and a distal face. The annular channel is formed in part by the distal face of the first radially outwardly extending wall and the proximal face of the second radially outwardly extending wall. [0009] A thrust bearing has a first axial face and a second axial face. The thrust bearing further has a radially outer end and a radially inner end. At least a portion of the thrust bearing including the radially inner end is received in the annular channel. [0010] The insert has an outer axially extending lip and an inner axially extending lip. The outer lip is radially spaced from the inner lip. The inner lip has a radially outwardly extending tip. The inner lip defines an annular drainage channel. The insert annularly surrounds a portion of the thrust collar such that the tip of the inner lip directly engages the proximal face of the first radially outwardly extending wall and such that the outer lip directly engages the first axial face of the thrust bearing proximate the radially outer end. [0011] An oil collection chamber is defined at least in part by the drainage channel of the insert, the first radially outwardly extending wall of the thrust collar and the first axial face of the thrust bearing. The chamber is in fluid communication with an oil release interface defined between the first radially outwardly extending wall and the thrust bearing. Thus, pressurized oil discharged from the oil release interface is permitted to be centrifugally propelled toward a radially outer region of the oil collection chamber and to collect in the oil collection chamber for subsequent drainage. [0012] The insert can include a deflecting surface. The deflecting surface can form a part of the oil collection chamber. The deflecting surface can be angular, or it can be substantially curvilinear. [0013] The first radially outwardly extending wall can have an associated diameter and the radially outwardly extending tip can have an associated second diameter. In one embodiment, the second diameter can be greater than the first diameter. In another embodiment, the second diameter can be less than the first diameter. In such case, the first radially outwardly extending wall can be at a first diameter at the proximal face and at a second diameter at the distal face. The first diameter can be greater than the second diameter such that a sharp edge is formed at the proximal face. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art turbocharger. [0015] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an oil deflector assembly in the turbocharger of FIG. 1. [0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a turbocharger with an oil discharge assembly according to aspects of the invention. [0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an oil discharge assembly according to aspects of the invention. [0018] FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an insert according to aspects of the invention. [0019] FIG. 5B is a perspective view, broken away partially in cross-section, of the insert of FIG. 5A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Oil discharge assembly for a turbocharger... Full patent description for Oil discharge assembly for a turbocharger Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Oil discharge assembly for a turbocharger patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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