Device for cooling at least one piston of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A device for cooling the pistons of an internal combustion engine by a lubricating oil pump which supplies oil from the lubricating oil circuit to at least on the base side of each piston through at least one supply line having an outlet opening and at least one valve. The at least one valve is a check valve which does not permit oil to be supplied until after a defined pressure is achieved in the lubricating oil circuits and a control unit regulates the lubricating oil pump so as to provide variable pressure in the lubricating oil circuit as a function of engine load.

1 . A device for cooling at least one piston of an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a lubricating oil pump which supplies oil from a lubricating oil circuit to the at least a base side of at least one piston through a supply line having at least one outlet opening;    at least one valve in the supply line, wherein the at least one valve is a check valve which does not permit oil to be supplied to the at least one piston until after a predefined pressure is achieved in the lubricating oil circuit; and    a control unit which controls the lubricating oil pump to provide a variable pressure in the lubricating oil circuit as a function of load on the internal combustion engine.    
   
   
       2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the check valve operates at a higher opening pressure than a check valve in a system in which lubricating oil pump operation is not regulated as a function of load.  
   
   
       3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the lubricating oil pump to regulate pressure in the lubricating oil circuit as a function of additional operating parameters, including at least one of engine rotational speed, engine temperature, coolant temperature, and lubricating oil temperature.  
   
   
       4 . A method for cooling at least one piston of an internal combustion engine, comprising the acts of: 
 creating a variable pressure in a lubricating oil circuit with a lubricating oil pump controlled by a controller; and    supplying lubricating oil through a supply line having at least one outlet opening and at least one valve in the supply line and to at least a base side of at least one piston;    wherein    the at least one valve is a check valve which does not permit oil to be supplied to the at least one piston until after a predefined pressure is achieved in the lubricating oil circuit; and    the control unit controls the lubricating oil pump to provide the variable pressure in the lubricating oil circuit as a function of load on the internal combustion engine.    
   
   
       5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein the check valve operates at a higher opening pressure than a check valve in a system in which lubricating oil pump operation is not regulated as a function of load.  
   
   
       6 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit controls the lubricating oil pump to regulate pressure in the lubricating oil circuit as a function of additional operating parameters, including at least one of engine rotational speed, engine temperature, coolant temperature, and lubricating oil temperature.