Lubrication system and oil cooler with bypass

Abstract

An oil cooler for an engine or other lubricated mechanism includes a connector through which the oil cooler is connected to an oil supply passage and a return oil passage in an engine crankcase or other supply source. The connector includes a seal face to which inlet and outlet passages from the cooler are connected with oil supply and return passages in a connected mechanism. A continually open oil bypass is provided by forming a groove or slot in the seal face of the oil cooler extending between the inlet and outlet passages of the oil cooler and forming the cooler oil bypass. Alternatively, a bypass may be formed by a slot in a mating engine or mechanism connector connecting with the supply and return oil passages. Using a perimeter gasket between mating connectors can increase the bypass oil flow by the area of the clearance within the gasket opening created by the thickness of the gasket.

1 . A lubrication system for a lubricated mechanism, the system comprising:
 an oil cooler including a plurality of cooling oil passages disposed in heat exchange relation with internal coolant passages, the cooling oil passages terminating in spaced adjacent inlet and outlet ends opening through a seal face of an oil cooler connector;   a lubricated mechanism having oil supply and oil return passages terminating in spaced adjacent outlet and inlet ends opening through a seal face of a mechanism connector disposed in opposed face relation with the oil cooler connector, with the outlet end of the mechanism oil supply passage connected with the inlet end of the oil cooler passages and the outlet end of the oil cooler passages connected with the inlet end of the mechanism oil return passage; and   a bypass groove extending in the seal face of at least one of the oil cooler connector and the mechanism connector, the groove extending between the inlet and outlet ends of the passages associated with the at least one connector for carrying oil through the groove to bypass the oil cooler passages.   
     
     
         2 . A lubrication system as in  claim 1  wherein the bypass groove is in the oil cooler connector. 
     
     
         3 . A lubrication system as in  claim 1  wherein the bypass groove is in the mechanism connector. 
     
     
         4 . A lubrication system as in  claim 1  wherein the groove is a slot of generally rectangular open sided cross section extending directly between the inlet and outlet ends of passages terminating in an associated connector. 
     
     
         5 . A lubrication system as in  claim 4  including a peripheral gasket disposed between and engaging the seal faces of the oil cooler connector and the mechanism connector and forming a sealed joint surrounding the slot and the inlet and outlet ends of the passages terminating in the connectors. 
     
     
         6 . An oil cooler for use in cooling oil used in operation of a lubricated mechanism, the oil cooler comprising:
 a core including a plurality of core oil passages extending through the core between and connecting with inlet and outlet headers, the core including coolant passages disposed in heat exchange relation with the core oil passages;   oil inlet and outlet passages connected respectively with the inlet and outlet headers and terminating in spaced adjacent inlet and outlet ends opening through a seal face of a connector attachable to a source of inlet oil connectable with the inlet end and a cooled oil receiver attachable with the outlet end;   the connector including a bypass groove extending in the seal face between the inlet and outlet ends for carrying oil through the groove to bypass the core oil passages.   
     
     
         7 . An oil cooler as in  claim 6  wherein the groove is a slot of generally rectangular open sided cross section extending directly between the inlet and outlet ends of passages terminating in the connector. 
     
     
         8 . An oil cooler as in  claim 6  including a peripheral gasket disposed between and engaging the seal face of the oil cooler connector and adapted to form a sealed joint with an associated mechanism connector surrounding the slot and the inlet and outlet ends of the passages terminating in the connector.