Oil sump

Abstract

An oil sump is provided, including a bottom wall and a lateral outer wall, which in the assembled condition of the oil sump extends upwards from the bottom wall, as seen in the direction of gravity, and an oil storage region, which is arranged in an interior of the oil sump and, when the oil sump is in operation, is filled with oil up to a storage level, wherein the oil sump is better able to withstand heat and flame. The oil sump includes an oil cooling region, which is adjacent to the lateral outer wall and is filled with oil to a cool level, and a decoupling device for decoupling the cool level of the oil in the oil cooling region from the storage level of the oil in the oil storage region in a cool condition of the oil sump.

1 . An oil sump, including a bottom wall and a lateral outer wall, which in an assembled condition of the oil sump extends upwards from the bottom wall, as seen in a direction of gravity, and
 an oil storage region, which is arranged in an interior of the oil sump and, when the oil sump is in operation, is filled with oil up to a storage level,   wherein   the oil sump includes an oil cooling region, which is adjacent to the lateral outer wall and is filled with oil to a cool level, and   a decoupling device for decoupling the cool level of the oil in the oil cooling region from the storage level of the oil in the oil storage region in a cool condition of the oil sump.   
     
     
         2 . The oil sump according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the cool condition of the oil sump, the cool level always lies above 50% of a height of the lateral outer wall adjacent to the oil cooling region. 
     
     
         3 . The oil sump according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the cool condition of the oil sump, the cool level lies at a height of a mounting flange of the oil sump by means of which the oil sump is connectable to an engine, or lies by at most the height of the mounting flange below a lower edge of the mounting flange. 
     
     
         4 . The oil sump according to  claim 1 , wherein the decoupling device includes a separating wall that is arranged between the oil cooling region and the oil storage region. 
     
     
         5 . The oil sump according to  claim 4 , wherein the separating wall is permanently impermeable to oil. 
     
     
         6 . The oil sump according to  claim 4 , wherein the oil sump includes at least one valve device for at times unblocking an oil aperture in the separating wall when the valve device is in an unblocking condition. 
     
     
         7 . The oil sump according to  claim 6 , wherein the valve device is movable into the unblocking condition in dependence on a temperature of the oil in the oil sump. 
     
     
         8 . The oil sump according to  claim 7 , wherein the valve device includes a bimetallic element. 
     
     
         9 . The oil sump according to  claim 6 , wherein, during operation of an engine that is connected to the oil sump, the valve device at times is in a closed condition in which the valve device closes the oil aperture in the separating wall. 
     
     
         10 . The oil sump according to  claim 4 , wherein there is provided at an upper edge of the separating wall an overflow over which oil can pass from the oil cooling region into the oil storage region. 
     
     
         11 . The oil sump according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil cooling region has an oil inlet through which oil entering the oil sump from the engine passes into the oil cooling region. 
     
     
         12 . The oil sump according to  claim 11 , wherein there is provided in the oil cooling region a flow directing device that lengthens the flow path of the oil from the oil inlet to an oil outlet of the oil cooling region, through which oil can pass from the oil cooling region into the oil storage region. 
     
     
         13 . The oil sump according to  claim 12 , wherein the flow directing device includes at least one flow directing element that extends downwards from the oil inlet, as seen in the direction of gravity, into a region below 50% of a height of the lateral outer wall adjacent to the oil cooling region. 
     
     
         14 . The oil sump according to  claim 11 , wherein the oil sump includes an oil return directing device that directs oil entering the oil sump to the oil inlet of the oil cooling region. 
     
     
         15 . The oil sump according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of an inner surface of the lateral outer wall of the oil sump is adjacent to the oil cooling region of the oil sump. 
     
     
         16 . A method for preventing an oil sump from failing as a result of an effect of heat, including the following:
 filling an oil cooling region of the oil sump, which is adjacent to a lateral outer wall of the oil sump, with oil up to a cool level; and   decoupling the cool level from a storage level up to which an oil storage region of the oil sump is filled with oil, in a cool condition of the oil sump.