Cooling Device for Engine Oil and/or Transmission Oil, Particularly in an Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

A cooling device for engine oil and/or transmission oil, particularly in an internal combustion engine, with an oil cooler which is arranged in an oil pan and through which a coolant flows. The oil cooler is formed by a plate heat exchanger ( 3 ) with coolant-carrying and oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces ( 5, 6 ). At least some of the oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces ( 6 ) open into the oil pan ( 2 ) in such a way the oil flows out of the oil pan directly via the opening ( 24 ) into the oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces ( 6 ).

1 . An oil cooling device comprising:
 an oil pan;   an oil cooler formed by a plate heat exchanger having coolant-carrying and oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces,   at least some of said oil-carrying intermediate spaces having an opening into said oil pan permitting oil to flow out of said oil pan directly via said opening into said oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces.   
   
   
       2 . The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said plate heat exchanger is formed by a plate assembly comprising a plurality of plates whose oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces open into said oil pan with one of a radial outer and radial inner opening with respect to said plate assembly. 
   
   
       3 . The cooling device according to  claim 2 , wherein said oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces open into said oil pan with a radial outer opening; said plate heat exchanger additionally comprising an inner oil line connection area and an oil line which is fluidically connected in an inner heat exchanger area to at least a portion of said oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces, so that hot oil flows from said oil pan radially into said oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces via said radial outer openings, and oil subsequently flows through said plate intermediate spaces while giving off heat so that cooled oil flows out via said oil line. 
   
   
       4 . The cooling device according to  claim 3 , additionally comprising a filter element for said openings through which the oil flows into said oil-carrying plate intermediate spaces. 
   
   
       5 . The cooling device according to  claim 4 , wherein said plate assembly comprises a radial outer circumferential area and said filter element annularly encloses said entire plate assembly in said radial outer circumferential area. 
   
   
       6 . The cooling device according to  claim 3 , wherein said oil line opens into said plate heat exchanger in an approximately central, medial area. 
   
   
       7 . The cooling device according to  claim 3 , wherein said oil line is formed by a suction pipe line. 
   
   
       8 . The cooling device according to  claim 1 , wherein said oil pan has a wall and said plate heat exchanger is arranged in said oil pan at a defined distance from at least a portion of said wall. 
   
   
       9 . The cooling device according to  claim 8 , additionally comprising bearing elements and wherein said plate heat exchanger is fastened, to one of supports on said housing wall side, connection elements and directly to said housing wall by means of said heat exchanger bearing elements. 
   
   
       10 . The cooling device according to  claim 9 , wherein said plate heat exchanger is supported by said heat exchanger bearing elements between two opposite oil pan housing walls. 
   
   
       11 . The cooling device according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising heat exchanger bearing elements and coolant channels integrated in said heat exchanger bearing elements and fluidically connected to at least a portion of said coolant-carrying plate intermediate spaces. 
   
   
       12 . The cooling device according to  claim 11 , wherein said oil pan comprises a housing wall and wherein said coolant channels which are fluidically connected to said coolant-carrying plate intermediate spaces are integrated at least partially in said housing wall of said oil pan. 
   
   
       13 . The cooling device according to  claim 12 , wherein said coolant channels which are integrated in said heat exchanger bearing elements are fluidically connected to at least a portion of said coolant channels which are integrated in said housing wall. 
   
   
       14 . The cooling device according to  claim 13 , wherein said coolant channels are formed by a plurality of bore holes which communicate with one another.