Oil pan and engine assembly including the oil pan

Abstract

An engine assembly includes an oil pan having an oil pan body. The oil pan body includes an inner pan surface defining a cavity configured to collect oil and an outer pan surface opposite the inner pan surface. The engine assembly further includes a heat exchanger disposed within the cavity. The heat exchanger is submerged in the oil collected in the cavity of the oil pan and can receive a heat transfer fluid in order to facilitate heat transfer between the oil in the cavity and the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat exchanger.

1 . An engine assembly, comprising:
 an oil pan including an oil pan body, wherein the oil pan body includes:
 an inner pan surface defining a cavity configured to collect oil; 
 an outer pan surface opposite the inner pan surface; 
   a heat exchanger disposed within the cavity, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be submerged in the oil collected in the cavity of the oil pan; and   wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a heat transfer fluid in order to facilitate heat transfer between the oil in the cavity and the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the oil pan body defines a wall opening extending therethrough, the wall opening partially receives the heat exchanger such that the heat exchanger is partially disposed outside the cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The engine assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the oil pan body includes a sidewall, and the wall opening extends through the sidewall. 
     
     
         4 . The engine assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a liquid-impermeable seal coupled to the oil pan body, wherein the liquid-impermeable seal is disposed around the wall opening. 
     
     
         5 . The engine assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger partly extends through the wall opening, and the liquid-impermeable seal at least partially surrounds the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The engine assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an outer exchanger portion disposed outside the cavity, and the engine assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners extending through the outer exchanger portion and the oil pan body in order to couple the heat exchanger to the oil pan body. 
     
     
         7 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes configured to receive the heat transfer fluid and a bar interconnecting the plurality of tubes. 
     
     
         8 . The engine assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners extending through the bar and into the oil pan body inside the cavity in order to couple the heat exchanger to the oil pan body. 
     
     
         9 . The engine assembly of  claim 7 , further comprising an inlet in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes and an outlet in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes. 
     
     
         10 . The engine assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the oil pan body includes a bottom wall, the sidewall includes a top wall portion opposite the bottom wall, and the heat exchanger is closer to the bottom wall than to the top wall portion. 
     
     
         11 . The engine assembly of  claim 10 , wherein each of the inlet and outlet extends through the top wall portion. 
     
     
         12 . The engine assembly of  claim 10 , further comprising an oil pump at least partially disposed inside the cavity, and the heat exchanger is at least partially disposed between the oil pump and the bottom wall of the oil pan body. 
     
     
         13 . The engine assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the oil pan body is at least partly made of a polymeric material. 
     
     
         14 . An oil pan, comprising:
 an oil pan body defining a cavity configured to collect oil, wherein the oil pan body includes:
 a sidewall; 
 a bottom wall coupled to the sidewall; and 
 a wall opening formed by the oil pan body and extending through the sidewall; 
   a heat exchanger at least partially disposed inside the cavity, wherein the heat exchanger at least partially extends through the wall opening; and   wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a heat transfer fluid in order to facilitate heat transfer between the oil in the cavity and the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         15 . The oil pan of  claim 14 , further comprising a liquid-impermeable seal disposed around the wall opening. 
     
     
         16 . The oil pan of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an outer exchanger portion disposed outside the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The oil pan of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners extending through the outer exchanger portion and the oil pan body in order to couple the heat exchanger to the oil pan body. 
     
     
         18 . The oil pan of  claim 14 , wherein the oil pan body is at least partially made of a polymeric material. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicle, comprising:
 an oil pan including an oil pan body, wherein the oil pan body includes:
 an inner pan surface defining a cavity collecting oil; 
 an outer pan surface opposite the inner pan surface; 
   a heat exchanger disposed within the cavity, wherein the heat exchanger is submerged in the oil collected in the cavity of the oil pan; and   wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a heat transfer fluid in order to facilitate heat transfer between the oil in the cavity and the heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         20 . The vehicle of  claim 19 , wherein the oil pan body defines a wall opening extending therethrough, and the wall opening partially receives the heat exchanger such that the heat exchanger is partially disposed outside the cavity.