Claims:We claim:
1. An adaptor (100) to assist in regulating lubricating oil in a fuel injection system, said adaptor comprising:
a first surface (102), a second surface (104) and a cylindrical body (105) connecting the said first surface (102) and said second surface (104); said first surface (102) connectable to an engine block (202), said first surface (102) adapted to receive lubrication oil from said engine block (202) through a first set of passages (106); said second surface (104) connectable to an oil filter (200); said second surface (104) adapted to deliver oil to oil filter (200) through a second set of passages (108) for filtering the oil, said second surface (104) further adapted to receive filtered oil from oil filter (200) through a third passage (110); said body (105) comprising a splitting arrangement to split filtered oil between a fourth passage (204) and a fifth passage (114); said fourth passage (204) providing lubrication oil to said engine; said fifth passage connectable to a metering unit (302) operated by an electronic control unit (304)
2. An adaptor (100) according to claim 1 wherein said adaptor is made from aluminium.
3. An adaptor (100) according to claim 1 wherein said adaptor is made from steel.
4. An adaptor (100) according to claim 1 wherein said adaptor is connectable to engine block on one side and to an oil filter on the other side by fastening elements.
5. An oil supply system (300) to supply oil to a fuel injection system, said oil supply system comprising,
-an adapter connectable to an engine block one side and a fuel filter on the other side; said adapter comprising a first surface (102), a second surface (104) and a cylindrical body (105) connecting the said first surface (102 and said second surface (104); said first surface (102) connectable to an engine block, said first surface adapted to receive lubrication oil from said engine block (202) through a first set of passages (106) ; said second surface connectable to an oil filter (200); said second surface (104 adapted to deliver oil to oil filter (200) through a second set of passages (108) for filtering, said second surface (104) further adapted to receive filtered oil from oil filter through a third passage (110); said body (105) comprising a splitting arrangement to split filtered oil between a fourth passage (204) and a fifth passage (114); said fourth passage (204 providing lubrication oil to said engine; said fifth passage connectable to a metering unit (302) operated by an electronic control unit (304)
-a metering unit (302) connectable to said fifth passage (114)
-an electronic control unit (304) to control flow of oil through said metering unit (302)
6. An oil supply system (300) according to claim 5 wherein said metering unit comprises a proportionate valve
7. An oil supply system (300) according to claim 6 wherein said proportional valve is a solenoid valve
, Description:Field of the invention:
[0001] This invention relates to the field of fuel injection systems. The invention relates in particular to regulating the flow of oil for lubrication of various components in a fuel injection system.

Background of the invention:
[0002] Internal combustion engines comprise many moving parts and these moving parts need lubrication. A typical lubrication system which provides lubrication oil to the engine, comprises an oil reservoir, a pump to pump oil, an optional control unit to control amount of oil being delivered to the engine for lubrication.
[0003] Lubrication systems are known in prior arts. The prior art US patent application 5339776 discloses one such lubrication system. The prior art discloses a lubrication having a bypass valve with an inlet port connected to the outlet side of the oil pump. The valve is connected to an electronic control unit that has inputs to receive information on oil pressure, coolant temperature, oil temperature, engine speed and engine load to control the operation of an electric motor which opens and closes the bypass valve. The oil pressure within the engine supply passage is thereby controlled by the position of valve .

Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
[0004] Shown in fig. 1 is an adaptor to divert part of the oil back to the oil tank
[0005] Shown in fig 2 is adaptor connected to engine and an oil filter
[0006] Shown in fig. 3 is lubrication system

Detailed description of the embodiments:
[0007] Shown in fig. 1 is an adaptor 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The adaptor 100 comprises a first surface 102, a second surface 104 and a cylindrical body 106. The first surface 102 of the adaptor 100 is connectable to an engine block which is shown in fig 2. The second surface 104 is connectable to an oil filter which is shown in fig 2. The engine block will have passages for oil for lubrication. The oil passes through these passages and flows to different components of the engine and other components for lubrication.
[0008] The first surface has a first set of passages 106 to receive oil from the engine block. The second surface has a second set of passages 108 to deliver oil to the filter for the purpose of filtering. The filtered oil flows back into the adaptor through a third passage 110 on the second surface. The cylindrical body of the adaptor has a splitting arrangement which diverts part of the oil received from third passage 110 for calibration through a fourth passage 204 and part of the oil is diverted towards the metering unit which is shown in fog. 3, through the fifth passage 114. All these passages may be just referred as passages with their reference numbers.
[0009] The reason for diverting oil towards the metering unit is to control the amount of oil for lubrication depending upon the engine operating conditions. Typically a pump delivers the oil to the engine block. The pump may be mechanical pump driven by the engine through a mechanical coupling. Under different engine operating conditions like low speed, low load, high speed, full load etc. the amount of oil required for lubrication varies.
[0010] The invention proposes a simple mechanism to control the amount of oil flowing for the lubrication. The amount of oil required for the lubrication is controlled because of below reasons.
[0011] Unnecessary circulation of excess oil for lubrication will degrade the quality of the oil as the continuous flow of oil for lubrication will increase the viscosity of oil thereby reducing its lubrication quality.
[0012] Unnecessary circulation of excess oil for lubrication will reduce the life of the oil itself as the oil gets vaporized because of continuous lubrication and heating. The amount of oil available in the oil tank will reduce over the time because of unnecessary circulation.
[0013] Unnecessary circulation of excess oil for lubrication will result in unnecessary vaporization of the oil thereby increasing the carbon emissions.
[0014] Hence the invention proposes a simple apparatus and system to control the amount of lubrication.
[0015] The adaptor is made from a material like aluminium or steel or any suitable known materials. The adaptor is made to fit a particular engine block as the passages on the engine block for flow of oil have to match with the passages 106 on the second surface 104 of the adaptor 100. Hence for different engines with different types or varying number of passages, adaptors are to be manufactured accordingly.
[0016] The adaptor is mechanically coupled to the engine block using appropriate fastening elements. Similarly the adaptor is coupled to the oil filter on the second surface side, with the help of fastening elements. The adaptor 100 has to match the oil passages on the oil filter 200. Hence the adaptors are manufactured considering passages on the oil filter 200.
[0017] Shown in fig 2 is the adaptor 100 coupled to engine block 202 and to an oil filter 200. The adaptor 100 receives oil from the engine block 202 through the passages 106 and delivers it to the filter 200. The filtered oil is received by the adaptor 100 through passage 110 and diverts part of the oil to the metering unit through the passage 114 and part of the oil for the lubrication through the path 204.
[0018] The arrows indicate the direction of the flow of the oil.
[0019] Shown in fig 3 is an oil supply system 300 to supply oil to a fuel injection system which is not shown. The oil supply system 300 comprises the adaptor 100, a metering unit 302 and an electronic control unit (ECU) 304 to control the metering unit 302. The electronic control unit 304 receives various parameters of the engine. The various parameters may comprise coolant temperature, engine load, engine speed, torque requirement etc. These parameters are only for examples and there may be other parameters. These parameters are received by the ECU 304 through various sensors and the engine operating conditions are determined.. Based on the engine operating conditions, the ECU 304 calculates how much oil is required for lubrication. It is also possible that the values for the amount of oil required for lubrication under various engine operating conditions are stored in a table and the ECU picks up the values from the table. Depending upon the amount of oil required for the lubrication, the valve in the metering unit 302 is controlled by the ECU to open appropriately. The valve may be a solenoid valve. The valve is a proportional valve. The amount of opening of the valve decides the amount of oil flowing for the lubrication through the passage 204. The excess oil is diverted towards the oil tank through the passage 114. Thus the ECU supplies through the metering unit only required amount of oil for the lubrication and the excess oil returns to the oil tank.
[0020] The ECU receives various parameters through different sensors and controls the opening of the metering unit appropriately. The ECU may use an actuator which is not shown to control the opening and closing of the metering unit.
[0021] Thus the invention provides a simple apparatus in the form of an adaptor to assist in regulating lubricating oil in a fuel injection system. The invention also provides a simple oil supply system to supply oil to a fuel injection system. The adaptor is simple in construction and can be retrofitted to existing vehicles to control the oil circulation. The ECU 304 may be an independent and simple control unit. It is also possible that one of the existing ECUs in the vehicle may be used with this additional functionality of controlling the oil supply.