1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to engines, and more specifically to vertical engines used in machinery such as mowing equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A 2002-242634 discloses an example of an engine of the above type. JP-A 2002-242634 discloses a vertical engine in which a crank shaft axial direction corresponds to an up-down direction, with an oil pan supporting the crank shaft.
In the engine disclosed in JP-A 2002-242634, there is no lid member provided in an upper surface of the oil pan. Therefore, when the engine is tilted, there is a case where, depending on the angle, there is no lubricant oil near a suction inlet of an oil strainer inside the oil pan. If this situation continues, lubricant oil cannot be supplied from the oil strainer to an oil pump, possibly leading to a problem that lubricant oil cannot be circulated inside the engine.
Also, since the crank shaft is supported by the oil pan which is exposed to the outside, vibratory noise from the crank shaft easily leaks to the outside.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds