Abstract: Exemplary piston assemblies and methods of making the same are disclosed. An exemplary piston assembly may include a piston crown and a piston skirt that is received in a central opening of the crown. The piston crown may include a ring belt portion defining, at least in part, a cooling gallery. The crown and skirt may each further include corresponding mating surfaces that extend about a periphery of the crown and skirt. The skirt mating surface and crown mating surface may generally be secured to each other that the crown and the skirt cooperate to form a continuous upper combustion bowl surface. The skirt and crown may cooperate to define a radially outer gap about a periphery of the piston crown.

Abstract: A connecting rod having a small end and a large end, the small end including a pin bore defined by a pin bore surface. A thermal spray coating applied to at least a portion of the pin bore surface and a method of applying the thermal spray coating to the pin bore surface using a thermal spray technique.

Abstract: An exemplary piston may include a piston body having radially inner and outer body mating surfaces. The piston may further include a cooling gallery ring cooperating with the piston body to form a continuous upper combustion bowl surface and a cooling gallery. The cooling gallery ring may have radially inner and outer ring mating surfaces abutted along their corresponding radially inner and outer body mating surfaces, such that the cooling gallery is substantially enclosed. The piston body and cooling gallery ring may be joined together along the radially inner and radially outer interface regions to form a generally one-piece piston assembly. The radially outer interface region may be elongated in a direction parallel to the piston axis, e.g., facilitating a laser welding joining process.

Abstract: An exemplary method of making a piston assembly may include providing a piston crown defining at least in part an upper combustion bowl surface. The piston crown includes at least one crown mating surface. The method further comprising moving the crown mating surface in proximity to a skirt mating surface defined by a piston skirt, wherein the crown and skirt cooperate to define a cooling gallery extending about a periphery of the crown. The method may further include bonding the crown and skirt together by initiating an electric current along a conductive path between the crown and skirt mating surfaces, the conductive path comprising at least one conductive material extending from the crown mating surface to the skirt mating surface.

Abstract: A connecting rod having a small end and a large end, the small end including a pin bore defined by a pin bore surface. A thermal spray coating applied to at least a portion of the pin bore surface and a method of applying the thermal spray coating to the pin bore surface using a thermal spray technique.

Abstract: A connecting rod having a small end and a large end, the small end including a pin bore defined by a pin bore surface. A thermal spray coating applied to at least a portion of the pin bore surface and a method of applying the thermal spray coating to the pin bore surface using a thermal spray technique.

Abstract: An exemplary method of making a piston assembly may include providing a piston crown defining at least in part an upper combustion bowl surface. The piston crown includes at least one crown mating surface. The method further comprising moving the crown mating surface in proximity to a skirt mating surface defined by a piston skirt, wherein the crown and skirt cooperate to define a cooling gallery extending about a periphery of the crown. The method may further include bonding the crown and skirt together by initiating an electric current along a conductive path between the crown and skirt mating surfaces, the conductive path comprising at least one conductive material extending from the crown mating surface to the skirt mating surface.

Abstract: A connecting rod having a small end and a large end, the small end including a pin bore defined by a pin bore surface. A thermal spray coating applied to at least a portion of the pin bore surface and a method of applying the thermal spray coating to the pin bore surface using a thermal spray technique.

Abstract: An exemplary piston may include a piston body having radially inner and outer body mating surfaces. The piston may further include a cooling gallery ring cooperating with the piston body to form a continuous upper combustion bowl surface and a cooling gallery. The cooling gallery ring may have radially inner and outer ring mating surfaces abutted along their corresponding radially inner and outer body mating surfaces, such that the cooling gallery is substantially enclosed. The piston body and cooling gallery ring may be joined together along the radially inner and radially outer interface regions to form a generally one-piece piston assembly. The radially outer interface region may be elongated in a direction parallel to the piston axis, e.g., facilitating a laser welding joining process.

Abstract: A piston including a piston crown, the piston crown having a combustion surface that further defines a combustion bowl rim area and a bowl root area. A thermal spray coating is applied to the bowl rim and/or the bowl root area of the piston to increase the resistance of the piston to thermal mechanical fatigue. The thermal spray coating may be metal or alloy based and may be applied using any suitable process.

Abstract: Exemplary piston assemblies and methods of making the same are disclosed. An exemplary piston assembly may include a piston crown and a piston skirt that is received in a central opening of the crown. The piston crown may include a ring belt portion defining, at least in part, a cooling gallery. The crown and skirt may each further include corresponding mating surfaces that extend about a periphery of the crown and skirt. The skirt mating surface and crown mating surface may generally be secured to each other that the crown and the skirt cooperate to form a continuous upper combustion bowl surface. The skirt and crown may cooperate to define a radially outer gap about a periphery of the piston crown.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine including a piston crown having an upper surface and a lower surface; a piston skirt; and a generally cup-shaped undercrown formed on the lower surface of the piston crown and integral with the top portions of opposing side walls of the piston skirt, at least a portion of the surface of the undercrown being rough, defining at least one region of increased surface area, wherein the distance between an uppermost and lowermost points of the surface of the undercrown in the at least one region of increased surface area is in the range of approximately 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm.

Abstract: A method of creating a piston crown is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a billet and then upsetting the billet in a first station to generally decrease a length of the billet and generally increase a cross section of the billet. The billet is then pre-formed in a second station into an intermediate configuration of a piston crown, where the piston crown is in a preliminary shape. The first station and the second station are separate components. The intermediate configuration of the piston crown is formed into a final shape of the piston crown, where the final shape includes a predetermined volume. The piston crown is then precision formed into a near net shaped configuration, where the near net shaped configuration of the piston crown includes a near net shaped volume. The predetermined volume may be approximately equal to the near net shaped volume.

Abstract: A piston adapted for reciprocal movement within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The piston includes a crown and a skirt depending from the crown. A body extends below the crown with the skirt disposed annularly about at least a portion of the body. An inner cooling gallery is defined in the body beneath the crown. An outer cooling gallery is defined between the skirt and the body and located beneath the crown. In addition, at least one bore extends radially between the inner cooling gallery and the outer cooling gallery for providing fluid communication therebetween.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a piston adapted for reciprocal movement within the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The piston includes a body having a crown formed at the uppermost margins of the body and a skirt, depending from the crown, adapted for relative sliding motion with respect to the cylinder. The piston further includes a coating bonded to the piston skirt so as to be juxtaposed between the skirt and the cylinder. The coating has a plurality of recesses formed thereon so as to define a predetermined pattern of recesses on the surface of the skirt that retains lubricant between the skirt and the cylinder wall. The coating may also direct lubricant along the outer circumference of the piston skirt during reciprocal movement of the piston within a cylinder. A method of applying the coating to the piston skirt is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connecting rod and piston pin assembly for an internal combustion engine to improve wear of the piston/connecting rod pivot point and reduce deformation of the pin bore. To this end, the assembly includes a piston having a pin bore, a connecting rod having a bore adapted to be aligned with the piston pin bore and piston pin interconnecting the piston and the connecting rod through engaging their respective bores. The piston pin has a profiled outer circumference that is substantially circular in cross-section with a larger diameter at the distal ends than at the center portion. One end of the connecting rod includes a phosphatized coating and is adapted to facilitate movement between the connecting rod bore and the profiled piston pin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a piston adapted for reciprocal movement within the cylinders of an internal combustion engine. The piston includes a body having a crown formed at the uppermost margins of the body and a skirt, depending from the crown, adapted for relative sliding motion with respect to the cylinder. The piston further includes a coating bonded to the piston skirt so as to be juxtaposed between the skirt and the cylinder. The coating has a plurality of recesses formed thereon so as to define a predetermined pattern of recesses on the surface of the skirt that retains lubricant between the skirt and the cylinder wall. The coating may also direct lubricant along the outer circumference of the piston skirt during reciprocal movement of the piston within a cylinder. A method of applying the coating to the piston skirt is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connecting rod and piston pin assembly for an internal combustion engine to improve wear of the piston/connecting rod pivot point and reduce deformation of the pin bore. To this end, the assembly includes a piston having a pin bore, a connecting rod having a bore adapted to be aligned with the piston pin bore and piston pin interconnecting the piston and the connecting rod through engaging their respective bores. The piston pin has a profiled outer circumference that is substantially circular in cross-section with a larger diameter at the distal ends than at the center portion. One end of the connecting rod includes a phosphatized coating and is adapted to facilitate movement between the connecting rod bore and the profiled piston pin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connecting rod and piston pin assembly for an internal combustion engine to improve wear of the piston/connecting rod pivot point and reduce deformation of the pin bore. To this end, the assembly includes a piston having a pin bore, a connecting rod having a bore adapted to be aligned with the piston pin bore and piston pin interconnecting the piston and the connecting rod through engaging their respective bores. The connecting rod includes an internal gallery between the bore and a terminal end. The piston pin has a profiled outer circumference that is substantially circular in cross-section with a larger diameter at the distal ends than at the center portion. Either the pin or one end of the connecting rod includes a phosphatized coating having a thickness between two and eight microns to facilitate movement between the connecting rod bore and the profiled piston pin.