Balancing Arrangement Patents (Class 123/192.2)
  • Patent number: 11965549
    Abstract: An unbalanced shaft is provided that has a center of mass eccentric to its rotational axis to generate a shaft unbalance. The unbalanced shaft includes a bearing journal having a variable width throughout its circumference, and a multi-row cage having rollers which roll on inner raceways arranged on an outer lateral surface of the bearing journal. The rollers and inner raceways define a load zone, within which a width of each of the inner raceways is greater than an effective length of the rollers idling thereon. At least one of the inner raceways, which extends circumferentially for 360 degrees, has a width throughout that is greater than an effective length of the rollers rolling thereon. For sections outside of the load zone, at least one of the inner raceways has a width less than the effective length of the rollers that roll thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG &Co. KG
    Inventors: Hannes Schreyer, Norbert Geyer, Thomas Hußenether, Jan Nagengast
  • Patent number: 11808320
    Abstract: A rolling vibration reduction device for an internal combustion engine includes: a main inertial system configured to rotate with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine; a driving force transmission mechanism configured to transmit a rotational driving force of the crankshaft, a direction of the rotational driving force being reversed by the driving force transmission mechanism; and a sub-inertial system configured to rotate by the rotational driving force transmitted from the driving force transmission mechanism and to reduce rolling vibration of the internal combustion engine associated with rotation of the crankshaft by rotating in an opposite direction to the crankshaft. A torsional resonance frequency in the rolling vibration reduction device is set to a value higher than an explosion primary frequency at a maximum engine speed in a preset operating region of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Iguma, Ryota Tsuda, Tomohito Ono, Keiju Tomoda
  • Patent number: 11754113
    Abstract: The rotary body according to the present invention is made of resin and attached to a crankshaft. The rotary body has an outside plate element and an inside plate element which are attached to an outside surface and an inside surface of an arm portion of the crankshaft, respectively, and a pair of filler elements disposed between the outside plate element and the inside plate element and on both sides of the arm portion. The outside plate element and the pair of the filler elements are coupled to each other, and the pair of the filler elements and the inside plate element are coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: YAMABIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kunimune Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11754145
    Abstract: A balance shaft includes an unbalanced shaft (3) comprising a bearing journal (8, 9), the periphery of which is merely partially cylindrical. The cylindrical partial periphery (10) of the bearing journal is oriented toward the shaft imbalance. The balance shaft also includes a needle roller cage assembly (15); and a bearing ring (13), which extends around the bearing journal, lies against the cylindrical partial periphery and forms the inner raceway of the needle roller cage assembly. The cage (27) of the needle roller cage assembly is designed to run on the end faces of the bearing ring axially on both sides by means of radially inwardly extending projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hannes Schreyer, Stefan Dorn
  • Patent number: 11549410
    Abstract: To achieve an improved stiffness, the oil pan includes bottom wall having a shallow bottom wall (16), a deep bottom wall (17), and a connecting wall (18) located between the shallow bottom wall and the deep bottom wall, arranged in a lateral direction, and a side wall extending from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall. The side wall includes a first side wall (11) located on a front side of the bottom wall and a second side wall (12) located on a rear side of the bottom wall, the connecting wall being provided with a first rib (31) extending in a fore and aft direction and connecting the first side wall and the second side wall to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Asami
  • Patent number: 11466615
    Abstract: An engine balancing system includes an engine body. At least two slider-crank mechanisms are provided inside the engine body. One of the slider-crank mechanisms is arranged opposite to the other slider-crank mechanism. A slider in one of the slider-crank mechanisms is moved at a speed and acceleration similar to a speed and acceleration of a slider in the other slider-crank mechanism. The slider-crank mechanism includes a connecting rod and a crankshaft with a crank. One end of one of the slider-crank mechanisms and one end of the other slider-crank mechanism are connected to the same crankshaft through the crank. The balancing system can effectively eliminate first-order, second-order and higher-order vibrations generated during engine operation, thus reducing the probability of equipment damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: CHONGQING ZONGSHEN GENERAL POWER MACHINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jiwen Zhao, Yichao Wang, Yungang Ma, Fan Hu, Yun Lei
  • Patent number: 11391341
    Abstract: Disclosed is a balancer device for an internal combustion engine, wherein: a pump mounting fixing part to which an oil pump is fixed is formed on an end surface of a lower housing member; a gear accommodation part in which a pump driving gear and a reduction gear are accommodated is provided between the oil pump and the pump mounting fixing part; a rigidity-reinforcing part in which an oil discharge passage is defined in communication with a discharge port of the oil pump is formed on the lower housing member so as to extend in a direction of extension of first and second balancer shafts on an outer side of the lower housing member; and a portion of the pump mounting fixing part formed on the end surface of the lower housing member and the rigidity-reinforcing part are made integral with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Sawada
  • Patent number: 11346335
    Abstract: Most multistage compressors specify a maximum inlet pressure that may be supplied to the compressor to stay within designed limits. If the supply gas to be compressed is at a higher pressure than the specified maximum inlet pressure, then its pressure must be reduced before connecting it to the compressor. This pressure reduction is inefficient. The present invention avoids reducing the inlet pressure by routing the supply gas directly to the appropriate compression stage depending on its inlet pressure such that the compressor loads are still within the specified limits of the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Onboard Dynamics LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Paul Echter, Kristina Weyer-Geigel
  • Patent number: 11236649
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine unit including an internal combustion engine body, a balancer device attached to a lower portion of the internal combustion engine body, and an oil pan attached to the lower portion of the internal combustion engine body so as to surround the balancer device. The balancer device is disposed facing an outlet of an oil outflow hole, and the oil outflow hole is formed in the internal combustion engine body so as to return a lubricating oil in the internal combustion engine body to the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toru Harada
  • Patent number: 11199156
    Abstract: A bearing cap according to one embodiment of this disclosure includes: a concave part that supports a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; first bosses that are disposed one on each side of the concave part and each have a first bolt hole; and second bosses that are disposed one on each side of a bearing cap main body having the concave part and the first bosses so as to flank the bearing cap main body and each have a second bolt hole. The bearing cap is fixed to a first member of the internal combustion engine by first bolts inserted into the first bolt holes, and to a second member of the internal combustion engine by second bolts inserted into the second bolt holes. At least the pair of second bosses have higher rigidity than a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Oshima, Ken Yamada
  • Patent number: 11168777
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a crankshaft gear operatively coupled to an engine. An auxiliary gear is operatively coupled to the engine. An idler gear is operatively coupled to the engine, and is in meshed engagement with each of the crankshaft gear and the auxiliary gear. A ring dowel is fixedly coupled to an engine block. An idler hub has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is fixedly coupled to the ring dowel and the idler gear is rotatably coupled to the outer surface. The idler hub is eccentrically-shaped so that an idler gear centerline is offset from a ring dowel centerline so as to reduce a crankshaft backlash between the crankshaft gear and the idler gear relative to a nominal crankshaft backlash, and so as to substantially maintain an auxiliary backlash between the auxiliary gear and the idler gear relative to a nominal auxiliary backlash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Kwin Abram, David J. Moenssen
  • Patent number: 11156255
    Abstract: A power unit includes: a crankcase which accommodates a crankshaft and a main shaft arranged in parallel to each other; a crank side cover which covers one end portion of the crankshaft from the outside in an axial direction of the crankshaft; a primary driven gear which is provided in the main shaft and meshes with a primary drive gear of the crankshaft; a clutch provided at one end portion of the main shaft; and a clutch cover which covers the clutch from the outside in an axial direction of the main shaft and is fastened and fixed to a packing surface provided on the crankcase to surround the clutch, wherein the primary driven gear and the packing surface overlap in a virtual straight line when viewed from the axial direction of the main shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Sugano, Kensuke Mori, Yoshitaka Nukada
  • Patent number: 11149835
    Abstract: A balancer shaft includes a shaft body, a driven gear, a fixed member fixed to the shaft body, and an elastic member located between the driven gear and the fixed body. A projection projects from the driven gear. The fixed member includes an accommodation recess accommodating the projection. The elastic member is arranged in the accommodation recess adjacent to the projection. The projection includes an abutment side surface, which includes an outer end. The outer end and the elastic member are spaced apart in the circumferential direction by a first distance when the abutment side surface and the elastic member are in abutment without elastically deforming the elastic member. The first distance is greater than a maximum value of an elastic deformation amount of the elastic member in the circumferential direction when the elastic member is pressed between the projection and a wall of the accommodation recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shunji Morihiro
  • Patent number: 11047449
    Abstract: An unbalanced crankshaft mounted accessory is configured to externally balance the rotating assembly of a particular engine model. In one embodiment, the unbalanced crankshaft mounted accessory is attached to the crankshaft at the output of the crankshaft (i.e., the connection to a load driven by the engine). The accessory is unbalanced at an angle and weight configured to reduce deflection of the crankshaft at the output of the crankshaft (when the unbalanced crankshaft mounted accessory is attached). The weight and angle are determined by measuring crankshaft deflection at various speeds (rpm) throughout the recommended operating range of the engine. The angle and deflection distance are then averaged and multiplied against a rotating mass of the engine and a constant to determine an angle and weight for the unbalanced crankshaft mounted accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Inventor: Kevin Blane
  • Patent number: 10995821
    Abstract: A clamp having a first member, a second member connectable to the first member and a second surface having a first groove and a second groove, each groove for receiving a toothed belt tooth, a peak is disposed between each groove, the second member cooperatively engages the first member to engage the toothed belt there between, and the first member having at least one arcuate concave surface extending across a clamp width, the arcuate concave surface corresponding with the second member peak when the second member is fastened to the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Gates Corporation
    Inventors: Leslee Brown, Young W. Desanti
  • Patent number: 10989534
    Abstract: A gyrostabiliser having a vacuum chamber assembly is disclosed. The gyrostabilizer can have a flywheel enclosed within a vacuum chamber formed by a housing. The flywheel shaft can be fixed to or integral with the flywheel and located relative to the housing by upper and lower spin bearings which permit rotation of the flywheel about the spin axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: VEEM Ltd
    Inventors: Mark Miocevich, Michael Andrewartha
  • Patent number: 10989272
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting a tuning state of a pendulum damper are provided. In one example, an engine system is provided that includes a crankshaft coupled to a plurality of pistons in a plurality of cylinders. The crankshaft includes a plurality of pendulums coupled to a plurality of cheeks and a pendulum tuning mechanism coupled to an associated pendulum included in the plurality of pendulums or coupled to an associated pendulum in a torque converter and configured to tune damping characteristics of the associated pendulum based on an engine order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas G. Leone, Jeffrey Eliot Chottiner
  • Patent number: 10914358
    Abstract: Balancer device has upper and lower housings 3 and 4 having therein an accommodation section 10, a pair of drive and driven side shafts 5 and 6 which are rotatably supported by four plain bearings 11 to 14 provided in the accommodation section and to which a rotation force is transmitted from a crankshaft, and arc band-shaped thrust receiving portions 32a and 33a which thrust flange portions of drive and driven gears 8 and 9 provided at the drive and driven side shafts respectively can contact from a thrust direction. First and second oil storing grooves 34 and 35, groove passages 36 and 37 and vertical groove passages 38a to 39b are formed at the thrust receiving portions on a gravity direction lower side with respect to a meshing portion of the both gears. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress occurrence of abrasion of the thrust receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Hirano, Masaharu Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10890137
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft that is rotatably supported on a crankcase via a pair of bearings and has a crank housed in a crank chamber, a to-be-detected body that is housed in the crank chamber and is supported on the crankshaft, and a detection sensor that is made to face a trajectory of the to-be-detected body and detects movement of the to-be-detected body to generate a pulse signal. The to-be-detected body is disposed on an inner side of the bearing. Thus, an internal combustion engine is provided that enables a crank angle to be detected in a state in which vibration and flexure occurring in a crankshaft are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Iwasaki, Yoshiyuki Ikebe, Kazuyuki Kosei, Takuya Warashina, Kazuya Tanabe, Hiroyuki Uchida
  • Patent number: 10731551
    Abstract: Provided is a balancer device for an internal combustion engine capable of effectively decreasing gear rattle between gears of a drive mechanism. A balancer drive gear and a balancer driven gear are arranged on a second end side of a drive-side balancer shaft and a second end side of a driven-side balancer shaft, respectively, and an oil pump is arranged on a first end side of the driven-side balancer shaft via the drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Tamashiro, Hidenori Tasaka
  • Patent number: 10718292
    Abstract: Recesses are formed in edge portions of a bearing cap bridge from second fastening portions toward first fastening portions, and when seen in an orthogonal direction to the cylinder block bottom wall, third fastening portions that fasten an engine auxiliary device driven by a crankshaft to the cylinder block bottom wall are arranged in spaces R1 to R4 that are demarcated by first imaginary lines L1, which pass through the second fastening portions and are orthogonal to a crankshaft axial line A, and outlines of the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Harada
  • Patent number: 10663033
    Abstract: A balance weight having one or more journals with a reduced mass portion disposed between a pair of journal portions that define circumferentially extending bearing surfaces. The reduced mass portion has a body, which defines a circumferentially extending bearing surface that is concentric with the bearing surfaces on the journal portions, and at least one stiffening structure that is configured to resist flexing of the journal portions relative to one another due to the transmission of bending loads through the balance shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Clark, John C. Geis, Carl E. Holmblad, Craig Lawrence McEachran
  • Patent number: 10605328
    Abstract: A counterweight forms a crankshaft of an engine, and includes: an arm connecting a crank journal and crank pin of the crankshaft; a neck extending from a first connection face of the arm in a direction opposite to the crank pin; and a substantially fan-shaped weight continuous with a portion of the neck opposite to the crank journal. The weight has left and right shoulders continuous with the neck, and each of the shoulders is tilted to be away from the neck at an angle with respect to a horizontal line orthogonal to a crankshaft center when viewed along the crankshaft center, the angle being 15° or more and 22.5° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Imano, Masaki Fukuma, Satoshi Imamura, Hisashi Kajikawa, Toshinobu Yoneya, Ryoko Motohiro, Yuichi Someno, Takahiro Iwai
  • Patent number: 10590841
    Abstract: A single-shaft dual expansion internal combustion engine includes an engine block, a cylinder head and a crankshaft. First and second power pistons are moveable in first and second power cylinders and are connected to first and second crankpins of the crankshaft. An expander piston is moveable in an expander cylinder and is connected via a multi-link connecting rod assembly to a third crankpin of the crankshaft. A first balance shaft is arranged in a first longitudinal opening in the engine block, and a second balance shaft is arranged in a second longitudinal opening in the engine block. The first and second balance shafts have first and second counterweight portions, respectively, and the crankshaft has a third counterweight portion causing an imbalance in the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Hung-Yih Isaac Du, Jun Zhou, Russell P. Durrett
  • Patent number: 10591019
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for balancer shaft assemblies featuring bearing caps. In one example, a system may include a bearing cap connected to a housing surrounding a balancer shaft. The bearing cap may have faces which contact components of the balancer shaft. This contact may prevent movement of the balancer shaft in a particular direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xavier Demeulenaere, Thomas Fisk, Robert Davies, Alex Fu, Mark Michel
  • Patent number: 10539082
    Abstract: A method for operating a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine in which every active cylinder operates in a four-stroke mode and every deactivated cylinder filled with an approximately completed gas filling is compressed and expanded during the four-stroke operation of the activated cylinder. In a method in which excitations of a crankshaft speed are minimized, a limited number of even-numbered cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (2) having a maximum even number of cylinders (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) are deactivated sequentially, the limited even number of cylinders being smaller than the maximum even number of cylinders (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) of the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hartmut Faust, Thomas Winkler
  • Patent number: 10508616
    Abstract: An engine is provided with a cylinder block and a ladderframe having a portion of an oil conduit and a deflector. The engine has a metal-to-metal seal positioned between the ladderframe and block to circumferentially surround the oil conduit, and has a gasket seal positioned between the ladderframe and block to be outboard and spaced apart from the oil conduit. The deflector is positioned between the metal-to-metal seal and the gasket seal. An engine component is provided with a member having a deflector and forming an oil conduit. The deflector has an arcuate deflector surface following an outer wall of the oil conduit to redirect oil escaping the oil conduit. A ladderframe is configured to provide a deflection surface, with the deflection surface positioned to guide high pressure oil away from adjacent RTV seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xavier Demeulenaere, Graham Slaughter, Mark Michel, David Harknett
  • Patent number: 10457288
    Abstract: A motorcycle includes an engine that generates a driving force during a normal traveling mode, and a vehicle driving motor that generates a driving force for moving a vehicle main body forward and backward during an auxiliary moving mode. A traveling speed of the vehicle main body is detected by a speed sensor, and the detected traveling speed is presented to the rider by a speedometer. A rotation speed of the vehicle driving motor or a rotation speed of a gear rotated by the vehicle driving motor is detected by a rotation speed sensor as a physical quantity that changes depending on a moving speed of the vehicle main body during the auxiliary moving mode. The vehicle driving motor is controlled based on the detected rotation speed such that the moving speed of the vehicle main body is close to or coincides with a target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomokazu Takayanagi, Joji Sawaoka, Kazuyuki Maeda, Kosuke Hirata, Naoki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10443538
    Abstract: An air-cooled internal combustion engine including a crankshaft, a cylinder, a blower assembly including a blower housing and a fan, and a static cover. The static cover includes a main body that is aligned with the crankshaft, an arm that extends from the main body and is aligned with the cylinder, and a plurality of air intake openings. A first subset of the air intake openings is formed through the main body and a second subset of the air intake openings is formed through the arm, and the static cover is configured to prevent user access to a moving component of the engine. The fan is configured to move air into the blower housing through the air intake openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan A. Sullivan, Gary S. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10436243
    Abstract: A crankshaft for an in-line internal combustion engine includes at least two bearing points, and crank throws which include a first and a last crank throw. Each of the crank throws includes a counter-weight element. The first and the last crank throw each additionally include an additional weight. The crank throws are arranged angularly offset with respect to each other so that at least two of the crank throws are arranged in angular coincidence with each other. The crank throws and their respective counter-weight elements are arranged to provide for a mass balance. The first and the last crank throw, as seen in an axial direction of the crankshaft, are arranged in angular coincidence with each other. The additional weight of the first and the last crank throw are arranged in a mirrored manner, as seen in the axial direction of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: PROMESCON GMBH
    Inventor: Alfred Trzmiel
  • Patent number: 10408115
    Abstract: An electric generator for generating electric energy upon rotation of a crankshaft supported in a crankcase of an internal combustion engine has an outer rotor and an inner rotor. An electric generator cooling structure includes a first cooling oil passage and a second cooling oil passage that are branched from a lubricating oil passage of a lubricating system of the engine toward the electric generator. A first ejection port is defined in a downstream end of the first cooling oil passage for ejecting lubricating oil to an outer side surface of the outer rotor, and a second ejection port is defined in a downstream end of the second cooling oil passage for ejecting lubricating oil to the inner stator disposed in the outer rotor. The electric generator cooling structure can thus efficiently cool the electric generator in its entirety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nozomi Okada, Kazuma Tanaka, Hirota Takeichi
  • Patent number: 10385911
    Abstract: When each of the crank arms is divided by the crank arm centerline-into a right arm portion and a left arm portion, an area moment of inertia of one of the right and the left arm portions that is in a side that is subjected to the maximum load is greater than an area moment of inertia of the other arm portion that is in a side opposite to the side that is subjected to the maximum load, and, the area moment of inertia of the arm portion that is in the side opposite to the side that is subjected to the maximum load is greater than the area moment of inertia of the arm portion that is in the side that is subjected to the maximum load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichiro Ishihara, Ken Yoshino
  • Patent number: 10378397
    Abstract: A lubrication structure for an internal combustion engine includes an oil pump, a main gallery, an oil-supply passage, a sub gallery, and an oil-communication passage. The oil pump is installed in a crankcase configured by connecting an upper crankcase on a mating surface of a lower crankcase from above. The main gallery is provided in the lower crankcase for supplying oil from the oil pump to the engine. The oil-supply passage is provided in the lower crankcase and supplies oil from the main gallery to a mating-surface-oil passage of the mating surface. The sub gallery is provided in the upper crankcase for guiding oil to a piston jet that injects oil toward a piston of the engine. The oil-communication passage is provided across the lower and upper crankcases, branches from the oil-supply passage to communicate with the sub gallery, and guides oil in the oil-supply passage to the sub gallery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaki Mori
  • Patent number: 10308240
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: David Colavincenzo, Fernando Venegas Diaz
  • Patent number: 10253689
    Abstract: An engine trigger wheel is disclosed having a central annular portion and a cylindrical rim portion defining a number of trigger teeth, wherein the central annular and cylindrical rim portions are pressed from a single piece of metal. A number of balance apertures are formed in the central annular portion to move a center of mass of the trigger wheel away from an axis of rotation. The engine trigger wheel when fastened to one end of a crankshaft of an engine provides both an indication of the angular position of the crankshaft and a counterweight function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Duncan Scholtes
  • Patent number: 10247275
    Abstract: A powertrain includes a housing and a crankshaft-balancing assembly that is at least partially disposed inside the housing. The crankshaft-balancing assembly includes a crankshaft rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The crankshaft-balancing assembly further includes a drive member secured to the crankshaft. The crankshaft-balancing assembly also includes a first shaft rotatable about a first pivot axis. The first shaft is rotatable in response to rotation of the crankshaft. The crankshaft-balancing assembly includes a weight member that extends from the first shaft. The weight member is positioned along the first shaft to balance the crankshaft during rotation of the crankshaft and the first shaft. The crankshaft-balancing assembly also includes a drive member that surrounds the first shaft and a portion of the weight member. The drive member of the first shaft defines a void that opposes the portion of the weight member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alan E. Bowler, Michael Phylyp Kaczmar
  • Patent number: 10167924
    Abstract: A crankshaft having a balance weight, the crankshaft a crank pin eccentric to a rotation axis of the crankshaft, a connecting rod connecting the crank pin and a piston, and a balance weight disposed to be opposite to the crank pin in the crankshaft, wherein the balance weight has radius which is a distance between the rotation axis of a crankshaft and an exterior circumferential surface of the balance weight, and wherein the radius of the balance weight is formed differently depending on a rotation direction of the balance weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jae Kwon Lee
  • Patent number: 10161476
    Abstract: A machine having a reciprocating slider crank mechanism, wherein an axis of a crankshaft, an axis of a first balancer shaft and an axis of a second balancer shaft are not arranged on the same plane, wherein vibration is highly controlled. The machine includes the reciprocating slider crank mechanism configured so as to satisfy setting formulae below: UCr=UP×0.5 ?Cr=180° UB(Fr)={U1B(Fr)++U2B(Fr)2}1/2 U1B(Fr)=?UP×0.5×{Lx?B(Rr)/(Lx?B(Rr)?Lx?B(Fr))} U2B(Fr)=UP×0.5×{Ly?B/(Lx?B(Rr)?Lx?B(Fr))} ?B(Fr)=180°?arctan(U2B(Fr)/U1B(Fr)) UB(Rr)={U1B(Rr)2+U2B(Rr)2}1/2 U1B(Rr)=?UP×0.5×{Lx?B(Fr)/(Lx?B(Fr)?Lx?B(Rr))} U2B(Rr)=?U2B(Fr) ?B(Rr)=180°?arctan(U2B(Rr)/U1B(Rr)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Maeda, Masahiro Onodera
  • Patent number: 10145300
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for the design and manufacture of a crankshaft of a piston internal combustion engine. In one example, a crankshaft comprises a crankshaft throw, the crankshaft throw comprising a crankpin and crank webs. The crank webs are formed asymmetrically in a region of the crankpin with respect to a plane intersecting an axis of rotation of the crankshaft and a center axis of the crankpin, such that the breaking strength of the crankshaft throw is increased at a crankshaft angle of rotation which differs from the top dead center position of a piston to which the crankpin is coupled, and at which the piston exerts a maximum combustion-induced force on the crankpin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Markus Reith
  • Patent number: 10138979
    Abstract: A balancer device for an internal combustion engine is provided, wherein the drive mechanism 8 and the oil pump 3 are arranged on the side opposite to driven balancer weight 135 in the axial direction of the driven balancer shaft 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryoji Onigata
  • Patent number: 10119594
    Abstract: There is provided a balancer device of an engine. The balancer device is configured to reduce rotation vibrations of the engine. A crankshaft is disposed on a mating surface of a crank case divided into an upper case and a lower case. A balancer shaft is disposed below the crankshaft. A balancer housing accommodates therein the balancer shaft. The balancer shaft is disposed on a mating surface between the lower case and the balancer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Tsukamoto, Shintaro Yagi, Tomoyuki Oda
  • Patent number: 10086820
    Abstract: A non-uniform displacement engine control system having a transient state control mode includes a non-uniform displacement engine including a plurality of cylinders, the cylinders including at least two sizes of cylinders having different displacements, a motor connected to a driving shaft of the engine, a battery for supplying electrical energy to the motor, and a motor control unit for controlling the motor, wherein the motor control unit controls the motor such that a sum of engine torque and motor torque in explosion strokes of each cylinder is uniform by compensating for a difference in torque caused by the cylinders having different displacements, and the motor control unit has a transient state control mode for additionally applying offset torque to predetermined motor torque at a time of rapid acceleration or rapid deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeong Soo Eo, Yeon Bok Kim, Youn Kwang Jung, Sung Jae Kim, Young Joon Chang
  • Patent number: 10087796
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention is directed to a lubricating structure of an internal combustion engine for feeding oil from an oil pump to respective portions of the internal combustion engine where a balancer shaft is disposed in parallel with a crankshaft in a crankcase, wherein: a main gallery and an oil passage are provided in the crankcase so that oil can be delivered from the oil pump to the main gallery and the oil of the main gallery can be guided by the oil passage to pass through a bearing of the balancer shaft; and the oil passage feeds the oil that has passed through the bearing of the balancer shaft to a cylinder head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Tsukamoto, Yosuke Katsuya, Shintaro Yagi
  • Patent number: 10041563
    Abstract: An offset in-line four cylinder engine has reduced vibration generated by a secondary inertia couple based on lateral pressures from pistons. A reference line passes through a shaft center of a crankshaft and is parallel or substantially parallel to cylinder axes of four cylinders as viewed in the axial direction of the crankshaft. As viewed in the axial direction of the crankshaft, the direction in which the reference line extends is referred to as first direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is referred to as second direction. A distance between the shaft center of a first balancer shaft and the reference line as measured in the second direction is different from the distance between the shaft center of a second balancer shaft and the reference line as measured in the second direction, or a magnitude of a first unbalancing portion is different from a magnitude of the second unbalancing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Taketoshi Sano
  • Patent number: 10018084
    Abstract: A lubricating structure of an internal combustion engine that feeds oil to a driveshaft of a transmission disposed in parallel with a crankshaft and a balancer shaft in a crankcase, wherein the balancer shaft is disposed below the crankshaft and the driveshaft is disposed at rear of the crankshaft, and a main gallery, a first oil passage, a second oil passage and a third oil passage are formed in the crankcase as defined herein, and a lubricating structure of an internal combustion engine that feeds oil to a bearing of a balancer shaft disposed in parallel with a crankshaft in a crankcase, wherein a main gallery, a first oil passage, and a second oil passage are formed in the crankcase as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oda, Kohei Tsukamoto, Shintaro Yagi
  • Patent number: 10006377
    Abstract: A continuous variable valve duration apparatus may include: a camshaft; first and second cam portions on which a cam is formed respectively, to which the camshaft is inserted and of which relative phase angles with respect to the camshaft are variable; first and second inner brackets transmitting rotation of the camshaft to the first and second cam portions respectively; a slider housing unit in which the first and second inner brackets are rotatably inserted and of which a relative positions with respect to the camshaft is variable; a control shaft parallel to the camshaft; a control rod eccentrically formed on the control shaft; a lifter on which a lifter hole and a rotation hole are formed; and a control portion selectively rotating the control shaft so as to controlling a position of the slider housing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: You Sang Son, Kyoung Pyo Ha, Back Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 9964065
    Abstract: A general purpose engine with a cleaning access window defined therein is in the form of an air cooled engine, having a cylinder unit made up of a cylinder and a cylinder head, and includes a housing for covering at least the cylinder unit and a cleaner covering removably fitted to the housing for covering the filter section of the air cleaner, the housing being formed with a blow window so as to confront gaps between a plurality of cooling fins provided in the cylinder unit, and the cleaner covering has a closing section defined therein for covering the blow window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jakob Daniel Cook, Alexander Uldis Sics
  • Patent number: 9938884
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an engine including cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft unit, a balancing shaft unit, and an engine cooling passage; a power generating system including a generator and a generator cooling passage; and a cooling system that includes a mechanical water pump driven by the crankshaft unit, a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the mechanical water pump and the engine cooling passage to constitute a first cooling circuit, an electrically controlled water pump, a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the electrically controlled water pump and the generator cooling passage to constitute a second cooling circuit, and a controlling unit for controlling operation of the electrically controlled water pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Chung Li, Wen-Tso Cheng, Sai-Dai Yang
  • Patent number: 9890754
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine is provided that executes fuel injection and ignition with respect to a cylinder that remains stopped in an expansion stroke, and that performs ignition startup that starts up the internal combustion engine by rotationally driving a crankshaft by pressure of combustion accompanying the fuel injection. A motor generator (MG) that can rotationally drive the crankshaft is provided. A required assist torque Ast_trq exerted by the MG at the time of ignition startup is determined based on a maximum value Cyl_prss of an in-cylinder pressure that is detected by an in-cylinder pressure sensor at the time of ignition startup. The MG is controlled at the time of ignition startup based on the required assist torque Ast_trq that is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masakatsu Nagai, Shigeyuki Urano, Keisuke Sasaki, Rui Onoda
  • Patent number: 9885400
    Abstract: There is provided a balancer device of an engine, configured to reduce rotation vibrations of the engine. A crankshaft is provided with a primary drive gear. A countershaft is provided with a primary driven gear meshed with the primary drive gear. A plurality of balancer shafts are provided with balancer driven gears meshed with the primary drive gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamauchi, Yuichi Kawano, Shintaro Yagi