Balancing Arrangement Patents (Class 123/192.2)
  • Publication number: 20130098327
    Abstract: A balance shaft assembly for a vehicle, which includes a balance shaft carrier disposed under a cylinder block and, includes an oil pan, an upper end of the oil pan being coupled to a bottom of the cylinder block, may include a balance shaft protruding rearward from the balance shaft carrier and rotatably supported by the balance shaft carrier, a balance weight formed on an outer circumferential surface of the balance shaft, and a balance weight receiving portion formed at the oil pan and coupled to the balance shaft carrier to seal the balance weight therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Sungyup Ryu, Byungchul Lee
  • Patent number: 8418669
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having a pair of balancer shafts (53, 54), an engine torque is transmitted from a crank gear (28) to an oil pump gear (74) on a drive shaft (73) of an oil pump (71) via a first idler gear (84) and the first balancer shaft gear (64). The engine torque is also transmitted to a fuel pump (72) from the crank gear to a fuel pump gear (78) via the first idler gear and a second idler gear (86), and to the second balancer shaft gear (67) via the first idler gear and second idler gear. Alternatively, the engine torque may be transmitted to the fuel pump from the crank gear to the fuel pump gear via the first idler gear, second balancer shaft gear and second idler gear. As the oil pump gear is actuated by the crank gear via the first idler gear, the oil pump gear is not subjected to the loading caused by the balancer shaft, and hence can be made of a compact and light-weight gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Goichi Katayama, Yoshihiro Fujiyoshi, Yutaka Tajima, Shoichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8413631
    Abstract: The invention relates to a balancing shaft for a multi-cylinder engine having at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) and at least one bearing (16, 17), the at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) being associated with the bearing (16, 17) and the bearing (16, 17) has a radial running face (18) which extends only partially over a periphery of the bearing (16, 17) and a centrifugal force which results during rotation of the balancing shaft (11) is situated within a region of the bearing (16, 17) that is formed by the running face (18) which extends partially over the periphery of the bearing (16, 17), wherein a running ring segment (51) is associated with the partially formed running face (18), said running ring segment adjoining the partially formed running face (18) of the bearing (16, 17) and forming, together with said partially formed running face (18), a completely closed running face (20) of the bearing (16, 17) and having at least one lateral edge (54) which delimits the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Herzog Intertec GmbH
    Inventors: Ewald Herzog, Raphael Herzog
  • Patent number: 8413629
    Abstract: The invention relates to a balancing shaft for a multi-cylinder engine having at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) and at least one bearing (16, 17), the at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) being associated with a bearing (16, 17), the bearing (16, 17) having a radial running face (18) which extends only partially over a periphery of the bearing (16, 17) and a centrifugal force which results during rotation of the balancing shaft (11) is situated within a region of the bearing (16, 17) that is formed by the running face (18) which extends partially over the periphery of the bearing (16, 17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Herzog Intertec GmbH
    Inventors: Ewald Herzog, Raphael Herzog
  • Patent number: 8413630
    Abstract: The invention relates to a balancing shaft for a single-cylinder or multi-cylinder engine having at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) and at least one bearing (16, 17), the at least one unbalanced weight portion (21, 22; 23, 24) being associated with the bearing (16, 17) and the bearing (16, 17) having a radial running face (18) which extends only partially over a periphery of the bearing (16, 17) and a centrifugal force which results during rotation of the balancing shaft (11) is situated within a region of the bearing (16, 17) that is formed by the running face (18) which extends partially over the periphery of the bearing (16, 17), wherein provision is made for at least one supporting surface (51) to extend partially over the periphery of the bearing (16, 17) and to be provided separate from the running surface (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Herzog Intertec GmbH
    Inventors: Ewald Herzog, Raphael Herzog
  • Publication number: 20130068187
    Abstract: A shaft assembly includes a shaft, a spacer and a cover. The body of the shaft includes a sealing portion, a balancing portion and a hollow portion which may collectively define a generally cylindrical space. The spacer substantially encloses the hollow portion of the body. The cover encapsulates the shaft body and the spacer to provide a substantially continuous cylindrical surface in sealing engagement with the sealing portion. The shaft assembly may be rotatably installed in an engine such that the balancing portion may be partially submerged in an oil bath in the engine and such that the substantially continuous cylindrical surface of the cover minimizes turbulence and aeration of the oil bath when the shaft assembly is rotated. The shaft may be configured for rotation in synchrony with a crankshaft. A method for encapsulating the shaft includes forming a continuous cylindrical surface in sealing engagement with the shaft body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Glenn E. Clever, Charles K. Buehler
  • Patent number: 8393310
    Abstract: A mass balancing mechanism of an internal combustion engine, in which the mechanism includes a compensation shaft (1, 1?) formed as a tubular carrier shaft (5, 5?) having a mounting point (10, 10?) for the radial mounting of the compensation shaft. The mechanism further includes an unbalanced mass (6) joined to the carrier shaft. A needle roller bearing (2) is used for a radial rolling bearing-mounting of the compensation shaft, with the needle rollers (11) of the needle roller bearing being in rolling contact with the mounting point which is configured as an inner raceway and possesses a width which is variable in peripheral direction, so that, in a region situated diametrically opposite a load zone in whose peripheral region the inner raceway is loaded by the radial load of the unbalanced mass which rotates together with the compensation shaft, a width (14) of the inner raceway is smaller than the length of the needle rollers and tapers clearly or is interrupted in peripheral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Siegfried Tisch
  • Patent number: 8387584
    Abstract: An unbalanced shaft (1a, 1b, 1c), particularly for compensating mass forces and/or mass moments of inertia of an internal combustion engine (2) is provided. The shaft includes a shaft section (10, 11, 12) and a bearing journal (13a, 13b, 13c) axially adjacent to the shaft section, the bearing journal includes a fully cylindrical outer peripheral surface (18) serving as an inner raceway for the rolling elements (16) of a rolling bearing (14) and the bearing journal has a multi-piece configuration, so that both the shaft section and the bearing journal possess a mass center of gravity that, for producing the shaft unbalance, extends eccentric to the axis of rotation (19) of the unbalanced shaft. For supplying lubricant to the inner raceway and the rolling elements, an oil channel (20a, 20b, 20c) extends radially outwards through the bearing journal and opens, relative to the mass center of gravity of the bearing journal, on the other side, situated beyond the axis of rotation, on the outer peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Patent number: 8387583
    Abstract: An engine balancer includes a pair of balancer shafts and a balancer housing for housing the balancer shafts, and is placed in an oil pan at the bottom of an engine. The balancer housing includes a pair of front and rear bearing walls respectively supporting the balancer shafts with rolling bearings interposed therebetween. The bearing walls of the balancer housing are attached to bearing walls for a crankshaft. The housing body has an aperture at the top thereof. The aperture of the housing body is covered with a plate-shaped cover member thinner than a member forming the housing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Chiaki Kato, Kazuya Ito, Naohiro Koi, Sakumi Haseto, Eiji Wada, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 8387582
    Abstract: An oil discharging structure of a balance shaft module smoothly discharging oil pumped by a balance shaft outside of the balance shaft module by forming an oil guide surface in a ladder frame that is installed in an upper part of the balance shaft module. The oil discharging structure of the present invention preferably includes a balance shaft housing that is rotatably supported with a balance shaft inserted therein; oil discharge holes formed in the balance shaft housing so that oil in the balance shaft housing is discharged to the outside by the balance shaft; and an oil guiding portion that is provided in a ladder frame mounted on an upper part of the balance shaft housing in order to induce the oil discharged through the oil discharge holes to the outside of the balance shaft housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Minsig Shin, Gabseok Ko, Myungrae Cho, Hongwook Lee, Wootae Kim, Jinwoo Cho
  • Patent number: 8375916
    Abstract: A mass balancing mechanism for balancing mass forces and/or mass torques of an internal combustion engine, said mechanism comprising a balancing shaft comprising an axis of rotation, a mass center of gravity spaced from said axis of rotation and further comprising at least one bearing peg on which said balancing shaft is mounted for rotation in a mounting location of the internal combustion engine, the bearing peg includes two axially spaced cylindrical bearing peg sections that define a recess which extends substantially or entirely outside of the axis of rotation relative to the mass center of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Siegfried Tisch
  • Publication number: 20130036996
    Abstract: Embodiments for mass balancing an engine are provided. In one example, an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder which is associated with a crank drive comprises at least one mechanically driven balancing unit for balancing the mass forces, the balancing unit including at least one balancing weight which serves as an unbalance by initially rotating a first mass about a rotational axis relative to a second mass when the balancing unit is operational, and an interrupter unit to disconnect the at least one balancing unit from the mechanical drive in a switched off state and connect it to the mechanical drive in a switched on state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Stefan Quiring, Bernd Steiner
  • Publication number: 20130036995
    Abstract: Embodiments for balancing an engine are provided. In one example, a method for balancing mass forces of a crank drive of an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder comprises providing at least one balancing unit which has at least one balancing weight which serves as an unbalance and which rotates about a rotational axis when the balancing unit is operational, the at least one balancing unit being embodied as a switchable balancing unit, and switching on the at least one balancing unit as a function of at least one operating parameter of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Bernd Steiner, Stefan Quiring
  • Publication number: 20130032116
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine (1) having at least one engine cylinder (2, 3) and at least one piston oscillating therein, and having at least one balancing mass (14) which is driven in an oscillating manner by a crankshaft (11) via a crank throw (15) and a compensating connecting rod (16), and which is guided in a translatory fashion by means of a linear guide (17) assigned in each case to the respective balancing mass (14). The linear guide (17) is formed by at least two guide elements (18, 19), which are spaced apart from one another, for the balancing mass (14). A bearing (23) for articulatedly connecting to the compensating connecting rod (16) is formed on the balancing mass (14) in a central portion between the two mutually spaced apart guide elements (18, 19).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: STEYR MOTORS GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Aschaber, Josef Wagner
  • Publication number: 20130025558
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine with a balancer including a crankcase having a pair of wall portions, a crankshaft supported for rotation on the wall portions and having a balancer driving gear wheel provided thereon, and a balancer shaft supported for rotation by the wall portions and having a balancer driven gear wheel provided thereon, both gear wheels are disposed between the wall portions. A positioning mark including a set of marks provided on side faces in the same direction of the gear wheels is disposed near to pitch circles of both gear wheels. At a position opposing to both side faces of the one wall portion on the side opposing to the positioning mark on the pitch circles of both gear wheels, a through-hole extending through the one side wall is provided to permit the positioning mark to be visually observed through the through-hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA R&D CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Nagahashi, Kazuya Tajiri, Fumiaki Okubo
  • Publication number: 20130000589
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine in a vehicle is described herein. The internal combustion engine may include two outer pistons, each of the pistons arranged in a separate cylinder and positioned in an in-line configuration in which a straight line extends through each of the axes of the pistons, a crankshaft including a plurality of crank throws, each crank throw coupled to a separate piston, and a flywheel coupled to a first end of the crankshaft. The engine may further include a belt pulley coupled to a second end of the crankshaft and a balancing arrangement including a first balancing mass coupled to a belt pulley and a second balancing mass coupled to a flywheel, the relative separation between the first balancing mass and the second balancing mass measured on a plane perpendicular to a rotational axis of the crankshaft is less than 170Ā°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael Roehrig
  • Patent number: 8346460
    Abstract: When a revolution speed of the engine (crankshaft) changes faster or slower, the vibration from the engine is propagated to an occupant in the vehicle, and the occupant may feel a sense of discomfort. For this reason, the present invention provides an active vibration isolating support apparatus and method for controlling the same to suppress the propagation of the vibration from the engine to the vehicle body so that the occupant may feel less sense of discomfort even if the revolution speed of the engine changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Okamoto, Hirotomi Nemoto
  • Patent number: 8327542
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of a drop-forged balancing shaft for a mass balancing gear of an internal combustion engine. The balancing shaft has an unbalanced plane formed by the rotational axis thereof and an eccentric mass center of gravity, and at least one bearing journal, the outer lateral surface of which serves as a track for a rolling bearing supporting the balancing shaft in the internal combustion engine. To this end, the balancing shaft is to be forged in a forging die having a parting plane extending in the direction of the rotational axis and rotated in relation to the unbalanced plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Siegfried Tisch, Klaus Weigand
  • Publication number: 20120291742
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a counter rotating mass system for balancing the vibrations produced by a vehicle engine, comprising a central support (21) and counter rotating eccentric mass (22, 23, 24, 25) projecting from the two opposite sides of the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: FPT INDUSTRIAL S.P.A.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Colonna, Loris Aere
  • Patent number: 8312855
    Abstract: A mass balancing device (1a, 1b) for a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine is provided, having a first balancing shaft (2a, 2b) and a second balancing shaft (3a, 3b) disposed in the first balancing shaft coaxially thereto. The first balancing shaft (2a, 2b) has at least one bearing point (6a, 7a, 6b, 7b) for a first rolling bearing (16) and the second balancing shaft (3a, 3b) has at least one bearing point (8a, 9a, 8b, 9b) for a second rolling bearing (17). The rolling bearings radially support the balancing shafts in the reciprocating piston internal combustion engine. At least one of the bearing locations is designed as a hollow cylinder having an outer shell surface serving as the bearing seat for the first rolling bearing and an inner shell surface serving as the bearing seat for the second rolling bearing, such that the first rolling bearing and the second rolling bearing overlap one another axially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tobias Mederer
  • Publication number: 20120285412
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine has a multi-joint crank drive wherein the multi-joint crank driver includes a plurality of coupling members which are rotatably supported on crank pins of a crank shaft and a plurality of hinged connecting rods which are rotatably supported on crank pins of an eccentric shaft wherein each of the coupling members is pivotally connected to a piston connecting rod of a piston of the internal combustion engine and one of the articulation connecting rods. In order to enable to largely or completely compensate inertia forces, it is proposed according to the invention to equip the internal combustion engine with a single balance which serves for neutralizing second order inertia forces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2010
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Audi AG
    Inventors: Matthias Brendel, Markus Meyer, Karl-Heinz Hartwig, Roger Budde
  • Patent number: 8307802
    Abstract: A mass balance unit having a mass balance housing in which a mass balance shaft is rotatably journaled and a unit housing in which a drive shaft of a secondary unit is rotatably journaled. The mass balance housing is made in one piece and has a bearing section which completely surrounds a bearing opening in which the mass balance shaft is rotatably journaled. The unit housing is also made in one piece with a base section, a wall section and a bearing section. The bearing section of the unit housing completely surrounds a bearing opening in which the drive shaft is rotatably journaled. The drive shaft is operably connected to the balance shaft drivewise. The base section of the unit housing is releasably fastened to a lower side of the mass balance housing while its wall section is adjacent an end face of the mass balance housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: MAGNA Powertrain AG & Co KG
    Inventors: Roland Marzy, Andreas Hƶlzl
  • Publication number: 20120260880
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine (1), including a cylinder head (2) and a cylinder block (3), with a crankcase (10) being fixed to the cylinder block (3), and with at least one mass balancing shaft (20) being held in the crankcase (10). In order to reduce the production effort it is provided thatā€”when seen in the direction of the axis (19a) of the crankshaft (19)ā€”a first pin (26) which is arranged in a borehole (6) and arranged as an alignment pin is positioned in the region of the face side (5) of the crankcase (10) on a straight connecting line (27) between the axis (20a) of the mass balancing shaft (20) and the axis (19a) of the crankshaft (19), with preferably the first pin (26) being arranged in the crankcase (10) and the borehole (6) in the flanged bush (24).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: Helmut Melde-Tuczai, Christof Knollmayr, Andreas Zurk
  • Publication number: 20120255514
    Abstract: The present application relates to a drive and balance mass. In one example, an engine includes, a camshaft, a balance shaft disposed within an interior of the camshaft, and a first gear, intermediate the balance shaft and the camshaft and driving the balance shaft to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to a crankshaft of the engine in a direction opposite of the crankshaft. In another example, a balance mass and drive for an engine includes, a planetary gear set including a sun gear, a ring gear and a plurality of pinions mounted on a carrier, an input coupled to an input gear of the planetary gear set, a balance mass coupled to an output gear of the planetary gear set, the output gear configured to drive the balance mass to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to the crankshaft in a direction opposite of the crankshaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick B. Morgan, Kenneth L. Nowaczyk
  • Patent number: 8276562
    Abstract: A balance shaft includes a housing that is disposed under an engine and a first hole is formed thereto, a balance shaft that is disposed to the housing and a second hole is formed thereto and a mounting pin that is inserted into the first hole through the second hole for mounting the balance shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Kwang Kim
  • Patent number: 8276561
    Abstract: Axial thrust washers are provided in the axial contact region of the bearing raceway of an unbalance shaft. The axial thrust washers do not extend beyond 360Ā° in the circumferential direction, but extend only over a little more than the unbalance masses which extend in this region. The end sections of the axial thrust washers are bent over so that they are supported on the prominent unbalance masses, and form a funnel-like entry region for the rolling elements or for a cage of the rolling bearing which houses the rolling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20120199094
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multi-cylinder in-line internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, comprising a crankshaft which rotates about a crankshaft axis during operation of the internal combustion engine, a plurality of crank throws which succeed one another in an axial direction, each of which crank throws is associated with a respective cylinder in the internal combustion engine, and a compensating arrangement for at least partially compensating the inertial forces generated on the crankshaft by revolving masses. The multi-cylinder in-line internal combustion engine has a device for varying the position of at least one of the compensating masses relative to the crankshaft as a function of engine speed. The present disclosure further relates to a method for operating such a multi-cylinder in-line internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Roehrig, Stefan Quiring
  • Patent number: 8220431
    Abstract: An engine includes a crank mechanism and a balancer mechanism that inhibits vibrations caused by the crank mechanism. An instantaneous center of rotation of an engine is arranged in the neighborhood of a predetermined target position by adjusting an acceleration caused by a translational force generated by a primary inertial force of the crank mechanism and an inertial force of the balancer mechanism and an acceleration caused by a couple of forces generated by the primary inertial force of the crank mechanism and the inertial force of the balancer mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Okamoto, Kazuhiro Ohta, Taketoshi Sano, Akimitsu Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8210148
    Abstract: The present application relates to a drive and balance mass. In one example, an engine includes, a camshaft, a balance shaft disposed within an interior of the camshaft, and a first gear, intermediate the balance shaft and the camshaft and driving the balance shaft to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to a crankshaft of the engine in a direction opposite of the crankshaft. In another example, a balance mass and drive for an engine includes, a planetary gear set including a sun gear, a ring gear and a plurality of pinions mounted on a carrier, an input coupled to an input gear of the planetary gear set, a balance mass coupled to an output gear of the planetary gear set, the output gear configured to drive the balance mass to rotate about a first axis substantially parallel to the crankshaft in a direction opposite of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick B. Morgan, Kenneth L. Nowaczyk
  • Publication number: 20120145110
    Abstract: An engine having a crank case of a variable volume may include a crankshaft that may be disposed in a crank case and may be connected to a piston through a connecting rod, which reciprocate in a cylinder, a balance shaft that may be disposed in the crank case and may be operated by the crankshaft, a chamber that may be extended from the crank case, and a balance weight that may be formed on the balance shaft and selectively opens or closes a fluid communication between the chamber and the crank case according to a position of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Suc Tae KIM
  • Patent number: 8191527
    Abstract: A compensation shaft for a multi-cylinder engine at least two bearing pegs and at least four unbalanced weight sections, two of the at least four unbalanced weight sections being arranged respectively, around each of the at least two bearing pegs, so that at least two units are formed, these at least two units being connected to each other by a connecting part, wherein two of the unbalanced weight sections are arranged asymmetrically around each of the two bearing pegs, and the connecting part is configured as a flexurally rigid and torsion-proof component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Peter Solfrank, Patrick Ullmann
  • Publication number: 20120125281
    Abstract: The invention relates to a countershaft for a single or multiple cylinder motor having at least one unbalanced weight section (21, 22; 23, 24) and at least one bearing point (16, 17) that is allocated to the at least one unbalanced weight section (21, 22; 23, 24), wherein the bearing point (16, 17) has a radial circumferential surface (18) that extends only partially over a circumference of the bearing point (16, 17) so that a centrifugal force resulting from rotation of the countershaft (11) lies within a region of the bearing point (16, 17) that is formed by the circumferential surface (18) extending partially over the circumference of the bearing point (16, 17) and having a ring (25) that surrounds the partially extended circumferential surface (18) of the bearing point (16, 17) and is connected by a force and/or form and/or material fitting connection to the bearing point (16, 17), wherein the circumferential surface (18) of the bearing point (16, 17) has a receptacle region (33) for receiving the ring (2
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: HERZOG INTERTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Ewald Herzog, Raphael Herzog, Patricia Will
  • Patent number: 8181621
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and first and second balance shafts which are gear driven from one to the other, as a unilateral tensioning system applied to a flexible drive extending between the engine's crankshaft and a first one of the balance shafts, with the unilateral tensioning system being applied to the tension side alone of the flexible and inextensible drive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventor: Vince Paul Solferino
  • Publication number: 20120111298
    Abstract: A balancer integrated with a crankcase of an internal combustion engine, including balance shafts that are driven and rotated by a rotational force transmitted from a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine to the balance shafts through an endless transmission member to reduce second order vibration of the internal combustion engine, a tensioner that applies tension to the endless transmission member by pressing an outer surface of the endless transmission member using a hydraulic pressure, a tensioner mounting portion to which the tensioner is mounted, the tensioner mounting portion being integrally formed with the crankcase, and an oil supply portion projectingly disposed along an outer surface of the tensioner mounting portion and integrally formed with the tensioner mounting portion, the oil supply portion supplying the hydraulic pressure to the tensioner through the tensioner mounting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi MATSUO, Hidenori Tasaka
  • Patent number: 8156914
    Abstract: A balancer of an engine includes a rod and a balancer piston. A first end portion of the rod includes a joining portion which is arranged to be joined to a crankshaft of the engine at a position that is eccentric relative to a rotation axis of the crankshaft. A second end portion of the rod is arranged to reciprocate inside a cylinder according to a rotation of the crankshaft. The balancer piston is fixed to the second end portion of the rod. The balancer piston is arranged to reciprocate inside the cylinder, while rocking between a contact state in which the balancer piston is in contact with an inner wall surface of the cylinder and a non-contact state in which the balancer piston is separated from the inner wall surface. The balancer piston includes a cylindrical outer peripheral portion that is curved so as to swell toward the inner wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuaki Karaki, Junichi Mitani
  • Patent number: 8151756
    Abstract: A balance shaft housing is provided that includes a first housing portion, a second housing portion operatively connected to the first housing portion, with the first housing and the second housing configured to cooperatively define first and second balance shaft chambers. A cover member is secured to the second housing portion and cooperates with the first and second housing portions to define an air flow path outside of the chambers for circulating air to the balance shaft chambers. A method of assembling a balance shaft housing is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Timothy L. Neal
  • Patent number: 8136498
    Abstract: An engine 20 includes a two-plane type crankshaft 30 and a balancer shaft 50 for reducing a primary couple of the balancer shaft 50. The crankshaft 30 includes a crankshaft body 30a and a first gear 38. The first gear 38 is disposed at one axial end side of a first crank web pair 31a disposed at the outermost one axial end side of the crankshaft 30. In the engine 20 including the two-plane type crankshaft, the weight of the engine can be reduced while securing high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8136621
    Abstract: A driveline with a shaft and a vibration damper coupled to the shaft. The damper includes a hub, a first mass, a first resilient coupling, a second mass, and a second resilient coupling. The first mass is disposed concentrically about the hub. The first resilient coupling resiliently couples the first mass to the hub. The first resilient coupling has a first spring constant. The second mass is disposed concentrically about the first mass. The second resilient coupling resiliently couples the second mass directly to the first mass. The second resilient coupling has a second spring constant that is less than the first spring constant. The first mass and the first resilient coupling are configured to attenuate vibration at a first frequency. The second mass and the second resilient coupling are configured to attenuate vibration at a second frequency. The second frequency is lower than the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Steyer, Zhaohui Sun, David P. Schankin
  • Publication number: 20120055437
    Abstract: An engine with an inclined cylinder, including a crankshaft horizontally-disposed, and two balancer shafts arranged in parallel to the crankshaft, wherein a drive gear for driving balancer is provided in the crankshaft, driven gears respectively meshed with the drive gear are provided in the balancer shafts, the two balancer shafts are divided into areas on the both sides of a center line of the cylinder and into upper and lower regions relative to an axis of the crankshaft, and axes of the balancer shafts are arranged so as to be placed within a range of a diameter of the drive gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Takahiro Yano, Michio Hirano
  • Publication number: 20120055438
    Abstract: A balancer shaft of an engine includes a pair of journal portions, a first stage balance weight and a second stage balance weight, wherein the first stage balance weight formed between the journal portions and eccentrically arranged to an axis, the second stage balance weight formed on a center part of the first stage balance weight in the axis direction and projects outward from the first stage balance weight in the radial direction, and the balancer shaft has a recess portion on the opposite side of the eccentricity direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Takahiro YANO, Michio Hirano, Shinya Akase
  • Patent number: 8127736
    Abstract: A balancing assembly of an engine may include a crankshaft in which crank pins each connected to a connecting rod, are disposed at both ends thereof, and that is equipped with a counterweight opposite to and corresponding to each crank pin, a balance shaft that is disposed at a distance from the crankshaft and that rotates by the crankshaft, and a balance weight that is eccentrically formed with a balance shaft and that absorbs vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Byung Chul Lee, Soo Hong Lee, Jeyong Yun
  • Publication number: 20120048226
    Abstract: A crankshaft for an engine having an odd number of cylinders is provided. In one example, the crankshaft includes a central pin coupling a first and a second asymmetric counterweight and a pair of pins coupling cheeks absent counterweights. The crankshaft can improve engine balance at least during some conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Rick L. Williams
  • Publication number: 20120037110
    Abstract: A spin balanced crank assembly for two-stroke and four-stroke engines, such as those used in snowmobiles and ATVs, is provided. The crank assembly may achieve an overall two-plane balance engine by adding two additional masses to opposing sides of the crank assembly. The additional masses are each unbalanced to a desired amount and angle in order to offset unbalance in the engine and obtain a balanced assembly. The amount of weight to be added or subtracted may be attached to the masses may be determined by the size and engine from which the crank assembly is a part of because the angle of unbalance of the crank assembly is know beforehand. Additionally, methods for spin balancing two-stroke and four-stroke engines are provided, wherein the method comprises balancing the engine without disassembling the crank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventor: Joseph M. Perkins
  • Publication number: 20120037109
    Abstract: A mass balancing mechanism is provided for balancing mass forces and/or mass torques of an internal combustion engine. The mass balancing mechanism includes an unbalanced shaft (4) having shaft sections (6, 7) for generating the imbalance, two outer bearing journals (9, 10), and at least one inner bearing journal (5) that connects two of the shaft sections, at which bearing journals the unbalanced shaft is rotatably supported at associated bearing points (2, 1, 3) of the internal combustion engine. The inner bearing journal deflects radially relative to the two shaft sections adjacent thereto and forms a radial plain bearing with the inner bearing point (2). According to the invention, the outer bearing journals should each form a radial roller bearing with the outer bearing points (1, 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Patent number: 8100105
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a balance shaft unit for mass balancing for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle including at least one balance shaft having at least one balance weight and a housing part in which the balance shaft is journaled. A first gear is associated with the balance shaft and meshes with a second gear. An introduction passage is formed in the housing part through which, starting from an assembly opening, at least one of the two gears can be introduced into the interior of the housing part, with the introduction passage extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the balance shaft. The first gear and the second gear are arranged sequentially with respect to the direction of extent of the introduction passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: MAGNA Powertrain AG & Co KG
    Inventors: Michael Schober, Andreas Hoelzl, Roland Marzy
  • Patent number: 8096278
    Abstract: A compensation shaft for a multi-cylinder engine comprising at least three bearing pegs (1a, 1b, 2b) and unbalanced masses (3a, 3b, 3c) arranged respectively in a region of each bearing peg (1a, 1b, 2), wherein at least one of the bearing pegs (1a; 1b; 2) as mounting element possesses an enhanced mounting lash ā€œsā€, so that this bearing peg participates in the mounting of the compensation shaft only after a pre-defined flexion of the compensation shaft has taken place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventor: Peter Solfrank
  • Publication number: 20110315110
    Abstract: An engine for a vehicle can include an oil pan coupled to a lower portion of a crankcase, and a partition wall configured to partition a crank chamber in the crankcase and the oil pan. The partition wall can be disposed on the crankcase, and can include openings configured to return oil from a crank chamber side to an oil pan side. Bridges are configured to suppress back flow of the oil from the oil pan side to the crank chamber side. The bridges can be fixedly disposed below the openings so as to cover at least part of the openings from below.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki NEGORO, Tsuyoshi ARIMA, Takanori OSUKA
  • Publication number: 20110308492
    Abstract: An oil pump unit comprises a pump shaft and a pump housing which stores the pump shaft. A balancer unit comprises a pair of balancer shafts and a balancer housing which stores the balancer shafts. The pump housing and the balancer housing are coupled to each other at least in the vicinity of a periphery of the pump shaft, and at a coupling portion in the vicinity of the periphery of a power transmission shaft is formed a connection groove which connects the inside to the inside of the coupling portion. Accordingly, it can be retrained that the reliability of journal portions of the balancer shaft of the balancer unit and the like is deteriorated by dusts and the like contained in high-pressure oil from the oil pump unit in a balancer device of an engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiro NISHI, Hisayuki YAMANE, Masanori HASHIMOTO, Sakumi HASETO, Masaaki SATO
  • Publication number: 20110277720
    Abstract: A balancer assembly for an engine includes a first balance shaft and a second balance shaft parallel with and laterally spaced from the first balance shaft. The first balance shaft includes a first counterweight portion and a second counterweight portion axially spaced from each other, with each defining a first radius. The second balance shaft includes a central counterweight defining a second radius. The central counterweight is axially disposed between the first counterweight portion and the second counterweight portion to allow a radial overlap with the first counterweight portion and the second counterweight portion, with the first radius being greater than the second radius.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Lionel Jacques, Cynthia Ann Stuvel
  • Patent number: 8051824
    Abstract: A shaft (1a-d) is provided that is rotatably mounted by a journal (2) in a housing (4) in which lubricant mist is provided. One or several outward-extending ribs (6) extend between the journal and shaft sections (5a, 5b) adjacent to the journal. The shaft is mounted by the journal in the housing using a rolling bearing (3) that is lubricated exclusively by the lubricant mist. At least one of the ribs associated with the journal extends at a certain angle of attack (11, 12) to the axis of rotation of the shaft and is used as a blade for conveying the lubricant mist into the rolling bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Arndt Ihlemann, Peter Solfrank, Lisa Dombos