Intake manifold having failure controlling features
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsGary Nola, Christopher William Newman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intake manifold is provided that comprises a plurality of intake manifold runners 12, and each intake manifold runner comprises at least one elongated rib 15 and at least one elongated blister 14. The elongated rib 15 and the at least one elongated blister 14 operate together to control structural failure of the intake manifold in an impact event. Specifically, the elongated rib acts to receive and concentrate load while the at least one elongated blister provides an area of intentional failure, thus restricting the failure to a focused area on the intake manifold.
Claims17
An intake manifold comprising a plurality of runners, each runner having a longitudinally extending axis, an inner surface, an inner side, and an outer side opposite said inner side, each runner comprising:
- a pair of elongated blisters, each of said blisters having a first blister end, a second blister end, and a blister length extending therebetween, each of said blister lengths being the same and concave with respect to the inner surface of the runner;
- and an elongated rib having a first rib end, a second rib end, and a rib length extending therebetween, said elongated rib being positioned between said elongated blisters, said rib length being equal to said blister length, wherein said elongated rib and said pair of elongated blisters each extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinally extending axis of the runner, and wherein said pair of elongated blisters and said elongated rib are formed on said outer side of the runner.
An intake manifold runner having a longitudinally extending axis, an inner surface, an inner side, and an outer side, the intake manifold runner comprising:
- a pair of elongated blisters, each of said blisters having a first blister end, a second blister end, and a blister length extending therebetween, each of said blister lengths being the same and concave with respect to the inner surface of the intake manifold runner;
- and an elongated rib having a first rib end, a second rib end, and a rib length extending therebetween, said elongated rib being positioned between said elongated blisters, said rib length being longer than said blister length;
- and wherein said elongated rib and said pair of elongated blisters each extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinally extending axis of the intake manifold runner, wherein said pair of elongated blisters and said elongated rib are formed on said outer side of the intake manifold runner.
An intake manifold runner having a longitudinally extending axis, an inner surface, an inner side, and an outer side, the intake manifold runner including:
- a pair of elongated blisters, each of said blisters having a first blister end, a second blister end, and a blister length extending therebetween, each of said blister lengths being the same and concave with respect to the inner surface of the intake manifold runner;
- and an elongated rib having a first rib end, a second rib end, and a rib length extending therebetween, said elongated rib being positioned between said elongated blisters, said rib length being shorter than said blister length;
- wherein said elongated rib and said pair of elongated blisters each extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinally extending axis of the intake manifold runner, and wherein said pair of elongated blisters and said elongated rib are formed on said outer side of the intake manifold runner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.