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US 10,458,326 B2Granted
Vee engine dual inboard camshaft system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorCraig P. Hittle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder case that includes a first geartrain disposed on a front end of the cylinder case and a second geartrain disposed on a rear end of the cylinder case. The first geartrain drives a first camshaft, and the second geartrain drives a second camshaft, the first and second camshafts having respective rotational axes that are parallel.
Claims18
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a cylinder case rotatably supporting a crankshaft having a front end and a rear end;
- a first geartrain disposed on a front end of the cylinder case, the first geartrain being meshably connected with a first driving gear connected to the front end of the crankshaft;
- a second geartrain disposed on a rear end of the cylinder case, the second geartrain being meshably connected with a second driving gear connected to the rear end of the crankshaft;
- a first camshaft rotatably supported relative to the cylinder case, the first camshaft having a first rotational axis and having a first driven gear connected to a front end of the first camshaft, the first driven gear being meshably connected to the first geartrain, wherein the first camshaft operates intake and exhaust valves associated with cylinders formed in the cylinder case;
- a second camshaft rotatably supported relative to the cylinder case, the second camshaft having a second rotational axis and having a second driven gear connected to a rear end of the second camshaft, the second driven gear being meshably connected to the second geartrain, wherein the second camshaft operates unit fuel injectors associated with the cylinders formed in the cylinder case;
- wherein the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are parallel, and wherein the intake and exhaust valves operate independently from the unit fuel injectors.
3 more elements
An internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a cylinder case rotatably supporting a crankshaft having a front end and a rear end;
- a first geartrain configured to be directly driven by the front end of the crankshaft;
- a first camshaft rotatably supported relative to the cylinder case, the first camshaft having a first rotational axis and being driven directly by the first geartrain;
- a second geartrain configured to be directly driven by the rear end of the crankshaft, the second geartrain being independent from the first geartrain;
- a second camshaft rotatably supported relative to the cylinder case, the second camshaft having a second rotational axis and being driven directly by the second geartrain;
- wherein the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis are parallel;
- wherein the first and second camshafts are arranged to rotate at different speeds for any given rotation speed of the crankshaft;
- and
- wherein the cylinder case has a Vee configuration that includes a first plurality of cylinders arranged along a first bank and a second plurality of cylinders arranged along a second bank, wherein a valley is defined between the first bank and the second bank, and wherein the first and second camshafts are disposed in the valley.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.