# US 10,480,448 B2 · Cylinder bore having variable coating

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- Number: US 10,480,448 B2
- Document ID: US10480448B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/064,903
- Filed: 2016-03-09
- Published: 2017-09-14
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-09
- Assignees: Ford Motor Company
- Applicants: Ford Motor Company
- Inventors: Clifford E. Maki; Larry Dean Elie; Timothy George Beyer; Arup Kumar Gangopadhyay; Hamed Ghaednia; James Maurice Boileau
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480448B2

## CPC

- F02F 1/004: {Cylinder liners (F02F1/08, F02F1/16 take precedence)}
- B05D 1/08: Flame spraying
- C23C 4/02: Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas
- C23C 4/08: containing only metal elements (C23C4/073 takes precedence)
- C23C 4/129: Flame spraying
- C23C 4/131: Wire arc spraying
- B05D 2202/00: Metallic substrate
- F02F: CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

Engine blocks and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The engine block may comprise a body including at least one cylindrical engine bore wall having a longitudinal axis and including a coating extending along the longitudinal axis and having a coating thickness. The coating may have a middle region and first and second end regions, and a plurality of pores may be dispersed within the coating thickness. The middle region may have a different average porosity than one or both of the end regions. The method may include spraying a first porosity coating in a middle longitudinal region of the bore and spraying a second porosity coating in one or more end regions of the bore. The first porosity may be greater than the second porosity and the first and second porosities may be formed during the spraying steps. The pores may act wells for lubricant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An engine block, comprising:
a body including a bore wall and a coating overlying the bore wall having a thickness and pores dispersed within the thickness;
the coating including a first depth region disposed adjacent an interface of the coating with the bore wall and a second depth region disposed adjacent an exposed surface of the coating, the second depth region having a greater average porosity than the first depth region, the coating further includes a third depth region disposed between the first and second depth regions within the coating thickness, and the third depth region having an average porosity between that of the first and second depth regions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The engine block of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third depth regions extend along a portion of the at least one engine bore wall that includes a maximum piston velocity region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The engine block of claim 1, wherein the first depth region has an average porosity of 0.3% to 2% and the second depth region has an average porosity of at least 5%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The engine block of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third depth regions are located within a longitudinal portion of the bore wall that that corresponds to a crankshaft angle of 30 to 150 degrees.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The engine block of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third thicknesses, respectively, the first, second and third thicknesses are the same.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The engine block of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third microhardnesses.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The engine block of claim 6, wherein the first microhardness is greater than the second microhardness.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The engine block of claim 7, wherein the first microhardness is in a range of 150 to 600 HV.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The engine block of claim 7, wherein the first microhardness is in a range of 250 to 400 HV.

### Claim 10

An engine block, comprising:
a body including a bore wall and a sprayed coating overlying the bore wall having a thickness and pores dispersed within the thickness;
the sprayed coating including a first depth region disposed adjacent an interface of the sprayed coating with the bore wall and a second depth region disposed adjacent an exposed surface of the sprayed coating, the second depth region having a greater average porosity than the first depth region, the sprayed coating further includes a third depth region disposed between the first and second depth regions within the coating thickness, and the third depth region having an average porosity between that of the first and second depth regions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The engine block of claim 10, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third thicknesses, respectively, the first, second and third thicknesses are the same.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The engine block of claim 10, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third microhardnesses.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The engine block of claim 12, wherein the first microhardness is greater than the second microhardness.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The engine block of claim 13, wherein the first microhardness is in a range of 150 to 600 HV.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The engine block of claim 13, wherein the first microhardness is in a range of 250 to 400 HV.

### Claim 16

An engine block, comprising:
a body including a bore wall and an iron or steel coating overlying the bore wall having a thickness and pores dispersed within the thickness;
the iron or steel coating including a first depth region disposed adjacent an interface of the iron or steel coating with the bore wall and a second depth region disposed adjacent an exposed surface of the iron or steel coating, the second depth region having a greater average porosity than the first depth region, the iron or steel coating further includes a third depth region disposed between the first and second depth regions within the coating thickness, and the third depth region having an average porosity between that of the first and second depth regions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The engine block of claim 16, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third thicknesses, respectively, the first, second and third thicknesses are the same.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The engine block of claim 16, wherein the first, second and third depth regions have first, second and third microhardnesses.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The engine block of claim 18, wherein the first microhardness is greater than the second microhardness.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The engine block of claim 18, wherein the first microhardness is in a range of 150 to 600 HV.