# US 10,871,124 B2 · Coated valve seat region of an internal combustion engine

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- Number: US 10,871,124 B2
- Document ID: US10871124B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/527,097
- Filed: 2019-07-31
- Published: 2020-02-06
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-02
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Paul Nigel Turner; Bas van den Heuvel; Richard Fritsche; Clemens Maria Verpoort; Andreas Wank; Frank Beck
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871124B2

## CPC

- F02F 1/24: Cylinder heads
- B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)}
- B23K 26/14: using a fluid stream, e.g. a jet of gas, in conjunction with the laser beam; Nozzles therefor (B23K26/12 takes precedence)
- B23K 26/144: the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
- B23K 26/1476: {Features inside the nozzle for feeding the fluid stream through the nozzle}
- B23K 26/34: Laser welding for purposes other than joining
- B23K 26/342: Build-up welding
- B32B 15/016: {all layers being formed of aluminium or aluminium alloys}
- C22C 21/02: with silicon as the next major constituent
- B23K 2101/006: {Vehicles}
- B23K 2101/04: Tubular or hollow articles
- B23K 2103/10: Aluminium or alloys thereof
- B32B 2250/03: 3 layers
- B32B 2255/06: on metal layer
- B32B 2255/205: Metallic coating
- B32B 2307/732: Dimensional properties
- B32B 2605/00: Vehicles
- F02F 2200/00: Manufacturing
- F02F: CYLINDERS, PISTONS OR CASINGS, FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES; ARRANGEMENTS OF SEALINGS IN COMBUSTION ENGINES
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)

## Abstract

At least one coated valve seat region has at least one first layer and a second layer, the second layer is arranged on the first layer, and the first layer and the second layer are different. The first layer and the second layer are each formed by a local thermal deposition welding method. In the case of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, a valve seat region is formed by depositing a first layer on a substrate material of the valve seat by a laser deposition welding method in one method step and, in a subsequent method step, depositing a second layer on the first layer by a laser deposition welding method. The second layer contains a material which exerts a material hardening effect.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aluminum alloy cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head comprising:
at least one coated valve seat region formed by a local thermal deposition welding method, wherein the at least one coated valve seat region has a first layer and a second layer, wherein the second layer is arranged on the first layer, and the first layer is formed from a first aluminum alloy that is different than the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head and the second layer is formed from a second aluminum alloy that is different than the first aluminum alloy, wherein the second aluminum alloy of the second layer exerts a material-hardening effect.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the first layer and the second layer are laser clad layers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head contains silicon.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The cylinder head according to claim 3, wherein the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head contains about 9 wt. % silicon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the first aluminum alloy contains more silicon than the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The cylinder head according to claim 5, wherein the first aluminum alloy contains more than about 9 wt. % silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cylinder head according to claim 6, wherein the first aluminum alloy contains about 12 wt. % silicon.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the second aluminum alloy contains at least one material that exerts the material hardening effect selected from the group consisting of niobium carbide, boron carbide, silicon carbide, vanadium carbide, tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbides, spheroidized fused tungsten carbides and tungsten monocarbide, WC/Co-based hard metal composites and WC/Ni-based hard metal composites.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the second aluminum alloy contains between about 40% and about 50% silicon and the silicon between about 40% and about 50% exerts the material hardening effect.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The cylinder head according to claim 9, wherein the second aluminum alloy contains between about 41% and about 48% silicon.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The cylinder head according to claim 10, wherein the second aluminum alloy contains about 42% silicon.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer has a material thickness of between about 200 μm and about 1000 μm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The cylinder head according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer has a material thickness of between about 300 μm and about 800 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The cylinder head according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer has a material thickness of between about 400 μm and about 600 μm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein the first layer is an adhesion-promoting layer between the substrate material and the second layer.

### Claim 16

An internal combustion engine comprising:
a cylinder head formed from an aluminum alloy and with at least one coated valve seat region formed by a local thermal deposition welding method, wherein the at least one coated valve seat region has a first layer and a second layer, wherein the second layer is arranged on the first layer, and the first layer is formed from a first aluminum alloy that is different than the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head and the second layer is formed from a second aluminum alloy that is different than the first aluminum alloy, wherein the second aluminum alloy of the second layer exerts a material-hardening effect.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The internal combustion engine according to claim 16, wherein the first layer is formed from an aluminum alloy with an increased proportion of silicon in relation to the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The internal combustion engine according to claim 17, wherein the first aluminum alloy contains more than about 9 wt. % silicon.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The internal combustion engine according to claim 18, wherein the second aluminum alloy has an increased proportion of silicon than the aluminum alloy of the cylinder head and at least one of niobium carbide, boron carbide, silicon carbide, vanadium carbide, tungsten carbide, also including fused tungsten carbides, both spheroidized tungsten carbides and tungsten monocarbide or WC/Co- or WC/Ni-based hard metal composites.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The internal combustion engine according to claim 18, wherein the second aluminum alloy contains between about 40% and about 50% silicon and the silicon between about 40% and about 50% exerts the material hardening effect.