Engine balancer
AssigneeHarley-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc.
InventorJohann Voges
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The crankshaft defines a crank axis and is rotatable about the crank axis. The internal combustion engine also includes a camshaft that defines a camshaft axis and is rotatable about the camshaft axis. The internal combustion engine further includes a cam drive assembly that is operable to transfer rotation from the crankshaft to the camshaft, a balance mass rotatable about the crankshaft, and a balancer drive assembly operable to drive the balance mass through the cam drive assembly.
Claims23
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a crankshaft including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the crankshaft defining a crank axis, the crankshaft rotatable about the crank axis;
- a camshaft defining a camshaft axis, the camshaft rotatable about the camshaft axis;
- a cam drive assembly operable to transfer rotation from a first end of the crankshaft to the camshaft;
- a balance mass rotatable around the crank axis at the first end of the crankshaft;
- and
- a balancer drive assembly operable to drive the balance mass through the cam drive assembly.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a crankshaft including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the crankshaft defining a crank axis, the crankshaft rotatable about the crank axis in a first direction;
- a camshaft defining a camshaft axis, the camshaft rotatable about the camshaft axis;
- a balance mass rotatable around the crank axis in a second direction opposite the first direction;
- and
- a drive member separated from the crankshaft and coupled to take power off the crankshaft, the drive member having a first output for driving the camshaft and a second output for driving the balance mass.
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a crankshaft including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the crankshaft defining a crank axis, the crankshaft rotatable about the crank axis;
- a camshaft defining a camshaft axis, the camshaft rotatable about the camshaft axis;
- a cam drive assembly operable to transfer rotation from the crankshaft to the camshaft;
- a balance mass rotatable around the crank axis;
- and
- a balancer drive assembly operable to drive the balance mass,
- wherein a rotatable drive member distanced from the crank axis forms part of a power transmission path from the crankshaft to the balance mass and forms part of a power transmission path from the crankshaft to the camshaft such that the drive member forms an integral part of both the balancer drive assembly and the cam drive assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.