Interchangeable engine assembly
AssigneeArctic Cat Inc.
InventorsRalf Centmayer, Lars Kubrinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an engine assembly for a vehicle. The engine assembly comprises an engine including a cylinder head and an engine block. The engine block comprises a cylinder block and a crankcase having a crankshaft. The engine may be used in different models of the vehicle having different characteristics by interchanging or replacing the cylinder head from a plurality of cylinder heads and/or a cylinder block from a plurality of cylinder blocks, while keeping one or more engine components such as the crankcase, a timing chain, or a valve cover the same. Accordingly, the engine is adaptable to different vehicles.
Claims20
An engine assembly for a vehicle, the engine assembly having a first side and a second side, the engine assembly comprising:
- a cylinder block, and
- a modular cylinder head mounted to a cylinder head mounting interface of the cylinder block, the modular cylinder head configured to be selectively embodied one or the other of a first configuration and a second configuration such that:
- in the first configuration, the modular cylinder head is a first cylinder head with a first construction, the first cylinder head including at least one first intake camshaft and at least one first exhaust camshaft in a double overhead camshaft arrangement, wherein the intake is on a first side of the engine;
- and
- in the second configuration, the modular cylinder head is a second cylinder head with a second construction that is different from the first construction, the second cylinder head including at least one second intake camshaft and at least one second exhaust camshaft in a double overhead camshaft arrangement, wherein the intake is on a second side of the engine;
- and
- wherein a location of the at least one first intake camshaft relative to the cylinder block in the first configuration is identical to a location of the at least one second exhaust camshaft relative to the cylinder block in the second configuration.
An engine assembly for a vehicle, the engine assembly comprising:
- a crankcase;
- a modular cylinder block mounted to the crankcase, the modular cylinder block configured to be selectively embodied in a first cylinder block configuration and a second cylinder block configuration such that:
- in the first cylinder block configuration, the modular cylinder block is a first cylinder block constructed of a first material, the first cylinder block including a plurality of first cylinders, and
- in the second cylinder block configuration, the modular cylinder block is a second cylinder block constructed of a second material that is different from the first material, the second cylinder block including a plurality of second cylinders;
- and
- a modular cylinder head mounted to a cylinder head mounting interface of the modular cylinder block, the modular cylinder head configured to be selectively embodied in one or the other a first cylinder head configuration and a second cylinder head configuration such that:
- in the first cylinder head configuration, the modular cylinder head is a first cylinder head with a first construction, the first cylinder head including at least one first intake camshaft, and
- in the second cylinder head configuration, the modular cylinder head is a second cylinder head with a second construction that is different from the first construction, the second cylinder head including at least one second exhaust camshaft,
- wherein a location of the at least one first intake camshaft relative to the crankcase in the first cylinder head configuration is identical to a location of the at least one second exhaust camshaft relative to the crankcase in the second cylinder head configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.