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US 2010/0059002 A1Published application
Valve operating camshaft system for internal combustion engine
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorDarrell Charles Drouillard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camshaft system includes a number of cam lobes locked upon a cylindrical shaft. Bearings configured with one-piece bores and are engaged with the cylindrical shaft. The bearings are captured upon the shaft by the locked-on cam lobes.
Claims18
A camshaft assembly for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a cylindrical shaft;
- a plurality of cam lobes locked upon said cylindrical shaft;
- and
- a plurality of bearings, configured with one-piece bores, engaged with said cylindrical shaft, with at least one of said bearings being retained upon said shaft by adjacent ones of said cam lobes.
1 more element
A camshaft system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a shaft having a generally cylindrical outer surface with a generally uniform outside diameter;
- a plurality of cam lobes locked axially and rotationally upon said generally cylindrical outer surface;
- and
- a plurality of shaft mounting bearings, with each of said shaft mounting bearings configured as a one-piece tower having a bore directly engaged with said generally cylindrical outer surface of said shaft, and with said plurality of said shaft mounting bearings being held captive on said shaft by adjacent ones of said cam lobes.
1 more element
A method for fabricating a camshaft system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- roughening a first retention portion of the outside surface of a generally cylindrical shaft;
- pressing a first cam lobe upon said first retention portion of said shaft, such that said first cam lobe is rotationally and axially locked upon said shaft;
- slidably engaging a shaft mounting bearing, having a one-piece shaft engaging bore, with said shaft, so that the shaft mounting bearing is positioned adjacent said first cam lobe;
- roughening a second retention portion of the outside surface of said shaft, with said second retention portion being placed such that said shaft mounting bearing is between the first and second retention portions;
- and
- pressing a second cam lobe upon said second retention portion of said shaft.
3 more elements
A method for fabricating a camshaft system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- fastening a first cam lobe upon a first retention portion of a generally cylindrical shaft having a generally uniform outside diameter, such that said first cam lobe is rotationally and axially locked upon said shaft;
- slidably engaging a shaft mounting bearing tower, having a one-piece shaft engaging bore, with said shaft, so that the shaft mounting bearing tower is positioned adjacent said first cam lobe;
- and
- fastening a second cam lobe upon a second retention portion of said shaft, such that said shaft mounting bearing tower is captured between the first and second retention portions.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.