Interchangeable engine assembly
AssigneeArctic Cat Inc.
InventorsRalf Centmayer, Lars Kubrinski
Life of this patent
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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 of a vehicle extending from a front side to a rear side, the engine assembly comprising:
- an engine including:
- a cylinder block;
- and
- a cylinder head mounting interface configured to receive a cylinder head from a plurality of cylinder heads, the plurality of cylinder heads comprising at least one of a first cylinder head and a second cylinder head having a different configuration than the first cylinder head, each of the first cylinder head and the second cylinder head configured to receive at least one cam shaft therewithin,
- wherein a first location of the at least one cam shaft in the first cylinder head is same as a second location of the at least one cam shaft in the second cylinder head.
An engine assembly for a vehicle extending from a front side to a rear side, the engine assembly comprising:
- an engine including:
- an engine block comprising a cylinder block and a crankcase,
- wherein the cylinder block is selected from a plurality of cylinder blocks, wherein the plurality of cylinder blocks comprises at least one of a first cylinder block and a second cylinder block constructed of at least one different material from the first cylinder block, and
- wherein the crankcase is same for the engine having any one of the first cylinder block and the second cylinder block.
An engine assembly for a vehicle extending from a front side to a rear side, the engine assembly comprising:
- an engine including:
- an engine block comprising a cylinder block and a crankcase, wherein the cylinder block is selected from a plurality of differing cylinder blocks, wherein the plurality of cylinder blocks comprises at least one of a first cylinder block and a second cylinder block;
- and
- a cylinder head mounting interface that is configured to receive a cylinder head from a plurality of differing cylinder heads, the plurality of cylinder heads comprising at least one of a first cylinder head and a second cylinder head, each of the first cylinder head and the second cylinder head configured to receive at least one cam shaft therewithin, wherein a first location of the at least one cam shaft in the first cylinder head is same as a second location of the at least one cam shaft in the second cylinder head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.