Split plenum intake manifold with variable runners
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorRonald Luce Verkleeren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An intake manifold assembly (10) for use with an internal combustion engine. The manifold assembly (10) includes three main components, a cover (12), base (14) and runner beam (16). The cover (12) and base (14) mate to form cavity (18), encompassing a variable plenum (54) upstream of variable runners (52) formed by runner beam (16) and the variable runners (52). The variable plenum (54) of the exemplary embodiment is selectively split into two sections by a divider wall (34) and middle runner blade (48a). Rotation of the runner beam (16) causes a change in the length and/or cross-sectional area of the variable intake runners (52) as well as changing the variable plenum (54), thus varying the tuning of the intake flow into the engine, to optimize engine operation.
Claims18
An intake manifold directing air flow into a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine comprising:
- a manifold housing including a plurality of fixed intake runners, each adapted to align with a respective one of the cylinders;
- an intake passage;
- an upper surface;
- a lower surface;
- and a plurality of outlet passages, each outlet passage opening into a different one of the fixed intake runners;
- with the housing further including a mid-section, located between the intake passage and outlet passages, providing an open chamber between the upper and lower surfaces, and with a divider located in the chamber so as to divide the chamber into two sections along the general direction of air flow;
- and
- a runner beam, mounted within the chamber and rotatable therein, with the runner beam including a runner shaft, extending normal to the general direction of air flow, about which rotation takes place;
- and a plurality of runner blades extending radially from the runner shaft out to the upper surface portion of the manifold housing, generally spaced from one another to allow air flow between them;
- with one of the plurality of runner blades extending circumferentially farther around than the other runner blades and located adjacent to the divider, and the other of the runner blades spaced from the intake passage to form a variable plenum between the runner blades and the intake passage, with the one runner blade and divider bisecting the variable plenum into two sections so that any air flow between the two sections is selectively preventable.
A multi-cylinder engine for a vehicle comprising:
- a plurality of intake ports;
- a throttle body;
- a manifold housing including an intake passage and a plurality of fixed intake runners, each aligned with a respective one of the cylinders, with a plurality of outlet passages each opening into a different one of the fixed intake runners, and with the housing further including an upper surface, a lower surface and a mid-section, located between the intake passage and outlet passages, providing an open chamber, and with a divider located in the chamber so as to divide the chamber into two sections;
- and
- a runner beam, mounted within the chamber and rotatable therein, with the runner beam including a runner shaft, extending normal to the general direction of air flow, about which rotation takes place;
- a plurality of runner blades extending radially from the runner shaft extending out to the upper surface portion of the manifold housing and generally spaced from one another to allow air flow between them, with one of the plurality of runner blades extending circumferentially farther around than the other runner blades and located adjacent to the divider;
- and a plurality of base sections mounted to the runner shaft between the runner blades that, together with the corresponding blades and the upper surface portion of the manifold housing, define variable runner passages, one each to a respective one of the outlet passages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.