Balancer shaft
AssigneeInternational Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorsJohn L. Cagney, James P. Burke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided an apparatus for a reduced mass balancer shaft that effectively balance first or second order imbalances in an internal combustion engine. The balancer shaft is symmetrical with offset masses that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction and orientation, and preferably comprises front and rear offset masses between a center section and a front and a rear journal respectively. In a preferred embodiment, there integrally formed stiffening members in the front and rear offset masses that symmetric about the balancer shaft centerline. The front and rear offset masses are each comprised of solid partial annular configurations that extend equally away from the balancer shaft centerline. The center section is comprised of an annular configuration.
Claims19
A balancer shaft for use in an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a front offset mass connected to a center section, said front offset mass comprising a partial annulus configuration defining a hollow interior portion opening in a direction toward a centerline of the shaft, wherein the front offset mass has a non-circular interior surface adjacent to the hollow interior portion;
- a rear offset mass connected to the center section, said rear offset mass comprising a partial annulus configuration defining a hollow interior portion opening in a direction toward a centerline of the shaft, wherein the rear offset mass has a non-circular interior surface adjacent to the hollow interior portion;
- wherein the balancer shaft is symmetrical with oppositely oriented front and rear offset masses of equal mass, thereby enabling the balancer shaft to effectively balance engine imbalances.
A balancer shaft for use in an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a front and a rear offset mass connected to a center section, said masses comprising a partial annulus configuration defining a hollow interior portion opening in a direction toward a centerline of the shaft;
- a pair of stiffening members integrally formed with the front and rear offset masses, wherein at least one stiffening member extends axially along a majority of a length of the front offset mass and at least one stiffening member extends axially along a majority of a length of the rear offset mass;
- wherein the balancer shaft is symmetric with oppositely oriented front and rear offset masses of equal mass, thereby enabling the balancer shaft to effectively balance engine imbalances.
A balancer shaft for use in an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a front offset mass connected to a center section, the front offset mass comprising two stiffening members symmetric about a balancer shaft centerline, and
- a rear offset mass connected to the center section, the rear offset mass comprising two stiffening members symmetric about the balancer shaft centerline;
- whereby the balancer shaft is symmetrical with oppositely oriented front and rear offset masses of equal mass, thereby enabling the balancer shaft to effectively balance engine imbalances.
A balancer shaft for use in an internal combustion engine comprising:
- a front and rear offset mass connected to a center section, the front offset mass comprising two stiffening members symmetric about a balancer shaft centerline, and the rear offset mass comprising two stiffening members symmetric about the balancer shaft centerline;
- and
- wherein the stiffening members are integrally formed with the front and rear offset masses;
- whereby the balancer shaft is symmetric with oppositely oriented front and rear offset masses of equal mass, thereby enabling the balancer shaft to effectively balance engine imbalances.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.