US 6,672,269 B1 · Automatic compression release mechanism

Abstract

An automatic compression release mechanism for implementation in an internal combustion engine, and a method of assembling such a mechanism, are disclosed. The mechanism includes a camshaft assembly including a cam gear, a cam lobe with a notch positioned along a first side of the gear, a tube passing through the gear and aligned with the notch, and a support on a second side of the gear. The mechanism additionally includes an arm including a weight and shaft coupled to one another, where an end of the shaft includes a recess, and where the shaft is rotatably positioned within the tube and the end of the shaft with the recess extends into the notch. The mechanism further includes a retaining member positioned onto the support so that the weight is positioned between the retaining member and the tube and retained with respect to the gear.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An automatic compression release mechanism for implementation in an internal combustion engine, the automatic compression release mechanism comprising:

a cam shaft assembly including
a cam gear,
a cam lobe positioned along a first side of the cam gear, the cam lobe including a notch;
a hollow tube passing from the first side of the cam gear to a second side of the cam gear and substantially aligned with the notch;
and
a support extending from the second side of the cam gear proximate the hollow tube;
an arm including a weight and a shaft, wherein a first end of the shaft is fixedly coupled to a near end of the weight and a second end of the shaft includes a recessed portion, wherein the shaft is rotatably positioned within the hollow tube so that the weight is positioned along the second side of the cam gear and the second end of the shaft protrudes out of the hollow tube beyond the first side of the cam gear and into the notch;
and
a retaining member positioned onto the support so that the weight is positioned in between the retaining member and the hollow tube and retained with respect to the cam gear.

6 more elements

A method of assembling an automatic compression release mechanism on an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

providing a camshaft assembly including a cam lobe and a cam gear having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the cam gear is adjacent to the cam lobe, wherein the cam lobe includes a notch along its exterior surface, wherein the cam gear includes a hollow tube that extends through the cam gear and is aligned with the notch along the first side of the cam gear, and wherein the cam gear further includes a pillar protruding from the second side;
providing an arm having a weight with a first side and a second side and a shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the shaft is attached to the weight, and wherein the second end of the shaft includes a recessed portion;
inserting the shaft of the arm through the hollow tube so that the second end of the shaft including the recessed portion is positioned at least partly within the notch, and so that the first side of the weight is proximate the hollow tube;
and
coupling a retaining member to the pillar so that at least a portion of the retaining member extends over the second side of the weight and prevents excessive movement of the shaft out of the hollow tube and excessive movement of the weight away from the second side of the cam gear.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic compression release mechanism

Life of this patent

Automatic compression release mechanism

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20