Crankshaft supporter
AssigneeSuzuki Motor Corporation
InventorMakoto Nakamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A crankshaft supporter having a bearing holder molded in aluminum alloy and having a bearing for supporting a crankshaft. A preform member is cast inside of the aluminum alloy. A screw hole having one opened end is formed in an outer surface of the bearing holder. A concave recess section is formed in the preform member to accommodate a bottom of the screw hole. An introduction passage is provided in the recess section to introduce molten metal therein during casting to prevent blowholes.
Claims18
A crankshaft supporter having a bearing holder to support a bearing that supports a crankshaft, said bearing holder being molded in aluminum alloy, and a preform member cast inside of the aluminum alloy, comprising:
- a screw hole having one opened end in an outer surface of said bearing holder;
- a concave recess section in said preform member to accommodate a bottom of said screw hole;
- and
- an introduction passage in said recess section to introduce molten metal into said recess section during casting.
A crankshaft bearing supporter for attachment to a cylinder block of an engine for rotatable support of a crankshaft, said crankshaft bearing supporter comprising a preform of composite material defining thereon an upwardly facing concave arcuate surface and a downwardly facing bottom surface provided with a blind bore opening upwardly from said bottom surface and defining a closed end remote from said bottom surface, first and second communication passages formed in said preform and communicating with opposite sides of the blind bore adjacent the closed end thereof, said communication passages at other ends thereof opening outwardly through surfaces of the preform, and an outer cast aluminum alloy layer surrounding and penetrating the preform, the aluminum alloy layer completely filling the blind bore and the first and second communication passages, and a screw hole opening and projecting inwardly into the cast aluminum alloy which fills the blind bore.
A process for forming a crankshaft bearing supporter for supporting the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of:
- providing a preform of a composite material having a concave arcuate bearing recess formed in an upper surface thereof and also having a bottom surface spaced downwardly from said upper surface;
- forming a blind opening in said preform which opens upwardly from said bottom surface and terminates at a generally closed upper end;
- providing first and second communication passages which respectively communicate with generally opposite sides of said blind opening in the vicinity of the closed upper end thereof, said first and second communication passages at opposite ends thereof opening outwardly of the preform at locations disposed generally on opposite sides of the opening;
- positioning the preform within a space defined by a mold arrangement;
- providing said mold arrangement with a reentrant opening which communicates with the space generally in alignment with the blind opening formed in said preform;
- supplying molten aluminum alloy into the space so as to embed the preform within the aluminum alloy and fill the blind opening, the communication passages, and the reentrant opening with said aluminum alloy to define an outwardly-protruding postlike portion for permitting auxiliary engine parts to be anchored thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.