US 7,909,026 B2Granted

Servo-actuated supercharger operating mechanism

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorGregory P. Prior

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention provides a servo actuated operating mechanism for a coacting lobed rotor positive displacement supercharger combining a low cost and capacity electromagnetic clutch with a small oil pump internal to the supercharger unit. The oil pump supplies on demand oil pressure from oil in a hydraulic clutch housing or the supercharger timing gear case and acts as a servomechanism to actuate an internal hydraulic clutch. The hydraulic clutch can be engaged over a much wider range of speeds and loads than is possible with an electromagnetic clutch alone. The electro-hydraulic servomechanism provides improved highway fuel economy relative to an electromagnetic clutch as the engagement speed could be moved to a higher rotational speed (rpm). The internal hydraulic system makes higher supercharger engagement speeds possible with a hydraulic system, but without the assembly and leak issues associated with externally plumbed engine oil system actuated clutches.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of operating an engine supercharger comprising a pair of coactinq rotors adapted for rotation within a rotor housing;

the rotors connected to a pair of timing gears engaged to maintain correlated rotation of the rotors in the housing;
a gear case enclosing the timing gears and adapted to contain a volume of oil for lubricating the gears;
and a servo-actuated drive train engaging one of the timing gears and adapted when actuated to rotate the timing gears and drive the rotors, wherein the drive train further comprises an enclosed clutch housing adjoining the gear case and adapted to contain oil for use in the clutch housing;
a hydraulic clutch in the clutch housing and engaging said one of the timing gears for driving the timing gears when the hydraulic clutch is engaged;
a servo oil pump within the clutch housing and hydraulically connected with the hydraulic clutch, the pump adapted when actuated to supply pressurized oil for engaging the hydraulic clutch, the pump being drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the oil pump is actuated;
an electromagnetic clutch external to the clutch housing and drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the electromagnetic clutch is actuated;
and a drive member drivably connected to the electromagnetic clutch, the electromagnetic clutch being externally controllable to rotatably connect the drive member with the oil pump and rotate the oil pump for initiating actuation and rotation of the hydraulic clutch with resultant rotation of the timing gears and the supercharger rotors;
the method including:
operating the engine;
and
mechanically driving the supercharger rotors directly from the drive member through the electromagnetic clutch, the hydraulic pump rotor, the hydraulic clutch and the timing gears to the rotors.

8 more elements

An operating mechanism for an engine positive displacement supercharger, the mechanism comprising:

a pair of coacting rotors adapted for rotation within a rotor housing;
the rotors connected to a pair of timing gears engaged to maintain correlated rotation of the rotors in the housing;
a gear case enclosing the timing gears and adapted to contain a volume of oil for lubricating the gears;
and
a servo-actuated drive train engaging one of the timing gears and adapted when actuated to rotate the timing gears and drive the rotors, the drive train including:
an enclosed clutch housing adjoining the gear case and adapted to contain oil for use in the clutch housing;
a hydraulic clutch in the clutch housing and engaging said one of the timing gears for driving the timing gears when the hydraulic clutch is engaged;
a servo oil pump within the clutch housing and hydraulically connected with the hydraulic clutch, the pump adapted when actuated to supply pressurized oil for engaging the hydraulic clutch, the pump being drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the oil pump is actuated;
an electromagnetic clutch external to the clutch housing and drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the electromagnetic clutch is actuated;
and
a drive member drivably connected to the electromagnetic clutch, the electromagnetic clutch being externally controllable to rotatably connect the drive member with the oil pump and rotate the oil pump for initiating actuation and rotation of the hydraulic clutch with resultant rotation of the timing gears and the supercharger rotors.

8 more elements

An engine positive displacement supercharger comprising:

a pair of coacting rotors adapted for rotation within a rotor housing;
the rotors connected to a pair of timing gears engaged to maintain correlated rotation of the rotors in the housing;
a gear case enclosing the timing gears and adapted to contain a volume of oil for lubricating the gears;
and
a servo-actuated drive train engaging one of the timing gears and adapted when actuated to rotate the timing gears and drive the rotors, the drive train including:
an enclosed clutch housing adjoining the gear case and adapted to contain oil for use in the clutch housing;
a hydraulic clutch in the clutch housing and engaging said one of the timing gears for driving the timing gears when the hydraulic clutch is engaged;
a servo oil pump within the clutch housing and hydraulically connected with the hydraulic clutch, the pump adapted when actuated to supply pressurized oil for engaging the hydraulic clutch, the pump being drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the oil pump is actuated;
an electromagnetic clutch external to the clutch housing and drivably connected with the hydraulic clutch for rotating the hydraulic clutch when the electromagnetic clutch is actuated;
and
a drive member drivably connected to the electromagnetic clutch, the electromagnetic clutch being externally controllable to rotatably connect the drive member with the oil pump and rotate the oil pump for initiating actuation and rotation of the hydraulic clutch with resultant rotation of the timing gears and the supercharger rotors.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/103,743Filed 16 Apr 2008
Published: US 2009/0260357 A122 Oct 2009
Granted: 22 Mar 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F04C 18/16
With toothed rotary pistons: with helical teeth, e.g. chevron-shaped, screw type
F04C 29/005
Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmissions specially adapted for pumps: means for transmitting movement from the prime mover to driven…
F16D 48/064
Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure: control of electrically or electromagnetically actuated clutches
F16D 48/066
Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure: control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator