Self-lubricating balance shaft with flow control
AssigneeSchaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
InventorsMatthew Evans, Matthew Erker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mass compensating shaft drive for compensating forces or moments of inertia of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine is provided having a balance shaft supported by at least one journal in a housing of the internal combustion engine. A rolling bearing is located between each of the at least one journals and the housing. The balance shaft includes an oil gallery that is adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized lubricating oil. A check valve is located between the oil gallery and each of the at least one bearing journals, with the check valve being arranged to open upon at least one of a lubricating oil pressure or a centrifugal force generated through rotation of the balance shaft exceeding a predetermined closing force for the check valve.
Claims11
A mass compensating shaft drive for compensating forces or moments of inertia of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a balance shaft supported by at least one journal in a housing of the internal combustion engine;
- a rolling bearing located between each of the at least one journals and the housing;
- the balance shaft including an oil gallery that is adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine;
- and
- a check valve located between the oil gallery and each of the at least one bearing journals, the check valve being arranged to open upon at least one of a lubricating oil pressure or a centrifugal force generated through rotation of the balance shaft exceeding a predetermined closing force for the check valve, and the check valve includes a spring that biases a valve body to a closed position in a direction toward a center axis of the balance shaft.
A balance shaft for a mass compensating shaft drive that is adapted to be supported in a housing of an internal combustion engine, the balance shaft comprising:
- at least one bearing journal;
- an oil gallery defined in the balance shaft that is adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized lubricating oil of the internal combustion engine;
- and
- a check valve located between the oil gallery and each of the at least one bearing journals, the check valve being arranged to open upon at least one of a lubricating oil pressure or a centrifugal force generated through rotation of the balance shaft exceeding a predetermined closing force for the check valve, and the check valve includes a spring that biases a valve body to a closed position in a direction toward a center axis of the balance shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.