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US 8,757,027 B2Granted
Reduced mass crankshaft
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorRick L. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A crankshaft for an engine having an odd number of cylinders is provided. In one example, the crankshaft includes a central pin coupling a first and a second asymmetric counterweight and a pair of pins coupling cheeks absent counterweights. The crankshaft can improve engine balance at least during some conditions.
Claims21
A crankshaft for an engine, comprising:
- a central pin directly coupling a first counterweighted cheek to a second counterweighted cheek, the first and second counterweighted cheeks being asymmetric on reflection in a plane orthogonal to a rotation axis of the crankshaft and passing between the first and second counterweighted cheeks;
- a first outer pin arranged forward of the central pin in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the first outer pin directly coupling a first pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- and
- a second outer pin arranged rearward of the central pin in the direction parallel to the rotation axis, the second outer pin directly coupling a second pair of non-counterweighted cheeks,
- where a total number of crankpins of the crankshaft, including the first and second outer pins and the central pin, is an odd number.
2 more elements
A crankshaft for an engine having an odd number of cylinders in an in-line configuration, the crankshaft comprising:
- a central pin directly coupling a first counterweighted cheek to a second counterweighted cheek, the first and second counterweighted cheeks being asymmetric on reflection in a plane orthogonal to a rotation axis of the crankshaft and passing between the first and second counterweighted cheeks;
- a first outer pin arranged forward of the central pin in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the first outer pin directly coupling a first pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- and
- a second outer pin arranged rearward of the central pin in the direction parallel to the rotation axis, the second outer pin directly coupling a second pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- wherein the first counterweighted cheek includes a first counterweight, and the second counterweighted cheek includes a second counterweight;
- wherein a center of mass of the first counterweight and a center of mass of the second counterweight lie at different distances from the rotation axis;
- and
- wherein the first and second counterweights at least partially counterbalance the first and second outer pins and corresponding pairs of non-counterweighted cheeks.
5 more elements
A crankshaft for an engine having five cylinders in an in-line configuration, the crankshaft comprising:
- a central pin directly coupling a first counterweighted cheek to a second counterweighted cheek, the first and second counterweighted cheeks being asymmetric on reflection in a plane orthogonal to a rotation axis of the crankshaft and passing between the first and second counterweighted cheeks;
- a first outer pin arranged forward of the central pin in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, the first outer pin directly coupling a first pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- and
- a second outer pin arranged rearward of the central pin in the direction parallel to the rotation axis, the second outer pin directly coupling a second pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- a first journal arranged along the rotation axis, between the first counterweighted cheek and the first pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- and
- a second journal arranged along the rotation axis, between the second counterweighted cheek and the second pair of non-counterweighted cheeks;
- wherein the first counterweighted cheek includes a first counterweight, and the second counterweighted cheek includes a second counterweight;
- wherein a center of mass of the first counterweight and a center of mass of the second counterweight lie at different distances from the rotation axis;
- and
- wherein the first and second counterweights at least partially counterbalance the first and second outer pins and corresponding pairs of non-counterweighted cheeks.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.