Unitary composite cam cover and carrier and assembly method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsChristopher Donald Wicks, Mark Michael Madin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve cover module includes a unitary cover and carrier made of a carbon fiber composite. The unitary cover and carrier has a lower side with a peripheral edge for attaching to a cylinder head. The lower side of the unitary cover and carrier also has a series of cavities interconnected with aligned apertures defining bearing surfaces. A plurality of cam lobes is disposed in the series of cavities. Also, the valve cover module includes a camshaft rotatable on the bearing surfaces and extending through the aligned apertures to couple with the cam lobes.
Claims20
A valve cover module, comprising:
- a unitary cover and carrier made of a carbon fiber composite and having an interior side with a series of cavities interconnected with aligned apertures defining bearing surfaces and a peripheral edge for attaching to a cylinder head;
- a plurality of cam lobes disposed in the series of cavities;
- and
- a camshaft rotatable on the bearing surfaces and extending through the aligned apertures to couple with the plurality of cam lobes, wherein the bearing surfaces of the aligned apertures have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the camshaft.
A unitary cover and carrier for enclosing engine valves, comprising:
- a cover portion having an exterior surface with an integrally formed fuel pump pedestal and an oil fill port;
- and
- a carrier portion that includes a series of vertical walls having aligned apertures that define cam bearings, wherein the cover portion and the carrier portions are integrally formed together with carbon fiber composite as a single unit, and wherein the earn bearings have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the cam bearings.
A unitary cover and carrier for enclosing engine valves, comprising:
- a cover portion;
- and
- a carrier portion that includes a series of vertical walls having aligned apertures that define cam bearings, wherein the cover portion and carrier portion are integrally formed together with layered sheets of carbon fiber, and wherein the cam bearings have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the cam bearings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.