Dana Corporation

Mahle Engine Components Usa, Inc.

Joseph C Hamelink

David R Stamy

Stephen H Hill

Jack W Lewis

Daniel J Wilkinson

A piston assembly is described including a connecting rod and a piston head secured to the connecting rod and in operational communication with the connecting rod. The piston head has a circumferential groove extending inwardly from an exterior surface of the piston head. The piston head further has a compression mechanism aperture disposed proximate the groove. An oil ring expander is disposed generally within the groove. The expander includes a gap between a first expander end and a second expander end. The gap is proximate the compression mechanism aperture. At least one lever arm is in mechanical communication with the connecting rod. The at least one lever arm has a tab disposed between the first expander end and the second expander end.

Variable tension ring mechanism

A variable oil ring compression mechanism provides for real-time cyclic variation of piston ring tension in an operating internal combustion engine. A cam is situated in the gap of a piston oil control ring, the cam affixed to a shaft secured to a pivot plate positioned within the body of the piston, wherein the pivot plate is adapted to oscillate in a follower-style rocking motion responsive to the rotary movement of a connecting rod boss positioned in close proximity with the plate. In a preferred form, the cam is situated between ends of an expander ring positioned between oil scrapper rails in the bottom groove of the piston.

Variable oil ring tension mechanism

An engine crankcase bypass system includes a scavenging mechanism for the collection and removal of oil entrained in engine bypass gases that include unburned gasoline fuel and water vapors. The improved bypass system, designed to replace a standard PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system, senses manifold and crankcase vacuum pressures, and via utilization of either an electronic or mechanical valve provides continuous adjustments of bypass gas flows for the maintenance of a constant gas flow sufficient to exceed normal engine bypass flow rates. A deflector system positioned in a flow stream is designed to extract and separate oil vapor from unburned gasoline fuel and water vapors entrained in the bypass gases. The oil is collected and drained to a temporary reservoir for subsequent re-entry into the oil sump of the engine. The fuel and water vapors are immediately returned to the intake manifold of the engine for reburning of the fuel.

Crankcase bypass system with oil scavenging device

The invention is directed to a piston skirt oil seal system comprising a piston with a skirt operating in a cylinder chamber between an oil sump and a combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine. A first retainer attaches to the piston skirt, and a second retainer attaches to a cylinder wall defining the cylinder chamber above the oil sump. A boot made of a flexible, impervious membrane extends between the first and second retainers. The boot serves as a barrier preventing the migration of oil from the oil sump into the combustion chamber reducing the amount of unburned hydrocarbons introduced to the catalyst. To overcome gas leakage and friction, at least one self-lubricating or gas lubricated ring attaches to the piston above the boot. In an alternative embodiment, the boot forms an oil migration barrier through the use of a series of concentric rings linked together in a telescoping arrangement.

Piston skirt oil seal

A four-piece oil seal is disclosed that includes a resilient expander spacer having an axial top edge, an axial bottom edge and an axial intermediate portion therebetween. The axial intermediate portion of the resilient expander spacer includes a plurality of intermittent radially outwardly extending tab pairs that define circumferential slots. A first rail contacts the axial top edge of the expander spacer. A second rail is disposed within the slots formed in the radially extending tabs. A third rail contacts the axial bottom edge of the expander spacer. Preferably, the radially extending tabs are in the form of intermittent U-shaped ridges and include spacer lugs located at a bridge portion therebetween. The ridges form center openings in the expander spacer while the spacer lugs maintain separation between adjacent rails.

Growing community of inventors

N. Muskegon, MI, United States of America

Joseph C Hamelink