Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Roy E Diehl

Alvin Henry Berger

John Michael Miller

Anthony Verduce

Feng Liang

James R Clarke

Xingyi Xu

Craig Hammann Stephan

Aladar O Simko

Thomas Alexander Bush

Satvir Singh Deol

Matt Adrian Vance

Robert R Cook

Gordon W Ellis

An electromechanically actuated valve (12) for use as an intake or exhaust valve in an internal combustion engine. The valve (12) is actuated by a electromechanical actuator assembly (18) which includes a first electromagnet (22), second electromagnet (30) and third electromagnet (32). A first disk (38) is fixedly mounted to the valve (12) in a gap between the first and second electromagnets, and a second disk (44) is slidably mounted to the valve (12) above the third electromagnet (32) with a stop member (40) limiting its travel toward the first disk (38). With the valve (12) being in a closed position, the gap between the first disk (38) and the first electromagnet (22) is greater than the gap between the second disk (44) and third electromagnet (32), allowing for multiple valve lifts. A first spring (48), mounted between the cylinder head (14) and first disk (38), and a second spring (50), mounted between the second disk (44) and an actuator housing (20), create an oscillatory system which drives most of the valve movement during engine operation, thus reducing power requirements to actuate the valves while increasing the responsiveness of the valves.

Electromechanically actuated valve

In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrical generating system includes a flywheel having an electrical generator rotor portion. The flywheel is at least partially enclosed by a housing. One or more electrical generator stator portions are mounted in opposition to the electrical generator rotor portion such so as by attaching the electrical generator stator portions to extend through the housing. The electrical generator stator portions each have a direct-current output, the direct-current outputs capable of being coupled together in parallel. Where a variable number of electrical loads are available on a given model of motor vehicle, a variable number of electrical generator stator portions may be provided.

Electrical generating system for a motor vehicle

An electromechanically actuated valve (12) for use as an intake or exhaust valve in an internal combustion engine. The valve (12) is actuated by a electromechanical actuator assembly (18) which includes a first electromagnet (22), second electromagnet (30) and third electromagnet (32). A first disk (38) is slidably mounted to the valve (12) in a gap between the first and second electromagnets with first and second stop members (39, 41) limiting its travel along the valve stem (15). A third spring (52) biases the first disk (38) toward the first stop (39). The gap between the first and second stops (39, 41) is large enough to allow for manufacturing tolerances and temperature changes, with a third spring (52) acting to create soft landings. A second disk (44) is slidably mounted to the valve (12) above the third electromagnet (32) with a third stop member (40) limiting its travel toward the first disk (38). With the valve (12) being in a closed position, the gap between the first disk (38) and the first electromagnet (22) is greater than the gap between the second disk (44) and third electromagnet (32), allowing for multiple valve lifts. A first spring (48), mounted between the cylinder head (14) and first disk (38), and a second spring (50), mounted between the second disk (44) and an actuator housing (20), create an oscillatory system which drives the valve movement during engine operation, thus reducing power requirements to actuate the valves.

Soft landing electromechanically actuated engine valve

An induction system for a multicylinder internal combustion engine includes a log for receiving air drawn into the engine and individual runners extending from the log to intake ports of the engine. An antireversion air manifold supplied with air by the log has flow control valves and branches extending between a main passage of the antireversion air manifold and the individual intake manifold runners, with the branches connecting with the runners at positions situated between individual throttle plates and intake valves.

Induction system for internal combustion engine

A speed limiting accessory drive for use with an engine in a vehicle. A speed limiting drive pulley (16) is affixed to a crankshaft (14) via a hub (42) and includes a pulley member (24) which drives the accessory belt (18). A Clutch assembly (36) is operatively located between the hub and pulley member, with a piston (54) or bellows biased against and engaging the clutch assembly. Oil located throughout the clutch assembly is acted on by centrifugal force when the drive pulley is rotating and acts to push against the biases of the piston. This allows the clutch to slip at high engine speeds, thus limiting the speed of the pulley member. A heat compensating mechanism acts to counter the pushing force of the oil if the temperature of the oil rises too high due to the clutch slippage, thereby reducing clutch slip.

Speed limiting accessory drive

A speed limiting accessory drive and crankshaft damper for use with an engine in a vehicle. A speed limiting drive pulley (16) is affixed to a crankshaft (14) via a hub (42) and includes a pulley member (24) which drives the accessory belt (18). A damper mass (40) is elastically attached to the hub via damper springs (44). A Clutch assembly (36) is operatively located between the damper mass and pulley member, with a piston (54) or bellows biased against and engaging the clutch assembly. Oil located throughout the clutch assembly is acted on by centrifugal force when the drive pulley is rotating and acts to push against the biases of the piston. This allows the clutch to slip at high engine speeds, thus limiting the speed of the pulley member. A heat compensating mechanism acts to counter the pushing force of the oil if the temperature of the oil rises too high due to the clutch slippage, thereby reducing clutch slip.

Speed limiting accessory drive and crankshaft damper

A camshaft phase controller for an internal combustion engine controls separate intake and exhaust camshafts driven by the engine's crankshaft such that the angular phases of the camshafts may be varied by different amounts from a predetermined phase relationship with the crankshaft.

Dual output camshaft phase controller

A V-type engine is provided with a camshaft driven balance shaft assembly that is compactly located in the valley between the banks of cylinders and consists of a pair of coaxially mounted first and second order balance shafts, one within the other, each of which has diametrically opposed counterweights on opposite sides of the center of the shaft that effect rotating moments to cancel residual first order and second order inertial unbalance moments that occur during normal engine operation that have not previously been cancelled by conventional counterweights mounted on the engine crankshaft.

Coaxially mounted engine balance shafts

Several embodiments of an automotive engine camshaft deactivator that smoothly disconnect and reconnect a camshaft from the engine driveshaft with a low level impact force between the parts, the connection being made through a slippage friction clutch type mechanism that engages the two members in a manner providing slippage therebetween while the camshaft is being brought up to speed, whereby the camshaft lags behind the drive sprocket allowing the drive sprocket to cam a locking pin into a positive engagement relationship between the camshaft and crankshaft.

Engine camshaft deactivation mechanism

Method and apparatus are provided, for use in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine (10) and a battery (38), for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy for charging the battery, the apparatus being disposed within the engine crankcase (22). The apparatus includes a stator (14), disposed within the engine crankcase (22), having a plurality of teeth (34). Each tooth on the stator has a coil (36) wound thereabout electrically connected to the battery (38). The apparatus also includes a crankshaft (12) disposed within the engine crankcase (22) for rotation relative to the stator (14). The crankshaft (12) includes a plurality of lobes (30.sub.1-4), which periodically move into close proximity with the stator teeth (34) upon rotation of the crankshaft, thereby inducing a current in the coils (36) for charging the battery (38).

Engine crankshaft variable reluctance alternator

An automotive engine crankshaft has a pair of vibration balancing masses pivotally secured to and depending from a main bearing cap for oscillatory movements in response to being driven by contoured cam wheels on the cheeks of the crankshaft, the cam wheels engaging rollers or cam follower sliding shoes on a bell crank type balancing mass, the vertical movements of the balancing mass centers providing forces in direct opposition to the forces caused by the engine second order vertical shake unbalance, to cancel the same.

Engine vibration balancer

An automotive type internal combustion engine driven accessory is connected to the engine crankshaft by a thermal and centrifugally responsive clutch mechanism that includes a centrifugally responsive ring responsive to higher engine speeds to provide slippage between the clutch parts to maintain the accessory drive at a predetermined maximum RPM, that speed level being increased in response to an excessive generation of heat due to the slippage to effect a greater engagement of the clutch and less slippage and therefore a reduction in the amount of heat generated.

Thermally engaged centrifugal clutch

An automotive engine crankshaft has a vibration balancing mass suspended from a main bearing cap on rods or bolts for an oscillatory radial movement in response to reciprocation of the mass by contoured cam wheels on the cheeks of the crankshaft, the cam wheels engaging rollers or cam follower wheels on a shaft freely rotatable in the balancing mass, the mass being restricted to a translational movement in a radial direction only, the mounting of the mass including a pivot/bushing that restricts the movement to the one translational direction only while at the same time permitting a slight rotational or pivotal movement of the mass about three axes to correct for any slight misalignment of the axis of the mass with respect to the axis of the crankshaft.

A bifilar type pendulum automotive engine vibrational damper has at least one pendulum with an inner curved cam follower surface that is alternately engaged and disengaged from a pin type cam fixed on the pendulum carrier during low engine crankshaft operating speeds, such as during engine start up or shut-down, to force the pendulum to follow a path close to the path defined by the swinging arcuate movement of the pendulum during operation at normal engine crankshaft operating speeds, a minimal radial clearance being provided between the pendulum's curved surface and pin during the normal crankshaft operating speeds to reduce the impact of metal to metal contact between the pendulum and rollers or pendulum and carrier and resultant noise when the pendulum alternately falls inwardly against the carrier in response to gravity and then is forced outwardly due to centrifugal force.

Bifilar pendulum vibration damper for automotive installation

An automotive type internal combustion engine has an oil pan that is easily attached and disassembled from the skirt of the engine block by means of a snap-on type connector that includes a springable-like retaining plate removably attached to the upper edge of the oil pan and having right angled end portions springably engaged through slots in the oil pan wall for projection to a location above the ledge of the engine block skirt for supporting the oil pan upon the ledge and securing it to the block, the end portions of the retaining plate being cammed outwardly upon upward assembly of the oil pan to the block ledge and springably returned into a locking position with respect to the ledge after the ledge has cleared the hook-like ends; disassembly being accomplished by forceably moving the springlike ends outwardly until the block ledge is cleared for vertical removal of the oil pan from the ledge.

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Northville, MI, United States of America

Roy E Diehl