The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 11, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 12, 2000
Robert Charles Downs, La Jolla, CA (US);
Arvo J. Siismets, Troy, MI (US);
Saturn Corporation, Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An internal combustion engine comprises a crankshaft having a helical spur gear mounted for rotation therewith and a balancer. The balancer includes a balancer housing and first and second balance shafts rotatably carried in the balancer housing about laterally spaced parallel axes. A first gear is mounted on the first balance shaft and driven by the helical spur gear at a speed determined by the crankshaft. A second gear is mounted on the second balance shaft for meshing engagement with the first gear for rotation in a direction opposite to the first gear. The helical spur gear and the first and second gears have teeth yielding an involute contact ratio of approximately 3 and a total contact ratio of approximately 5 to thereby reduce gear rattle. One of the balancer gears is aluminum and the other balancer gear is grey cast iron.