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:
May. 10, 2011
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2008
Edward P. Becker, Brighton, MI (US);
Emerson J. Adams, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Anil K. Sachdev, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Edward P. Becker, Brighton, MI (US);
Emerson J. Adams, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
Anil K. Sachdev, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
The present invention utilizes rolling elements, such as balls or rollers acting as bearings carried in openings in the skirt or equivalent portion of a piston, to engage the cylinder walls and replace the sliding bearings of the skirt with the roller elements in the skirt. The rolling elements then absorb all or some of the thrust loads conventionally absorbed by the skirt walls sliding along surfaces of an associated cylinder and thereby reduce the friction forces developed by the reciprocating action of the piston skirt.