Engine with supercharger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10012139-B2
Application number	US-201514643962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Sep 13, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A supercharger-equipped combustion engine includes a crankshaft extending in a widthwise direction of a vehicle supported by a crankcase and a supercharger disposed above the crankcase. Power from the crankshaft is transmitted through a supercharger transmission to the supercharger. A crankcase body has an opening formed to be opened at the right side in the widthwise direction, and at least a part of the opening is covered with a holder detachably mounted on the crankcase body. The supercharger transmission includes input and output shafts extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle, and the input and output shafts are rotatably supported at first end portions thereof at the right side by first bearing portions formed in the holder and are rotatably supported at second end portions thereof at the left side by second bearing portions formed in a side wall of the crankcase body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A supercharger-equipped combustion engine mounted on a vehicle and comprising:
an engine rotary shaft extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a crankcase supporting the engine rotary shaft and including a crankcase body having an opening formed so as to be opened at one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a supercharger disposed above the crankcase and configured to pressurize and then discharge intake air;
a power transmission mechanism configured to transmit power from the engine rotary shaft to the supercharger; and
a holder covering at least a part of the opening of the crankcase body from one side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and detachably mounted on the crankcase body, wherein
the power transmission mechanism includes a power transmission shaft unit extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
the power transmission shaft unit is supported at a first end portion thereof at one side of the crankcase and at a second end portion thereof at an opposite side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
a first bearing portion formed in the holder rotatably supports the first end portion of the power transmission shaft unit,
a second bearing portion formed in a side wall of the crankcase rotatably supports the second end portion of the power transmission shaft unit,
the power transmission shaft unit includes first and second rotary shafts respectively supporting a pair of gears which mesh with each other,
each of the first and second rotary shafts have first end portions and second end portions, the first bearing portion formed in the holder supports the first end portions of the first and second rotary shafts, and
the second bearing portion formed in the side wall of the crankcase supports the second end portions of the first and second rotary shafts.

2. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the power transmission shaft unit includes an output shaft configured to output the power from the engine rotary shaft,
the output shaft includes a projection projecting from the holder to the one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle in a state where the holder is mounted on the crankcase body,
a rotating member is fixed to the projection, and
a transmission body configured to transmit rotation of the rotating member to the supercharger is disposed at the one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle with respect to the holder.

3. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the transmission body has an endless belt shape.

4. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein either one of the first and second rotary shafts includes a selective connection body configured to selectably switch between a connection state where rotation of the pair of gears is transmitted to the supercharger and a cut-off state where mesh of the pair of gears is released.

5. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the pairs of gears which transmit rotation to the supercharger are provided on the first and second rotary shafts, and
a selective connection body configured to selectably switch one of the plurality of the pairs of gears is supported by either one of the first and second rotary shafts.

6. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine mounted on a vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
the power transmission mechanism includes a counter shaft, a supercharger drive shaft and a plurality of speed gears.

7. A supercharger-equipped combustion engine mounted on a vehicle comprising:
an engine rotary shaft extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a crankcase supporting the engine rotary shaft and including a crankcase body having an opening formed so as to be opened at one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a supercharger disposed above the crankcase and configured to pressurize and then discharge intake air;
a power transmission mechanism includes a counter shaft, a supercharger drive shaft and four speed gears to transmit power from the engine rotary shaft to the supercharger; and
a holder covering at least a part of the opening of the crankcase body from one side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and detachably mounted on the crankcase body, wherein
the power transmission mechanism includes a power transmission shaft unit extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
the power transmission shaft unit is supported at a first end portion thereof at one side of the crankcase and at a second end portion thereof at an opposite side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
a first bearing portion formed in the holder rotatably supports the first end portion of the power transmission shaft unit,
a second bearing portion formed in a side wall of the crankcase rotatably supports the second end portion of the power transmission shaft unit, and
a driving reduction gear mechanism configured to transmit rotation of the combustion engine to a wheel, wherein
the driving reduction gear mechanism includes a driving reduction gear mechanism rotary shaft extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle, and the driving reduction gear mechanism rotary shaft is supported at an end portion thereof at the one side and at an end portion thereof at the opposite side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
a third bearing portion formed in the holder supports the end portion of the driving reduction gear mechanism rotary shaft at the one side, and
a fourth bearing portion formed in the side wall of the crankcase supports the end portion of the driving reduction gear mechanism rotary shaft at the opposite side.

8. A supercharger-equipped combustion engine for mounting on a vehicle comprising:
an engine rotary shaft extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a crankcase supporting the engine rotary shaft and including a crankcase body having an opening formed so as to be opened at one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle;
a supercharger disposed above the crankcase and configured to pressurize and then discharge intake air;
a power transmission mechanism includes a counter shaft, a supercharger drive shaft and four speed gears to transmit power from the engine rotary shaft to the supercharger; and
a holder covering at least a part of the opening of the crankcase body from one side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and detachably mounted on the crankcase body, wherein
the power transmission mechanism includes a power transmission shaft unit extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
the power transmission shaft unit is supported at a first end portion thereof at one side of the crankcase and at a second end portion thereof at an opposite side of the crankcase in the widthwise direction of the vehicle,
a first bearing portion formed in the holder rotatably supports the first end portion of the power transmission shaft unit,
a second bearing portion formed in a side wall of the crankcase rotatably supports the second end portion of the power transmission shaft unit, and
a clutch cover detachably mounted on the crankcase body and configured to close the opening, the clutch cover covering the holder from the one side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle.

9. The supercharger-equipped combustion engine as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the power transmission shaft unit includes an output shaft configured to output the power from the engine rotary shaft, and
a transmission body having an endless belt shape and configured to transmit rotation of the outpu

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Yoshinobu
• Matsuda Yoshiharu

Classifications

• F02B61/02

  for driving cycles · CPC title

• F02B39/12

  Drives characterised by use of couplings or clutches therein (using fluid slip couplings for varying gear ratio F02B39/08) · CPC title

• F02B33/40

  of non-positive-displacement type · CPC title

• F02B39/04 Primary

  Mechanical drives; Variable-gear-ratio drives (non-mechanical pump drives having variable gear ratio F02B39/08) · CPC title