Slides and expendable cores for high pressure die cast closed deck engine block

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189079-B1
Application number	US-201715453148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A slide for the high pressure die casting of at least one closed deck engine block having at least one cylinder is disclosed. The slide includes a tool steel portion with reliefs for forming a water jacket surrounding each cylinder. At least one expendable salt core is located in each relief, the salt core having an inner surface and an outer surface with an aperture extending therethrough. The outer surface and inner surface of the salt core is coextensive with an inner surface and outer surface of the tool steel portion. A method for high pressure die casting a closed deck engine block using the disclosed slide and expendable salt cores is also disclosed. The expendable salt cores are separable from the reliefs in the slide, and form bridges or supports across a water jacket to add stiffness and rigidity to the cast engine cylinders.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for high pressure die casting a closed deck engine block comprising: placing a slide in a high pressure die casting mold for casting an engine block, the slide having at least one mandrel and a tool steel portion for forming at least one cylinder and a water jacket surrounding each cylinder, the tool steel portion including at least one relief having an inner surface and an outer surface defining a tool steel relief; inserting at least one expendable salt core into the tool steel relief, at least one salt core having an inner surface and an outer surface with an aperture extending through the inner surface to the outer surface; closing the high pressure die casting mold; injecting a molten aluminum-silicon alloy into the high pressure die casting mold to create a closed deck engine block casting having at least one cylinder and a water jacket surrounding each cylinder, the water jacket having an inner wall and an outer wall, the inner wall corresponding to an outer wall of the cylinder, wherein the molten aluminum-silicon alloy enters the aperture of the at least one salt core to create a bridge between the inner wall and outer wall of the water jacket; cooling the closed deck engine block casting; removing the cylinder and water jacket from the high pressure die casting mold and the closed deck engine block casting, wherein at least one expendable salt core remains with the closed deck engine block casting; and dissolving each salt core.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dissolving at least one salt core includes revealing a closed deck engine block support, the support extending between the inner wall and outer wall of the water jacket to add rigidity to each cast cylinder.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting at least one expendable salt core into the relief further comprises inserting at least one salt core having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion having a greater thickness than the upper portion, the difference in thickness defining a shelf.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the method further comprises a step of placing a cast-in-place cylinder bore liner over each mandrel, the cylinder bore liner abutting each shelf of each inserted expendable salt core.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each expendable salt core includes a lower portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, an upper portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom surface, a top surface, a first side surface and a second side surface; wherein the aperture extends through the upper portion from the inner surface to the outer surface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each tool steel relief includes a bottom surface, a first side surface and a second side surface.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of inserting at least one expendable salt core into the tool steel relief further comprises positioning each expendable salt core in a relief such that the inner surface of the lower portion of each expendable salt core engages the lower inner surface of the tool steel relief, the bottom surface of each expendable salt core engages the bottom surface of the tool steel relief, the first side surface of each expendable salt core engages the first side surface of the tool steel relief, the second side surface of each expendable salt core engages the second side surface of the tool steel relief, and the inner and outer surfaces of the top portion of each expendable salt core are exposed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the salt core correspond to an upper portion and lower portion of the tool steel portion of the slide.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the upper portions and the lower portions of each salt core have an outer surface, and the upper portion and lower portion of the tool steel portion of the slide have an outer surface, and further wherein the outer surfaces of both the salt core and the tool steel portion have the same radius center.

Assignees

• Brunswick Corp

Inventors

• Cleary Terrance M
• Anderson Kevin R
• Donahue Raymond J
• Monroe Alexander K
• Rasmussen Clayton T

Classifications

• B22C9/064

  Locating means for cores · CPC title

• F02F2001/106

  using a closed deck, i.e. the water jacket is not open at the block top face · CPC title

• F02F1/14

  Cylinders with means for directing, guiding or distributing liquid stream · CPC title

• B22D17/229

  with exchangeable die part (B22D17/2245 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22D17/2263 Primary

  having tubular die cavities · CPC title