Two plane accessory mounting with sliding pilot interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927725-B2
Application number	US-201615768640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

System and methods mount an accessory to an engine block having a pilot bore aligned with a first plane and sealing surfaces aligned to a second plane different than the first plane. The accessory includes a sliding pilot for interfacing with the pilot bore that is capable of sliding in an “x” direction yet fixed in a “y” direction with respect to the accessory housing. Interfacing the sliding pilot in a mounting position with the pilot bore along a “z” direction locates the accessory with respect to the engine block in the “y” and “z” directions. Fastening the accessory to the sealing surfaces of the engine block locates the accessory in the “x” direction with sufficient precision to mitigate gear backlashing and providing one or more fluid seals between the accessory and the engine block.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine, comprising:
an engine block including a pilot bore aligned to a first plane, a gear chamber exposed to the pilot bore, one or more engine block sealing surfaces aligned to a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, one or more fastener provisions, and one or more fluid conduits extending from the one or more engine block sealing surfaces;
an engine drive system at least partially housed in the engine block;
a lube pump accessory mounted to the engine block wherein the lube pump accessory comprises a pump housing, a drive mechanism, a sliding pilot, one or more pump sealing surfaces having a complementary shape to the one or more corresponding engine block sealing surfaces, an inlet extending from at least one of the one or more pump sealing surfaces, and an outlet extending from at least one of the one or more pump sealing surfaces, wherein the drive mechanism is mounted in the engine block, the sliding pilot interfaces with the pilot bore to establish a “z” position and a “y” position for the lube pump accessory with respect to the engine block, and wherein the sliding pilot is configured to travel in an “x” direction with respect to the pump housing during mounting of the lube pump accessory; and
one or more fasteners positioned in the one or more fastener provisions of the engine block and securing the lube pump accessory to the engine block.

2. The engine of claim 1 wherein the one or more fasteners secure the lube pump accessory to the engine block in the “x” direction.

3. The engine of claim 1 comprising a clearance in the “x” direction between the one or more engine block sealing surfaces and the pump housing.

4. The engine of claim 1 wherein the pilot bore forms a sliding fit to allow travel of the sliding pilot in a “z” direction.

5. The engine of claim 1 wherein the one or more fluid conduits extending from the one or more engine block sealing surfaces comprise an inflow conduit extending through an inflow sealing surface and outflow conduit extending through an outflow sealing surface.

6. The engine of claim 5 wherein the one or more fastener provisions comprise at least two fastener provisions positioned on the inflow sealing surface, one fastener provision positioned on the outflow sealing surface, and one fastener provision positioned on another surface of the engine block.

7. The engine of claim 1 wherein the lube pump accessory comprises a pump driveshaft extending in the “z” direction and is at least partially inserted into the pilot bore.

8. The engine of claim 7 wherein the lube pump accessory comprises a retaining nut secured to the pump driveshaft securing the drive mechanism to the lube pump accessory in the “z” direction.

9. The engine of claim 1 wherein the established “x” and “y” positions are toleranced to mitigate gear backlash between the drive mechanism of the lube pump accessory and a drive train.

10. An accessory for mounting to an engine block, comprising:
a housing including a support boss, one or more mounting surfaces, and one or more fluid conduits extending from the one or more mounting surfaces;
a driveshaft extending from the support boss in a “z” direction for insertion into the engine block when mounting the accessory to the engine block;
a sliding pilot interfacing with the support boss, the sliding pilot being capable of travel in an “x” direction yet fixed in a “y” direction with respect to the support boss, the sliding pilot including an inner profile and an outer profile in an “x-y” plane; and
one or more fasteners for securing the accessory to the engine block in the “x” direction.

11. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the support boss includes two flat surfaces along an outer profile.

12. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the inner profile of the sliding pilot includes two flat edges complementary to the two flat surfaces of the support boss and extending in the “x” direction.

13. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the inner profile of the sliding pilot and the outer profile of the support boss each include two curved edges.

14. The accessory of claim 10 wherein a retaining ring groove is formed in the support boss.

15. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the housing includes a face seal O-ring groove formed in the “z” position surface for maintaining an elastomeric face seal O-ring.

16. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the accessory comprises a retaining nut secured to the driveshaft securing the drive mechanism to the accessory in the “z” direction.

17. The accessory of claim 10 wherein the one or more mounting surfaces maintain one or more seal gaskets, wherein when the one or more fasteners secure the accessory to the engine block, the one or more seal gaskets are compressed between the one or more mounting surfaces and the engine block to form a fluid tight seal.

18. A method, comprising:
positioning an accessory near an engine block, the accessory comprising a sliding pilot having travel in an “x” direction yet fixed in a “y” direction;
positioning the sliding pilot into a mounting position for mounting on the engine block at a limit of travel in the “x” direction;
sliding the accessory into a pilot bore of the engine block in a “z” direction until the sliding pilot is seated in the pilot bore to locate the accessory in the “z” direction and the “y” direction with respect to the engine block;
fastening the accessory to the engine block in the “x” direction to locate the accessory in the “x” direction with respect to the engine block, wherein fastening the accessory moves the sliding pilot into a mounted position at another limit of travel in the “x” direction.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the engine block includes one or more engine block sealing surfaces and the accessory includes one or more accessory sealing surfaces, the one or more engine block sealing surfaces having a complementary shape to the one or more accessory sealing surfaces, and wherein fastening the accessory to the engine block in the “x” direction comprises mating the one or more engine block sealing surfaces with the one or more accessory sealing surfaces.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the one or more engine block sealing surfaces maintain one or more seal gaskets, and wherein sliding the accessory into the pilot bore of the engine block further comprises providing a clearance in the “x” direction to allow the sliding pilot to be seated in the pilot bore without damaging the one or more seal gaskets with the accessory.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Cecil Adam C

Classifications

• F01M2001/0292

  Sealings · CPC title

• F01M2001/0253

  characterised by the pump driving means · CPC title

• F01M2001/0284

  mounting of the pump · CPC title

• F01M1/02 Primary

  using lubricating pumps (pumps in general F04; lubricating pumps per se F16N) · CPC title

• F02B63/06

  for pumps · CPC title