Counterbalance gear for an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041435-B2
Application number	US-201715711271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 21, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

An engine system is provided with a crankshaft gear coupled to a crankshaft of an engine for rotation therewith, and a balance gear coupled to a balance shaft for rotation therewith. The balance gear and crankshaft gear are in meshed engagement. The balance gear is formed by a series of sectors connected by a series of resilient blocks, with each sector defining first and second recesses along opposite radial edges sized to receive adjacent blocks, respectively. Each elastomeric block is configured to deform both normally and in shear thereby providing damping for the gear. A gear such as the balance gear, and a method of forming the gear are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine system comprising:
a crankshaft gear coupled to a crankshaft of an engine for rotation therewith; and
a balance gear coupled to a balance shaft for rotation therewith, the balance gear and crankshaft gear in meshed engagement, the balance gear formed by a series of sectors connected by a series of resilient blocks, each sector defining first and second recesses along opposite radial edges sized to receive adjacent blocks, respectively, wherein each sector has a first and second face extending radially outwardly from a curved inner side to a curved outer side, each sector having first and second sides extending radially between and intersecting the inner and outer sides.

2. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the crankshaft gear is formed by another series of sectors and another series of resilient blocks, each sector defining first and second recesses along opposite radial edges sized to receive adjacent blocks, respectively.

3. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the first side of each sector defines the first recess, and the second side of each sector defines the second recess.

4. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the curved inner side of alternating sectors in the series of sectors each defines a keyway.

5. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the first recess of each sector is defined by first and second walls connected by a third wall; and
wherein the second recess of each sector is defined by first and second walls connected by a third wall.

6. The engine system of claim 5 wherein the first and second walls of each of the first and second recesses are concentric with the curved inner side and curved outer side of the sector.

7. The engine system of claim 6 wherein each resilient block is defined by first and second radial sides extending between an outer arc-shaped wall and an inner arc-shaped wall.

8. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the curved outer side defines a series of teeth.

9. The engine system of claim 8 wherein the series of teeth of each of the sectors are provided as helical teeth; the engine system further comprising:
first and second thrust plates, the balance gear positioned between the first and second thrust plates on the balance shaft.

10. The engine system of claim 9 wherein a width of the balance gear between the first and second thrust plates is less than a distance between the first and second thrust plates.

11. The engine system of claim 9 wherein the first and second thrust plates are radially inboard and nonoverlapping with the series of resilient blocks.

12. The engine system of claim 1 wherein each sector of the series of sectors comprises metal; and
wherein each resilient block of the series of resilient blocks comprises an elastomeric material.

13. The engine system of claim 1 wherein adjacent sectors are in direct contact with and spaced apart from one another by one of the series of resilient blocks positioned therebetween.

14. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the series of sectors is provided by (n) sectors, and wherein each sector is defined by an angle that is less than 360/n.

15. A gear for a vehicle shaft comprising:
(n) metal sectors, each sector having first and second faces extending radially outwardly from an arc-shaped inner side to an arc-shaped outer side, the outer side defining a series of teeth, each sector having first and second sides extending radially between and intersecting the inner and outer sides, the first side defining a first recess, the second side defining a second recess; and
(n) elastomeric blocks, each block positioned between and connecting adjacent sectors to be spaced apart from one another, a portion of each block received by the first recess of one of the sectors, another portion of each block received by the second recess of another one of the sectors;
wherein the first recess is defined by inner and outer arc-shaped walls intersecting the first side of the sector and a radial wall extending between the inner and outer arc-shaped walls and spaced apart from the first side;
wherein the portion of the block received by the first recess has an outer perimeter shaped to mate with the inner and outer arc-shaped walls and radial wall of the first recess;
wherein the second recess is defined by inner and outer arc-shaped walls intersecting the second side of the sector and a radial wall extending between the inner and outer arc-shaped walls and spaced apart from the second side;
wherein the portion of the block received by the second recess has the outer perimeter shaped to mate with the inner and outer arc-shaped walls and radial wall of the second recess;
wherein each block is in direct contact with both of the respective first and second recesses of adjacent sectors to connect the adjacent sectors; and
wherein, for each sector, the arc-shaped inner side, the arc-shaped outer side, and the inner and outer arc-shaped walls of the first and second recesses are concentric with one another.

16. The gear of claim 15 wherein (n)/2 sectors define a keyway in the inner side, and (n)/2 sectors are without a keyway.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Moetakef Mohammad Ali

Classifications

• F16H55/14 Primary

  Construction providing resilience or vibration-damping (F16H55/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16H55/17

  Toothed wheels (worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30) · CPC title

• F16F15/264

  Rotating balancer shafts (F16F15/262 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F15/28 Primary

  Counterweights, {i.e. additional weights counterbalancing inertia forces induced by the reciprocating movement of masses in the system, e.g. of pistons attached to an engine crankshaft (rotating balancer shafts F16F15/264; correcting-weights for balancing rotating bodies F16F15/32)}; Attaching or mounting same · CPC title

• F16F15/1207

  characterised by the supporting arrangement of the damper unit (F16F15/1238, F16F15/13164 take precedence) · CPC title