Bearing cap, internal combustion engine, and manufacturing method of internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199156-B2
Application number	US-202017013655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A bearing cap according to one embodiment of this disclosure includes: a concave part that supports a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; first bosses that are disposed one on each side of the concave part and each have a first bolt hole; and second bosses that are disposed one on each side of a bearing cap main body having the concave part and the first bosses so as to flank the bearing cap main body and each have a second bolt hole. The bearing cap is fixed to a first member of the internal combustion engine by first bolts inserted into the first bolt holes, and to a second member of the internal combustion engine by second bolts inserted into the second bolt holes. At least the pair of second bosses have higher rigidity than a frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing cap that is cast in a frame of an internal combustion engine, the bearing cap comprising:
a concave part that supports a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine;
a pair of first bosses that are disposed one on each side of the concave part so as to flank the concave part and each have a first bolt hole; and
a pair of second bosses that are disposed one on each side of a bearing cap main body having the concave part and the pair of first bosses so as to flank the bearing cap main body and each have a second bolt hole, wherein:

the bearing cap is fixed to a first member of the internal combustion engine by first bolts inserted into the first bolt holes, and to a second member of the internal combustion engine by second bolts inserted into the second bolt holes;
the second member is a balancer housing of the internal combustion engine;
at least the pair of second bosses have higher rigidity than the frame; and
the first bolt holes have a longer axial length than the second bolt holes.

2. The bearing cap according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first member is a cylinder block of the internal combustion engine.

3. The bearing cap according to claim 1 , wherein the first bosses have a longer axial length than the second bosses.

4. An internal combustion engine, comprising a first member, a second member, a frame, a crankshaft, and a bearing cap that is cast in the frame and supports the crankshaft, wherein
the bearing cap includes:
a concave part that supports the crankshaft;
a pair of first bosses that are disposed one on each side of the concave part so as to flank the concave part and each have a first bolt hole; and
a pair of second bosses that are disposed one on each side of a bearing cap main body having the concave part and the pair of first bosses so as to flank the bearing cap main body and each have a second bolt hole;

the bearing cap is fixed to the first member of the internal combustion engine by first bolts inserted into the first bolt holes, and to the second member of the internal combustion engine by second bolts inserted into the second bolt holes;
the first member has a further concave part having an arc shape corresponding to a circumferential shape of the crankshaft;
at least the pair of second bosses have higher rigidity than the frame; and
the first bolt holes have a longer axial length than the second bolt holes.

5. A manufacturing method of an internal combustion engine including a first member, a second member, a frame, a crankshaft, and a bearing cap that supports the crankshaft, the manufacturing method comprising:
casting, in the frame, the bearing cap including:
a bearing cap main body having a concave part that supports the crankshaft and a pair of first bosses that are disposed one on each side of the concave part so as to flank the concave part; and
a pair of second bosses that are disposed one on each side of the bearing cap main body so as to flank the bearing cap main body, at least the second bosses having higher rigidity than the frame;

fixing the bearing cap cast in the frame to the first member by first bolts inserted into first bolt holes that are formed in the first bosses of the bearing cap; and
fixing the bearing cap cast in the frame to the second member by second bolts inserted into second bolt holes that are formed in the second bosses of the bearing cap, wherein
the first bolt holes have a longer axial length than the second bolt holes, and
the second bolt holes are blind holes.

6. The bearing cap according to claim 1 , wherein the second bolt holes are blind holes.

7. The bearing cap according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of (i) first recesses, (ii) second recesses, or (iii) a third recess, wherein
the first recesses are formed between each of the first bosses and an adjacent one of the second bosses, wherein
the first recesses are depressed toward an inside of the bearing cap in a first direction parallel to a central axis of the crankshaft, and
the first recesses are disposed so as to face each other in the first direction;

the second recesses are formed in a lateral end portion of each of the first bosses, wherein
the second recesses correspond to a cut-off part at the lateral end portion of the first boss from a second direction, such that the lateral end portion of the first boss is depressed in the first direction, the second direction orthogonal to the first direction and a third direction, the third direction parallel to a central axis of a cylinder of a cylinder block of the internal combustion engine, and
the second recesses are disposed so as to face each other in the first direction; and

the third recess is formed in a surface of the bearing cap main body on a side opposite to the concave part in the third direction, wherein
the third recess corresponds to a cut-off part at an end portion of the bearing cap main body on the side opposite to the concave part in the third direction, such that a part of the surface of the bearing cap main body between the first bolt holes is depressed in the third direction toward the concave part.

8. The bearing cap according to claim 7 , wherein
the bearing cap comprises the third recess, and at least one of (a) first protrusions or (b) a second protrusion;
the first protrusions are on opposite sides of the third recess in the first direction, and protrude toward an inside of the third recess in the second direction; and
the second protrusion is disposed in a middle part of the bearing cap main body in the first direction, extends across the first bosses, and protrudes in the third direction away from the concave part, wherein
a thickness of the second protrusion in the first direction is smaller than a thickness of the first bosses in the first direction; and
the thickness of the second protrusion in the first direction decreases both ( 1 ) toward a center of the second protrusion in the second direction and ( 2 ) in the third direction away from the concave part.

9. The bearing cap according to claim 7 , further comprising a protrusion formed on a side surface of each of the first bosses, wherein
the protrusion protrudes outward in the second direction from the side surface of the first boss; and
the protrusion is formed by a three-dimensional sloping surface which
tapers while protruding outward in the second direction from the side surface of the first boss as seen from the third direction, and
slopes inward in the second direction while extending outward in the first direction from the first boss in the first direction.

10. The bearing cap according to claim 1 , wherein, on a side opposite to the concave part along an axial direction of the first bolt holes, surfaces of the second bosses are closer, along the axial direction, to the concave part than surfaces of the first bosses.

11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the second bolt holes are blind holes.

12. The internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein
the bearing cap further comprises at least one of (i) first recesses, (ii) second recesses, or (iii) a third recess;
the first recesses are formed between each of the first bosses and an adjacent one of the second bosses, wherein
the first recesses are depressed toward an inside of the bearing cap in a first direction parallel to a central axis of the crankshaft, and
the first recesses are disposed so as to face each other in the first direction;

the second recesses are formed in a lateral end portion of each of the first bosses, wherein
the second recesses correspond to a cut-off part at the lateral end portion of the fi

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oshima Tomoya
• Yamada Ken

Classifications

• F16C2226/60

  with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections · CPC title

• F16C9/00

  Bearings for crankshafts or connecting-rods; Attachment of connecting-rods (lubrication of connecting-rods in connection with crankshafts F16C3/14; connections to crossheads F16C5/00; to pistons F16J1/14) · CPC title

• F16C35/00

  Rigid support of bearing units; Housings, e.g. caps, covers (F16C23/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02F7/0043 Primary

  Arrangements of mechanical drive elements · CPC title

• F16F15/264

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