Switching rack for a variable compression ratio connecting rod and a vehicle comprising such a switching rack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11988134-B2
Application number	US-201816621299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A combustion engine comprising a switching rack and a plurality of connecting rods, where the switching rack comprises a longitudinal body having a face side and a rear side, where the face side comprises a plurality of switching arrangements where each switching arrangement comprises a first cam and a second cam, where each switching arrangement is adapted to interact with a switch on a connecting rod, and where the switching rack is arranged in a gliding manner in a groove between a cylinder block and an engine bedplate of the combustion engine. The advantage of the invention is that a means for switching a variable compression switch in a connecting rod in a combustion engine can be mounted in a simple and reliable manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combustion engine comprising a switching rack and a plurality of connecting rods, where the switching rack comprises a longitudinal body having a face side and a rear side, where the face side comprises a plurality of switching arrangements, where each switching arrangement comprises a first cam and a second cam, where each switching arrangement is adapted to interact with a switch on an associated connecting rod of the plurality of connecting rods, where the switching rack is arranged and glides in a groove between a cylinder block and an engine bedplate of the combustion engine such that the switching rack slides along a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal body relative to the plurality of connecting rods, where the groove is disposed in the cylinder block.

2. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where the rear side of the body of the switching rack is provided with an actuating lever adapted to slide the switching rack sideways.

3. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where the body of the switching rack comprises a first protruding end stop and a second protruding end stop adapted to cooperate with stop surfaces of the groove.

4. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where each cam of the switching rack is provided with an entrance region and a switching region.

5. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where the first cam and the second cam of the switching rack extend perpendicular from the face side.

6. The combustion engine of claim 5 , where the entrance region and the switching region of each cam in a switching arrangement face each other.

7. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where the cross section of the body of the switching rack is rectangular.

8. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where a switching arrangement of the switching rack comprises an interconnection which interconnects the first cam with the second cam.

9. The combustion engine of claim 1 , where the combustion engine comprises an actuator mounted on the outside of the engine bedplate adapted to control the switching rack.

10. The combustion engine of claim 9 , where the actuator is a rotary electric motor.

11. A vehicle comprising the internal combustion engine of claim 1 .

12. The combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein each switching arrangement is adapted to interact with the switch on the associated connecting rod of the plurality of connecting rods such that the switch on the associated connecting rod is configured to switch between two pressurized oil channels comprised in the associated connecting rod.

13. The combustion engine of claim 12 , wherein the switch on the connecting rod is operable to:
selectively supply oil to a first cylinder configured to position a piston mount of a piston in a first, raised position such that an effective length of the connecting rod will be at its longest extension and provide a high compression ratio; or
selectively supply oil to a second cylinder configured to position the piston mount of the piston in a second position lower than the first, raised position such that the effective length of the connecting rod is shorter than its longest extension and provides a lower compression ratio than the high compression ratio.

14. The combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the switching rack is configured to slide within the groove along the longitudinal direction between a first position, where the first cam interacts with the switch, and a second position, where the second cam interacts with the switch.

15. The combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein mounting the engine bedplate to the cylinder block retains the switching rack within the groove.

16. The combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the switching rack and groove are configured such that the switching rack is prevented from rotating in the groove and a correct vertical and horizontal position of the switching rack is maintained.

17. The combustion engine of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder block includes a plurality of bearing bridges, and wherein the groove is defined in each bearing bridge of the cylinder block.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Petrov Peter

Classifications

• F02B75/045 Primary

  by means of a variable connecting rod length · CPC title

• F02B75/04 Primary

  Engines with variable distances between pistons at top dead-centre positions and cylinder heads · CPC title