Sensor mounting structure for engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019301902-A1
Application number	US-201916366426-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor mounting structure for an engine is provided. The sensor mounting structure offers a greater flexibility in mounting a sensor which detects an operation of an actuation member disposed at an inner wall spaced apart from an outer wall of a cylinder head of a valve gear. A sensor mounting structure for an engine includes a valve gear provided at a cylinder head and a sensor detecting an operation of the valve gear. The sensor is mounted on a sensor mounting hole formed at a head inner wall of the cylinder head covered with a cylinder head cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor mounting structure for an engine including: a crankcase; and
a cylinder block, a cylinder head, and a cylinder head cover stacked on and fastened integrally with the crankcase in a direction of a cylinder axis which is a central axis of each of cylinders of the engine, the sensor mounting structure comprising: a valve gear provided at the cylinder head; and a sensor mounted on a sensor mounting hole formed at a head inner wall of the cylinder head covered with the cylinder head cover for detecting an operation of the valve gear.

2 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubular member interposed between the cylinder head cover and the head inner wall, wherein the tubular member has its one end opening opened to outside of the cylinder head cover and has its other end opening opposed to the sensor mounting hole.

3 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 2 , wherein the tubular member is formed integrally with the cylinder head cover.

4 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 2 , wherein the tubular member has a shape of a tube whose tube central axis is inclined relative to the cylinder axis by a certain angle.

5 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the engine is an inline multi-cylinder engine, a spark plug is mounted on the cylinder head for each of the cylinders, and the sensor is disposed between two adjacent ones of the spark plugs.

6 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve gear includes two parallel camshafts rotatably pivotally supported at the cylinder head, and the sensor is disposed between the two camshafts.

7 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve gear includes
the camshaft oriented in a vehicle width direction and rotatably provided at the cylinder head,
a cam carrier as a cylindrical member axially slidably fitting to an outer circumference of the camshaft while prohibited from relatively rotating, a plurality of cam lobes being different in cam profile from each other being formed axially adjacent to each other in an outer circumferential surface of the cam carrier, and
a cam switch mechanism axially shifting the switch drive shaft to shift the cam carrier, to switch the cam lobes acting on a valve, and
the sensor is a limit switch that detects a recess or a projection provided at the switch drive shaft.

8 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 7 , wherein
the switch drive shaft includes a plurality of the recesses or projections, and the sensor is disposed for each of the recesses or projections.

9 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 7 , comprising a plurality of the switch drive shafts, wherein the sensor is disposed for each of the switch drive shafts.

10 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 3 , wherein the tubular member has a shape of a tube whose tube central axis is inclined relative to the cylinder axis by a certain angle.

11 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 2 , wherein
the engine is an inline multi-cylinder engine, a spark plug is mounted on the cylinder head for each of the cylinders, and the sensor is disposed between two adjacent ones of the spark plugs.

12 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 3 , wherein
the engine is an inline multi-cylinder engine, a spark plug is mounted on the cylinder head for each of the cylinders, and the sensor is disposed between two adjacent ones of the spark plugs.

13 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 4 , wherein
the engine is an inline multi-cylinder engine, a spark plug is mounted on the cylinder head for each of the cylinders, and the sensor is disposed between two adjacent ones of the spark plugs.

14 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 2 , wherein
the valve gear includes two parallel camshafts rotatably pivotally supported at the cylinder head, and the sensor is disposed between the two camshafts.

15 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 3 , wherein
the valve gear includes two parallel camshafts rotatably pivotally supported at the cylinder head, and the sensor is disposed between the two camshafts.

16 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 4 , wherein
the valve gear includes two parallel camshafts rotatably pivotally supported at the cylinder head, and the sensor is disposed between the two camshafts.

17 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 5 , wherein
the valve gear includes two parallel camshafts rotatably pivotally supported at the cylinder head, and the sensor is disposed between the two camshafts.

18 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 2 , wherein
the valve gear includes
the camshaft oriented in a vehicle width direction and rotatably provided at the cylinder head,
a cam carrier as a cylindrical member axially slidably fitting to an outer circumference of the camshaft while prohibited from relatively rotating, a plurality of cam lobes being different in cam profile from each other being formed axially adjacent to each other in an outer circumferential surface of the cam carrier, and
a cam switch mechanism axially shifting the switch drive shaft to shift the cam carrier, to switch the cam lobes acting on a valve, and
the sensor is a limit switch that detects a recess or a projection provided at the switch drive shaft.

19 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 3 , wherein
the valve gear includes
the camshaft oriented in a vehicle width direction and rotatably provided at the cylinder head,
a cam carrier as a cylindrical member axially slidably fitting to an outer circumference of the camshaft while prohibited from relatively rotating, a plurality of cam lobes being different in cam profile from each other being formed axially adjacent to each other in an outer circumferential surface of the cam carrier, and
a cam switch mechanism axially shifting the switch drive shaft to shift the cam carrier, to switch the cam lobes acting on a valve, and
the sensor is a limit switch that detects a recess or a projection provided at the switch drive shaft.

20 . The sensor mounting structure for an engine according to claim 4 , wherein
the valve gear includes
the camshaft oriented in a vehicle width direction and rotatably provided at the cylinder head,
a cam carrier as a cylindrical member axially slidably fitting to an outer circumference of the camshaft while prohibited from relatively rotating, a plurality of cam lobes being different in cam profile from each other being formed axially adjacent to each other in an outer circumferential surface of the cam carrier, and
a cam switch mechanism axially shifting the switch drive shaft to shift the cam carrier, to switch the cam lobes acting on a valve, and
the sensor is a limit switch that detects a recess or a projection provided at the switch drive shaft.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kataoka Dai
• Tawarada Yuichi
• Shiratori Kenichi
• Sasaki Tomiyuki
• Cho Masaki
• Okoshi Satoru

Classifications

• F01L2820/04

  Sensors · CPC title

• F01L2250/06

  the camshaft being driven by gear wheels · CPC title

• F01L2001/0537

  Double overhead camshafts [DOHC] · CPC title

• F16M1/026

  for housing movable engine or machine parts other than crankshafts, e.g. valve-gear housings · CPC title

• F01L1/185

  Overhead end-pivot rocking arms · CPC title