Engine assembly including crankshaft for V8 arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316151-B2
Application number	US-201113030581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2011
Priority date	Feb 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A crankshaft for a V8 engine includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth crank pins defined on the crankshaft. The second crank pin is rotationally offset from the first crank pin, the third crank pin is rotationally offset from the first and second crank pins, the fourth crank pin is rotationally offset from the first, second and third crank pins, the fifth crank pin is rotationally offset from the first, second, third and fourth crank pins, and the sixth pin is rotationally offset from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth crank pins. The seventh crank pin is rotationally aligned with the first crank pin and the eighth crank pin is rotationally aligned with the second crank pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A V8 engine crankshaft comprising:
a first crank pin defined on the crankshaft;
a second crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally offset from the first crank pin;
a third crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally offset from the first and second crank pins;
a fourth crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally offset from the first, second and third crank pins;
a fifth crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally offset from the first, second, third and fourth crank pins;
a sixth crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally offset from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth crank pins;
a seventh crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally aligned with the first crank pin; and
an eighth crank pin defined on the crankshaft and rotationally aligned with the second crank pin.

2. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 1 , wherein the second crank pin is rotationally offset from the first crank pin in a rotational direction of the crankshaft by a first angle, the third crank pin is rotationally offset from the second crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle, the fourth crank pin is rotationally offset from the third crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle, the fifth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fourth crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle and the sixth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fifth crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle.

3. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 2 , wherein the first angle is equal to a bank angle defined between a first bank of cylinders and a second bank of cylinders defined in a V8 engine block housing the crankshaft.

4. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 2 , wherein the first angle is 60 degrees.

5. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 1 , wherein the first crank pin is located at a first axial end of the crankshaft and the eighth crank pin is located at a second axial end of the crankshaft with the second crank pin located axially between the first and eighth crank pins, the third crank pin located axially between the second and eighth crank pins, the fourth crank pin located axially between the third and eighth crank pins, the fifth crank pin located axially between the fourth and eighth crank pins, the sixth crank pin located axially between the fifth and eighth crank pins, and the seventh crank pin located axially between the sixth and eighth crank pins.

6. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 5 , wherein the second crank pin is rotationally offset from the first crank pin in a rotational direction of the crankshaft by 60 degrees, the third crank pin is rotationally offset from the second crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees, the fourth crank pin is rotationally offset from the third crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees, the fifth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fourth crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees and the sixth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fifth crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees.

7. The V8 engine crankshaft of claim 6 , wherein the first, third, fifth and seventh crank pins are each engaged with a piston located in a first bank of cylinders defined in a V8 engine block housing the crankshaft and the second, fourth, sixth and eighth crank pins are each engaged with a piston located in a second bank of cylinders defined in the V8 engine block extending at an angle of 60 degrees relative to the first bank of cylinders.

8. An engine assembly comprising:
an engine structure including an engine block defining a first bank of cylinders including four cylinders and a second bank of cylinders including four cylinders forming a V8 arrangement; and
a crankshaft rotationally supported on the engine structure and including a first crank pin, a second crank pin rotationally offset from the first crank pin, a third crank pin rotationally offset from the first and second crank pins, a fourth crank pin rotationally offset from the first, second and third crank pins, a fifth crank pin rotationally offset from the first, second, third and fourth crank pins, a sixth crank pin rotationally offset from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth crank pins, a seventh crank pin rotationally aligned with the first crank pin, and an eighth crank pin rotationally aligned with the second crank pin.

9. The engine assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second crank pin is rotationally offset from the first crank pin in a rotational direction of the crankshaft by a first angle, the third crank pin is rotationally offset from the second crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle, the fourth crank pin is rotationally offset from the third crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle, the fifth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fourth crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle and the sixth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fifth crank pin in the rotational direction by the first angle.

10. The engine assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first angle is equal to a bank angle defined between the first bank of cylinders and the second bank of cylinders.

11. The engine assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first angle is 60 degrees.

12. The engine assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first crank pin is located at a first axial end of the crankshaft and the eighth crank pin is located at a second axial end of the crankshaft with the second crank pin located axially between the first and eighth crank pins, the third crank pin located axially between the second and eighth crank pins, the fourth crank pin located axially between the third and eighth crank pins, the fifth crank pin located axially between the fourth and eighth crank pins, the sixth crank pin located axially between the fifth and eighth crank pins, and the seventh crank pin located axially between the sixth and eighth crank pins.

13. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second crank pin is rotationally offset from the first crank pin in a rotational direction of the crankshaft by 60 degrees, the third crank pin is rotationally offset from the second crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees, the fourth crank pin is rotationally offset from the third crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees, the fifth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fourth crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees and the sixth crank pin is rotationally offset from the fifth crank pin in the rotational direction by 60 degrees.

14. The engine assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a first piston coupled to the first crank pin, a second piston coupled to the second crank pin, a third piston coupled to the third crank pin, a fourth piston coupled to the fourth crank pin, a fifth piston coupled to the fifth crank pin, a sixth piston coupled to the sixth crank pin, a seventh piston coupled to the seventh crank pin, and an eighth piston coupled to the eighth crank pin, the first, third, fifth and seventh pistons each being located in a cylinder defined in the first bank of cylinders and the second, fourth, sixth and eighth pistons each being located in a cylinder defined in the second bank of cylinders, the second bank of cylinders extending at an angle of 60 degrees relative to the first bank of cylinders.

15. The engine assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a first piston coupled to the first crank pin and located in a first cylinder defined in the first bank of cylinders, a second piston coupled to the second crank pin and located in a second cylinder defined in the sec

Assignees

• Keating Edward J
• Mcalpine Robert S
• Zahdeh Akram R
• Orban Hatem Zakaria
• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Keating Edward J
• Mcalpine Robert S
• Zahdeh Akram R
• Orban Hatem Zakaria

Classifications

• Y10T74/2174

  Multiple throw · CPC title

• F02B75/22 Primary

  with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement · CPC title

• F16C3/20

  Shape of crankshafts or eccentric-shafts having regard to balancing · CPC title

• F02B2075/1832

  eight · CPC title