Bulkhead insert for an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9719461-B2
Application number	US-201514620809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

An engine includes a cylinder block defining at least one main bearing bulkhead adjacent to a cylinder, and a crankshaft rotatably housed within the block by a main bearing. A bulkhead insert has a cap portion, and an insert portion provided within the bulkhead. The insert portion has having first and second end regions connected by first and second straps. Each strap having a flanged beam cross section. The first and second ends of the insert portion are configured to connect a main bearing cap column to a cylinder head column. Each of the first and second end regions define at least one protrusion having a surface substantially normal to engine combustion and reactive loads. The cap portion is configured to mate with the first end region at the main bearing cap column and support the main bearing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine comprising:
a cylinder block defining at least one main bearing bulkhead adjacent to a cylinder;
a crankshaft rotatably housed within the block by a main bearing; and
a bulkhead insert having an insert portion and a cap portion, the insert portion provided within the bulkhead and having first and second end regions connected by first and second straps, each strap having a flanged beam cross section, the first and second ends of the insert portion configured to connect a main bearing cap column to a cylinder head column, each of the first and second end regions defining at least one protrusion having a surface, the surface being at least one of inclined relative to and normal to engine combustion and reactive loads, the cap portion configured to mate with the first end region at the main bearing cap column and support the main bearing.

2. The engine of claim 1 wherein the at least one protrusion of the first end region is a first series of serrations, wherein each serration of the first series of serrations defines a face that provides a portion of the surface of the first end region and is normal to an engine reactive load; and
wherein the at least one protrusion of the second end region is a second series of serrations, wherein each serration of the second series of serrations defines a face that provides a portion of the surface of the second end region and is normal to an engine combustion load.

3. The engine of claim 1 further comprising a cylinder head configured to mate with the cylinder block; and
a head bolt for connecting the head to the block via the cylinder head column, a portion of the head bolt being received by the second end region of the insert portion of the bulkhead insert.

4. The engine of claim 1 wherein the cylinder block is formed from a first material and the bulkhead insert is formed from a second material.

5. The engine of claim 4 wherein the first material comprises aluminum and the second material comprises iron.

6. The engine of claim 1 wherein the crankshaft is offset from a centerline of a cylinder; and
wherein a cross sectional area of the first strap is greater than a cross sectional area of the second strap.

7. An engine main bearing structure comprising:
a bulkhead insert for connecting a main bearing cap column to a head column and having first and second ends connected by a pair of straps, each strap having an I-beam cross-section, each end defining at least one protrusion having a surface normal to engine combustion and reactive loads, the first end shaped to support a crankshaft main bearing, the second end configured to receive head bolts.

8. The bearing structure of claim 7 further comprising a main bearing cap configured to mate with the first end of the insert and shaped to support the main bearing.

9. The bearing structure of claim 7 wherein the straps extend outwardly from the first end and from one another, each strap defining a portion of the second end of the insert and providing a portion of a head bolt column.

10. The bearing structure of claim 7 further comprising a continuous arch adjacent to the first end of the insert, the continuous arch extending between the pair of straps.

11. The bearing structure of claim 7 wherein the at least one protrusion of the first end is a first series of serrations, wherein each serration of the first series of serrations defines a face that provides a portion of the surface of the first end and is normal to an engine reactive load.

12. The bearing structure of claim 11 wherein the at least one protrusion of the second end is a second series of serrations, wherein each serration of the second series of serrations defines a face that provides a portion of the surface of the second end and is normal to an engine combustion load.

13. The bearing structure of claim 12 wherein the faces of the first series of serrations are parallel with the faces of the second series of serrations.

14. The bearing structure of claim 7 wherein each of the pair of straps has a respective cross-sectional area taken in a plane parallel with a mating surface of the first end of the insert, wherein the cross-sectional area of one of the pair of straps is greater than the cross-sectional area of the other of the pair of straps.

15. The bearing structure of claim 7 wherein the insert further comprises at least one region of macro-tribology features to stabilize against engine combustion and reactive loads.

16. The bearing structure of claim 7 wherein the insert further comprises a coating configured to bond with a cylinder block of the engine surrounding the insert.

17. A method of forming an engine comprising:
providing a bulkhead insert in a tool, the bulkhead insert configured to connect a main bearing cap column to a cylinder head column, the bulkhead insert having first and second straps, each strap having a flanged beam cross section, the insert defining protrusions having surfaces normal to engine combustion and reactive loads; and
forming an engine block having a bulkhead containing the bulkhead insert in the tool.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising fracturing the bulkhead insert into an insert portion and a cap portion, the insert portion provided within the bulkhead, the cap portion configured to cooperate with the insert portion to support a main bearing of a crankshaft.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
facing the engine block to form a deck face configured to mate with a cylinder head;
forming a cylinder head column into the bulkhead insert for receiving a cylinder head bolt; and
forming a main bearing column through the cap portion and into the insert portion for receiving a main bearing cap fastener.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming the insert with first and second straps each having I-beam cross sections, and with protrusions having surfaces normal to engine combustion and reactive loads.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Maki Clifford E
• Chottiner Jeffrey Eliot
• Williams Rick L
• Thibault Mark W
• Ervin James Douglas
• Boileau James Maurice
• Mckeough Bryan

Classifications

• F02F7/0053 Primary

  Crankshaft bearings fitted in the crankcase · CPC title

• F02F7/0012

  Crankcases of V-engines · CPC title

• F02F7/0021 Primary

  Construction · CPC title

• F02F7/0095

  Constructing engine casings (welded casings F02F7/0034) · CPC title

• F02F7/0007

  Crankcases of engines with cylinders in line · CPC title