Unitary composite cam cover and carrier and assembly method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810176-B2
Application number	US-201414576599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A valve cover module includes a unitary cover and carrier made of a carbon fiber composite. The unitary cover and carrier has a lower side with a peripheral edge for attaching to a cylinder head. The lower side of the unitary cover and carrier also has a series of cavities interconnected with aligned apertures defining bearing surfaces. A plurality of cam lobes is disposed in the series of cavities. Also, the valve cover module includes a camshaft rotatable on the bearing surfaces and extending through the aligned apertures to couple with the cam lobes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve cover module, comprising:
a unitary cover and carrier made of a carbon fiber composite and having an interior side with a series of cavities interconnected with aligned apertures defining bearing surfaces and a peripheral edge for attaching to a cylinder head;
a plurality of cam lobes disposed in the series of cavities; and
a camshaft rotatable on the bearing surfaces and extending through the aligned apertures to couple with the plurality of cam lobes, wherein the bearing surfaces of the aligned apertures have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the camshaft.

2. The valve cover module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of cam lobes includes a greater diameter than the aligned apertures.

3. The valve cover module of claim 1 , wherein an exterior side of the unitary cover and carrier includes an integrally formed fuel pump pedestal for attaching a fuel pump.

4. The valve cover module of claim 3 , wherein an oil fill port extends through the unitary cover and carrier between the exterior and interior sides, and wherein the exterior side of the unitary cover and carrier includes an integrally formed mounting flange for attaching a separator assembly of a PCV system.

5. The valve cover module of claim 3 , wherein the exterior side of the unitary cover and carrier includes fuel rail mounting bosses integrally formed therewith.

6. The valve cover module of claim 1 , wherein the bearing surfaces encompass a circumference of the aligned apertures and are made of the carbon fiber composite of the unitary cover and carrier.

7. The valve cover module of claim 1 , wherein a gasket is attached around to the peripheral edge of the interior surface and is configured to sealably engage the cylinder head to cover valves of the cylinder head, such that the unitary cover and carrier encloses the camshaft.

8. The valve cover module of claim 7 , wherein the interior side of the unitary cover and carrier includes at least two rows of the series of cavities and each of the at least two rows includes a separate camshaft.

9. A unitary cover and carrier for enclosing engine valves, comprising:
a cover portion having an exterior surface with an integrally formed fuel pump pedestal and an oil fill port; and
a carrier portion that includes a series of vertical walls having aligned apertures that define cam bearings, wherein the cover portion and the carrier portions are integrally formed together with carbon fiber composite as a single unit, and wherein the earn bearings have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the cam bearings.

10. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein the series of vertical walls separate a series of domed cavities that define an interior surface of the cover portion and carrier portion.

11. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 10 , wherein the aligned apertures are configured to rotatably couple with a camshaft, and wherein the series of domed cavities are configured to house cam lobes of the camshaft.

12. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 10 , wherein the oil fill port extends through the cover portion to interconnect with at least one of the series of domed cavities.

13. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein the exterior surface of the cover portion includes a plurality of fuel rail mounting bosses and a mounting flange for a PCV system integrally formed therewith.

14. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein the bearing surfaces encompass a circumference of the aligned apertures and are made of the single unit of carbon fiber composite.

15. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 14 , wherein oil feed channels are formed integrally within the series of vertical walls and extend to the circumference of the aligned apertures for lubricating the cam bearings.

16. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein a gasket is attached around to a lower peripheral edge of the carrier portion and is configured to sealably engage a cylinder head to cover the engine valves.

17. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein the fuel pump pedestal is positioned on the cover portion proximate a first end and integrally formed with a first longitudinal cam housing.

18. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 17 , wherein the oil fill port is positioned on the cover portion proximate a second end and integrally formed with a second longitudinal cam housing.

19. The unitary cover and carrier of claim 9 , wherein the carbon fiber is made of wound filament.

20. A unitary cover and carrier for enclosing engine valves, comprising:
a cover portion; and
a carrier portion that includes a series of vertical walls having aligned apertures that define cam bearings, wherein the cover portion and carrier portion are integrally formed together with layered sheets of carbon fiber, and wherein the cam bearings have strands of carbon fiber wound around in a direction of a circumference of the cam bearings.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wicks Christopher Donald
• Madin Mark Michael

Classifications

• F01L2301/00

  Using particular materials · CPC title

• F01L2303/00

  Manufacturing of components used in valve arrangements · CPC title

• F02F7/0021 Primary

  Construction · CPC title

• F01L2001/0471

  Assembled camshafts · CPC title

• B23P2700/02

  Camshafts · CPC title