US20080060594A1 - Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method - Google Patents
Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080060594A1 US20080060594A1 US11/531,490 US53149006A US2008060594A1 US 20080060594 A1 US20080060594 A1 US 20080060594A1 US 53149006 A US53149006 A US 53149006A US 2008060594 A1 US2008060594 A1 US 2008060594A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cam
- cams
- assembly
- sets
- sides
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L1/00—Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear
- F01L1/02—Valve drive
- F01L1/04—Valve drive by means of cams, camshafts, cam discs, eccentrics or the like
- F01L1/047—Camshafts
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L13/00—Modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations
- F01L13/0015—Modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations for optimising engine performances by modifying valve lift according to various working parameters, e.g. rotational speed, load, torque
- F01L13/0036—Modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations for optimising engine performances by modifying valve lift according to various working parameters, e.g. rotational speed, load, torque the valves being driven by two or more cams with different shape, size or timing or a single cam profiled in axial and radial direction
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L1/00—Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear
- F01L1/02—Valve drive
- F01L1/04—Valve drive by means of cams, camshafts, cam discs, eccentrics or the like
- F01L1/047—Camshafts
- F01L2001/0475—Hollow camshafts
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L2301/00—Using particular materials
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
- F01L—CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01L2303/00—Manufacturing of components used in valve arrangements
Definitions
- This invention relates to assembled camshafts for internal combustion engines, particularly those which are assembled by expansion of a central tube within associated cams and other components.
- the invention relates to camshafts for use with two-step valve lifters capable of opening the engine valves with selectable low or high valve lift settings or full lift and zero lift selectable settings for differing conditions of engine operation
- the present invention provides features that improve the control of lateral spacing and perpendicularity of dissimilar components such as cams, spacers and other elements as they are assembled and fixed to an expandable tubular shaft. Through the addition of spacer sleeves and cam shoulders, very tight dimensional control may be obtained of these characteristics. Such control is necessitated by a two-step camshaft design that does not permit high tolerances for lateral spacing and perpendicularity characteristics.
- Proposed cam follower designs require three actuating mechanisms to contact the three cams that control the lift events for each valve. Two sliding followers contact the outside cams while a rolling follower unit makes contact with the steel center cam. These precise mechanisms must be located accurately, as must be the cam contact points, for the system to perform properly at high speeds.
- the present invention provides cam sets for each valve that may include a steel central cam associated with two cast iron end cams.
- the cam sides are accurately spaced from one another and maintained perpendicular by the use of shoulders on the central cam, which extend into engagement with the end cams to maintain close tolerances for their lateral spacing.
- Spacers which may act as bearing sleeves, are provided for accurately spacing the cam sets laterally from one another.
- the design of the assembly allows the use of differing cam materials, or materials for other components applied to a camshaft, to be assembled with a high degree of accuracy for lateral spacing and with a minimum of manufacturing difficulty for the individual components utilized in the cam sets and other elements.
- the use of hardened steel cams with spacing shoulders, and bearing sleeves precision cut to a length and perpendicularity, afford the accurate dimensional characteristics required for assembled camshafts capable of operating in the current limited space available in some new engine designs.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of an assembled camshaft having a pair of spaced three element cam sets separated by a bearing sleeve spacer and secured by expansion of a hollow tube within the components by mechanically passing a steel ball or similar member through the hollow center of the tube to expand its outer periphery into engagement with the components attached.
- FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the camshaft of FIG. 1 illustrating the cams of the cam sets, the spacer sleeve and the tubular shaft making up the camshaft assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- numeral 10 generally indicates an assembled camshaft formed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention and having a rotation axis 11 .
- the assembly includes an axially extending hollow tubular shaft 12 , a plurality of cam sets 14 each including one inside or center cam 16 and two end or outside cams 18 , and a tubular spacer or bearing sleeve 20 laterally separating the cam sets 14 along the axis 11 for rotation with the shaft 12 .
- Each of the cams 16 , 18 includes an axial opening 22 extending through opposite parallel sides 24 of the cam.
- a similar axial opening 26 extends through the bearing sleeve 20 .
- the central or inner cam 16 includes annular shoulders 28 extending from the opposite sides 24 of the cam with accurately machined end surfaces 30 of the shoulders engaging inner sides 24 of the associated end cams 18 .
- the parallel sides 24 of the end cams and the end surfaces 30 of the center cam shoulders coact to maintain parallelism of the cams 16 , 18 making up each cam set 14 .
- Parallel end surfaces 32 of the bearing sleeves 20 similarly engage outer sides 24 of the adjacent cam sets to maintain parallel relations of the cams in the associated cam sets.
- the cam sets and bearing sleeves are fixed in position on the tubular shaft 12 by insertion of the shaft through the openings 22 , 26 of the cam sets and bearing sleeve respectively and maintaining the assembled components in longitudinal engagement while mechanically expanding the tubular shaft 12 by passing of an oversized ball through the hollow center 34 of the shaft.
- This process expands the exterior of the tube into engagement with the openings of the various components to lock the cam sets and bearing sleeve into position on the tubular shaft 12 so that the cams 16 , 18 and the bearing sleeve 20 are maintained in predetermined lateral and angular relation established prior to the mechanical expansion step.
- the sides of the cams are also maintained in parallel relation with predetermined accurate dimensional spacing between the sides of the associated cams in each cam set 14 .
- outer surfaces 38 of the end cams 18 have maximum eccentricities for actuation of the associated engine valves to high or maximum lift.
- Outer surfaces 36 of the center cams 16 have reduced eccentricities for actuation of the associated engine valves to a low lift setting.
- the center cams 16 may be made from hardened steel while the end cams 18 may be formed of gray cast iron or other suitable material for use with sliding contact cam followers. Similarly, in the center cams, hardened steel material is suitable for use with conventional roller follower lifters.
- the bearing sleeve or spacer 20 may be formed of gray cast iron or steel depending on its use as a bearing and other requirements of the application.
- the tubular shaft 12 may be formed of a mild steel suitable for use in the ball expansion process. In order to maintain accurate dimensioning of the outer surface 36 , 38 of the center and end cams, respectively, these surfaces are ground to final dimensions after the expansion step that forms the elements of the camshaft into an assembly.
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to assembled camshafts for internal combustion engines, particularly those which are assembled by expansion of a central tube within associated cams and other components. In preferred embodiments, the invention relates to camshafts for use with two-step valve lifters capable of opening the engine valves with selectable low or high valve lift settings or full lift and zero lift selectable settings for differing conditions of engine operation
- It is known in the art to manufacture engine camshaft assemblies by the expansion of tubular shafts into prelocated cams, journals and other elements to be included in the assembly. Current engine designs including two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder have required space for many valve actuation components within an engine cylinder head. Current plans for varying the lift of intake or exhaust valves require the use of cams of differing geometries which may interact with other hydraulically switched components to control which geometry effects movement of the valve functions. Two or three cams per valve are required to execute that control. The added cams and other component complexities limit space availability and require minimum size and extremely precise control at locations of the camshaft features.
- The present invention provides features that improve the control of lateral spacing and perpendicularity of dissimilar components such as cams, spacers and other elements as they are assembled and fixed to an expandable tubular shaft. Through the addition of spacer sleeves and cam shoulders, very tight dimensional control may be obtained of these characteristics. Such control is necessitated by a two-step camshaft design that does not permit high tolerances for lateral spacing and perpendicularity characteristics. Proposed cam follower designs require three actuating mechanisms to contact the three cams that control the lift events for each valve. Two sliding followers contact the outside cams while a rolling follower unit makes contact with the steel center cam. These precise mechanisms must be located accurately, as must be the cam contact points, for the system to perform properly at high speeds.
- The present invention provides cam sets for each valve that may include a steel central cam associated with two cast iron end cams. The cam sides are accurately spaced from one another and maintained perpendicular by the use of shoulders on the central cam, which extend into engagement with the end cams to maintain close tolerances for their lateral spacing. Spacers, which may act as bearing sleeves, are provided for accurately spacing the cam sets laterally from one another. The design of the assembly allows the use of differing cam materials, or materials for other components applied to a camshaft, to be assembled with a high degree of accuracy for lateral spacing and with a minimum of manufacturing difficulty for the individual components utilized in the cam sets and other elements. The use of hardened steel cams with spacing shoulders, and bearing sleeves precision cut to a length and perpendicularity, afford the accurate dimensional characteristics required for assembled camshafts capable of operating in the current limited space available in some new engine designs.
- These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of certain specific embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of an assembled camshaft having a pair of spaced three element cam sets separated by a bearing sleeve spacer and secured by expansion of a hollow tube within the components by mechanically passing a steel ball or similar member through the hollow center of the tube to expand its outer periphery into engagement with the components attached. -
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the camshaft ofFIG. 1 illustrating the cams of the cam sets, the spacer sleeve and the tubular shaft making up the camshaft assembly illustrated inFIG. 1 . - Referring to the drawings in detail,
numeral 10 generally indicates an assembled camshaft formed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention and having arotation axis 11. The assembly includes an axially extending hollowtubular shaft 12, a plurality ofcam sets 14 each including one inside orcenter cam 16 and two end or outsidecams 18, and a tubular spacer orbearing sleeve 20 laterally separating thecam sets 14 along theaxis 11 for rotation with theshaft 12. - Each of the
cams axial opening 22 extending through oppositeparallel sides 24 of the cam. A similaraxial opening 26 extends through thebearing sleeve 20. The central orinner cam 16 includesannular shoulders 28 extending from theopposite sides 24 of the cam with accurately machinedend surfaces 30 of the shoulders engaginginner sides 24 of the associatedend cams 18. In assembly, theparallel sides 24 of the end cams and theend surfaces 30 of the center cam shoulders coact to maintain parallelism of thecams Parallel end surfaces 32 of thebearing sleeves 20 similarly engageouter sides 24 of the adjacent cam sets to maintain parallel relations of the cams in the associated cam sets. - The cam sets and bearing sleeves are fixed in position on the
tubular shaft 12 by insertion of the shaft through theopenings tubular shaft 12 by passing of an oversized ball through thehollow center 34 of the shaft. This process expands the exterior of the tube into engagement with the openings of the various components to lock the cam sets and bearing sleeve into position on thetubular shaft 12 so that thecams bearing sleeve 20 are maintained in predetermined lateral and angular relation established prior to the mechanical expansion step. The sides of the cams are also maintained in parallel relation with predetermined accurate dimensional spacing between the sides of the associated cams in each cam set 14. - As illustrated,
outer surfaces 38 of theend cams 18 have maximum eccentricities for actuation of the associated engine valves to high or maximum lift.Outer surfaces 36 of thecenter cams 16 have reduced eccentricities for actuation of the associated engine valves to a low lift setting. - In an exemplary embodiment, the
center cams 16 may be made from hardened steel while theend cams 18 may be formed of gray cast iron or other suitable material for use with sliding contact cam followers. Similarly, in the center cams, hardened steel material is suitable for use with conventional roller follower lifters. The bearing sleeve orspacer 20 may be formed of gray cast iron or steel depending on its use as a bearing and other requirements of the application. Thetubular shaft 12 may be formed of a mild steel suitable for use in the ball expansion process. In order to maintain accurate dimensioning of theouter surface - In addition to the ball expansion process, other forms of tube expansion could be used in practice of the present invention. These could include mechanical forms of expansion, other than balls, as well as tube expansion by hydraulic or other forces.
- It should be understood that other materials and processes could be utilized, for the various components and steps embodied in assemblies of the present invention, in addition to those specifically mentioned in regard to the illustrated embodiment. The various features of the invention including the parallel sides and shoulders of the cam set elements and the bearing sleeves or spacers and the premachined axial spacing provided by the shoulders and bearing sleeves, together with the final grinding of the
cam surfaces - While the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but that it have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims.
Claims (9)
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/531,490 US20080060594A1 (en) | 2006-09-13 | 2006-09-13 | Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method |
DE102007043169A DE102007043169A1 (en) | 2006-09-13 | 2007-09-11 | Tubular engine camshaft assembly with multi-stroke cam sets and method |
CNA2007101821180A CN101153549A (en) | 2006-09-13 | 2007-09-13 | Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/531,490 US20080060594A1 (en) | 2006-09-13 | 2006-09-13 | Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080060594A1 true US20080060594A1 (en) | 2008-03-13 |
Family
ID=39168301
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/531,490 Abandoned US20080060594A1 (en) | 2006-09-13 | 2006-09-13 | Engine tubular camshaft assembly with multi-lift cam sets and method |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080060594A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101153549A (en) |
DE (1) | DE102007043169A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2011072782A1 (en) * | 2009-12-18 | 2011-06-23 | Thyssenkrupp Presta Teccenter Ag | Cam unit for a constructed camshaft |
CN104033563A (en) * | 2013-03-05 | 2014-09-10 | 通用汽车环球科技运作有限责任公司 | Mechanical Lifter |
US20190107010A1 (en) * | 2016-04-05 | 2019-04-11 | Korea Automotive Technology Institute | Camshaft device and method for manufacturing camshaft device |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US8448617B2 (en) * | 2010-10-20 | 2013-05-28 | GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Engine including camshaft with partial lobe |
DE102012219453A1 (en) * | 2012-10-24 | 2014-04-24 | Mahle International Gmbh | Multiple cam |
CN105804821B (en) * | 2016-03-17 | 2018-09-28 | 秦天 | VVL camshaft structures |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4072448A (en) * | 1976-05-07 | 1978-02-07 | Curtiss-Wright Corporation | Built-up mainshaft for multi-unit rotary mechanisms and method of manufacture thereof |
US4708029A (en) * | 1984-09-11 | 1987-11-24 | Nippon Piston Ring Co., Ltd. | Camshaft |
US5085461A (en) * | 1989-03-24 | 1992-02-04 | Mazda Motor Corporation | Air bag mount device for steering wheel including control switches |
US5826461A (en) * | 1996-01-22 | 1998-10-27 | Kaywood Products Corporation | Camshaft assembly and method of making the same |
US6591713B2 (en) * | 2000-08-18 | 2003-07-15 | Jesel, Inc. | Modular camshaft assembly |
US7305953B2 (en) * | 2004-02-23 | 2007-12-11 | Thyssenkrupp Automotive Ag | Built multiple cam |
-
2006
- 2006-09-13 US US11/531,490 patent/US20080060594A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2007
- 2007-09-11 DE DE102007043169A patent/DE102007043169A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2007-09-13 CN CNA2007101821180A patent/CN101153549A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4072448A (en) * | 1976-05-07 | 1978-02-07 | Curtiss-Wright Corporation | Built-up mainshaft for multi-unit rotary mechanisms and method of manufacture thereof |
US4708029A (en) * | 1984-09-11 | 1987-11-24 | Nippon Piston Ring Co., Ltd. | Camshaft |
US5085461A (en) * | 1989-03-24 | 1992-02-04 | Mazda Motor Corporation | Air bag mount device for steering wheel including control switches |
US5826461A (en) * | 1996-01-22 | 1998-10-27 | Kaywood Products Corporation | Camshaft assembly and method of making the same |
US6591713B2 (en) * | 2000-08-18 | 2003-07-15 | Jesel, Inc. | Modular camshaft assembly |
US7305953B2 (en) * | 2004-02-23 | 2007-12-11 | Thyssenkrupp Automotive Ag | Built multiple cam |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2011072782A1 (en) * | 2009-12-18 | 2011-06-23 | Thyssenkrupp Presta Teccenter Ag | Cam unit for a constructed camshaft |
US8887681B2 (en) | 2009-12-18 | 2014-11-18 | Thyssenkrupp Presta Teccenter Ag | Cam unit for a constructed camshaft |
CN104033563A (en) * | 2013-03-05 | 2014-09-10 | 通用汽车环球科技运作有限责任公司 | Mechanical Lifter |
US20190107010A1 (en) * | 2016-04-05 | 2019-04-11 | Korea Automotive Technology Institute | Camshaft device and method for manufacturing camshaft device |
US10480356B2 (en) * | 2016-04-05 | 2019-11-19 | Korea Automotive Technology Institute | Camshaft device and method for manufacturing camshaft device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE102007043169A1 (en) | 2008-04-24 |
CN101153549A (en) | 2008-04-02 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC, MICHIGAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLINE, MICHAEL R.;O'NEIL, DANIEL L.;REEL/FRAME:018326/0237 Effective date: 20060831 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC, MICHIGAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLINE, MICHAEL R.;O'NEIL, DANIEL L.;REEL/FRAME:020204/0506 Effective date: 20060831 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, DISTRICT Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022201/0363 Effective date: 20081231 Owner name: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,DISTRICT Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022201/0363 Effective date: 20081231 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECU Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022553/0540 Effective date: 20090409 Owner name: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SEC Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.;REEL/FRAME:022553/0540 Effective date: 20090409 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |