Patent Application
20120031355
The present disclosure relates to air intake arrangements for internal combustion engines.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Internal combustion engines may combust a mixture of air and fuel in cylinders and thereby produce drive torque. Air and fuel flow into and out of the cylinders may be controlled by a valvetrain. The valvetrain may include a camshaft that actuates intake and exhaust valves and thereby controls the timing and amount of air and fuel entering the cylinders and exhaust gases leaving the cylinders.
An engine assembly may include an engine block, a cylinder head coupled to the engine block, and first and second intake valves supported by the cylinder head. The engine block may define a first set of cylinder bores arranged longitudinally in series and including a first cylinder bore and a second cylinder bore adjacent the first cylinder bore. The cylinder head may define a cavity forming an intake manifold region, a first intake runner extending laterally inward from the intake manifold region toward the first cylinder bore and a second intake runner extending laterally inward from the intake manifold region toward the second cylinder bore. The first intake valve may selectively provide communication between the first intake runner and the first cylinder bore. The second intake valve may selectively provide communication between the second intake runner and the second cylinder bore.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Examples of the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
With reference to
With additional reference to
The valvetrain assembly 22 may include a camshaft 32, intake and exhaust valves 34, 36, and a valve actuation assembly 38. The camshaft 32 may include intake and exhaust lobes 40, 42. The valve actuation assembly 38 may be engaged with the intake and exhaust lobes 40, 42 and the intake and exhaust valves 34, 36 to selectively open the intake and exhaust valves 34, 36. The valve actuation assembly 38 may include valve lift mechanisms 44 and rocker arms 46. The valve lift mechanism 44 may include a pushrod 48 engaged with the rocker arm 46 and a lifter 50 engaged with the camshaft 32.
With reference to
First intake valves 34 associated with each of the first intake runners 62 may selectively provide communication between the first intake runners 62 and the first cylinder bore 14A. Second intake valves 34 associated with each of the second intake runners 64 may selectively provide communication between the second intake runners 64 and the second cylinder bore 14B. Third intake valves 34 associated with each of the third intake runners 66 may selectively provide communication between the third intake runners 66 and the third cylinder bore 14C. Fourth intake valves 34 associated with each of the fourth intake runners 68 may selectively provide communication between the fourth intake runners 68 and the fourth cylinder bore 14D.
First pushrods 48 extend through the first pushrod passages 52 and are engaged with the first intake valves 34. Second pushrods 48 extend through the second pushrod passages 54 and are engaged with the second intake valves 34. Third pushrods 48 extend through the third pushrod passages 56 and are engaged with the third intake valves 34. Fourth pushrods 48 extend through the fourth pushrod passages 56 and are engaged with the fourth intake valves 34.
The intake manifold region 60 may extend longitudinally along a lateral end 70 of the cylinder head 26 from the first cylinder bore 14A (and first region 27) to the third cylinder bore 14C (and third region 31) and may form a common air inlet for each of the first set of cylinder bores 14. The intake manifold region 60 may form a continuous opening longitudinally along the lateral end 70 from the first cylinder bore 14A (and first region 27) to the third cylinder bore 14C (and third region 31). A first wall 72 formed in the cylinder head 26 separating the first and second intake runners 62, 64 may terminate at a location laterally inward from the lateral end 70, forming a first chamber 74. A second wall 76 formed in the cylinder head 26 separating the third and fourth intake runners 66, 68 may terminate at a location laterally inward from the lateral end 70, forming a second chamber 78. A third wall 80 formed in the cylinder head 26 separating the second and fourth intake runners 64, 68 may terminate at a location laterally inward from the lateral end 70, forming a third chamber 82.
Therefore, the first chamber 74 extends laterally from the intake manifold region 60 to one of the first intake runners 62 and one of the second intake runners 64. Similarly, the second chamber 78 extends laterally from the intake manifold region 60 to one of the third intake runners 66 and one of the fourth intake runners 68 and the third chamber 82 extends laterally from the intake manifold region 60 to one of the second intake runners 64 and one of the fourth intake runners 68.
The first chamber 74 may be located longitudinally between the first and second cylinder bores 14A, 14B and longitudinally between the first and second regions 27, 29. The first chamber 74 may additionally be located longitudinally between and laterally aligned with the first and second pushrod passages 52, 54. The second chamber 78 may be located longitudinally between the third and fourth cylinder bores 14C, 14D and longitudinally between the third and fourth regions 31, 33. The second chamber 78 may additionally be located longitudinally between and laterally aligned with the third and fourth pushrod passages 56, 58. The third chamber 82 may be located longitudinally between the second and fourth cylinder bores 14B, 14D and longitudinally between the second and fourth regions 29, 33. The third chamber 82 may additionally be located longitudinally between and laterally aligned with the second and fourth pushrod passages 54, 58.
The engine assembly 10 may additionally include an intake manifold 84 coupled to the cylinder head 26 at the intake manifold region 60. The intake manifold 84 may include an air inlet 86 and may cooperate with the intake manifold region 60 of the cylinder head 26 to define a common volume of air in communication with each of the first, second, third and fourth intake runners 62, 64, 66, 68.
