1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to piston for internal combustion engines.
2. Related Art
It is known to provide piston assemblies in two-cycle engine applications with a piston head having a cylindrically continuous skirt fixed thereto to allow the intake and exhaust ports to open and close in response to reciprocation of the skirt as needed throughout a full stroke of the piston. Due to extreme thrust and anti-thrust forces experienced by the piston skirt across opposite sides a wrist pin, the piston assemblies typically have separately constructed reinforcement components attached thereto. Although the reinforcement components can be effective, they are typically constructed of steel, and thus, add weight to the finished piston assemblies, and further, add complexity to the manufacturing process, thereby increasing the cost associated with the manufacture of the piston.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a piston assembly for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston assembly includes a piston having a crown with an upper combustion surface and an undercrown surface opposite said upper combustion surface with a cylindrical outer surface extending downwardly from the upper combustion surface. The piston further includes a pair of pin bosses depending from the crown to provide a pair of pin bores having generally cylindrical bearing surfaces aligned along a pin bore axis with a top wall portion extending between the pin bosses. The top wall portion has a concave bearing surface forming a continuous concave bearing surface with the pin bores. Further yet, the piston assembly includes a skirt constructed as a separate piece of material from the piston. The skirt is fixed to the piston against relative movement and has a cylindrical wall with inner and outer cylindrical surfaces. The piston further includes at least one rib extending upwardly from the top wall portion on opposite sides of the pin bore axis to a lower wall surface of the crown, wherein the at least one rib joining the crown to the top wall portion provides structural support to said top wall portion against unwanted deflection.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the piston further includes a pair of the ribs extending along each of the opposite sides of the pin bore axis.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the piston further includes at least one laterally extending web extending between the pin bosses. The at least one rib extends upwardly from the at least one laterally extending web to the lower wall surface of the crown.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the at least one laterally extending web extends along a plane passing through the pin bore axis.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the at least one laterally extending web has a convexly contoured outer surface.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inner surface of the skirt abuts the convexly contoured outer surface of the at least one laterally extending web.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the pin bosses have cylindrical, convex outer surfaces forming a smooth cylindrical continuation of the convexly contoured outer surface of the at least one laterally extending web.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inner surface of the skirt abuts the convexly contoured outer surface of the at least one laterally extending web and the cylindrical, convex outer surfaces of the pin bosses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the at least one laterally extending web includes a pair of laterally extending webs, wherein the pair of laterally extending webs are diametrically opposite one another on opposite sides of the pin bore axis.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the convexly contoured outer surfaces of the pair of laterally extending webs form a smooth cylindrical continuation of the cylindrical, convex outer surfaces of the pin bosses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the inner surface of the skirt abuts the convexly contoured outer surfaces of the pair of laterally extending webs and the cylindrical, convex outer surfaces of the pin bosses.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the piston is a monolithic piece of material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the piston includes an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper and lower portions are constructed as separate pieces of material and subsequently joined together.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments and best mode, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring in more detail to the drawings,
The pin bores 30 have an upper sector forming a concave, cylindrical upper surface formed as a smooth continuation of a continuous concave, cylindrical top wall sector or portion 36, also referred to as saddle portion or intermediate wall, formed in the underside of the crown 16 in the manner of a cross-head piston. As such, the upper sectors of the pin bores 30 and the top wall portion 36 provide a smooth, continuous concave surface extending in axial and radial alignment with one another, such that the top wall portion 36 forms a load bearing extension of the upper sectors of the pin bores 30 for operatively supporting a wrist pin, and are closed laterally across the piston 12 between opposite radially outwardly facing side faces 38 of the pin bosses 28. As shown in
The piston 12 described and shown in
As best shown in
The outer surface 55 of the lower end portion 52 of the skirt 14 may be formed with one or more annular ring grooves 54 in which associated rings 56 are disposed. The grooves 54 and rings 56 may be the same or similar in construction to the grooves 24 and rings 26 of the piston 12. The lowest groove 54 may be formed with drain holes 57 opening to the interior of the skirt 14 to enable oil that collects in the lowest groove to escape and drain to the interior of the skirt 14 and back into the crank case. The lower end portion 52 may have an increased radial wall thickness relative to the remaining portion of the skirt 14 (i.e., the lower end portion 52 may comprise a band region of the skirt that is thicker than the region above the upper end portion 53 covering the pin boss region 28). The increased thickness of the lower end portion 52 allows for formation of the ring grooves 54 in the lower portion 52. It will be seen that the lower set of rings 56 is spaced from the upper set of rings 26 and that the skirt 14 is free of any openings through its wall structure in the space extending between the ring sets 56, 26. In this way, when the piston assembly is installed in a piston cylinder bore, such as within a cylindrical liner 58 of an internal combustion engine 60, an oil and gas sealed region is formed between the ring sets 26, 56 by means of the rings 26, 56 engaging the inner surface 61 of the cylinder liner 58 during reciprocation of the piston assembly 10 within the cylinder liner 58.
The lower end portion 52 of the skirt 14 may include one or more mounting flanges, also referred to as lugs 62, shown as a pair, projecting radially inward from the inner surface 51 of the lower portion 52. The mounting lugs 62 are dimensioned and positioned on the skirt 14 to fit against a bottom surface 64 of the pin bosses 28. The lugs 62 may be formed with one or more openings 66 which align with corresponding threaded openings 68 extending into the bottom surfaces 64 of the pin bosses 28 to receive associated mounting fasteners, shown by way of example as threaded bolts 70, for securing the skirt 14 immovably on the piston 12. While the skirt 14 may be fixed to the piston 12 by threaded fasteners, as described, other ways of fixing the skirt 14 to the piston 12 are contemplated, including, but not limited to, welding, friction welding, brazing, screwing, gluing, pinning, etc.
The ring belt 110 has a stepped portion 116 of reduced diameter at it lower end. The upper end of the skirt 84 fits over the stepped portion 116 as discussed above with regard to the piston 12 and skirt 14, and thus, no further discussion is needed. A lower end portion 118 of the skirt 84 includes a plurality of ring grooves 120 similar to the ring grooves 54 discussed above, in which corresponding rings 122 are accommodated. The lower portion 118 is made the same as lower portion 52 of the first embodiment and the description thereof is incorporated herein by reference, including the provision of mounting lugs 124 (like those of lugs 62) which are secured by bolts 126 to the bottom of pin bosses 128 in the same manner as the first embodiment. As best shown in
The description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiments may become apparent to those skilled in the art and come within the scope of the invention. The invention is defined and limited by the scope of any ultimately allowed claims.
Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described, and that the scope of the invention is defined by any ultimately allowed claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/600,975, filed Feb. 20, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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