Patent Application
20090277425
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for mounting a fuel pump in a V-type internal combustion engine.
2. Background Art
Engine compartments of automotive vehicles have grown increasingly crowded as more components are added to the engine to improve performance and reduce emissions. V-type engines may include one or more components located in the valley formed between the two cylinder banks to provide a compact engine package and various other advantages. However, machining of the cylinder block valley for mounting of components may be difficult or infeasible depending on the particular component and engine configuration. Prior art strategies, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,300 use a bracket or adapter plate secured to the cylinder block and component to secure the component to the cylinder block without machining in the valley.
A multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having an engine block with first and second cylinder banks arranged at an angle relative to one another to form a valley therebetween with an engine block face extending upward on at least one end of the valley includes a plurality of fasteners having a first threaded portion engaging the face of the engine block and a second threaded portion extending through the face into the valley and through corresponding apertures in a fuel pump housing mounting flange of a fuel pump disposed within the valley to secure the fuel pump directly to the engine block face without an adapter plate. The second threaded portion of each fastener engages a complementarily threaded spacer with a proximate end securing the flange of the fuel pump housing to the back of the engine block face and extending into the valley along substantially the entire length of the fuel pump housing to a distal end having a polygonal shape to facilitate engagement with a fastener driver tool.
In one embodiment, a method for mounting a high-pressure fuel pump in the valley of a V-type internal combustion engine includes securing a plurality of threaded fasteners in a front face of an engine block such that a threaded portion of the fasteners extends through the face into the valley, positioning a fuel pump in the valley with a mounting flange having a plurality of mounting holes such that each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a corresponding mounting hole of the flange, and securing a threaded spacer to each fastener to secure the fuel pump directly to the back side of the front face of the engine block.
In another embodiment, a method for mounting a fuel pump on an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block with two cylinder banks disposed at an angle relative to one another forming a valley therebetween includes positioning the fuel pump in the valley between the cylinder banks such that a fuel pump drive shaft hub and drive shaft extends through an aperture in the front face of the cylinder block and the fuel pump housing contacts a back surface of the front face of the cylinder block, and securing the fuel pump to the back surface of the front face using a plurality of fasteners extending through corresponding holes in the front face and through a mounting flange of the fuel pump housing.
The present disclosure includes embodiments having various advantages. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved packaging by mounting a high-pressure fuel pump in the valley of a V-type engine. The mounting strategy of the present disclosure reduces part count and complexity by eliminating an adapter plate or bracket that would otherwise be needed to mount the fuel pump due to the difficulty of machining in the valley of the engine block. The present disclosure provides direct mounting of the fuel pump to the back side of the engine block face so that the fuel pump is disposed within the valley without requiring machining of mounting holes from within the valley. Use of a spacer/nut extending into the valley along the fuel pump housing to a distal end shaped for engagement with a fastening tool provides accessibility to the spacer/nut to facilitate assembly and any subsequent servicing of the fuel pump.
The above advantages and other advantages and features will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features of the embodiments illustrated and described with reference to any one of the Figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other Figures to produce alternative embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desired for particular applications or implementations. The representative embodiments used in the illustrations relate generally to a V-type turbocharged, four-stroke, multi-cylinder, direct-injected compression-ignition internal combustion engine with a camshaft disposed within the engine block and a pushrod valvetrain. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize similar applications or implementations consistent with the present disclosure for other engine technologies, including spark-ignition engines of various configurations, for example. As used herein, words of direction including, but not limited to, forward, rearward, upward, front, back, etc. generally refer to the orientation of an engine mounted under the hood in the front portion of a passenger vehicle and are used for ease of illustration and description of representative embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the teachings of the present disclosure may be applied to other applications or implementations where the engine may be installed toward the rear of the vehicle, under a cab, or at some angle or orientation other than vertical for example, and that the words of direction should be adapted or modified accordingly for those applications consistent with the teachings herein.
One representative embodiment of a V-type multiple cylinder internal combustion engine having a fuel pump disposed in the valley and directly mounted to the engine block according to the present disclosure is illustrated in the front view of
Cylinder block 12 includes a front portion or face 20 having a generally flat front surface 22 adapted to receive a front engine cover (not shown). Front face 20 extends generally upward crossing a floor of the valley, indicated generally by reference numeral 28 (best illustrated in
In the embodiment of
As illustrated and described herein, embodiments according to the present disclosure provide improved packaging by mounting a high-pressure fuel pump in the valley of a V-type engine. The mounting strategy of the present disclosure reduces part count and complexity by eliminating an adapter plate or bracket that would otherwise be needed to mount the fuel pump to the engine block due to the difficulty of machining in the valley of the engine block. The present disclosure provides direct mounting of the fuel pump to the back side of the cylinder block face so that the fuel pump is disposed within the valley and does not require machining of mounting holes within the valley. Use of a spacer nut extending into the valley along the fuel pump housing to a distal end shaped for engagement with a fastener driver tool or wrench provides accessibility to the spacer nut to facilitate assembly and any subsequent servicing of the fuel pump.
While the best mode has been described in detail, those familiar with the art will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments within the scope of the following claims. Where one or more embodiments have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments and/or over prior art in regard to one or more desired characteristics, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that compromises may be made among various features to achieve desired system attributes, which may depend on the specific application or implementation. These attributes include, but are not limited to: cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. The embodiments described as being less desirable relative to other embodiments with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the invention as claimed.
