Engine front end pulley system

Abstract

The utility model discloses an engine front end pulley system, including crank pulley, and through the fan axle drive pulley, generator pulley, water pump drive pulley, tension pulley and idler wheel with crank pulley drive connection of belt, wherein, fan axle drive pulley set in the top of crank pulley, water pump drive pulley set in the top left of crank pulley, generator pulley set in the top left of fan axle drive pulley, and located the left side of crank pulley, tension pulley set between water pump drive pulley with crank pulley, idler wheel set between generator pulley with fan axle drive pulley. The application will generator pulley set in left side, reduce the radial load of generator pulley bearing to the belt, reduce the fatigue wear of generator pulley and bearing, prolong the service life of generator and generator pulley, adapt the durability demand of long time continuous operation of agricultural device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of engine technology, and in particular to an engine front-end pulley system. Background Technology

[0002] The engine front-end pulley system is a core power transmission component in agricultural equipment such as tractors and harvesters, and its performance directly determines the operational stability and efficiency of the equipment. In agricultural scenarios, tractors need to undertake heavy-duty operations such as deep plowing and sowing, while harvesters need to operate continuously for long periods during the harvest season. This places extremely high demands on the reliability, durability, and spatial adaptability of the engine front-end pulley system's power transmission. This system typically uses the crankshaft pulley as the core of the power input, distributing engine power to key components such as the fan shaft drive pulley, generator pulley, and water pump drive pulley via belts. These components respectively fulfill functions such as engine cooling, power supply, and coolant circulation. The coordinated work of these components forms a power transmission network for the stable operation of the agricultural equipment. Once a transmission failure occurs in the pulley system, it will directly lead to the shutdown of the agricultural equipment, causing serious operational losses, especially during the busy sowing and harvesting seasons.

[0003] Currently, existing engine front-end pulley systems have significant flaws in the layout and transmission design of the generator pulley. Specifically, existing solutions place the generator pulley to the right of the fan shaft drive pulley and do not incorporate it into the main pulley system dominated by the crankshaft pulley. Instead, power transmission is achieved through a double-layered generator drive pulley on top of the fan shaft drive pulley. In other words, the generator pulley relies on a belt to connect to this double-layered pulley, forming a secondary transmission system independent of the crankshaft pulley. This design not only adds components such as the double-layer generator drive pulley on the fan shaft, a dedicated transmission belt, and matching mounting brackets, but also causes multiple problems due to the additional power transmission stage. When the double-layer pulley and the fan shaft drive pulley are coaxially stacked, coaxiality misalignment is prone to occur due to machining accuracy deviations or long-term bumpy operation (such as on gravel roads in the field), leading to pulley jamming or localized belt wear, significantly increasing the failure rate of the pulley system. The secondary pulley system uses manual tensioning, which cannot adapt to the belt extension and contraction requirements of the engine under different operating conditions, making the belt prone to loosening. This not only causes transmission slippage and abnormal noise, but also causes generator speed fluctuations, affecting the stability of output voltage and interfering with the normal operation of the tractor's electro-hydraulic steering system and the harvester's operating instruments. More importantly, manually adjusting the belt tension of the secondary pulley system will simultaneously change the belt tension of the fan shaft drive pulley, causing abnormal fan speed. Too tight a belt will accelerate fan bearing wear, while too loose a belt will result in insufficient engine cooling. During summer field operations, the water temperature can easily rise by 5-8°C, triggering engine overheat protection shutdown and seriously affecting the continuous operation of agricultural equipment.

[0004] The above background information is provided only to aid in understanding the concept and technical solution of this utility model. It does not necessarily belong to the prior art of this patent application. In the absence of clear evidence that the above information was disclosed on the filing date of this patent application, the above background information should not be used to evaluate the novelty and inventiveness of this application. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to propose a front-end pulley system for an engine, in which the generator pulley is located on the left side, thereby reducing the radial load of the belt on the generator pulley bearing and reducing fatigue wear between the generator pulley and the bearing.

[0006] Therefore, this utility model proposes a front-end pulley system for an engine.

[0007] Preferably, the present invention may also have the following technical features:

[0008] An engine front-end pulley system includes a crankshaft pulley, and a fan shaft drive pulley, a generator pulley, a water pump drive pulley, a tensioner, and an idler pulley that are connected to the crankshaft pulley via belts. The fan shaft drive pulley is positioned above the crankshaft pulley; the water pump drive pulley is positioned to the upper left of the crankshaft pulley; the generator pulley is positioned to the upper left of the fan shaft drive pulley and to the left of the crankshaft pulley; the tensioner pulley is positioned between the water pump drive pulley and the crankshaft pulley; and the idler pulley is positioned between the generator pulley and the fan shaft drive pulley.

[0009] Preferably, the fan shaft drive pulley is positioned directly above the crankshaft pulley.

[0010] Preferably, the fan shaft drive pulley is mounted on the first bracket via a fan shaft mounting seat. The first bracket is connected to the cylinder head. The fan shaft mounting seat has first mounting holes at its four corners. Corresponding to the positions of the first mounting holes, the first bracket has several sets of threaded holes to set the fan shaft drive pulley at various heights to match various engine models.

[0011] Preferably, the threaded hole includes a first threaded hole and a second threaded hole, the first threaded hole being disposed in the lower half of the first bracket and the second threaded hole being disposed in the upper half of the first bracket.

[0012] Preferably, a generator connection part is integrated on the left side of the first bracket, and an air conditioner connection part is integrated on the upper side. The generator connection part and the air conditioner connection part are integrally formed with the first bracket.

[0013] Preferably, the wrap angle α of the generator pulley satisfies: 130°≤α≤170°, and the wrap angle β of the fan shaft drive pulley satisfies: 120°≤β≤150°.

[0014] Preferably, the belt is a multi-wedge belt, the surface of the wedge tooth layer of the multi-wedge belt is provided with a wear-resistant coating, the surface of the wear-resistant coating is provided with micro-anti-slip texture, the coating material is EPDM rubber, and the thickness is 0.3mm~0.5mm.

[0015] Preferably, the tensioning wheel is an automatic tensioning wheel, including a tensioning arm, a torsion spring, and a wheel body. One end of the torsion spring is fixedly connected to the engine cylinder block, and the other end is hinged to the tensioning arm. The wheel body is rotatably mounted on the end of the tensioning arm away from the torsion spring. The elastic force of the torsion spring drives the tensioning arm to drive the wheel body to tighten the belt.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model compared with the prior art include:

[0017] 1. In the gear train of this application, the belt drive tension on the left side of the crankshaft pulley is significantly less than that on the right side (when the crankshaft rotates, the right side is affected by the active driving torque, and the tension fluctuation is greater). By placing the generator pulley on the left side, not only is the radial load of the belt on the generator pulley bearing reduced, but fatigue wear between the generator pulley and the bearing is also reduced, extending the service life of the generator and the generator pulley, which meets the durability requirements of agricultural equipment for long-term continuous operation.

[0018] 2. The crankshaft pulley of this application directly drives the generator pulley, shortening the belt transmission path, improving transmission efficiency, and reducing engine power diversion loss. Especially when tractors are deep plowing or harvesters are operating at full load, it can avoid the problem of insufficient engine power caused by low transmission efficiency and ensure the operating efficiency of agricultural equipment.

[0019] 3. After the generator pulley of this application is moved to the left, the entire pulley system is arranged compactly along the crankshaft axis. Compared with the original solution, the space saved at the front of the engine provides more installation space for oil pipes, cooling pipes and hydraulic components in the engine compartment of agricultural equipment, which is suitable for the compact layout requirements of agricultural equipment. At the same time, the dynamic adjustment design of the tensioning wheel does not require frequent manual disassembly and adjustment. Compared with the original manual tensioning solution (which requires periodic shutdown to remove the cover for adjustment), it can reduce maintenance operations by 3 to 5 times per year, reducing maintenance costs and downtime losses when agricultural equipment is operating in the field.

[0020] 4. The installation height of the fan shaft drive pulley can be flexibly adjusted according to the differences in cylinder block height, crankshaft relative position, etc. of different engine models. There is no need to develop a special bracket for each model, which greatly improves the universality of the front wheel system in various machine scenarios such as agricultural tractors and harvesters, covering the entire range of agricultural engines with low horsepower and high horsepower.

[0021] 5. This application integrates the generator connection part and the air conditioner connection part on the first bracket, eliminating the welding stress or bolt connection gap when splicing multiple brackets. The structural rigidity and vibration resistance are significantly enhanced, which can effectively withstand the high-frequency vibration of agricultural equipment in the field (such as the bumps when tractors plow and harvesters cross ridges), reduce the risk of abnormal noise and component wear of generator and air conditioner due to bracket loosening, and improve the service life of wheel system and auxiliary equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a first structural schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a right view of a specific embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a left view of a specific embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-crankshaft pulley; 2-fan shaft drive pulley; 3-generator pulley; 4-water pump drive pulley; 5-tensioning pulley; 6-idler pulley; 7-fan shaft mounting base; 8-first bracket; 81-first threaded hole; 82-second threaded hole; 83-generator connection; 84-air conditioner connection; 9-belt. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. It should be emphasized that the following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope and application of the present invention.

[0027] Non-limiting and non-exclusive embodiments will be described with reference to the following figures, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same parts unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0028] A type of engine front-end pulley system, which is installed on agricultural devices such as tractors and harvesters, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown, the assembly includes a crankshaft pulley 1, and a fan shaft drive pulley 2, a generator pulley 3, a water pump drive pulley 4, a tensioner 5, and an idler pulley 6, all connected to the crankshaft pulley 1 via a belt 9. The fan shaft drive pulley 2 is positioned above the crankshaft pulley 1; the water pump drive pulley 4 is positioned to the upper left of the crankshaft pulley 1; the generator pulley 3 is positioned to the upper left of the fan shaft drive pulley 2 and to the left of the crankshaft pulley 1; the tensioner 5 is positioned between the water pump drive pulley 4 and the crankshaft pulley 1; and the idler pulley 6 is positioned between the generator pulley 3 and the fan shaft drive pulley 2.

[0029] In the prior art, the generator pulley 3 is located on the right side of the fan shaft drive pulley 2, and is connected to the fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley (superimposed on the upper layer of the fan shaft drive pulley 2) by belt 9. It is not in the same pulley system as the crankshaft pulley 1, and is manually tensioned, which makes it easy to loosen.

[0030] In this utility model, the transmission tension of the belt 9 on the left side of the crankshaft pulley 1 is significantly lower than that on the right side (the right side experiences greater tension fluctuations due to the active driving torque during crankshaft rotation). Placing the generator pulley 3 on the left side not only reduces the radial load of the belt 9 on the generator pulley 3 bearing but also reduces fatigue wear between the generator pulley 3 and the bearing, extending the service life of the generator and generator pulley 3, thus meeting the durability requirements of agricultural equipment operating continuously for extended periods. The tensioning pulley 5 dynamically adjusts the belt 9 tension, adapting in real-time to the belt 9 extension and contraction under different operating conditions such as engine idling and high speed, avoiding the problem of "cold-state tension followed by hot-state relaxation" in manual tensioning schemes. Combined with the idler pulley 6, the belt 9 wrap angle is optimized (increasing the contact arc length between the belt 9 and the generator pulley 3 and the fan shaft drive pulley 2), improving the transmission efficiency of the belt 9 torque and reducing the risk of cracking due to localized stress concentration. It also solves the slippage and abnormal noise problems caused by loose belt 9 in the original scheme, ensuring the transmission stability of agricultural equipment during bumpy field operations.

[0031] Compared to existing technical solutions, where the generator pulley 3 requires transmission via a double-layer generator drive pulley on the fan shaft, forming two independent gear trains—the "crankshaft pulley system" and the "fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley-generator pulley system"—this application adds components such as the fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley, a dedicated transmission belt, and corresponding mounting brackets. This application integrates the generator pulley 3 into the unified gear train of the crankshaft pulley 1, eliminating the fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley and independent transmission components. This reduces 3-4 easily damaged components (fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley, dedicated belt, bearings, etc.), lowers the overall failure probability of the gear train, and reduces component procurement and assembly costs, thus meeting the low-cost, high-reliability mass production requirements of agricultural equipment. In the original scheme, the generator pulley 3 relies on the fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley for indirect transmission (transmission path: crankshaft → fan shaft drive pulley 2 → fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley → generator pulley 3). Compared with the direct transmission of "crankshaft → generator pulley 3" in this application, there is an extra power transmission link, which not only generates additional power loss, but is also prone to fluctuations in the speed of generator pulley 3 due to the superposition installation error of the fan shaft double-layer generator drive pulley and fan shaft drive pulley 2 (such as axial movement, radial runout), affecting the stability of the generator output voltage, and thus interfering with the normal operation of the tractor's electro-hydraulic system and the harvester's operating instruments. This application eliminates the interference of auxiliary wheel transmission by using a unified wheel system for direct transmission, and controls the generator speed fluctuation within a certain range, ensuring the stability of the electrical system of agricultural devices and avoiding operation interruptions caused by voltage instability (such as the harvester's header lifting failure and insufficient tractor steering assist).

[0032] This application directly drives the generator pulley 3 via the crankshaft pulley 1, shortening the transmission path of the belt 9, improving transmission efficiency, and reducing engine power diversion losses. Especially when tractors are deep plowing or harvesters are operating at full load, it can avoid insufficient engine power caused by low transmission efficiency, ensuring the operating efficiency of agricultural equipment. After the generator pulley 3 is moved to the left, the entire pulley system is arranged compactly along the crankshaft axis. Compared with the original solution, the space saved at the front of the engine provides more installation space for oil pipes, cooling pipes, and hydraulic components in the engine compartment of the agricultural equipment, adapting to the compact layout requirements of agricultural equipment. At the same time, the dynamic adjustment design of the tensioning pulley 5 eliminates the need for frequent manual disassembly and adjustment. Compared with the original manual tensioning solution (which requires periodic shutdowns to remove the protective cover for adjustment), it can reduce maintenance operations by 3-5 times per year, reducing maintenance costs and downtime losses when agricultural equipment is operating in the field.

[0033] In some examples of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and 2As shown, the fan shaft drive pulley 2 is positioned directly above the crankshaft pulley 1. Specifically, the fan shaft drive pulley 2 is mounted on the first bracket 8 via a fan shaft mounting seat 7. The first bracket 8 is connected to the cylinder head. The fan shaft mounting seat 7 has first mounting holes at its four corners. Corresponding to the positions of the first mounting holes, the first bracket 8 has several sets of threaded holes to allow the fan shaft drive pulley 2 to be mounted at various heights to match various engine models. Specifically, this embodiment takes the setting of two sets of threaded holes as an example. The threaded holes include a first threaded hole 81 and a second threaded hole 82. The first threaded hole 81 is located in the lower half of the first bracket 8, and the second threaded hole 82 is located in the upper half of the first bracket 8. Since the threaded holes match the fan shaft mounting seat 7, the first threaded hole 81 and the second threaded hole 82 are actually the same size, but they are matched with the fan shaft mounting seat 7 in a set of four threaded holes. To clarify that the first bracket 8 can match the mounting height of various engine models, the two sets of threaded holes are named the first threaded hole 81 and the second threaded hole 82, respectively. Specifically, more sets of threaded holes can be set according to actual needs to match more engine models. The installation height of the fan shaft drive pulley can be flexibly adjusted based on differences in cylinder block height, crankshaft relative position, etc., of different engine models. This eliminates the need to develop dedicated brackets for each model, greatly improving the versatility of the front-end pulley system across various machine types, including agricultural tractors and harvesters, covering a full range of agricultural engines from low-horsepower to high-horsepower. This reduces R&D investment in dedicated brackets (such as mold development and structural simulation verification costs), while also reducing the variety of parts and inventory management difficulties in the production process. During on-site assembly, threaded hole sets can be quickly matched for fixing, improving assembly efficiency compared to traditional "customized bracket" solutions. Adjustments can also be made conveniently during after-sales maintenance and engine replacement, reducing downtime.

[0034] In some examples of this embodiment, a generator connection part 83 is integrated on the left side of the first bracket 8, and an air conditioner connection part 84 is integrated on the upper side. The generator connection part 83 and the air conditioner connection part 84 are integrally formed with the first bracket 8. The structure is robust, the number of brackets is reduced, and installation is convenient. The one-piece molding process eliminates welding stress or bolt connection gaps when splicing multiple brackets, significantly enhancing structural rigidity and vibration resistance. It can effectively withstand high-frequency vibrations during field operations of agricultural equipment (such as the bumps of tractors plowing and harvesters crossing ridges), reducing the risk of abnormal noises and component wear caused by loose brackets in the generator and air conditioner, and extending the service life of the wheel system and auxiliary equipment. It reduces assembly time, adapts to the efficient production rhythm of factory assembly lines, and reduces labor costs. The compact integrated layout compresses the ineffective space at the front of the engine, avoids the "space fragmentation" caused by the scattered arrangement of multiple brackets, and reserves installation redundancy for additional equipment unique to agricultural equipment (such as hydraulic pumps and additional heat dissipation modules), improving the modular expandability of the overall layout. It reduces the procurement and management costs of independent brackets and additional fasteners (such as bolts and anti-loosening washers); at the same time, the high reliability of the one-piece molding reduces the frequency of after-sales maintenance due to bracket failure, indirectly reducing service costs and user downtime losses.

[0035] In some examples of this embodiment, the wrap angle α of the generator pulley 3 satisfies: 130°≤α≤170°, and the wrap angle β of the fan shaft drive pulley 2 satisfies: 120°≤β≤150°. Specifically, the position of the idler pulley 6 can be adjusted according to the environment in which the gear train is used to change the wrap angles α and β, thereby adjusting the contact arc length between the belt 9 and the pulley, improving the stability of power transmission by the belt 9 under different environments, and reducing slippage. Specifically, a wear-resistant coating can also be provided on the inner wall of the groove of the idler pulley 6.

[0036] In some examples of this embodiment, the belt 9 is a multi-wedge belt. The surface of the wedge tooth layer of the multi-wedge belt is provided with a wear-resistant coating. The surface of the wear-resistant coating is provided with microscopic anti-slip texture. The coating material is EPDM rubber with a thickness of 0.3mm~0.5mm. Specifically, an anti-aging protective layer can also be provided on the outside of the multi-wedge belt. The protective layer material is chlorosulfonated polyethylene with a thickness of 0.2mm~0.4mm. Ultraviolet absorbers and antioxidants are added inside the protective layer to slow down the aging and corrosion of the multi-wedge belt by ultraviolet rays and rainwater during outdoor operation of agricultural equipment.

[0037] In some examples of this embodiment, the tensioning wheel 5 is an automatic tensioning wheel, including a tensioning arm, a torsion spring and a wheel body. One end of the torsion spring is fixedly connected to the engine cylinder block, and the other end is hinged to the tensioning arm. The wheel body is rotatably mounted on the end of the tensioning arm away from the torsion spring. The elastic force of the torsion spring drives the tensioning arm to drive the wheel body to press the belt 9.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations are possible with respect to the above description, and the embodiments and figures are merely for describing one or more specific implementations.

[0039] Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt specific situations to the doctrine of the present invention without departing from the central concept of the present invention described herein. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but may include all embodiments and equivalents that fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A front-end pulley system for an engine, characterized in that: The device includes a crankshaft pulley, and a fan shaft drive pulley, a generator pulley, a water pump drive pulley, a tensioner, and an idler pulley, all connected to the crankshaft pulley via belt drives. The fan shaft drive pulley is positioned above the crankshaft pulley; the water pump drive pulley is positioned to the upper left of the crankshaft pulley; the generator pulley is positioned to the upper left of the fan shaft drive pulley and to the left of the crankshaft pulley; the tensioner pulley is positioned between the water pump drive pulley and the crankshaft pulley; and the idler pulley is positioned between the generator pulley and the fan shaft drive pulley.

2. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fan shaft drive pulley is positioned directly above the crankshaft pulley.

3. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fan shaft drive pulley is mounted on the first bracket via a fan shaft mounting seat. The first bracket is connected to the cylinder head. The fan shaft mounting seat has first mounting holes at its four corners. Corresponding to the positions of the first mounting holes, the first bracket has several sets of threaded holes to set the fan shaft drive pulley at various heights to match various engine models.

4. The engine front pulley system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The threaded hole includes a first threaded hole and a second threaded hole, the first threaded hole being disposed in the lower half of the first bracket and the second threaded hole being disposed in the upper half of the first bracket.

5. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first bracket has a generator connection part integrated on the left side and an air conditioner connection part integrated on the upper side. The generator connection part and the air conditioner connection part are integrally formed with the first bracket.

6. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wrap angle α of the generator pulley satisfies: 130°≤α≤170°, and the wrap angle β of the fan shaft drive pulley satisfies: 120°≤β≤150°.

7. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The belt is a multi-wedge belt, and the surface of the wedge tooth layer of the multi-wedge belt is provided with a wear-resistant coating. The surface of the wear-resistant coating is provided with microscopic anti-slip texture. The coating material is EPDM rubber with a thickness of 0.3mm~0.5mm.

8. The engine front-end pulley system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning pulley is an automatic tensioning pulley, including a tensioning arm, a torsion spring, and a wheel body. One end of the torsion spring is fixedly connected to the engine cylinder block, and the other end is hinged to the tensioning arm. The wheel body is rotatably mounted on the end of the tensioning arm away from the torsion spring. The elastic force of the torsion spring drives the tensioning arm to drive the wheel body to tighten the belt.

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