Engine arrangement with fuel pump shaft and pump mounting in the engine block

Abstract

Motor assembly (10) comprising: an engine block (12) comprising first and second banks (24, 26) defining first and second sets of cylinders (28), respectively, and arranged at an angle to one another to form a V-configuration, the engine block (12) having a bowl (30) between the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), the bowl (30) having first and second sidewalls defined by the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), a first end wall (32) extending between a first end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), and a floor, the first and second sidewalls extending from the first end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28) to the second end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28); a fuel pump (62) mounted in the recess (30) and disposed between the first and second side walls; and a drive shaft (76) drivingly engaged with the fuel pump (62); characterized in that the bowl (30) further comprises a second end wall (34) extending between a second end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), the fuel pump (62) being disposed between the first and second end walls (32, 34) of the engine block (12); wherein the drive shaft (76) is supported by the engine block (12); and wherein the engine block (12) includes a fuel system support structure (36) extending from the bottom of the bowl (30) and including a shaft housing (38) and a pump mounting member (40) extending from the shaft housing (38), the fuel pump (62) being attached to the pump mounting member (40) and the drive shaft (76) being rotatably housed in the shaft housing (38).

Description

AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a motor arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1, as known for example from US 6 474 305 A1.

[0002] With regard to the further state of the art, reference is made to the documents DE 966 708 B, DE 697 22 372 T2 and DE 10 79 888 A. BACKGROUND

[0003] Engine assemblies may include fuel systems incorporating various types of fuel pumps to provide a supply of pressurized fuel. High-pressure fuel pumps may be used in direct-injection engines. High-pressure fuel pumps may generally be mounted in the cylinder head and driven by the camshaft of an engine assembly configured with an overhead camshaft.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of creating an engine arrangement with a fuel pump, wherein the engine arrangement should be as compact as possible and at the same time protect the fuel pump. SUMMARY

[0005] This object is achieved with a motor arrangement having the features of claim 1.

[0006] Further areas of application will become clear from the description provided here. Of course, the description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only. DRAWINGS

[0007] The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only. The drawings include: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an engine assembly according to the present disclosure; Fig. 2 a perspective partial view of the engine block of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a partial sectional view of the motor arrangement of Fig. 1. EXACT DESCRIPTION

[0008] The following description is purely exemplary in nature. It is to be understood that corresponding reference characters designate like or corresponding parts and features throughout the drawings.

[0009] In the Fig. 1-3, an exemplary engine assembly 10 is shown schematically. The engine assembly 10 may include an engine block 12, first and second cylinder heads 14, 16, a valvetrain assembly 18, a fuel system 20, and a crankshaft 22.

[0010] As from Fig. 2, the engine block 12 may be a cast structure and include first and second banks 24, 26 of cylinders 28. The first and second banks 24, 26 may be arranged at an angle to each other to form a V-configuration defining a bowl 30 between the first and second banks 24, 26. The crankshaft 22 may be rotatably supported by the engine block 12 below the bowl 30. A first wall 32 may extend between the first and second banks 24, 26 at a first end of the bowl 30, and a second wall 34 may extend between the first and second banks 24, 26 at a second end of the bowl 30. The engine block 12 may further include a fuel system support structure 36 disposed between the first and second banks 24, 26 and between the first and second walls 32, 34.

[0011] As can be seen from the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the fuel system support structure 36 may include a shaft housing 38 and a pump mounting member 40. The shaft housing 38 may define a bore 42 including first and second bearing portions 44, 46 and an opening 48 extending into the shaft housing 38 and disposed axially between the first and second bearing portions 44, 46. The pump mounting member 40 may extend from the shaft housing 38 and have an opening 50 aligned with the opening 48 in the shaft housing 38.

[0012] In order to Fig. 1, the first cylinder head 14 may be attached to the first bank 24 of the engine block 12, while the second cylinder head 16 may be attached to the second bank 26. The valvetrain assembly 18 may include a first camshaft 52 supported by the first cylinder head 14 and a second camshaft 54 ​​supported by the second cylinder head 16 to form an overhead camshaft engine configuration. The valvetrain assembly 18 may further include intake and exhaust valves 56, 58 for each cylinder 28 actuated by the first and second camshafts 52, 54.

[0013] As in the Fig. 1 and Fig.3, the fuel system 20 may include a fuel delivery system 60, a fuel pump 62, and a fuel pump drive system 64. The fuel delivery system 60 may include fuel injectors 66 and first and second fuel rails 68, 70. The first and second fuel rails 68, 70 may communicate with the fuel injectors 66 to supply fuel to each of the cylinders 28. The fuel injectors 66 may include direct injection fuel injectors in direct communication with the cylinders 28 to form a direct injection fuel system.

[0014] The fuel pump 62 may communicate with the first and second fuel rails 68, 70 to provide a pressurized fuel supply to the cylinders 28. The fuel pump 62 may be mounted to the pump mounting member 40 mounted in the cavity 30 of the engine block 12. The fuel pump 62 may therefore be enclosed by the cast structure of the engine block 12. For example, the fuel pump 62 may be disposed between the first and second banks 24, 26 of cylinders 28 and between the first and second walls 32, 34.

[0015] The fuel pump 62 may include a pump mechanism 71 and a drive mechanism 72. The pump mechanism 71 may include a reciprocating pump attached to the pump mounting member 40, while the drive mechanism 72 may include a reciprocating mechanism 74 extending through the openings 48, 50 in the fuel system support structure 36 and engaging the fuel pump drive system 64. The fuel pump 62 may include a high-pressure fuel pump operating at pressures greater than 10,000 kilopascals (kPa).

[0016] The fuel pump drive system 64 may include a drive shaft 76 driven by the crankshaft 22. The drive shaft 76 may be disposed within the bore 42 of the shaft housing 38 and engaged with the crankshaft 22 via a belt assembly 78. The belt assembly 78 may, for example, include an accessory drive belt drivingly engaged with the drive shaft 76 and the first and second camshafts 52, 54. The drive shaft 76 may be driven at a speed that is less than the speed of the crankshaft 22 and greater than the speed of the first and second camshafts 52, 54. In the present example, the first and second camshafts 52, 54 may be driven at half the speed of the crankshaft 22. In another non-limiting example, the drive shaft 76 may be driven at a speed of two-thirds the speed of the crankshaft 22.

[0017] The drive shaft 76 may include first and second bearing portions, 80, 82, and a cam portion 84. The first bearing portion 80 may be rotatably supported by a first bearing 86 on the first bearing region 44 of the shaft housing 38, while the second bearing portion 82 may be rotatably supported by a second bearing 88 on the second bearing portion 46 of the shaft housing 38. The cam portion 84 may be axially disposed between the first and second bearing portions, 80, 82, and aligned with the openings 48, 50 in the fuel system support structure 36. The cam portion 84 may include first and second cams, 90, 92. The drive mechanism 72 of the fuel pump 62 may engage the cam portion of the drive shaft 76. The present example shows that the lifting mechanism 74 is displaced by the first and second cams 90, 92 to drive the pump mechanism 71.The cam portion 84 can move the drive mechanism 72 back and forth twice per revolution of the drive shaft 76.

[0018] The fuel system 20 may also include an optional sound-dampening material (not shown) disposed within the cavity 30 of the engine block 12, which may surround the fuel pump 62 to dampen the noise generated by the fuel pump 62. Disposing the fuel pump 62 within the cavity 30 of the engine block 12 provides various advantages, including, but not limited to, providing a location for the sound-dampening material. The fuel pump assembly may also utilize the engine block 12 as a protective housing for the fuel pump 62.

Claims

[1] Motor assembly (10) comprising: an engine block (12) comprising first and second banks (24, 26) defining first and second sets of cylinders (28), respectively, and arranged at an angle to one another to form a V-configuration, the engine block (12) having a bowl (30) between the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), the bowl (30) having first and second sidewalls defined by the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), a first end wall (32) extending between a first end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), and a floor, the first and second sidewalls extending from the first end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28) to the second end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28); a fuel pump (62) mounted in the recess (30) and disposed between the first and second side walls; and a drive shaft (76) drivingly engaged with the fuel pump (62); characterized by , that the bowl (30) further comprises a second end wall (34) extending between a second end of the first and second banks (24, 26) of cylinders (28), the fuel pump (62) being disposed between the first and second end walls (32, 34) of the engine block (12); wherein the drive shaft (76) is supported by the engine block (12); and wherein the engine block (12) includes a fuel system support structure (36) extending from the bottom of the bowl (30) and including a shaft housing (38) and a pump mounting member (40) extending from the shaft housing (38), the fuel pump (62) being attached to the pump mounting member (40) and the drive shaft (76) being rotatably housed in the shaft housing (38). [2] The engine assembly of claim 1, wherein the engine block (12) is a casting and the fuel system support structure (38) is cast onto the remainder of the engine block (12). [3] The engine assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the fuel system support structure (36) includes an opening (48, 50) extending through the pump mounting member (40) and the shaft housing (38), the fuel pump (62) including a drive member (74) extending through the opening (48, 50) and engaging the drive shaft (76).

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