Balancer Gear Housing Layout to Shield Oil Pump Drive Gears
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing balancer device for internal combustion engines suffers from lubricating oil falling onto the pump drive gear, increasing rotational resistance due to viscosity, especially under low temperature conditions, which affects fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A configuration where the upper side housing covers the balancer drive gear, first balancer shaft, first gear, second gear, second balancer shaft, reduction gear, and pump drive gear, with only the balancer drive gear exposed to mesh with the engine-side gear, forming an oil shield wall to prevent lubricating oil from reaching the pump drive gear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the balancer drive gear and pump drive gear are exposed to allow meshing with engine-side gear, then the gear transmission function is achieved, but lubricating oil falls onto the pump drive gear increasing rotational resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into an upper side housing and a lower side housing, creating a segmented structure that allows the pump drive gear to be covered while the balancer drive gear remains exposed for meshing. This segmentation enables selective exposure of gear components to resolve the contradiction between meshing functionality and oil protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper side housing acts as an intermediary structure that selectively shields the pump drive gear from lubricating oil while allowing the balancer drive gear to remain exposed for meshing operations. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by providing differential protection to different gear components.
2Loss of energy
If the pump drive gear is covered to prevent oil contact, then rotational resistance is reduced, but gear meshing with balancer drive gear is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure implements local quality by providing selective coverage - the pump drive gear area is covered to prevent oil contact and reduce rotational resistance, while the balancer drive gear area remains exposed to maintain meshing functionality. This localized differential treatment resolves the contradiction.
3Productivity
If lubricating oil contacts the pump drive gear, then the oil pump can be driven, but rotational resistance increases especially at low temperatures affecting fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The pump drive gear is extracted from the exposed region and placed under the coverage of the upper side housing, separating it from the lubricating oil path while the balancer drive gear remains accessible for meshing. This extraction allows the oil pump to operate without the harmful effect of oil contact increasing rotational resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper side housing, which could be seen as adding structural complexity, actually converts the harmful effect of oil contact into benefit by shielding the pump drive gear. This transforms the potential harm of oil viscosity into a protective function that reduces rotational resistance and improves fuel efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents lubricating oil from falling on the pump drive gear, reducing rotational resistance and improving fuel efficiency by minimizing exposure to high viscosity oil, especially at low temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
an upper side housing (13) formed in such a shape that covers the balancer drive gear (15), the first balancer shaft (14), the first gear (16), the second gear (25), the second balancer shaft (23), the reduction gear (24), and the pump drive gear (20)
Implementation Method 2
a gear transmission mechanism, in which a first gear (16) and a second gear (25) are respectively meshed at one end of the first balancer shaft (14) and one end of the second balancer shaft (23)
Implementation Method 3
the force of inertia generated in the crankshaft is made to balance with the force of inertia generated in the first balancer shaft and the second balancer shaft
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a balancer device for an internal combustion engine that suppresses lubricating oil from failing onto a reduction gear and a pump drive gear provided to drive and rotate an oil pump and thereby suppresses an increase in resistance against rotation between the reduction gear and the pump drive gear. The balancer device for the internal combustion engine includes a lower side housing on which a balancer drive gear, a first balancer shaft including a first balance weight, a first gear, a second gear, a second balancer shaft including a second balance weight, and the reduction gear are mounted. The balancer device also includes an upper side housing formed in such a shape that covers the balancer drive gear, the first balancer shaft including the first balance weight, the first gear, the second gear, the second balancer shaft including the second balance weight, the reduction gear, and the pump drive gear from above in the state that the oil pump is assembled with the upper side housing such that the pump drive gear is meshed with the reduction gear. The upper side housing is assembled with the lower side housing. The balancer device further includes an exposure opening formed in the upper side housing such that only the balancer drive gear is exposed from the upper side housing to be meshed with an engine-side gear.