Cam Follower Guide Assembly Reducing Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cam followers in fuel pump assemblies cause undesirable engine noise, vibration, and harshness due to high reciprocating mass, direct metal-to-metal contact, and lashing of the peg within the channel, necessitating a solution with reduced mass, quieter operation, and lower manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A cam follower assembly featuring a plastic guide body with grooved members and a metallic cam follower, where the roller shaft ends are slidably received within guide grooves, reducing metal-to-metal contact and incorporating a restrictive projection to minimize vibration and noise, while the plastic guide body is formed with glass fiber reinforcement for added strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a steel cam follower housing with a metal peg is used, then structural strength and durability are improved, but noise, vibration, and harshness increase due to metal-to-metal contact and lashing
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic guide body is introduced as an intermediary component between the metal cam follower housing and the mounting bore. This plastic guide body absorbs vibrations and eliminates direct metal-to-metal contact, thereby reducing noise and harshness while maintaining the structural integrity of the metal cam follower components
Solution Approach 2:
The solution employs a composite structure combining metal (cam follower housing) and plastic (guide body) materials. The metal provides necessary strength and durability, while the plastic provides vibration damping and noise reduction, creating a hybrid assembly that resolves the contradiction between strength and noise generation
2Duration of action of stationary object
If a steel cam follower housing is used, then durability is improved, but reciprocating mass increases causing more noise and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The cam follower assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a durable metal cam follower housing for strength and longevity, and a lightweight plastic guide body for reduced mass. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the plastic guide body significantly reducing reciprocating mass while the metal housing maintains durability
3Ease of manufacture
If a plastic guide body with glass fiber reinforcement is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic guide body is formulated as a composite material containing glass fiber reinforcement. This composite structure provides the necessary structural strength and rigidity for the guide body to perform its guiding and vibration-damping functions, while still maintaining the cost advantages of plastic manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic material parameters are modified by incorporating glass fiber reinforcement, which changes the material properties to achieve the required strength-to-cost ratio. This parameter change allows the plastic guide body to meet structural requirements while maintaining economical manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
A cam follower assembly having a plastic guide body and a cam follower having two opposing roller shaft ends is provided. The single piece guide body includes a pair of grooved members. Each of the grooved members include an interior surface defining an elongated guide groove having a recessed surface. The elongated guide grooves are facing and aligned with each other. The cam follower is disposed between the pair of grooved member such that one of the roller shaft ends is received in one guide groove and the opposite roller shaft end is received in the other of the guide groove. The roller shaft ends are slidable in a reciprocal axial direction within the elongated guide grooves and retained between the recessed surfaces. The plastic guide body may be injection molded from a nylon material having glass fibers.