Engine Cover Recessed Grooves for Rigidity and Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engine chain covers face challenges in balancing rigidity and weight reduction while effectively lubricating components, with existing designs often relying on ribs that can interfere with oil flow and increase weight.
Innovation Solution
A cover member with a through hole for shaft support and a protruding part featuring radially extending recessed grooves on both inner and outer surfaces, which connects upper and lower parts and forms a corrugated cross-section, enhancing rigidity and oil flow without additional weight from ribs, and incorporating a dry sump type lubrication system to reduce oil capacity and improve lubrication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If ribs are added to increase rigidity, then vibration suppression is improved, but weight increases and oil flow may be interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is segmented into multiple regions by the recessed grooves that radially divide the surface. This segmentation creates multiple smaller structural units that collectively provide rigidity without requiring large, weighty ribs. The grooves partition the cover into distinct zones that can independently contribute to structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding ribs that protrude in one dimension (increasing weight), the invention uses recessed grooves that extend in multiple radial dimensions. This dimensional approach creates structural reinforcement through the pattern and distribution of grooves rather than through mass addition, achieving rigidity through geometric configuration rather than material volume.
2Stability of the object's composition
If ribs are added to increase rigidity, then vibration suppression is improved, but oil flow may be interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using protruding ribs that could block oil flow paths, the invention inverts the approach by using recessed grooves. These grooves create channels that actively guide and facilitate oil flow toward the shaft, transforming potential flow obstructions into flow-enhancing features while still providing structural reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The recessed grooves serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural reinforcement to increase rigidity, they create channels to guide oil flow to the shaft, and they reduce overall weight compared to rib structures. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the same structural feature beneficial for both rigidity and lubrication.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional lubrication system is used, then oil capacity is sufficient, but oil consumption increases during vehicle turns
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed grooves create a self-regulating lubrication system where oil naturally flows through the grooves to the shaft area during normal operation. During vehicle turns, the grooves help retain and redirect oil back toward the shaft, creating a self-service mechanism that reduces oil loss without requiring additional active components or increased overall oil capacity.
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
The solution effectively suppresses vibrations, reduces weight, and ensures efficient lubrication of engine components by guiding oil through the recessed grooves, while the dry sump system minimizes oil requirements and maintains consistent lubrication during vehicle turns.
Implementation Method 1
configured to improve lubrication performance by guiding oil flowing downward by gravity along the first rib and the second rib, to a sprocket provided on a crankshaft
Data Source
AI summary
A cover of an internal combustion engine includes a cover body to be mounted to a crankcase of the internal combustion engine. The cover body includes a through hole, a protruding part, and a plurality of first recessed grooves. The through hole is to support a shaft rotatably. The protruding part is provided above the through hole in an upward direction of the internal combustion engine and protrudes toward an inside of the cover body facing the crankcase. The protruding part includes a first upper part and a first lower part in the upward direction on an inner surface of the protruding part facing the crankcase. The plurality of first recessed grooves extend radially from the through hole so as to connect the upper part and the lower part of the protruding part.