Internal Combustion Engine Crankcase Gear Overlap Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional internal combustion engines with coolant and oil pumps require additional space due to non-overlapping gear configurations, leading to increased engine size when viewed from the end of the crankshaft.
Innovation Solution
The engine design incorporates overlapping configurations for the third gear and pump gear, along with a water pump unit, first and second rotary shafts, and restriction members to reduce space occupancy and prevent axial movement, allowing the pump gear to overlap the third gear and impeller, thus maintaining a compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the oil pump idler gear and the coolant pump gear are disposed inside the crankcase so as not to overlap each other as viewed from the extending direction of the crankshaft, then the gears can be properly meshed with the drive gears, but the size of the engine is increased in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the crankshaft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional reconfiguration by allowing the coolant pump gear and third gear to overlap in the radial direction (as viewed from the crankshaft end), while maintaining proper meshing in the axial direction. This transforms the spatial arrangement from a two-dimensional non-overlapping layout to a three-dimensional overlapping layout, reducing the engine's width without compromising gear engagement reliability.
2Area of stationary object
If the pump gear is disposed to overlap the third gear as viewed from an end of the crankshaft, then the space occupied by the pump and gear components is reduced, but the gears must be precisely positioned to avoid interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested gear arrangement where the coolant pump gear is positioned to overlap the third gear radially, with both gears meshing with different crankshaft gears axially. This nested configuration allows the pump gear to be embedded within the radial space of the third gear, minimizing the overall footprint while maintaining independent rotational functions through precise axial positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine (internal combustion engine), in accordance with an embodiment, includes: a crankcase; a crankshaft accommodated in the crankcase; a first crank gear and a second crank gear disposed inside the crankcase to rotate about the crankshaft; a balancer gear meshed with the first crank gear to rotate as the first crank gear rotates; and a water pump part having a water pump gear. The water pump gear is meshed with the second crank gear to rotate as the second crank gear rotates. The balancer gear and the water pump gear are disposed to overlap each other as viewed from an end of the crankshaft.