Interlocking Piston Button for Racing Engine Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In racing engines, circular wrist pin buttons can rotate within their piston bosses, causing deformation of the oil control ring and groove, leading to engine damage and frequent disassembly for repairs.

Innovation Solution

The engine piston assembly features interlocking piston buttons with specific diameters and protrusions that fit into corresponding recesses in the piston bosses, securely retaining the wrist pin and preventing rotation, thus protecting the oil control ring and groove.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If circular buttons are used to retain wrist pin, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to rotation causing damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of button replacementVSAvoidprevention of button rotation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by providing interlocking protrusions on the piston buttons that engage with corresponding recesses in the piston bosses. This asymmetric geometric feature prevents rotational movement of the buttons while maintaining ease of installation and removal, directly resolving the contradiction between operational ease and rotational prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Reliability

If clips are used to retain wrist pin, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention of wrist pinVSAvoidspeed of button replacement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the retention mechanism into separate interlocking protrusions and recesses that can be independently designed for both security and ease of assembly. This segmentation allows the wrist pin retention system to provide reliable holding while enabling quick replacement, resolving the contradiction between retention reliability and replacement speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If interlocking protrusions are added to prevent rotation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of oil control ring deformationVSAvoidcomplexity of piston button structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adding interlocking protrusions only at specific locations on the piston buttons where rotational prevention is needed, rather than redesigning the entire button structure. This localized modification provides the necessary reliability to prevent oil control ring deformation while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10495224B2Interlocking piston button

Publication Date: 2019.12.03 WESTERN DISTRIBUTING CO

AI summary

An engine piston assembly includes a piston with two opposing boss bores, a first interlocking piston button with at least one interlocking protrusion compatible with at least one interlocking recess in the first boss bore, and a second interlocking piston button with at least one interlocking protrusion compatible with at least one interlocking recess in the second boss bore. The interlocking protrusions serve to prevent the buttons from rotating inside the boss bores and deforming an oil control ring inside an oil control ring groove of the piston assembly.