Universal Engine Interface Housing with Three Centering Pin Bores
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of interfaces between a family of engines and a family of gearboxes is costly due to the need for specific centering pin positions, which vary with engine architecture, making it challenging to achieve the required precision of concentricity between the crankshaft and the gearbox input shaft.
Innovation Solution
An interfacing casing with a perimeter surface featuring three centering pin bores, where the first and second bores are diametrically opposed, and the third bore is angularly closer to the first, allowing for compatibility with multiple engine architectures without modifying the centering pin bore positions on the engine blocks, enabling simultaneous machining and precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If two centering pin bores are arranged diametrically opposed for precise alignment, then concentricity precision is improved, but adaptability to different engine architectures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The interface housing is designed with three centering pin bores instead of two, allowing the same housing to adapt to different engine architectures (V6, V8, straight-4, straight-6) by selectively using different bore combinations. This multi-functional design enables universal compatibility across various engine types while maintaining precise alignment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different centering pin bores are positioned at specific locations around the peripheral mounting surface to match the particular geometry of different engine architectures. The local positioning of bores is optimized for each engine type, allowing precise alignment while accommodating variations in engine casing structures.
2Manufacturing precision
If specific interface casings are provided for each engine architecture, then alignment precision is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single interface housing design with three centering pin bores serves multiple engine architectures, eliminating the need to produce separate housing variants for different engines. This universal design reduces tooling costs, simplifies manufacturing processes, and lowers inventory requirements while maintaining precise alignment capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functionality of multiple architecture-specific housings into a single universal housing design. By combining multiple centering pin bore positions into one housing, the design achieves both precision alignment and cost efficiency through consolidation of parts.
3Manufacturing precision
If centering pin bores are positioned for specific engine architectures, then concentricity alignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface housing incorporates three centering pin bores in specific positions to provide universal compatibility across different engine architectures. This multi-functional approach achieves precise alignment without requiring multiple specialized housing designs, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a housing (30) enabling a combustion engine to interface with a transmission, including a perimetric surface (32) for mounting on the combustion engine, having means (34) for attachment to the engine, and a first bore (40) and a second bore (44) for a pin for centering the housing relative to the engine. The mounting surface (32) includes a third bore (42) for a centering pin, suitable for being used instead of the second bore (44) depending on the type of engine to be interfaced with. The housing (30) can also be mounted on a first type of engine, the engine block of which consists of a main housing and of a lower secondary housing paired with the main housing, as well as on a second type of engine, the engine block of which consists of unpaired housings.