Balance gear with a shot damper

• US 10,443,684 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chern, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Amick, Jacob M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brauch, Charles
• Application Number:
  US15/866,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20190211900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/264 Rotating balancer shafts F16F15/262 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/283 for engine crankshafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/363 using rolling bodies, e.g. balls free to move in a circumferential direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/366 using fluid or powder means, i.e. non-discrete material
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2226/045 Press-fitting
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2230/0011 Balancing, e.g. counterbalancing to produce static balance
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2232/02 Rotary
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/015 the particles being spherical, cylindrical or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/00 Elements with teeth or friction surfaces for conveying motion; Worms, pulleys or sheaves for gearing mechanisms of screw-and-nut gearing F16H25/00

Abstract

An engine system has a balance gear coupled to a balance shaft. The balance gear is formed by a disc having first and second opposite sides extending radially outwardly to a circumferential edge defining a series of teeth, with a first sector of the disc having a first aperture therethrough, and a second opposite sector of the disc having a second aperture therethrough. A damper is positioned within the second aperture and extends across the disc. The damper has a container enclosing a plurality of particles therein. Opposed ends of the container are outboard of the first and second sides of the disc. A method of forming the balance gear is also provided.

Claims

1. An engine system comprising:

a crankshaft gear coupled to a crankshaft of an engine for rotation therewith;

a balance gear coupled to a balance shaft for rotation therewith, the balance gear formed by a disc having first and second opposite sides extending radially outwardly to a circumferential edge defining a series of teeth extending between the first and second opposite sides, the series of teeth of the disc of the balance gear in meshed engagement with the crankshaft gear, a first sector of the disc having a first aperture therethrough, and a second opposite sector of the disc having a second aperture therethrough, each of the first and second apertures intersecting the first and second opposite sides; and

a damper having a container enclosing a plurality of particles therein, the container received into the second aperture and extending across the disc.

2. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the container of the damper comprises a base having a cylindrical side wall connected to an end wall, and a cover connected to the side wall opposite to the end wall of the base.

3. The engine system of claim 2 wherein the end wall of the damper is positioned outboard of the first side of the disc, and the cover of the damper is positioned outboard of the second side of the disc.

4. The engine system of claim 2 wherein the damper further comprises a central stirring member positioned within the base, connected to the end wall, and spaced apart from the side wall.

5. The engine system of claim 4 wherein the side wall and the stirring member are concentrically arranged.

6. The engine system of claim 4 wherein the stirring member contacts the cover.

7. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the damper is the sole damper in the balance gear.

8. The engine system of claim 7 wherein the second aperture and damper are equiangularly spaced from opposite radial ends of the second sector of the disc.

9. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the container defines a container volume in an unfilled state;

and

wherein the plurality of particles fills at least fifty percent of the container volume.

10. The engine system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of particles fills ninety to ninety-five percent of the container volume.

11. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the balance gear is eccentrically weighted by the first aperture in the first sector and the damper in the second sector.

12. The engine system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of particles comprises steel shot.

13. A gear for a vehicle shaft comprising:

a disc having first and second opposite sides extending radially outwardly to an edge defining a series of teeth, the disc having a first sector defining an aperture therethrough, the aperture intersecting the first and second opposite sides of the disc; and

a closed container received into the aperture and containing particles, wherein opposed ends of the container are outboard of the first and second sides of the disc.

14. The gear of claim 13 wherein the closed container has a central stirring member extending between the opposed ends.

15. The gear of claim 13 wherein the disc has a second sector defining a second aperture therethrough;

and

wherein the first sector and the second sector are opposed to one another and the second aperture is empty such that the gear is counterweighted.

16. The gear of claim 13 wherein the disc has a second sector defining a second aperture therethrough, the second aperture intersecting the first and second opposite sides;

the gear further comprising;

another closed container received into the second aperture and containing particles, wherein opposed ends of the another container are outboard of the first and second sides of the disc;

wherein the first and second apertures are radially opposite to one another such that the container and the another container are radially opposed to one another on the gear.

17. A method of forming a balance gear for a vehicle balance shaft comprising:

forming a disc having first and second opposite sides extending radially outwardly to a circumferential edge;

forming a series of teeth on the circumferential edge;

forming an aperture through the disc adjacent to the circumferential edge, the aperture intersecting the first and second opposite sides;

positioning a damper housing into the aperture such that the damper housing is received into the aperture, the damper housing having an interior region defined by a circumferential side wall extending from an end wall to an edge region, the side wall contacting a wall of the aperture;

providing a plurality of shot particles into the interior region of the damper housing to a specified fill fraction; and

attaching a cover plate to the edge region of the side wall of the damper housing to enclose the interior region, retain the plurality of shot particles therein, and form a damper in the balance gear.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming another aperture through the disc, the another aperture radially opposed to the aperture.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the damper housing is positioned in the aperture such that the end wall is outboard and spaced apart from the first side of the disc and the edge region is outboard and spaced apart from the second side of the disc.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising forming the damper housing with a stirring member connected to the end wall and spaced apart from the side wall such that the stirring member extends across the interior region of the damper housing.