Engine intake manifold assembly

• US 20050005890A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cederstrom, James, Brewster, Christopher Anthony, Krajewski, Brian Anthony, Asfaw, Selamawit
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/184.610
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1406 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1412 Infrared [IR] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/484 Moisture curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/485 Multi-component adhesives, i.e. chemically curing as a result of the mixing of said multi-components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4865 containing additives C09J11/00 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7829 said distance pieces being integral with at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/124 Tongue and groove joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10144 Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10216 Fuel injectors; Fuel pipes or rails; Fuel pumps or pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10268 Heating, cooling or thermal insulating means air coolers F02B29/04; thermal treatment of combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M31/00; details of the throttle valve housing F02D9/1035
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10321 Plastics; Composites; Rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10327 Metals; Alloys catalysts F02M27/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10347 Moulding, casting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1036 : by welding, bonding or the like welding plastic materials together in general B29C65/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/112 : for engines with cylinders all in one line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49231 : I.C. [internal combustion] engine making

Abstract

An engine intake manifold assembly including a first portion configured with a first material and a second portion configured with a second material, wherein the first and second portions are adhesively bonded together. Preferably, the intake manifold assembly is additionally configured with a cylinder head flange, for mounting the same to an automotive engine component, and a throttle body attachment for attachment of a throttle body component. The cylinder head flange and throttle body attachment may be an integral component of the first or second portions or attached to the same during or after assembly of the first and second portions. Optionally, an insert is located between the assembled first and second portion to create one or more plenums thereby creating one or more air flow paths through the intake manifold assembly.

Claims

1. A method for making an automotive vehicle intake manifold, comprising the steps of:

providing a first manifold portion made of a first material;

providing a second manifold portion made of a second material;

placing a manifold insert between the first manifold portion and the second manifold portion; and

adhesively joining the first manifold portion to the second manifold portion with the insert there between to define an intake manifold for an automotive vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are different from each other.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the manifold insert is a third material that is different from at least one of the first material and the second material.

4. The method of any of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first, second or third materials is a plastic material.

5. The method of any of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plastic materials is a thermoplastic material that is formed by a step of thermoforming, injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding, compression molding, resin transfer molding, structural reactive injection molding or a combination thereof.

6. The method of any of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first, second or third materials is selected from a metal, a ceramic, a composite or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the insert is adapted for defining one or a plurality of plenums within the intake manifold.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising an alignment feature for maintaining a gapped relationship between the first and second manifold portions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are the same.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second manifold portion are joined by welding.

11. A method for making an automotive vehicle intake manifold comprising the steps of:

providing a first portion of an intake manifold for defining an air path, the first portion being free of at least one of a throttle body attachment, or a cylinder head flange;

joining the first portion to a throttle body assembly; and

joining the first portion to an engine cylinder head.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion includes a first shell portion that is plastic bonded to a second shell portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the shell portions are formed of dissimilar materials.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first or second shell portion includes a cylinder head flange or a throttle body attachment.

15. The method of claims 14, wherein the first or second shell portion includes one or more EGR valve attachments, cross-over pipe attachments, housing for active manifold actuators, blow-by valve attachments, valve cover attachments, bracket attachments, attachment nipples, air filter housing, air ducts, pressure sensors, mass air flow sensors, resonators, fuel rails or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the cylinder head flange is connected to the first or second shell portion using an adhesive.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the throttle body attachment is connected to the first or second shell portion using an adhesive.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising a manifold insert located between the first and second portions.

19. A method for making an intake manifold for an automotive vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a first shell portion of an intake manifold being made of a first material; and

adhesively joining the first shell portion to a second shell portion of the intake manifold being made of a second material that is different from the first material, wherein the first shell portion and the second shell portion combine to form runners for air flow within the intake manifold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of placing an insert between the first and second shell portions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first shell portion, the second portion or both portion comprises a plastic.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first or second shell portion further includes a cylinder head flange.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first or second shell portion further includes a throttle body attachment.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first or second or both shell portions comprise a reinforced fiber.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of attaching the intake manifold to a automotive engine, cylinder head or otherwise through the cylinder head flange using adhesives, fasteners or both.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the first or second shell portions further comprise of a throttle body attachment and a cylinder head flange for attachment of the same and wherein the intake manifold assembly further comprises an insert spaced between the first and second shell portions.

51. The method assembly of claim 19, further comprising the step of separating the first portion from the second portion at the end of the life of the intake manifold and recycling the material from at least one of the portions.

27. An intake manifold assembly, comprising:

a first portion having an associated first mating surface;

a second portion having an associated second mating surface;

an adhesive layer interposed between the first and second mating surfaces; and

an alignment feature integrally formed with the first or second portion configured to align and maintain a gapped relationship between the first and second mating surfaces to form an intake manifold assembly.

28. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the second portion is interposed between the first and third portion.

29. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the first, second and third mating surfaces are generally nonplanar.

30. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the combining of the first and second mating surface and the first and third mating surface comprises at least one tongue and groove relationship.

31. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the alignment feature is a projecting portion of the first or second mating surfaces.

32. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the alignment feature is a recessed portion of the first or second mating surfaces.

33. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, further comprising a mechanical attachment for joining the first and second components.

34. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein said joint is substantially free of mechanical fasteners.

35. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the alignment feature is configured of a recessed portion having a width or diameter that is smaller than the dimension of an opposing angled projection thereby preventing completed nestling of the first and second mating surface such that the gapped relationship is formed.

36. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the alignment feature is configured of a pair of opposing angled projections extending from the second component thereby preventing the complete nestling of the first and second mating surfaces such that the gapped relationship is formed.

37. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the alignment feature is configured of a projection extending from the second component and located between runners of an intake manifold assembly such that complete nestling of the first and second mating surfaces are prevented such that the gapped relationship is formed.

38. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the first or second portions includes a resin selected from nylon 6, nylon 6,6, polypropylene, polyethylene, polybutylene, terephthalate, polyetherimide, polyphenylene, ether/polyamide, polyethere sulfone, polyethe ether ketone, polyanylsulfone, polyamideimide, polyphthamlimide, polycarbonate, acrylonitrite butadiene styrene, polyamide, syndiotactic polystyrene, and blends thereof.

39. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the first or second portions include a resin having a filler or reinforcement selected from glass, mineral, carbon fiber, graphite, aramide, clay talc, calcium carbonate.

40. The intake manifold of claim 39, wherein the filler or reinforcement is glass and is selected from a long fiber glass, a short fiber glass or a combination thereof.

41. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein the adhesive is selected from urethanes, epoxies, silicones, silanes, polyimides, organoborates, acrylics, acetates, or combinations thereof.

42. The intake manifold assembly of claim 41, wherein the adhesive includes a filler.

43. The intake manifold assembly of claim 41, wherein the adhesive is a cure on demand adhesive.

44. The intake manifold assembly of claim 41, wherein the adhesive is a structural adhesive.

45. The intake manifold assembly of claim 41, further comprising a surface treatment on the first, second or both portions and in contact with the adhesive.

46. The intake manifold assembly of claim 41, wherein a gap is defined between the first portion and the second portion, within the first portion, within the second portion, or a combination thereof.

47. The intake manifold assembly of claim 46, further comprising filling the gap with a material for improving the NVH characteristics of the intake manifold.

48. The intake manifold assembly of claim 47, wherein the material is an elastomer, a foam or a combination thereof.

49. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, further comprising surface treating at least a portion of the first or second portions.

50. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, further comprising coating at least a portion of the first or second portions with a plasma coating.

52. The intake manifold assembly of claim 27, wherein overmolding of the first or second portions improves the NVH characteristics of the intake manifold.

53. A method for making an automotive vehicle intake manifold, comprising the steps of:

providing a first manifold portion made of a first material;

providing a second manifold portion made of a second material;

adhesively joining the first manifold portion to the second manifold portion to define an intake manifold for an automotive vehicle

adhesively joining a component selected from a cylinder head flange or a throttle body attachment to the intake manifold, the component being formed of a third material that is different from both the first material and the second material.