INTAKE ASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL RESONATORS

• US 20080168961A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Prior, Gregory P., Bittner, Roxann M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/184.57
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10157 Supercharged engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/104 Intake manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1216 by using a plurality of holes, slits, protrusions, perforations, ribs or the like; Surface structures; Turbulence generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1266 comprising multiple chambers or compartments
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1277 Reinforcement of walls, e.g. with ribs or laminates; Walls having air gaps or additional sound damping layers

Abstract

An intake assembly, such as a supercharger assembly, is provided for an internal combustion engine. The intake assembly includes a housing having a wall defining an inlet passage through which intake air enters the intake assembly. A plurality of stiffening ribs is provided on the wall opposite the inlet passage and at least partially defines at least one cavity. A plate is mounted to the wall of the housing and further defines the at least one cavity. The wall defines at least one orifice configured to provide communication between the inlet passage and the at least one cavity. The at least one cavity and the at least one orifice cooperate to form at least one resonator. A method of forming the intake assembly having integral resonators is also provided.

Claims

1. An intake assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a housing having a wall defining an inlet passage through which intake air enters the intake assembly;

a plurality of stiffening ribs provided on said wall opposite said inlet passage and at least partially defining at least one cavity;

a plate mounted to said wall of said housing and further defining said at least one cavity;

wherein said wall defines at least one orifice configured to provide communication between said inlet passage and said at least one cavity; and

wherein said at least one cavity and said at least one orifice cooperate to form at least one resonator.

2. The intake assembly of claim 1, wherein said plate is configured to sealingly engage said wall of said housing.

3. The intake assembly of claim 1, wherein the intake assembly is a supercharger and wherein said housing defines a rotor cavity, said supercharger assembly having a plurality of counter-rotating rotors disposed within said rotor cavity.

4. The intake assembly of claim 1, wherein said plurality of stiffening ribs are arranged generally cross-wise in a waffle pattern.

5. The intake assembly of claim 1, further comprising a gasket member disposed between said plate and said housing and operable to seal said plate with respect to said housing.

6. A supercharger assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a housing having a wall defining an inlet passage through which intake air enters the supercharger assembly;

a plurality of stiffening ribs provided on said wall opposite said inlet passage and at least partially defining at least one cavity;

a rotor cavity defined by said housing and sufficiently configured to contain a plurality of counter rotating rotors operable to pressurized said intake air;

a plate mounted to said wail of said housing and further defining said at least one cavity;

wherein said wall defines at least one orifice configured to provide communication between said inlet passage and said at least one cavity; and

wherein said at least one cavity and said at least one orifice cooperate to form at least one resonator.

7. The supercharger assembly of claim 6, wherein said plate is configured to sealingly engage said wall of said housing.

8. The supercharger assembly of claim 6, wherein said plurality of stiffening ribs are arranged generally cross-wise in a waffle pattern.

9. The supercharger assembly of claim 6, further comprising a gasket member disposed between said plate and said housing and operable to seal said plate with respect to said housing.

10. A method of forming at least one resonator within an intake assembly including a housing having a wall with a plurality of stiffening ribs formed thereon, wherein the plurality of stiffening ribs on the wall of the housing partially define at least one cavity on the wall opposite an inlet passage defined by the housing through which intake air passes the method comprising:

forming at least one orifice in the housing, wherein said orifice operable to provide communication between the inlet passage and the at least one cavity;

mounting a plate to the housing to further define the at least one cavity; and

wherein the at least one orifice and the at least one cavity cooperate to form at least one resonator.

11. The method of claim 11, further comprising sealing said plate to the housing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the housing is formed by a casting operation and wherein forming said at least one orifice is performed by at least one of a machining operation and said casting operation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of stiffening ribs on the wall of the housing are arranged in a generally cross-wise arrangement to form a waffle pattern.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the intake assembly is a supercharger assembly and wherein the housing defines a rotor cavity, said supercharger assembly having a plurality of counter-rotating rotors disposed within said rotor cavity.