U.S. patent application number 10/549734 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-22 for valve spring plate.
Invention is credited to Manfred Elbl, Thomas Fuchshuber, Gunther Mendl.
Application Number | 20060131535 10/549734 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32946029 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060131535 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mendl; Gunther ; et
al. |
June 22, 2006 |
Valve spring plate
Abstract
In a valve spring retainer plate for supporting the spring
forces of closing springs acting upon gas exchange valves in the
valve operation of internal combustion engines having a
reinforcement member of a material of lower strength and an annular
supporting member of a material of higher strength being positioned
between the reinforcement member and the closing spring, it is
proposed that the supporting member for simplifying the manufature
and the premounting merely is maintained on the reinforcement
member by friction fit.
Inventors: |
Mendl; Gunther; (Greding,
DE) ; Elbl; Manfred; (Wettstetten, DE) ;
Fuchshuber; Thomas; (Rockingen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TREXLER, BUSHNELL, GIANGIORGI,;BLACKSTONE & MARR, LTD.
105 WEST ADAMS STREET
SUITE 3600
CHICAGO
IL
60603
US
|
Family ID: |
32946029 |
Appl. No.: |
10/549734 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
March 17, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE04/00543 |
371 Date: |
January 30, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
251/337 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F01L 3/10 20130101; F01L
2301/00 20200501; F01L 2303/00 20200501 |
Class at
Publication: |
251/337 |
International
Class: |
F01L 3/10 20060101
F01L003/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 21, 2003 |
DE |
103125809 |
Claims
1. Valve spring retainer plate for supporting the valve forces of
closing springs acting upon gas exchange valves in the operation of
internal combustion engines, having a reinforcement member of a
material of lower strength and an annular supporting member of a
material of higher strength being positioned between the
reinforcement member and the closing spring, characterized in that
the supporting member (14) is maintained on the reinforcement
member (12) in a friction fit.
2. Valve spring retainer plate according to claim 1, characterized
in that the supporting member (14) is maintained on a hub section
(12b) of the reinforcement member (12) by means of a radially
inwardly positioned annular section (14b).
3. Valve spring retainer plate according to claims 1 and 2,
characterized in that the supporting member (14) is mounted at the
reinforcement member (12) with a slight pressure fit.
4. Valve spring retainer plate according to claims 1 to 3,
characterized in that the supporting member (14) is having a
L-shaped cross-section and that the radially inwardly positioned
annular section (14b) thereof is contacting the hub section (12b)
of the reinforcement member (12) with a slight pressure fit.
5. Valve spring retainer plate according to one or more of claims 1
to 4, characterized in that the supporting member (14) is
manufactured from steel by deep-drawing.
6. Valve spring retainer plate according to claim 5, characterized
in that the radially inwardly positioned ring section (14b) is
slightly conically extending with respect to the hub section (12b)
of the reinforcement member (12).
7. Valve spring retainer plate according to one or more of claims 1
to 6, characterized in that the reinforcement member (12) made from
a light alloy, especially from an aluminium alloy.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a valve spring retainer plate for
supporting the spring forces of closing springs acting upon gas
exchange valves in connection with the valve operation of internal
combustion engines, having a reinforcement member of a material of
lower strength and an annular supporting member of a material with
higher strength being positioned between the reinforcement member
and the closing spring according to the preamble of claim 1.
[0002] Such a valve spring retainer plate for example is shown by
German utility model DE 93 00 820 U1, in which the reinforcement
member is made from a fiber-reinforced plastic and the supporting
member of an annular steel sheet. The supporting member is
integrated in the reinforcement member in a positive fit.
[0003] In a further valve spring retainer plate of the kind
according to the above species (DE 41 20 892 A1) the reinforcement
member for reducing the weight thereof is made of aluminum and the
annular supporting member is made from a steel sheet, too. Here the
supporting member is caulked with the reinforcement member.
[0004] It is the task of the present invention to propose a valve
spring retainer plate of the above identified species which with an
unchanged reliable function can be produced far more simply and
therefore is suitable for a production in large numbers.
[0005] This task according to the invention is solved by the
characterizing features of claim 1. Advantageous improvements of
the invention can be learnt from the further claims.
[0006] According to the invention, it is proposed that the
supporting member merely by the way of friction is maintained on
the reinforcement member. It had been recognized according to the
invention that it is sufficient for a reliable and possibly
automated mounting of the valve spring retainer plate if the
connection between the reinforcement member and the supporting
member is by a frictional fit. As had been recognized, too, this
frictional fit does not impede the reliable function of the valve
operation in the later operation of the engine even with the
occurring high valve accelerations. A lift-off of the supporting
member from the reinforcing member is not occurring; relative
movements around the valve axis, too, between the supporting member
and the reinforcement member at least are negligible.
[0007] By the supporting disk in an advantageous manner
additionally a radial support and a stiffening of the valve spring
retainer plate is obtained. For example, thereby radial
forces--starting out from the gas exchange valve--can be at least
partly taken by or compensated by the supporting disk.
[0008] A sufficient frictional fit is obtained if the supporting
member is maintained by means of an radially inwardly positioned
annular section at a hub section of the reinforcement member. This
results to an extremely simple premounting of the valve spring
retainer plate by simply pushing both parts in an axial direction
one over the other.
[0009] In this connection and especially with an automated
premounting it is of advantage if the supporting member is
maintained at the reinforcement member with a slight pressure tit.
This ensures a safe connection during the premounting and the later
mounting even in connection with possibly critical transporting
conditions.
[0010] With regard to the manufacture, the supporting member
advantageously can have a L-shaped cross-section, wherein the
radially inner annular section thereof is contacting the hub
section of the reinforcement member with a slight pressure fit.
This concept is especially of advantage during the manufacture of
the supporting member from steel sheet according to the
deep-drawing-method, wherein the inner annular section even with a
merely slight pressure fit is leading to a reliable friction fit
connection with the reinforcement member.
[0011] By a slightly conical shaping of the radially inner ring
section with respect to the hub section of the reinforcement member
(about 1 to 3 degrees) possibly occurring tolerances in manufacture
can be compensated or a sufficient pressure fit at least at local
points of the connection can be ensured.
[0012] Finally it is proposed to manufacture the reinforcement
member from an aluminium alloy, e.g. an aluminium forging alloy,
which apart from a reduction in weight and a good deformability is
ensuring a sufficient strength of the valve spring retainer
plate.
[0013] An exemplary embodiment according to the invention in
further details is more closely described below.
[0014] The enclosed schematic drawing is showing a valve spring
retainer plate for the valve system of an internal combustion
engine having a reinforcement member and a supporting member in a
longitudinal cross-section along the central axis of the valve.
[0015] The rotationally symmetric valve spring retainer plate 10
shown is consisting of an annular reinforcement member 12 made of
an aluminium alloy and an annular supporting member 14 made by a
deep-drawing-method from steel sheet.
[0016] The valve spring retainer plate 10 in a valve system not
shown is serving the operation of gas exchange valves in an
internal combustion engine in a known manner as the connecting
member between the lift valve and a closing spring, wherein the
closing spring is supported on the radially extending annular
section 14a. In the conical recess 12a of the reinforcement member
12, the valve wedges holding the valve stem are inserted in a
mounted valve system.
[0017] The supporting ring 14 as shown is L-shaped in
cross-section, wherein the radially inner axially extending ring
section 14b is maintained on the exterior circumference of the hub
section 12b in a friction fit or a slight pressure fit,
respectively.
[0018] Possibly the above-mentioned ring section 14b can be made
slightly conically with respect to the hub section 12b similar to
the recess 12a to ensure a sufficient friction fit or pressure fit
at least locally in connection with decreased manufacturing
tolerances.
[0019] Different from the exemplary embodiment shown, the
supporting ring 14 can be only made disk-shaped and then the
interior recess enclosing the hub section 12b can contact the hub
section 12b in a pressure fit.
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