Elephant's foot adjusting screw assembly for internal combustion

Technical Field

0001The present invention relates generally to contact interfaces between mechanically driven actuating and actuated members in internal combustion engines and specifically to an assembly for a contact interface between an actuating member and an actuated member of an internal combustion engine that minimizes sliding friction and wear at the interface.

Background of the Invention

0002The harsh operating conditions encountered in an internal combustion engine, particularly the high temperatures and high pressures, cause engine components to wear rapidly. Mechanically driven actuators and actuating components are especially susceptible to wear in this environment. An actuating component-actuator interface in which the interface contact is accompanied by sliding motion is likely to experience undesirable sliding wear and sliding friction. Consequently, the materials used for producing such engine actuating components should provide good mechanical strength, thermal stability and wear resistance, particularly sliding wear resistance. Metals have typically been used to form such components. Ceramics, such as zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide and the like, have been found to exhibit excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability and wear resistance. However, ceramics, despite their promise as wear-resistant engine components, are often hard and brittle and lack the formability and workability of metals which are conventionally applied to low cost precision engine components.

0003Composites formed from a ceramic element and a metal element have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned limitations. Although ceramic and metallic composite structures useful as internal combustion engine components are available, a ceramic-metal composite structure sufficiently reliable and durable for use as an actuating component adjusting screw element in an internal combustion engine environment has not heretofore been commercially available.

0004The prior art has proposed ceramic-metal composites useful in internal combustion engines that are secured together by various kinds of connecting elements. For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,883,911 to Haahtela discloses a ceramic piston ring carrier held in place on a metal piston by casting in or with a locking ring to improve force transmission and frictional conditions between the piston and the cylinder. U.S. Patent No. 4,848,286 to Bentz, assigned to Cummins Engine Co., the assignee of the present invention, discloses the use of an external metal connector for joining ceramic and metal components of a pivot rod. Neither of these patents, however, suggests that the arrangement described therein could be used to secure a ceramic element to a metal element to form the kind of sliding friction and sliding wear-resistant interface required in an engine actuating component which is required to transmit arcuate motion to reciprocal motion.

0005U.S. Patent No. 4,966108 to Bentz et al. and commonly owned by the assignee of the present application discloses an internal combustion engine ball and socket joint assembly that includes an interface which is subject to high contact stresses, particularly those produced by highly loaded sliding contact. One of the joint components is formed of a metallic material, and the other component is formed of a high density ceramic material. The ceramic material is sintered and may include rare earth metals such as yttrium oxide or may include aluminum oxides. This construction is capable of withstanding the compressive loads experienced by an internal combustion engine ball and socket joint. However, sliding wear and sliding friction are not typically encountered in this type of joint.

0006U.S. Patent No. 5,279,211 to Bentz et al., also owned by the assignee of the present invention, describes a wear-resistant metal and ceramic composite capable of withstanding the stresses produced in the interface in mechanically actuated internal combustion components such as a compression brake master piston or hydraulic tappet cam follower. The retainer structure used to hold the ceramic and metal components together in this composite securely retains the ceramic pad within the metal in a manner which prohibits relative movement between the metal and the ceramic. Some internal combustion engine actuator components, particularly components of the "elephant's foot" type designed for use in valves, valve crossheads and fuel injectors, require rotatably unconstrained attachments between actuator elements to allow them to function effectively. Therefore, the arrangement described in Patent Nos. 4,966,108 and 5,279,211 is not applicable to such components.

0007Sliding friction and sliding wear present problems in several contact interfaces in internal combustion engines. Actuated members, such as engine valves, valve crossheads and unit type fuel injectors contact actuating members thousands of times each minute during engine operation. The adjusting screw assemblies associated with these interfaces tend to produce undesirable sliding friction and sliding wear at the actuated member interface, which ultimately interferes with the proper functioning of the adjusting screw assembly.

0008U.S. Patent No. 5,195,489 to Reich discloses a link structure for an internal combustion engine which comprises providing a convex shape to one end of a compression release engine retarder push rod associated with a master or slave piston, while the interfacing surface of the piston is flat so that the convex end rolls rather than slides. This arrangement may minimize the need for grinding or polishing the surfaces or the need for lubrication at the interface. However, it is not suggested that any of the interfacing structures could be formed of a structural ceramic to address problems arising from wear and heat generation by friction at the interfacing surfaces.

0009Problems commonly associated with sliding friction include parasitic loss, heat generation and frictional forces, which prevent optimum engine function. For example, the sliding friction loss between the rocker levers and valve crossheads in a heavy duty diesel engine can be 0.5 HP (horsepower). This loss, which is equivalent to a reduction in brake specific fuel consumption (b.s.f.c.) of 0.2%, generates heat that must be removed by the engine's cooling system. Friction forces generated in the type of sliding contact that occurs between a rocker lever and valve crosshead are transferred to the adjacent valve components. This produces additional sliding friction, wear and component failure.

0010Sliding wear can produce a range of problems from cosmetic surface deterioration to loss of mechanical set or calibration to the increased likelihood of catastrophic failure of the worn component, which prior art ceramic and metal composite structures available for internal combustion engines have not solved.

0011The prior art, therefore, has failed to provide a ceramic-metal composite for an internal combustion engine component which provides a loose attachment of the ceramic element to the metal element in a way that permits rotatably unconstrained movement between the ceramic and metal elements and substantially reduces sliding wear and sliding friction. A need exists for such a ceramic-metal composite, particularly for internal combustion engine adjusting screw assemblies.

Summary of the Invention

0012It is a primary object of the present invention, therefore, to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a sliding wear-resistant ceramic-metal composite for an internal combustion engine actuating member adjusting screw.

0013It is another object of the present invention to provide a reliable and durable ceramic-metal composite adjusting screw assembly for an internal combustion engine which substantially eliminates the problems associated with sliding friction and sliding wear.

0014It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ceramic-metal composite adjusting screw assembly for an internal combustion engine which allows relative movement between the ceramic element and the metallic element of the composite while substantially eliminating sliding wear.

0015It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an elephant's foot or swivel pad adjusting screw assembly for an internal combustion engine which reduces friction induced side loads to actuated components.

0016It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an elephant's foot or swivel pad adjusting screw assembly for an internal combustion engine which improves brake specific fuel consumption.

0017The aforesaid objects are accomplished by providing a sliding wear-resistant adjusting screw assembly for an actuator member in an internal combustion engine intended to contact an actuated member, such as an engine valve, valve crosshead or unit type fuel injector at an interface. The adjusting screw assembly includes a metal screw element and a ceramic pad element. The metal element and the ceramic element are complimentary configured and held together by a retaining element that permits relative movement between the metal and ceramic elements at the metal-ceramic joint. This arrangement avoids the sliding friction losses and sliding wear losses which are common with adjusting screw assemblies presently used in connection with internal combustion engine actuating members.

0018Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, claims and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

0019<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Figure 1 is an exploded, partial cross-sectional front view of the components of the adjusting screw assembly of the present invention;</li><li>Figure 2 is an exploded front view of the two main subassemblies of the adjusting screw of the present invention;</li><li>Figure 3 is a front view of the adjusting screw of the present invention completely assembled;</li><li>Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the adjusting screw of the present invention showing the relative movement between the metal and ceramic elements;</li><li>Figure 5 illustrates one type of prior art fuel injector actuator link;</li><li>Figure 6 illustrates a second type of prior art fuel injector actuator link; and</li><li>Figure 7 illustrates the elephant's foot adjusting screw of the present invention in place as an actuator link in a unit fuel injector.</li></ul>

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

0020The present invention addresses the problems related to sliding friction and wear in a variety of internal combustion engine applications, including valve crossheads and unit fuel injectors by cost effectively incorporating an advanced structural ceramic element in the kind of adjusting screw assembly known as an "elephant's foot" or swivel pad adjusting screw assembly. Structural ceramics, particularly silicon nitride, have consistently been demonstrated in both laboratory tests and in a broad range of commercial applications to provide superior wear and friction performance compared to metals. The assignee of the present invention's experience with structural ceramics, including silicon nitride, confirms these benefits. The present invention offers substantial economic and performance advantages over commercially available adjusting screw assemblies made entirely of metal.

0021Adjusting screws, sometimes referred to as lash adjusting screws, are usually used in internal combustion engines where it is necessary to adjust the stroke of an engine actuating component, such as, for example, a valve crosshead or unit fuel injector plunger. The motion of link structures associated with these components requires relative movement between interfacing surfaces of the adjusting screw elements to transmit actuating movement to the engine actuating component. The metal structures customarily used to form these elements required grinding and polishing, as well as proper lubrication, to allow the elements to function and to minimize wear. The elephant's foot or swivel pad adjusting screw assembly of the present invention minimizes expensive ceramic grinding and polishing manufacturing operations and application lubrication requirements.

0022Referring to the drawings, Figures 1-4 illustrate the adjusting screw assembly of the present invention in various stages of assembly.

0023Figure 1 shows the component parts of the adjusting screw assembly of the present invention completed unassembled. The complete assembly 10 includes three elements: a screw member 12, an integral wear-resistant slider pad and socket 14 and a retainer element 16. The screw element 12 is preferably formed from steel that has been threaded, heat treated and tumbled. The material removal operations typically performed on steel internal combustion engine components are not required with the design of the present invention. The screw element 12 includes a rounded terminus or ball portion 18 which has an offset radius design to achieve annular contact in a spherical socket 20 in the pad element 14.

0024The pad element 14 is made from a ceramic material, preferably silicon nitride. Silicon nitride powders are die pressed and pressureless sintered to produce the configuration shown in the drawings. The shallow spherical socket 20 receives the ball portion 18 of the screw element 12. The sintered ceramic pad 14 is preferably tumbled to break any sharp edges and improve the surface finish of the ceramic.

0025The retainer element 16 is preferably made of spring steel wire. Conventional "wound on mandrel" processes and tooling may be used to form the retainer element. The retainer element 16 securely captures the ceramic pad 14, which includes an annular ledge 22 to engage one end 24 of the retainer element 16. The screw element 12 is loosely attached to the pad 14 by the other end 26 of the retainer element 16. The screw element also includes an annular ledge 28, which is significantly larger in diameter than the diameter of the screw element. The end 26 of the retainer element 16 is retained on the screw element slightly above the annular ledge 28.

0026The final adjusting screw assembly, which is shown completely assembled in Figures 3 and 4, consists of only two subassemblies, which are shown in Figure 2: the screw 30 and pad/retainer subassembly 32. Figure 4 shows, in dashed lines, the relative movement of the ball portion 18 of the screw element 12 in the socket 20 of the pad 14.

0027The retainer element 16 will experience little, if any, dynamic loading because of its design. Therefore, the retainer 16 is a nonparticipating member in situations when lash between the adjusting screw assembly 10 and the engine actuated member is insufficient to allow an unretained pad to escape.

0028Figure 7 illustrates one application of the adjusting screw assembly of the present invention in a link for transmitting movement to an engine actuation member, a unit fuel injector. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate two different prior art injector actuator links, also in a unit fuel injector.

0029Figure 5 shows a link conventionally used to transmit reciprocal movement to the plunger 40 of a unit fuel injector (not shown). A link 42 engages a socket 44 of a connecting rod (not shown) or similar structure. A coupling structure 46 and a retainer 48 hold the link in place as it reciprocates with the plunger 40.

0030Figure 6 illustrates a ball link 50 that can be used for the same purpose. A first ball 52 at one end of the link 50 engages a socket 54, and a second ball 56 at the opposite end of the link 50 engages the fuel injector plunger 58. This arrangement also requires a coupling 60. A link retainer 62 is required to retain the link 50 in the coupling 60. A ball retainer 64 is also needed to maintain the balls 52 and 56 in their proper positions.

0031In distinct contrast, the adjusting screw assembly 70 of the present invention does not require a coupling structure, and needs only one simple retainer element 72 both to hold the assembly together and to permit the movement required to effectively transmit arcuate motion to the reciprocal motion required to actuate the fuel injector. The screw element ball portion 76 can move freely in the socket 78 of the ceramic pad 80 without the sliding wear and friction problems of the prior art. The contact surface 82 of the pad 80 does not require a specially machined socket, but contacts a flat surface 84 on the fuel injector plunger 86 to actuate the injector. This arrangement substantially eliminates the parasitic loss, heat generation and frictional forces associated with sliding friction in the currently available all metal adjusting screw assemblies.

Industrial Applicability

0032The elephant's foot or swivel pad adjusting screw of the present invention will find its primary application in association with actuated members such as valves, valve crossheads and unit fuel injectors in an internal combustion engine, particularly a diesel engine. However, the design of this assembly will be useful in any system wherein reciprocating motion is coupled to arcuate motion to avoid the problems accompanying sliding wear, including surface deterioration, loss of mechanical set or calibration and component failure.