EP0137261A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Internal combustion engine light metal connecting rod assembly reinforced with loops of fiber, and method for manufacturing the same
Assignee: Toyota Motor Corp
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Filing: 1984-08-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-23
Abstract
Abstract A connecting rod is manufactured from a composite reinforced preform incorporating reinforcing fibers including a first loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally approximately figure eight configuration passing around a big end hole and a small end hole and through a main arm portion of the connecting rod. a second loop of bundled together long fibers which extends around the big end hole, adn a third loop of bundled together long fibers which extends around the small end hole.
Inventors
- 👤 Tadashi C/O Toyota Jidosha K.K. Donomoto
- 👤 Atsuo C/O Toyota Jidosha K.K. Tanaka
- 👤 Tugio C/O Toyota Jidosha K.K. Akai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:54
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C7/00; F16C7/02; F16C7/026; B; B22; B22D; B22D19/00; B22D19/14; B29; B29C; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/28; B29C70/30; B29C70/34; B29C70/347; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
200 words
A composite reinforced preform for a connecting rod for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a generally annular big end portion formed with a big end hole for rotatably receiving a crank shaft; a generally annular small end portion formed with a small end hole for rotatably receiving a piston pin; and an arm portion joining between said big end portion and said small end portion; said preform being formed of light metal as a matrix metal with a mass of fiber material arranged therein as reinforcing material; said fiber material mass comprising: a main loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration, passing within said big end portion around said big end hole and within said small end portion around said small end hole and within said arm portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs; a big end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end portion around said big end hole; and a small end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end portion around said small end hole.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
200 words
A composite reinforced preform for a connecting rod for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a generally annular big end portion formed with a big end hole for rotatably receiving a crank shaft; a generally annular small end portion formed with a small end hole for rotatably receiving a piston pin; and an arm portion joining between said big end portion and said small end portion; said preform being formed of light metal as a matrix metal with a mass of fiber material arranged therein as reinforcing material; said fiber material mass comprising: a main loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration, passing within said big end portion around said big end hole and within said small end portion around said small end hole and within said arm portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs; a big end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end portion around said big end hole; and a small end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end portion around said small end hole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
169 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein said fiber material mass further comprises a second big end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end portion around said big end hole and a second small end loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end portion around said small end hole; the first and said second big end loops being located, within the matrix metal comprised in said big end portion, on opposite sides of the part of said main loop included in said big end portion with relation to the central axial line of said big end hole; and the first and said second small end loops being located, within the matrix metal comprised in said small end portion, on opposite sides of the part of said main loop included in said small end portion with relation to the central axial line of said small end hole.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
140 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 2, wherein said fiber material mass further comprises a second main loop of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration, passing within said big end portion around said big end hole and within said small end portion around said small end hole and within said arm portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs; said second main loop lying generally against the first main loop and superposed thereover with relation to the direction of said central axial lines of said big and small end holes, both said first and said second main loops being located, within the matrix metal comprised in said big and small end portions respectively, between said first and second big end loops, and said first and second small end loops, respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein said fiber material mass further comprises a linear bundle of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally straight configuration, passing along within said arm portion between said two runs therein of said main loop.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
80 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 4, wherein said fiber material mass further comprises a second linear bundle of bundled together long fibers which extends in a generally straight configuration, passing along within said arm portion between said two runs therein of said main loop; said second linear bundle lying generally against the first linear bundle and therebeside as seen in a plane perpendicular to the direction of said central axial lines of said big and small end holes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
127 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein said fiber material mass further comprises two pairs of masses of reinforcing fibers which are located within the matrix metal comprised in said big end portion; one of said pairs lying on one side of a first plane containing said central axial lines of said big and small end holes, and the other said pair lying on the other side of said first plane; and, in each of said reinforcing fiber mass pairs, one of the members thereof lying on one side of a second plane containing the central axial line of said big end hole and perpendicular to said first plane, while the other of the members thereof lies on the other side of said second plane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 6, wherein two holes are drilled through said big end portion generally parallel to said first plane and each passing through both of a corresponding one of said pairs of reinforcing fiber masses.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein the material for the matrix metal is aluminum alloy.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein the material for the matrix metal is magnesium alloy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 1, wherein the material for the reinforcing fibers is alumina fiber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
A connecting rod preform according to claim 4, wherein the material for the reinforcing fibers of said big end loop, said small end loop, and said main loop is carbon fiber, and wherein the material for the reinforcing material of said linear bundle is boron fiber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
A connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine, made by cutting a preform of the type defined in any one of claims 1 - 10 along a plane containing the central axial line of said big end hole and perpendicular to another plane containing said central axial lines of said big and small end holes.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
257 words
A method of making a connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: (a) placing, into a mold generally formed in the shape of a connecting rod preform with a big end mold portion formed with a big end hole defining mold portion and a small end mold portion formed with a small end hole defining mold portion and an arm mold portion joining between said big end mold portion and said small end mold portion, a main loop of bundled together long fibers in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration passing within said big end mold portion around said big end hole defining mold portion and within said small end mold portion around said small end hole defining mold portion and within said arm mold portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs, a big end loop of bundled together long fibers in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end mold portion around said big end hole defining mold portion, and a small end loop of bundled together long fibers in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end mold portion around said small end hole mold defining portion; (b) infiltrating a mass of molten light metal into said mold under pressure so that it penetrates between said fibers; (c) removing the resulting connecting rod preform from said mold; and (d) cutting said preform along a plane containing the central axial line of the big end hole defined by said big end hole mold defining portion and
Claim 15
Independent Claim
257 words
A method of making a connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine, comprising the steps of: (a) placing, into a mold generally formed in the shape of a connecting rod preform with a big end mold portion formed with a big end hole defining mold portion and a small end mold portion formed with a small end hole defining mold portion and an arm mold portion joining between said big end mold portion and said small end mold portion, a main loop of bundled together long fibers in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration passing within said big end mold portion around said big end hole defining mold portion and within said small end mold portion around said small end hole defining mold portion and within said arm mold portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs, a big end loop of bundled together long fibers in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end mold portion around said big end hole defining mold portion, and a small end loop of bundled together long fibers in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end mold portion around said small end hole mold defining portion; (b) infiltrating a mass of molten light metal into said mold under pressure so that it penetrates between said fibers; (c) removing the resulting connecting rod preform from said mold; and (d) cutting said preform along a plane containing the central axial line of the big end hole defined by said big end hole mold defining portion and
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
perpendicular to another plane containing said central axial line of said big end hole and the central axial line of the small end hole defined by said small end hole mold defining portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
perpendicular to another plane containing said central axial line of said big end hole and the central axial line of the small end hole defined by said small end hole mold defining portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
155 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein further, during step (a), a second big end loop of bundled together long fibers is placed in a circular configuration substantially only within said big end mold portion around said big end hole and a second small end loop of bundled together long fibers is placed in a circular configuration substantially only within said small end mold portion around said small end hole; the first and said second big end loops being located on opposite sides of the part of said main loop included in said big end mold portion with relation to the central axial line of said big end hole mold defining portion; and the first and said second small end loops being located on opposite sides of the part of said main loop included in said small end mold portion with relation to the central axial line of said small end hole mold defining portion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
137 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein further, during step (a), a second main loop of bundled together long fibers is placed within said mold in a generally approximately figure-8 configuration, passing within said big end mold portion around said big end hole defining mold portion and within said small end mold portion around said small end hole mold defining portion and within said arm portion along it twice in its axial direction, in two runs; said second main loop lying generally against the first main loop and superposed thereover with relation to the direction of said central axial lines of said big and small end hole defining mold portions, both said first and said second main loops being located between said first and second big end loops and between said first and second small end loops.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein further, during step (a), a linear bundle of bundled together long fibers is placed within said mold in a generally straight configuration, passing along within said arm mold portion between said two runs therein of said main loop.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method according to claim 15, wherein further, during step (a), a second linear bundle of bundled together long fibers is placed within said mold in a generally straight configuration, passing along within said arm mold portion between said two runs therein of said main loop; said second linear bundle lying generally against the first linear bundle and therebeside as seen in a plane perpendicular to the direction of said central axial lines of said big and small end hole defining mold portions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
120 words
A method according to claim 12, wherein further, during step (a), two pairs of masses of reinforcing fibers are placed within said mold; one of said pairs lying on one side of a first plane containing said central axial lines of said big and small end hole defining portions, and the other said pair lying on the other side of said first plane; and, in each of said reinforcing fiber mass pairs, one of the members thereof lying on one side of a second plane containing the central axial line of said big end hole defining mold portion and perpendicular to said first plane, while the other of the members thereof lies on the other side of said second plane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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