Patent ID: 6199530
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: F02B,F02M,F05C,Y02T

Abstract:
A composite air intake manifold assembly adapted for use with an internal combustion engine comprising:an upper half shell formed from a polymer and including an upper perimeter flange including a pair of side flanges and a pair of end flanges; said side flanges having an inner surface and said end flanges having an inner surface; anda lower half shell formed from a polymer and joined to said upper half shell, said lower half shell including a lower perimeter flange including a pair of side flanges and a pair of end flanges, said side flanges having an inner surface and said end flanges having an inner surface, said lower half shell joined to said upper half shell to define a housing having an internal cavity, said internal cavity including at least a pair of spaced apart air intake runners, each of said runners including an opened air intake end, adapted to receive atmospheric air, and an opened air inlet end, adapted to be connected to an associated an air inlet side of a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine;wherein when said upper perimeter flange of said upper half shell is positioned against said lower perimeter flange of said lower half shell, a generally double wall thickness surface is formed between said side flanges and said end flanges of said upper half shell and said side flanges and said end flanges of said lower half shell said end flanges of said upper half shell and said end flanges of said lower half shell being joined together by a weld, and said side flanges of said upper half shell and said side flanges of said lower half shell being joined together by a weld that extends in a generally straight plane which is generally transverse to the direction of the air flow through said pair of spaced apart air intake runners and which includes only a slight curvature in said weld at a transition defined between said pair of spaced apart air intake runners so as to slightly offset said weld in one of said pair of spaced apart air intake runners relative to said weld in the other one of said pair of spaced apart air intake runners to thereby increase the burst strength of said composite air intake manifold assembly.