Patent ID: 8399815
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: H05B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for hardening surfaces of a crankshaft wherein the crankshaft has a plurality of bearings that include a plurality of main bearings and a plurality of orbital bearings and wherein the main bearings are concentrically oriented on a center axis of said crankshaft and wherein the orbital bearings are offset to the center axis of the crankshaft and wherein the orbital bearings and said main bearings each having an outer bearing surface, said apparatus comprising an inductor, a quench chamber, a flow controller, a counterbalancing mechanism, and a master controller, said inductor at least partially encircling said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings to be hardened when said crankshaft is positioned in said apparatus, said inductor connected to a high frequency power source with a power controller to cause said power source to direct power to said inductor as said inductor heats said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings, said quench chamber including a plurality of outlet orifices directed toward at least a portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings when said crankshaft is positioned in said apparatus, said flow controller directing a given quantity of quench fluid to said quench chamber and through said outlet orifices so that said quench fluid is directed against said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings after at least one of said outer bearing surface has been heated by said inductor, said counterbalancing mechanism including a counterbalance controller for controlling a riding force of said inductor against at least a portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings that is at least partially encircled by the inductor, said master controller creating output signals to control and change a) an output level from said power controller, b) a flow rate of quench fluid from said flow controller, or combinations thereof, said master controller creating i) a heating profile, ii) a quenching profile, or combinations thereof for a) heating at least a portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings, b) quenching at least a portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings, or combinations thereof based on a position of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings relative to I) said inductor, II) said quench chamber, or combinations thereof, said master controller designed to access a plurality of control values used to generate output signals for said power controller, said flow controller, or combinations thereof based on a rotational position of said crankshaft in said apparatus to control said hardening of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings, said plurality of control values at least partially based on different rotational positions of said crankshaft relative to said inductor, said outlet orifices, or combinations thereof when said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings is heated, quenched, or combinations thereof, said crankshaft designed to rotate about said center axis a plurality of arcuate increments of less than 360° in said apparatus to cause different portions of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings to be heated by said inductor, quenched by said quench fluid, or combinations thereof as said crankshaft is successively rotated for each of said arcuate increments, said master controller accessing said control values that are at least partially based on a particular arcuate increment of rotation of said crankshaft and then controlling 1) said power output level from said power controller that is used to heat a particular portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings by said inductor and to create a particular heating profile for heating said particular portion of said outer bearing surface of said at least one bearing by said inductor, said power output level at least partially based on a particular rotational position of said crankshaft in said apparatus, 2) said flow rate of said quench fluid onto a particular portion of said outer bearing surface of at least one of said bearings to create a particular quench profile for said particular portion of said outer surface of said at least one bearing, said flow rate is at least partially based on a particular rotational position of said crankshaft in said apparatus, or combinations thereof.