Abstract:
A sealing assembly for a crankshaft of a motor vehicle and including a sealing system having a radial sealing element, a track for the radial sealing element and supported on the crankshaft for rotation therewith, and a detector having a rotatable element formed integrally with the track and a stationary sensor cooperating with the rotatable element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present patent relates to a sealing, pertaining to the field of auto parts and which was developed to provide better operating conditions for its purpose and to incorporate other functions normally not performed by this type of a vehicle component. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     As it is known, the modern motor vehicles are equipped with electronic systems for supervising several parameters related to the functioning of several mechanisms thereof. Said systems substantially consist in: sensors installed in certain points of the mechanism related to the supervised parameters; and on-board computer, based on dedicated software, which receives and processes the information received from said sensors and as a function thereof, and sends command signals to the supervised mechanisms and/or to the signaling system and/or others. 
     Among the points supervised by these systems, there is the crankshaft, together with which there is mounted a sensor assembly, which detects the shaft rotation and transmits this information to the computer. 
     Considering said sensors assemblies, in the way they are constructed and mounted as well as for their purpose, it is desired to solve a problem inherent to them. Said sensors assemblies are normally installed inside the engine, in a hardly accessible location, generally inside the crankshaft bearing. Besides other problems, it makes the sensor mounting and maintenance more difficult. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of said problem and aiming to overcome it, an improvement in sealing, object of the present invention, was developed, essentially consisting in the association of the crankshaft end sealing system with the sensor which detects the shaft rotation information. 
     This mounting arrangement of the sensor solves the above mentioned problem, since said sensor is easily accessed, easing both its mounting and its eventual maintenance. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The attached drawings show the sealing improvement, object of the present invention, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the crankshaft end sealing in a preferred front version and seen from its side facing outwardly, opposite to the side adjacent to the engine block; 
     FIG. 2 shows a sectioned detail, in which the sensor assembly is seen; 
     FIG. 3 shows a front view of a sleeve which is part of the sealing, taken alone; 
     FIG. 4 shows a diametrical section of another possibility to perform the sealing; and 
     FIGS. 5,  6  and  7  show other embodiment possibilities of the sealing according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to what is illustrated by the above mentioned figures, the sealing, object of the present invention, substantially comprises, as an assembly: a crankshaft end sealing system  1 ; and a device  2  consisting in a track for the radial sealing elements of the sealing system and the crankshaft rotation information detector, incorporated into each other. 
     In a preferred embodiment (FIGS.  1  and  2 ), the crankshaft end sealing system  1  is an integrated sealing system of the crankshaft ends, object of another patent application from the same applicant and substantially comprising: an annular structural element  10  for mounting on the engine block and which is around the crankshaft; and an assembly  20 - 30 - 40  of sealing elements that is able to provide all the required sealing at the crankshaft end, made of materials which are selected so as to obtain the sealings and that are able to be incorporated into the structural element by vulcanization, that is: radial sealing element  20  (FIG. 2) substantially comprising: a main sealing lip  21  in “L” section, made of polytetrafluorethylene—PTFE and provided with hydrodynamic sealing helical groove (not shown); and a sealing lip  24  made of rubber, felt and the like to prevent powder from entering; said sealing elements assembly further comprises: an elastomeric static sealing element  30  for superficial sealing between the structural element  10  and the engine block; and an elastomeric corner sealing element  40 , for sealing the gap between the engine block and the crackcase joint. 
     The system, so constructed in its original version, besides the elements above mentioned in the construction according to the present invention, further comprises a device  2 , having a track for the radial sealing elements/detector of the crankshaft rotation information, substantially consisting of: an annular sleeve  50  that can be mounted mutual to the crankshaft end sealing system  1  and whose outer surface forms a sealing track for the main sealing lips made of PTFE  21  and the sealing lip  24  to prevent powder from entering; and a detector device of the crankshaft rotation information comprising: a flange  51  extended from the outwardly facing end of sleeve  50  and provided with a knurled free edge formed by teeth  52  and gaps  53  among the teeth (FIG.  3 ); and a sensor  54  mounted on the structural element  10 , that can be differently sensitized in the presence of a tooth  52  or a gap  53  of the flange edge  51 , said sensor being connected and cooperating with a dedicated board computer  55 . 
     Concerning the operation, particularly of the sealing elements  20 ,  30 ,  40  themselves, they work as usual in the present sealing. Concerning the detector device of the crankshaft rotation information, when the flange  51  rotates, its peripheral teeth  52  and gaps  53  pass by the sensor  54 , that can be differently sensitized in the presence of one or another, generating different signals that are sent to the board computer  55 , said computer processes them as known for counting the turns of the crankshaft. 
     Within the basic above mentioned construction, it is pleaded that the present sealing can suffer relative modifications in materials, dimensions, constructive details and applications, without departing from the patent protection scope. 
     Considering this, in another embodiment, the seal according to the present invention, may have the crankshaft end sealing system  1  consisting in a semi-integrated sealing system for the crankshaft (FIG.  4 ), object of another patent application from the same applicant, substantially comprising: a permanent structural element  10 ′ for mounting on the engine block and that incorporates the superficial static sealing element  30 ′ and the corner sealing element  40 ′, being elastomeric and incorporated into the structural/mounting element  10 ′ by vulcanization; said semi-integrated system further comprising a radial sealing element  20 ′ essentially comprising: a main sealing lip made of polytetrafluoroethylene—PTFE  21 ′ provided with hydrodynamic sealing; sealing lip  22 ′ made of rubber, felt and the like to prevent powder from entering and body  23 ′ incorporated into each other by vulcanization, thus forming an annular assembly originally insulated from the structural/mounting element  10 ′ and which is mounted and attached therein at factory by interference. 
     The system, so constructed in its original version, besides the elements above mentioned in the construction according to the present invention, further comprises a device  2 , having the track for the radial sealing elements/detector of the crankshaft rotation information, comprising: the annular sleeve  50  that can be mounted mutual to the crankshaft end and against which the main sealing lips  21 ′ made of PTFE are sealed and the sealing lip  22 ′ to prevent powder from entering; and the detector device of the crankshaft rotation information comprising: the flange  51  extended from sleeve  50  and provided with a knurled edge provided with teeth  52  and gaps  53  among the teeth; and the sensor  54  mounted on the structural element  10 ′, that can be differently sensitized in the presence of the teeth  52  and gaps  53  of the flange  51 , said sensor being connected to the dedicated board computer  55 . 
     The sealing, according to the present invention, may have the crankshaft ends sealing system  1  comprising integrated sealing systems of the crankshaft ends of the type disclosed in other patent application from the same applicant, designed to long-skirt engines, (FIG.  5 ), or short-skirt (FIG. 6) and substantially comprising, respectively: an annular structural element  100 ,  100 ′ for mounting on the engine block and an assembly of sealing elements made of elastomeric material being incorporated into the structural element  103 ,  103 ′; respectively which seals against the engine block, and a; corner sealing element  104 ,  104  ′ which seals the gap between the engine block and the crankcase. 
     To the system having said construction, it is associated, in the present invention, the device  2 , having the track for the radial sealing elements/detector of the crankshaft rotation information, comprising: the sleeve  50  mutual to the shaft and provided with the flange  51  with knurled edge provided with teeth  52  and gaps  53  and the sensor  54  mounted on the structural element  100 , that can be differently sensitized by the teeth  52  and gaps  53  and working in conjunction with the dedicated board computer  55 . The sealing, according to the present invention, may have the crankshaft ends sealing system  1  comprising (FIG. 7) conventional sealed retainers  200 , of the type mounted on the engine with the aid of a mounting assembly  210 , said conventional sealed retainers  200  being understood as those substantially comprising: the main sealing lip  201 ; auxiliary sealing lips  202 ; annular body  203  having the lips  201 ,  202  incorporated by vulcanization; and annular track  204  which is mounted mutual to the shaft and against which the main lip  201  seals, the mounting assembly  210  being understood as that substantially comprising: a flange  211  originally isolated from the retainer  200 , the receptor thereof being mounted on the engine block; and a paperboard joint  212  for static sealing between the flange faces and the engine block. 
     In the sealing assembly formed by the conventional sealed retainer  200  and the mounting assembly  210  thus constructed, there is associated the detector device  2  of the crankshaft rotation information, comprising: the flange  51  incorporated into the retainer track end  204  facing outwardly and which has a knurled edge provided with sandwiched teeth  52  and gaps  53 ; and the sensor  54  which can be mounted for example on the retainer body  203  or on the mounting flange  211  or at any other place adjacent to the assembly and as to be sensitized by the teeth  52  and gaps  53  of the flange  51  knurled edge and which cooperates with the board computer  55 . 
     Obviously, the sealing concepts, object of the present invention, may be applied in sealings which seal other assemblies other than the crankshaft end having a rotating element where the rotation information is to be detected and where a sealing system  1  works in conjunction with it. Thus, said sealing system  1  is associated to the device  2 , having the track for the radial sealing elements/detector of rotation information from the rotating element, conveniently adapted to the installation features.