Piston assembly of internal combustion engine

Abstract: The piston has a top land (1) and a second land (3) between which a ring groove (2a) is formed. A chamfered surface (3a) at the upper peripheral edge of the second land (3) has a width (C₁) larger than that of a chamfered surface at the lower peripheral edge of the top land (1). A compression ring (2) having a butt-type ring gap is disposed in the groove (2a) to be slidably contacted with the cylinder wall. With this structure, the oil consumption is effectively suppressed in both a high pressure condition and a negative pressure condition of the combustion chamber.

Description: This invention relates to a piston assembly of an internal combustion engine by which oil consumption is improved under a high load condition of the engine and under a negative pressure condition in a combustion chamber. It is well known that various compression rings for pistons have been proposed to improve oil consumption in internal combustion engines. One of the compression rings is shown in Fig. 8 of the present application and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication No. 59-126158. Another is shown in Fig. 9 of the present application and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 62-251457. In Fig. 8, a compression ring 10 is so arranged that its opposite end sections partially overlap each other. One end section of the compression ring 10 has a recess 14 in a corner formed by an outer periphery 11, an upper surface 12, and an end surface 13. The upper surface 12 is on the side of a combustion chamber. The other end section of the compression ring 10 has a projection 5 which extends to the one end section to lie upon the recess 14 in a manner to be in tight contact with the surface of the recess 14. In Fig. 9, a compression ring 16 has opposite end surfaces 17. A lower section of each end surface 17 is chamfered by machining to form a chamfered surface, so that the compression ring 16 has a clearance C₄ between opposite upper sections of its end surfaces 17 and a clearance C₅ larger than the clearance C₄ between opposite lower edges of the chamfered surface. With an engine having the compression ring 10 or 16, when the combustion chamber of the engine is under a high pressure condition such as during a high load engine operation, lubrication oil is blown down by blow-by gas. When the combustion chamber of the engine is under a negative pressure condition such as during an engine-brake operation, the lubrication oil is prevented from being sucked into the combustion chamber. Therefore, the oil consumption is suppressed in both cases. However, difficulties have been encountered in the above-mentioned arrangements as follows: In the case of Fig. 8, since the end sections of the compression ring 10 is formed complicated in shape and has the projection 15 formed in a blade shape, a machining cost of the ring 10 becomes high while degrading the durability of the ring 10. In the case of Fig. 9, since the end sections of the compression ring 16 are formed complicated in shape, a machining cost of the ring becomes high. Furthermore, since lubrication oil tends to stay at the end surfaces 17 of the compression ring 16, the oil blow down by the blow-by gas is degraded. Therefore, the oil consumption reduction by the ring 16 is degraded. What is desired is a piston assembly for an internal combustion engine by which oil consumption is suppressed, while lowering its machining cost and improving its durability. US-A-1667548 discloses a piston ring groove with a substantial chamfer on the lower edge. FR-E-94 125 discloses such a piston assembly, in which the top land has a first chamfered surface at its lower peripheral edge and the second land has a second chamfered surface at its upper peripheral edge. The present invention is defined in claim 1. With the above arrangement, the oil consumption is effectively suppressed in both a high pressure and a negative pressure conditions of a combustion chamber. In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1A is a side view, partly in section, of an embodiment of a piston assembly for an internal combustion engine, according to the present invention; Fig. 1B is a partly enlarged sectional view (indicated by a circle A in Fig. 1A) of the piston assembly of Fig. 1A; Fig. 1C is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view (indicated by a circle B in Fig. 1B) of the piston assembly of Fig. 1B; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a compression ring used in the present invention; Fig. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between the amount of the oil consumption and a cross-sectional area of a passage defined by the end of the compression ring under high pressure and negative pressure conditions; Fig. 4A is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, similar to Fig. 1B but showing a high pressure condition of the combustion chamber; Fig. 4B is a fragmentary plan view taken in the direction of an arrow D of Fig. 4A; Fig. 5A is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, similar to Fig. 1B but showing a negative pressure condition of the combustion chamber; Fig. 5B is a fragmentary plan view taken in the direction of an arrow F of Fig. 5A; Fig. 6 is a graph showing the change of the oil consumption amount corresponding to the dimensional changes of various parts in the piston assembly; Fig. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the oil consumption and the width of a chamfered surface in a land of a piston; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional compression ring; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of another conventional compression ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to Figs. 1A to 5B there is shown an embodiment of a piston assembly P according to the present invention. The piston assembly P comprises a piston 6 having a compression ring 2 and an oil ring 4. The compression ring 2 is disposed in a compression ring groove 2a formed between a top land 1 and a second land 3 of the piston 6. The oil ring 4 is disposed in an oil ring groove 4a formed between the second land 3 and a shoulder section 4b of a piston skirt 6a. A lower peripheral edge of the top land 1 is chamfered by machining to form a chamfered surface 1a having a width C₁' (in Fig. 1C) not larger than 0.1 mm. The width C₁' is as small as possible. The chamfered surface 1a extends annularly along the outer periphery of the piston 6. An upper peripheral edge of the second land 3 is chamfered by machining to form a chamfered surface 3a. The chamfered surface 3a extends annularly along the outer periphery of the piston 6. The width C₁ (in Fig. 4A) of the chamfered surface 3a is set at a predetermined value so that a pressure in a space formed between the second land 3 and the wall of a cylinder 5 becomes larger than a predetermined level. The wall of the cylinder 5 may be part of a cylinder liner. Therefore, the chamfered surface 1a of the top land 1 is formed smaller in width than the chamfered surface 3a of the second land 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the compression ring 1 has a butt-type piston ring gap C. Thus, the opposite end surfaces 2s of the compression ring 2 are flat and perpendicular to an axis of the ring 2. The end surfaces 2s are parallel with each other and spaced from each other to form the gap C. The gap C is determined to be as small as possible within a range to prevent a contact of the end surfaces 2s due to thermal expansion under engine operation. The manner of operation of the thus arranged piston assembly will be discussed with reference to Fig. 3 and Figs. 4A to 5B. As shown in Figs. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B, a reference numeral C₁ indicates the width of the chamfered surface 3a. A clearance C₂ is a distance between the wall of the cylinder 5 and the peripheral surface of the second land 3. The cross-sectional area S₁ is defined by the gap C and a clearance C₃ which equals to the total of the clearance C₂ and the clearance C₁. Therefore, the cross-sectional area S₁ equals to C x C₃. The cross-sectional area S₂ is generally defined by the gap C and the clearance C₂, and generally equals to C x C₂. Strictly speaking, the clearance C₂ in Fig. 5A is a clearance C₂' which is the total of the clearance C₂ and the width C₁' of the chamfered surface as shown in Fig. 1C. However, since the width of the chamfered surface 1a is sufficiently small, the clearance C₂' generally equals to the clearance C₂, so that the cross-sectional area S₂ may be defined by the clearance C₂ and the gap C. In Fig. 3, there are shown changes in oil consumption amount (the amount of lubricating oil consumed in the combustion chamber) under high and negative pressure conditions in the combustion chamber when the cross-sectional areas S₁ and S₂ are changed by a change of the gap C. A line L₁ represents the change in the oil consumption amount under a high pressure condition in the combustion chamber such as during a high load operation of the engine. The line L₁ indicates the fact that the oil consumption amount decreases with an increase in the cross-sectional area S₁. A line L₂ represents the change in the oil consumption amount under a negative pressure condition in the combustion chamber such as during an engine-brake operation. The line L₂ indicates the fact that the oil consumption amount increases with an increase in the cross-sectional area S₂. As shown in Fig. 4A and 4B, when the combustion chamber is under the high pressure condition, the compression ring 2 is pressed on the upper surface of the second land 3 defining the ring groove 2a, so that the amount of blow-by gas is increased with an increase in the cross-sectional area S₁. Therefore, a force by which the oil is blown down is increased, so that the oil consumption is suppressed. As shown in Figs. 5A and 5B, when the combustion chamber is under the negative pressure condition, the compression ring 2 is contacted with the lower surface of the top land 1 defining the ring groove 2a, so that the amount of the blow-by gas is decreased with a decrease in the cross-sectional area S₂. Therefore, a force by which the oil is blown up is lowered and the oil consumption is suppressed. In case that a change in the cross-sectional areas S₁ and S₂ is carried out merely by changing the size of the gap C, an optimum point to decrease the oil consumption amount under a high pressure condition and a negative pressure condition resides at a point E in Fig. 3. Thus, in order to decrease the amount of the oil consumption under the high pressure and the negative pressure conditions, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area S₁ is as large as possible whereas the cross-sectional area S₂ is as small as possible. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the gap C of the compression ring 2 is set at a minimum size within the range to prevent a contact of the end surfaces 2c due to thermal expansion under a driving condition of the engine. For example, the gap C is set at 0.2 mm for a compression ring used on a piston having a bore diameter of 83 mm. Further the chamfered surface 1a of the top land 1 is machined so that the width C₁' of the chamfered surface 1a is not larger than 0.1 mm. Therefore, the cross-sectional area S₂ is made very small, so that the oil consumption is suppressed under a negative pressure condition. As mentioned above, the cross-sectional area S₂ is defined by the gap C and the clearance C₂ while the cross-sectional area S₁ is defined by the gap C and the clearance C₃. The cross-sectional area S₁ includes a cross-sectional area S₁' which is defined by the gap C and the chamfered surface width C₁ and equals C₁ x C, so that the cross-sectional area S₁ equals the total of the cross-sectional area S₂ and the cross-sectional area S₁'. Therefore, the cross-sectional area S₁ can be enlarged, so that the oil consumption is suppressed under a high pressure condition of the combustion chamber. The chamfered surface width C₁ of the peripheral upper edge of the second land 3 is determined according to the graph of Fig. 6 so that the pressure in a second land space 3b defined by the second land 3 and the wall of the cylinder 5 becomes not lower than 0.18 MPa. The graph of Fig. 6 is cited from a technical article "Sealing Performance of Two Rings Piston" in the transactions of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Inc,. published on April 25, 1988. In connection with the above, it is necessary to satisfy the following equations: A relationship between S₁₂ and V₁₂ is led by the function of the straight line G in Fig. 6. V₁₂ ≦ 8320 S₁₂ - 449 An equation (1) is deformed as follows: S₁₂ ≧ (V₁₂ + 449) / 8320 where S₁₂ (= S₂) is the cross-sectional area defined by the compression ring, and V₁₂ is the volume of the second land space 3b. In this embodiment, S₁₂ = S₁' + S₂ An equation (3) is deformed as follows: S₁' > (V₁₂ + 449) / 8320 - S₂ In this relational equation, S₂ is determined by the amount of the oil consumption under a negative pressure condition. The width of the chamfered surface 3a is determined at a predetermined value with which the above-described equation (4) is satisfied. With the thus arranged structure, since the compression ring 2 is so machined as not to be partially thinned nor to be complicated in shape, a machining cost for the ring is lowered. Further more, since the end section 2s is prevented from breakage or the like, the durability of the compression ring 2 is largely improved. Additionally, since the oil hardly stays at the end section 2s in this arrangement, the oil consumption can be suppressed without minimizing the oil blow-down force by the blow-by gas so that oil consumption is suppressed. In Fig. 7, a character Za indicates a zone where an oil consumption is permittable under a high pressure condition in the combustion chamber. A character Zb indicates a zone where an oil consumption is permittable under a negative pressure condition in the combustion chamber. Further, a character Zc indicates a zone common between the zone Za and the zone Zb. Thus, in the zone Zc, the oil consumption is permittable or sufficiently suppressed under the high pressure and negative pressure conditions in the combustion chamber.

Claims: A piston assembly in an internal combustion engine, the piston assembly comprising a piston (6) movably disposed in an engine cylinder (5), the piston having a top land (1) in an upper part of the piston and a second land (3) under the top land (1), the said lands (1,3) defining between them a groove (2a) in which a compression ring (2) is disposed for making slidable contact with the cylinder (5), the compression ring (2) having opposite end surfaces (2s) defining a gap, the compression ring (2) being movable relative to the piston (6) between a lower position, in which it is in contact with the lower surface of the groove (2a), and an upper position, in which it is in contact with the upper surface of the groove (2a), the top land (1) having a first chamfered surface (1a) at its lower peripheral edge, and the second land (3) having a second chamfered surface (3a) at its upper peripheral edge, further comprising an oil ring (4) in a groove (4a) below the second land (3), wherein the width (C₁) of the second chamfered surface (3a) is larger than the width (C₁') of the first chamfered surface (1a) wherein a first gas passage is defined by the cylinder (5), the upper surface of the compression ring groove (2a), and the upper edges of the opposite ends of the compression ring (2) when the compression ring (2) is in contact with the upper surface of the said groove (2a), and a second gas passage is defined by the cylinder (5), the lower surface of the said groove (2a), and both ends of the lower surface of the compression ring (2) when the compression ring (2) is in contact with the lower surface of the said groove (2a), the cross-sectional area of the second gas passage being larger than that of the first gas passage, and wherein the compression ring gap, the second land (3), and the second chamfered surface (3a) are in a dimensional relationship given by the following inequality: S₁' > [(V₁₂ + 449)/8320] - S₂ where: S₁' equals C₁ x C ; S₂ is the cross-sectional area defined by the said gap and a clearance (C₂) between the cylinder wall and the second land (3); V₁₂ is the volume of a second land space (3b) defined by the second land (3), the cylinder wall, the upper surface of the oil ring (4), and the lower surface of the compression ring (2); C₁ is the width of the second chamfered surface (3a); and C is the size of the said gap, wherein the dimensions are in mm, mm², and mm³ as appropriate. A piston assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said gap is sufficient to prevent contact of the end surfaces (2s) of the compression ring (2) under thermal expansion during engine operation. A piston assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the compression ring opposite end surfaces (2s) are flat, perpendicular to an axis of the compression ring (2), and parallel with each other.

Inventors: ARAI TAKAYUKI, GOTO TAKAHARU, HAMAI KYUGO, ARAI, TAKAYUKI, GOTO, TAKAHARU, HAMAI, KYUGO
Applicants: NISSAN MOTOR, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F02F3
IPC codes: F02F5, F16J9, F02F3, F16J1