Patent ID: 7395799

Claim:
An internal combustion engine comprising: an engine component adapted to be coupled to the internal combustion engine, the engine component having a wall portion, the wall portion including a boss extending outwardly from the wall portion in a first direction; and a damping mass coupled to the wall portion at the location of the boss, wherein the wall portion without the damping mass resonates at a resonant frequency during engine operation, the wall portion without the damping mass emitting a noise caused by resonation at the resonant frequency, the wall portion without the damping mass including an anti-node region exhibiting a maximum resonant amplitude when the wall portion without the damping mass resonates at the resonant frequency, wherein the damping mass is coupled to the wall portion at the anti-node region to reduce the resonant frequency of the wall portion, thereby reducing the radiation efficiency and noise emissions of the wall portion during engine operation, and wherein the damping mass is rigidly coupled to the wall portion and at least a portion of the damping mass extends from the boss in the first direction.