Patent ID: 7810411

Claim:
A connecting rod assembly for an internal combustion engine comprising: a connecting rod adapted to interconnect a piston and a crankshaft so as to translate the reciprocal movement of the piston into rotational movement of the crankshaft, said connecting rod having a first end secured to the crankshaft and a second end having a reduced width configuration, said second end including a bore extending therethrough and a terminal end, said bore adapted to be aligned with a piston pin bore and receive a piston pin, said reduced width configuration defined by forming a pair of channels on opposite sides of said second end of said connecting rod such that each of said pair of channels defines an arc disposed about an axis and wherein the axis of each of the channels is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the pin bore and then machining the connecting rod to define a machined portion of reduced width at the second end between each channel and the terminal end of the connecting rod and a pair of shoulders disposed adjacent said machined portion of reduced width; a bushing disposed within said bore, said bushing having a contact surface including opposed ends, said contact surface adapted to provide smooth angular movement between said connecting rod and a piston pin; and wherein said contact surface further includes at least partially annular grooves disposed on at least a portion of said opposed ends of said bushing, said grooves having a portion that is disposed axially spaced inward from said pair of shoulders and a portion that intersects said machined portion of said connecting rod such that said grooves are adapted to reduce the need to deburr the area adjacent said pin bore during the manufacture of said second end having a reduced width configuration.