Patent ID: 6971361

Claim:
A balance shaft assembly comprising: a flexible tubular housing having a front end and a rear end; a front end bearing mounted in the housing proximate the front end, a rear end bearing mounted in the housing proximate the rear end, and in intermediate bearing mounted in the housing between the front and rear ends; a balance shaft rotatably supported by the front end bearing, the rear end bearing and the intermediate bearing in the housing; wherein the portion of the balance shaft rotatably supported by the intermediate bearing has a resistance to transverse deflection relative to the front and rear end bearings greater than a resistance to transverse deflection of the intermediate bearing relative to the front and rear end bearings, wherein the portion of the balance shaft rotatably supported by the intermediate bearing has a transverse stiffness relative to the front and rear end bearings greater than a transverse stiffness of the intermediate bearing relative to the front and rear bearings.