GB2158297A

GB2158297A - A supercharger/electricity generator unit for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2158297A
Application number: GB08508519A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lauro Mariani
Original assignee: Gilardini SpA
Current assignee: Marelli Europe SpA
Priority date: 1984-04-16
Filing date: 1985-04-02
Publication date: 1985-11-06
Also published as: FR2562950A1; JPS60180729U; IT8453271V0; DE3512605A1; GB8508519D0

Abstract

A supercharger/electricity generator unit for a heat engine of a motor vehicle comprises a single drive shaft (13) for the supercharger (1) and for the electricity generator (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A supercharger/electricity generator unit for vehicles The present invention relates to a unit which can be applied to vehicles having heat engines, conveniently motor vehicles, and comprising a supercharger used for supplying this heat engine, and an electricity generator.

Currently, both the supercharger and the electricity generator, conveniently an alternator, are mounted on respective drive shafts at one end of which is fixed a pulley which receives drive via a respective transmission belt driven by the crankshaft of the heat engine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a unit comprising the supercharger and the electricity generator which has advantages such as economy in production and facility of assembly and installation.

According to the present invention there is provided a supercharger/electricity generator unit, the said supercharger being usable for supplying a heat engine of a motor vehicle, characterised by the fact that it comprises a single drive shaft for the said supercharger and for the said electricity generator.

For a better understanding of the present invention two particular embodiments thereof will now be described purely by way of non limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are partially sectioned side views of two different embodiments of the supercharger/electricity generator unit of the present invention.

With reference to Fig. 1, a supercharger for supplying a heat engine of a motor vehicle is generally indicated with the reference numeral 1, and an electricity generator, conveniently an alternator, is generally indicated with the reference numeral 2. The supercharger or compressor 1 has, in a known way, a main body 3 in which is formed a working chamber 4 which is closed at the ends by two end caps (only one of which, the left one, is illustrated in Fig. 1) and within which rotate two rotating bodies 6 and 7 which are sealed continuously along at least a generatrix parallel to the main longitudinal axis of the compressor 1.The rotating body 6 is fixed onto a shaft 8 which is supported at the ends in the two end caps 5 by ball bearings 9 housed in seats 10 formed in the end caps 5; in these seats 10 there are further housed annular lip seals 11 for sealing on the shaft 8 and sealing rings 12.

The rotating body 7 is fixed for rotation with a drive shaft 1 3 which is also borne by ball bearings 9' housed in the two end caps 5, and annular lip seals 11' and sealing rings 12' form a further seal on the shaft 1 3. The axial positioning of the ball bearings 9, 9' is obtained by a small plate 1 5 fixed on the outer surface of the end cap 5, and this small plate 1 5 has an aperture 1 6 passing therethrough, through which projects the drive shaft 1 3 around which is disposed an annular lip seal 17 fitted in the aperture 16.Fixed to the drive shaft 13, externally of the supercharger compressor 1, for rotation therewith is a rotor assembly 20 of the electricity generator 2, about which is disposed a stator assembly 1 which is supported by an outer frame 22 which, by means of a terminal support flange 23, is fixed onto the outer face of the left hand end cap 5, which thus also constitutes a perimetral closure wall for the electricity generator 2.This outer frame 22, which carries a terminal block 40 close to the flange 23 for access the brushes etc., (indicated in broken outline), has ventilation holes 41, and has a wall 24 spaced from and parallel to the end cap 5 of the compressor 1, and in which is housed a ball bearing 25 which supports one end of the drive shaft 1 3. Therefore, the drive shaft 1 3 projects externally from a hole in the wall 24, on which drive shaft is fixed for rotation, by means of a key 27, a pulley 28 which can be driven to rotate by means of a belt (not shown) connected to the crankshaft of the vehicle; this pulley 28 is locked axially by means of a nut 29 screwed onto the thread end of the drive shaft 1 3 with a locking washer 30 interposed.

The unit illustrated in Fig. 2 differs from that of Fig. 1 by the fact that the drive shaft 1 3 is not formed in a single piece but is made in two coaxial parts (13' and 13") connected together by means of a dog tooth clutch 31.

The part 13" projects from the aperture 1 6 of the supercharger 1, whilst the part 13', which constitutes the shaft of the electricity generator 2, is carried by a ball bearing 25 and a ball bearing 43 housed in a vertical wall 44 of the frame 22, which is opposite the wall 24 and defines a closed space for the rotor 20 and the stator 21 of the generator 2. This wall 44, which has holes 41' passing through it for ventilation, is disposed inwardly of the supporting end flange 23.

The drive belt of the crankshaft of the heat engine therefore drives the pulley 28 to rotate, which carries with it the rotor assembly 20 of the electricity generator 2 and further drives, still by means of the same shaft 13, the rotating bodies 6 and 7 of the supercharger 1. In this way, according to the present invention, a very compact structure for the supercharger 1 and electricity generator 2 is obtained with a single drive shaft thereby obtaining advantages of economy in production in that only a single pulley 28 is required for transmitting the drive to the compressor 1 and the generator 2, and for the structure of Fig. 1 only three ball bearings 9' and 25 are necessary for the shaft 13, and moreover a perimentral wall of the outer frame 22 for the electricity generator 2 is formed by a wall of the end cap of the supercharger 1. Assembly of this unit, both in the case in which the drive shaft 1 3 is a unitary structure and in the case in which it is formed in two parts 13' and 13" with the clutch 31, is very simple and convenient, and in the embodiment of Fig. 2 the supercharger 1 and the electricity generator 2 can be made completely separately and can then be assembled simply with the clutch 31 and attachment of the flange 23 onto the end cap 5.

Finally, it is clear that the described embodiments of the unit formed according to the present invention can be modified and varied without departing from the scope of the invention itself. For example, the clutch 31 can be made in a different manner and also the electricity generator 2 can have a different configuration always provided that it is driven by the same drive shaft as the supercharger 1.

Claims

1. A supercharger/electricity generator unit, the said supercharger being usable for supplying a heat engine of a motor vehicle, characterised by the fact that it includes a single drive shaft for the said supercharger and for the said electricity generator.

2. A unit according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that to one end of the said single drive shaft are secured drive transmission means for transmitting drive from the crankshaft of the said vehicle.

3. A unit according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised by the fact that the supercharger and the said electricity generator are disposed along the said single drive shaft and are each fixed to respective external support frames.

4. A unit according to Claim 3, characterised by the fact that one wall of an end cap of the said supercharger also constitutes a perimentral closure wall of the said electricity generator and by the fact that the said single drive shaft is supported by three bearings two of which are disposed in the wall of the end cap of the said supercharger, and a third of which is disposed in the wall of the frame of the said electricity generator, which wall is separated from and parallel to the wall of the end cap of the said supercharger.

5. A unit according to any preceding Claim, characterised by the fact that the said drive shaft is made in one piece.

6. A unit according to any of Claims from 1 to 4, characterised by the fact that the said drive shaft is formed in at least two parts.

7. A unit according to Claim 6, characterised by the fact that the said two parts are coaxial and include a rotary connection clutch.

8. A unit according to Claim 7, characterised by the fact that the said clutch is disposed in the part of the drive shaft externally of the said supercharger.

9. A unit according to any preceding Claim, characterised by the fact that the said electricity generator comprises an alternator.

10. A supercharger/electricity generator unit substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.