Camshaft support and crankcase air vent for an engine

Abstract

A cam support plate and an air venting cover plate for an internal combustion engine are provided along with a gasket to seal the oil passages between the cam support plate and the cam chest. The cam support plate provides a rigid, generally non flexing support for mounting one or more cam shafts and crankshafts for an internal combustion engine. The cam support plate also provides appropriate mounting and oil circulating paths as required by the engine. A cover plate is provided which is not decorative but rather functional, includes a number of chambers having chamber walls of varying depths to provide a labyrinth or serpentine like path for air to separate from the oil and vent to the outside atmosphere through a hole in the plate and or cover. Grooves or slots provided in the lower region of the chambers allow the oil separated from the air to drain back into the crankcase.

1 . Parts for an engine, said engine including an engine body having a crankshaft, at least one cam shaft, at least one oil pump and at least one oil path for circulating oil within said engine body, said engine parts comprising:
 a cam support plate, configured for coupling to said engine body and for providing generally non-flexing support for said at least one cam shaft and said crankshaft; and   an engine cover, configured for coupling to said cam support plate, and including an engine oil/air separator region, coupled to said at least one oil path and to an area outside said engine body, for allowing oil to be separated from an oil/air mixture, for allowing said oil to drain into said engine body and for allowing said air separated from said engine oil to vent to an area outside said engine body.   
   
   
       2 . The parts for an engine of  claim 1 , wherein said air separated from said engine oil is vented to outside atmosphere. 
   
   
       3 . The parts for an engine of  claim 1 , wherein said air separated from said engine oil is vented to an air capture system. 
   
   
       4 . The parts for an engine of  claim 1 , wherein said engine is an internal combustion engine. 
   
   
       5 . The parts for an engine of  claim 4 , wherein said internal combustion engine is a motorcycle engine. 
   
   
       6 . The parts for an engine of  claim 1 , further including a first gasket coupled between said cam support plate and said engine body and a second gasket coupled between said engine cam support plate and said engine cover. 
   
   
       7 . The parts for an engine of  claim 1 , wherein said engine oil/air separator region includes an air/oil path in the form of a labyrinth. 
   
   
       8 . The parts for an engine of  claim 7 , wherein said labyrinth includes at least one path for air to vent to atmosphere and at least one path for oil to drain from said engine oil/air separator region to a central region in said engine body to be pumped by said oil pump. 
   
   
       9 . Parts for a motorcycle engine, said motorcycle engine including an engine body having at least one cam shaft, a crankshaft, at least one oil pump and at least one oil path for circulating oil within said engine body, said engine parts comprising:
 a cam support plate, configured for coupling to said engine body and for providing generally non-flexing support for at least one cam shaft and said crankshaft;   an engine cover, configured for coupling to said cam support plate, and including an engine oil/air separator region, coupled to said at least one oil path and to an area outside said engine body, for allowing oil to be separated from an oil/air mixture, for allowing said oil to drain into said engine body and for allowing said air separated from said engine oil to vent to an area outside said engine body; and   a first gasket coupled between said cam support plate and said engine body and a second gasket coupled between said engine cam support plate and said engine cover.   
   
   
       10 . The parts for an engine of  claim 7 , wherein said engine oil/air separator region includes an oil/air path in the form of a labyrinth. 
   
   
       11 . The parts for an engine of  claim 8 , wherein said labyrinth includes at least one path for air to vent to atmosphere and at least one path for oil to drain from said engine oil/air separator region to a central region in said engine body to be pumped by said oil pump. 
   
   
       12 . Parts for a motorcycle engine, said motorcycle engine including an engine body having at least one cam shaft, crankshaft, at least one oil pump and at least one oil path for circulating oil within said engine body, said engine parts comprising:
 a cam support plate, configured for coupling to said engine body and for providing generally non-flexing support for said leased one cam shaft and crankshaft;   an engine cover, configured for coupling to said cam support plate, and including an engine oil/air separator region, coupled to said at least one oil path and to an area outside said engine body, for allowing oil to be separated from an oil/air mixture, for allowing said oil to drain into said engine body and for allowing said air separated from said engine oil to vent to an area outside said engine body, wherein said engine oil/air separator region includes an oil/air path in the form of a labyrinth, said labyrinth including at least one path for air to vent to atmosphere and at least one path for oil to drain from said engine oil/air separator region to a central region in said engine body to be pumped by said oil pump; and   a first gasket coupled between said cam support plate and said engine body and a second gasket coupled between said engine cam support plate and said engine cover.