A piston assembly, piston therefor and methods of construction are provided. The assembly includes a piston head and connecting rod operably coupled thereto via a wrist pin. The piston head has an upper crown with a combustion bowl and an undercrown surface. The lower crown includes axially aligned pin bores receiving the wrist pin. An upper wall of the lower crown has an oil inlet, an oil outlet and a concave, saddle bearing surface that bears against the wrist pin. A toroid-shaped outer cooling gallery is formed between wall portions of the upper and lower crowns, wherein the outer cooling gallery surrounds an inner cooling gallery. The connecting rod is fixed to the wrist pin for conjoint oscillation. The connecting rod has an oil passage in fluid communication with a through hole in the wrist pin to allow oil to flow therethrough into the inner cooling gallery via the oil inlet.

A galleryless steel piston designed to improve thermal efficiency, fuel consumption, and performance of an engine is provided. The piston includes a steel body portion and a thermal barrier layer applied to an upper combustion surface and/or a ring belt to reduce the amount of heat transferred from a combustion chamber to the body portion. The thermal barrier layer has a thermal conductivity which is lower than a thermal conductivity of the steel body portion. The thermal barrier layer typically includes a ceramic material, for example ceria, ceria stabilized zirconia, and/or a mixture of ceria stabilized zirconia and yttria stabilized zirconia in an amount of 90 to 100 wt. %, based on the total weight of the ceramic material. The thermal barrier layer can also have a gradient structure which gradually transitions from 100 wt. % of a metal bond material to 100 wt. % of the ceramic material.

A piston and process for manufacturing a piston includes an upper part providing an upper combustion surface including a top land, a land ring and a combustion bowl. An undercrown surface is formed under the combustion bowl. A lower part including pin bosses and a piston skirt are formed under the undercrown surface. At least one of the upper part and the lower part are formed with metal injection molding.

A method for producing a piston may include forming a piston blank in a first forming tool such that the piston blank surrounds a ring carrier configured to receive a piston ring via positive engagement after producing the ring carrier by a sintering process. The piston blank, at least in a circumferential region disposed at a piston head, may be composed of a light metal alloy suitable for forging. The method may also include removing the piston blank from the first forming tool and placing the piston blank in a second forming tool, and inserting a holding-down tool into the second forming tool to hold the ring carrier down. The method may further include pressing a final forming punch into the second forming tool to deform the piston blank and form a piston.

A galleryless piston for an internal combustion engine and method of construction thereof are provided. The piston has a monolithic piston body extending along a central longitudinal axis. The piston body has an upper wall forming an upper combustion surface with first and second portions, with the first portion extending annularly along an outer periphery of the upper wall and the second portion forming a combustion bowl. The upper wall has an undercrown surface on an underside of the combustion bowl directly opposite the second portion of the upper combustion surface. The undercrown surface has an openly exposed surface area, as viewed looking along the central longitudinal axis, thereby providing an expansive area against which oil being splashed or sprayed can freely contact to cool the piston.

A method for producing a cooling duct piston for an internal combustion engine having a cooling duct in its piston crown. A piston main body is produced with a collar which is circumferential and projects radially in the region of the piston crown. The collar is formed until its outer circumferential edge comes very closely or completely into contact with a bearing region of the piston lower part forming the cooling duct. At least one ring groove is introduced. A ring-free groove is further formed below the ring groove, wherein a dividing plane lies between the outer circumferential edge of the formed collar and an upper side of the piston lower part in the ring-free groove.

A piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston includes a piston body of steel and including a crown portion, a pair of skirt portions and a pair of pin boss panels. The crown portion has an upper combustion surface, a lower surface having an undercrown surface area and an outer annular ring belt with at least one ring groove. The pin boss panels depend from the crown portion and extend in spaced relationship with one another between the skirt portions. Each pin boss panel includes a pin boss having a pin bore, and the pin bores are aligned with one another for receiving a wrist pin. Each pin boss panel also has at least one recess located vertically between the associated one of the pin bores and the crown portion to increase the undercrown surface area for improved cooling of the crown portion.

A piston assembly, piston therefor and methods of construction are provided. The assembly includes a piston head and connecting rod operably coupled thereto via a wrist pin. The piston head has an upper crown with a combustion bowl and an undercrown surface. The lower crown includes axially aligned pin bores receiving the wrist pin. An upper wall of the lower crown has an oil inlet, an oil outlet and a concave, saddle bearing surface that bears against the wrist pin. A toroid-shaped outer cooling gallery is formed between wall portions of the upper and lower crowns, wherein the outer cooling gallery surrounds an inner cooling gallery. The connecting rod is fixed to the wrist pin for conjoint oscillation. The connecting rod has an oil passage in fluid communication with a through hole in the wrist pin to allow oil to flow therethrough into the inner cooling gallery via the oil inlet.

A galleryless piston for an internal combustion engine is provided. The piston has a monolithic piston body including an upper wall forming an upper combustion surface with first and second portions. The first portion extends annularly along an outer periphery of the upper wall and the second portion includes a combustion bowl. The first portion can also include valve pockets formed therein to reduce weight. The upper wall has an undercrown surface directly opposite the second portion of the upper combustion surface. To enhance cooling, a center portion of the undercrown surface is concave, such that oil is channeled during reciprocation of the piston from one side to the opposite side of the piston. The concave center portion is axially offset from the surrounding area of the undercrown surface.

An integrally formed piston has a crown portion having an upper crown surface and an undercrown surface. A ring belt extends from the undercrown surface at a periphery thereof. The ring belt includes an uppermost ring land and at least one oil galley contoured to extend around at least two surfaces of the uppermost ring land. The oil galley has an opening at the undercrown surface for receiving a cooling fluid therein for cooling the uppermost ring land. A skirt extends from the undercrown surface and the ring belt and has a plurality of stiffening features arranged in a truss formation. At least one of the plurality of stiffening features has an I-beam cross-section and another of the plurality of stiffening features has a negative draft angle.