EP2205832A1

EP2205832A1 - Piston engine

Info

Publication number: EP2205832A1
Application number: EP08844218A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Herbert Hüttlin
Original assignee: Huettlin Herbert
Current assignee: Huettlin Herbert
Priority date: 2007-10-31
Filing date: 2008-10-29
Publication date: 2010-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-29
Also published as: JP5010742B2; EP2205832B1; US8141475B2; CN101842554A; US20100269688A1; WO2009056295A1; CN101842554B; JP2011501032A; DE102007054321A1

Abstract

A piston engine (10) comprises a housing (10) inside which at least one first piston (22) is arranged that can be moved back and forth between two final positions in order to periodically increase and reduce the size of a working chamber (38) bordering a first end face (30) of the at least one first piston (22). The at least one first piston (22) has at least one guiding member (52) which meshes with a radial cam (48) that is designed on a cam member (42) located inside the housing (12). The entire circumference of the cam member (42) inside the housing (12) concentrically extends around an axis of rotation (14) that is fixed relative to the housing (12), the cam member (42) being disposed radially outside the piston (22) in relation to the axis of rotation (14). A second piston (24) which faces the at least one first piston (22) performs opposite reciprocating movements relative to the first piston (22). The second piston (24) has a second end face (32) which faces the first end face (30) of the first piston (22). The working chamber (38) is located between the end faces (30, 32). The cam member (42) is mounted inside the housing (12) in such a way as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation (14), while the at least one first piston (22) and the second piston (24) cannot be rotated about the axis of rotation (14) such that the at least one first piston (22) and the second piston (24) perform reciprocating movements on a plane of movement that is fixed relative to the axis of rotation (14) when the cam member (42) rotates about the axis of rotation (14).

Description

piston engine

The invention relates to a piston engine, comprising a housing in which at least a first piston is arranged, which is reciprocable between two end positions and to periodically enlarge and reduce a working chamber adjacent to a first end surface of the at least one first piston, wherein the at least one first piston having at least one guide member engaging a cam formed on a cam member disposed in the housing, the cam member concentrically and circumferentially extending around a housing fixed axis of rotation in the housing and radially outwardly of the piston with respect to the axis of rotation wherein the at least one first piston faces a second piston that performs reciprocal reciprocating movements toward the first piston, the second piston having a second end surface facing the first end surface of the first piston, and the working chamberlocated between the end faces.

Such a piston machine is known for example from WO 2006/122658 Al. A piston engine according to the present invention can be used in particular as an internal combustion engine. In the present specification, the use of the reciprocating engine as an internal combustion engine is shown as the preferred use. However, other applications of a piston engine according to the present invention are possible, for example the use of the piston engine as a compressor.

The piston machine known from the above document is a rotary piston machine. In the housing of the known piston engine a total of four pistons are arranged, which rotate together about a housing-fixed axis of rotation. When revolving around the axis of rotation, the four pistons perform reciprocating motions, with two pistons forming a pair of pistons making reciprocal reciprocal reciprocations to alternately displace a working chamber defined between the end surfaces of the two pistons of the piston pair zoom in and out. Overall, the known rotary piston machine on two working chambers, wherein the working chambers in the same direction to reduce and enlarge. The four pistons are slidably mounted in a piston cage, which rotates together with the piston about the axis of rotation.

By means of the periodic reduction and enlargement of the volumes of the working chambers, in the case of using the known rotary piston machine as the internal combustion engine, the operating cycles of the intake, compression, expansion and discharge take place.

The reciprocating movements of the individual pistons are thereby derived from the rotation of the pistons about the axis of rotation by the pistons each having a guide member which runs in a control cam of a housing-fixed cam member, wherein the control cam has a corresponding wavy contouring to the out - And forthcoming movements of the piston from the rotation of the piston to derive about the axis of rotation. In the case of using such a rotary piston machine as an internal combustion engine, the rotation of the piston cage can be transmitted to an output shaft, for example, to drive a vehicle.

Further rotary piston machines of comparable type are known, for example, from the documents DE 10 2005 024 751 A1 or from WO 03/067033 A1. In the known from DE 10 2005 024 751 Al rotary piston machine, the cam member is integrated directly into the inner wall of the housing, as well as in the known from WO 03/067033 Al rotary piston machine.

In the known piston engines described above, there is a disadvantage that the reciprocating movements of the pistons, which are decisive for the working cycles of the intake, compression, expansion and ejection, are derived from a rotation of the pistons about the axis of rotation, and that inevitably also the piston cage rotates together with the pistons around the rotation axis. By the rotation of the pistons about the axis of rotation act on these centrifugal forces, which lead to centrifugally induced friction between the piston outer walls and the inner wall of the piston rotor, since the pistons, although rotate together with the piston cage, but must perform relative to the piston cage reciprocating sliding movements. These reciprocating movements are thus subject to friction due to the centrifugal forces acting on the pistons. The centrifugal forces acting on the pistons therefore affect the running characteristics of the known reciprocating engines.

From DE 101 15 167 Cl a radial piston high-pressure pump, in particular as a fuel pump for injection systems of internal combustion engines, is also known. This high-pressure pump comprises a pump head on radially movable pump pistons whose reciprocating motion by a surrounding ^"pump piston rotatable cam ring are produced, which has a correspondingly contoured cam track. The invention has the object of developing a piston engine of the type mentioned in such a way that the operating characteristics of the piston engine are improved.

According to the invention this object is achieved with respect to the piston engine mentioned above in that the cam member is rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation in the housing, while the at least one first piston and the second piston are not rotatable about the axis of rotation, so that at least a first piston and the second piston during rotation of the cam member about the rotational axis reciprocating movements in a fixed axis of rotation with respect to the movement plane.

The piston engine according to the invention is detached from the concept of rotary piston engines in that the reciprocating movements of the piston or pistons are not derived from a rotational movement of the piston or pistons about the axis of rotation, but from a rotation of the cam member about the axis of rotation the piston or pistons do not rotate with respect to the axis of rotation. Centrifugal forces with respect to the axis of rotation on the piston or pistons are thus excluded. The at least one first piston performs its reciprocating movements in a fixed plane of rotation with respect to the axis of rotation, while in the known rotary piston machines, the plane of movement of the reciprocating movements of the individual pistons also rotates about the axis of rotation.

The piston engine according to the invention also manages with substantially fewer rotating parts than the known rotary piston machines, because the rotation of the piston or pistons is dispensed with, and only the lower-mass cam member executes a rotational movement in order to produce the reciprocating movements of the piston or pistons , The concept of the piston engine according to the invention is advantageously applied in an embodiment in which the at least one first piston faces a second piston which performs opposite reciprocating motions when the cam member is rotated relative to the first piston, the second piston having a second end surface. which faces the first end surface of the first piston, and the working chamber in which a working gas, in particular a fuel-air mixture, compressed, ignited and expanded, is located between the end surfaces.

This boxer principle, known per se, for example, from the document mentioned above, in which the two pistons work against one another, has the advantage that, with a comparatively small stroke of the two pistons, a large breathing volume of the working chamber is achieved.

In a further preferred embodiment, the second piston on a guide member which is in engagement with the control cam of the cam member.

In this embodiment, therefore, the reciprocating movements of the two opposing pistons are independently derived from the rotation of the cam member about the axis of rotation. This has the advantage that no mechanical coupling between the two pistons has to be provided to produce the reciprocating movements of the second piston. In addition, only one control cam in the cam member is required for the first and second pistons.

In a further preferred embodiment, the axis of rotation runs centrally through the working chamber.

This measure has the advantage that, in the case of using the piston engine according to the invention as the internal combustion engine at the front side in the housing and on the axis of rotation lying an ignition device for igniting the fuel-air mixture can be arranged in the working chamber. Although an arrangement of the ignition device on the axis of rotation is provided for example in the known rotary piston machine according to WO 2006/122658 Al, but there is the disadvantage that the ignition device is performed through a hole in the rotating piston cage, resulting in sealing problems between the ignition device and the can lead rotating piston cage. In the piston engine according to the invention, however, the ignition device can be performed by the housing and thus by a fixed part and easily sealed.

In a further preferred embodiment, the at least one first piston is slidably mounted in a piston cage, which is fixed relative to the housing.

The inclusion of the at least one first piston in a piston cage has the advantage that the piston may have a cylindrical shape so that the first end surface of the at least one first piston may be circular, and the piston slidably supported in a circular bore in the piston cage can be. This is already realized in the known from WO 2006/122658 Al rotary piston machine, but with the difference that there the piston cage rotates together with the piston about the axis of rotation, while in the present embodiment, the piston cage is fixed to the housing. Thus, the centrifugal force occurring in the known rotary piston machine friction between the piston and the piston cage are avoided in the piston engine according to the invention.

In a further preferred embodiment, a shaft is in operative connection with the cam member, such that the rotation of the cam member is converted into a rotation of the shaft.

The tap of the rotational movement, for example for driving a vehicle, is advantageously carried out here by the rotating cam member, so that the rotation of the Curve member can be transmitted directly into a rotation of the shaft, which avoids complicated transmission gear.

It is preferred if the shaft is connected via a worm toothing with the cam member.

In this way, the shaft may advantageously be directly in engagement with the outside of the cam member, thereby saving further moving parts between the cam member and the shaft. The shaft is preferably arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

In a further preferred embodiment, a gas inlet and a gas outlet are present in the housing with respect to the axis of rotation at the front side, wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet by means of a rotary valve having an opening, released and closed, which is about the axis of rotation with the same Speed as the cam member rotates.

The piston engine according to the invention advantageously makes it possible for the gas inlet and the gas outlet to be provided in the immediate vicinity of the axis of rotation in the frontal part of the housing without the gas inlet and the gas outlet colliding with, for example, a rotating part. About the rotary valve, which has an opening, an inlet and outlet valve is created in a structurally advantageous particularly simple manner to admit a gas, such as a fuel-air mixture in the working chamber, and a gas, such as combusted fuel air Mixture, to be discharged from the working chamber, wherein synchronized by the same rotational speed of the rotary valve as the rotational speed of the cam member, the timing of the gas inlet and the gas outlet with the reciprocating movement of the at least one first piston. In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the rotation of the rotary valve from the rotation of the cam member via a transmission with a ratio of the speed of 1: 1 is derived.

Such a transmission can in turn be formed by a worm gear between the outer side of the cam member and a drive shaft for the rotary valve as in the case of the above-mentioned shaft.

In a further preferred embodiment, a total of four pistons are arranged in the housing, of which the at least first and a second piston, a first piston pair and a third and a fourth piston form a second piston pair, wherein the second piston pair defines a second working chamber, which with the Working chamber defined by the first pair of pistons is in a plane, wherein the reciprocating movements of the first and third pistons are rectified, and wherein the reciprocating movements of the second and fourth pistons are rectified.

In this embodiment of the piston engine according to the invention, although this also has four pistons and two working chambers as the known rotary piston machine, however, increase and decrease the two working chambers in the piston engine according to the invention in contrast to the known rotary piston machine in opposite directions, ie if the one working chamber has its minimum volume , the other working chamber has its maximum volume, and vice versa. The advantage here is especially in connection with the inventive concept that the pistons in the housing no longer rotate about the axis of rotation, in that on the one hand on the piston, as already mentioned above, no centrifugal forces act, and on the other hand two about their end surfaces adjacent backs adjacent pistons, ie, the first and third and the second and fourth pistons, respectively reciprocate together in the same direction. As a result, vibrations of the piston engine are reduced during operation. In the embodiment in which the piston engine has a total of four pistons, also the third and the fourth piston each have a guide member, wherein the two guide members engage in a further control cam of the cam member.

It is advantageous that the reciprocating movements of all four pistons are well-defined by the cam member.

In a further preferred embodiment, the first and third pistons are connected to each other on their sides facing each other, and the second and fourth pistons are also connected to each other on their sides facing each other.

It is advantageous that, seen over a full revolution of the cam member is always ensured that the guide members of the piston abut with direct and secure contact on the respective cam of the cam member, because the connection between the first and third or second and fourth piston causes in that there is a mutual drag or entrainment effect in the reciprocating movement between these pistons.

Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination given, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be described with reference to this hereafter. Show it: 1 shows a piston machine according to the invention in a longitudinal sectional view in a first sectional plane along the axis of rotation.

2 shows the piston machine in FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section along a sectional plane along the axis of rotation, but perpendicular to the sectional plane in FIG. 1, partly with openings;

FIG. 3 shows the piston machine in FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section according to FIG. 2, the pistons being in a different operating position relative to FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 shows the piston machine in FIG. 1 in a representation comparable to FIG. 3, the pistons being in a further operating position; FIG.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the piston engine in Fig. 1;

6 shows a cam member of the piston engine in FIG. 1 in a fragmentary perspective illustration together with the pistons of the piston engine, the pistons being in a first operating position; FIG.

FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of FIG. 6, wherein the pistons are in a changed operating position compared with FIG. 6; FIG. and

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the power stroke sequence in two parallel piston machines according to FIG. 1.

In Fig. 1 to 5 a provided with the general reference numeral 10 piston machine is shown. Further details of the piston engine are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The piston engine 10 serves in the present embodiment as an internal combustion engine, for example for use in a motor vehicle.

The piston engine 10 has a housing 12, which is composed of a plurality of housing segments. The housing 12 has a substantially spherical symmetry, but is not limited thereto.

With reference to a later to be explained axis of rotation 14, the housing 12 has a first end-side housing segment 16 and this opposite a second end-side housing segment 18 and in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis 14 one or more housing segments 20 as the main components of the housing 12.

In the housing 12, a total of four pistons are arranged, namely a first piston 22, a second piston 24, a third piston 26 and a fourth piston 28th

All four pistons 22 to 28 are arranged in a common plane, as is apparent in particular from FIGS. 2 to 4.

The first piston 22 has a first end surface 30, the second piston 24 has a second end surface 32, the third piston 26 has a third end surface 34 and the fourth piston 28 has a fourth end surface 36.

The first piston 22 and the second piston 24 define between their respective end surfaces 30 and 32 a first working chamber 38, and the third piston 26 and the fourth piston 28 define between their end surfaces 34 and 36 a second working chamber 40.

The pistons 22 to 28 carry out reciprocating movements in the housing 12, whereby these reciprocating movements take place here as pivoting movements about a pivot axis 41, which runs perpendicular to the abovementioned axis of rotation 14 and is stationary relative to the housing 12. The pistons 22 to 28 are here correspondingly curved cylindrical. It is understood that the pistons 22 to 28 can perform in a modified embodiment, instead of pivoting movements and linear reciprocating movements perpendicular or oblique to the axis of rotation and then need not be correspondingly curved.

In order to generate the reciprocating movements of the pistons 22 to 28, a cam member 42 is further arranged in the housing 12.

The cam member 42 is formed as circumferentially circumferentially closed around the rotation axis 14 and formed, and is located with respect to the pistons 22 to 28 viewed from the rotation axis 14 radially outward of the pistons 22 to 28 and approximately centrally between the front housing segments 16 and 18 and approximately in the center of the housing 12th

The cam member 42 is rotatably supported in the housing 12 about the rotation axis 14 by means of two ring bearings 44, 46.

The cam member 42 can thus rotate about the axis of rotation 14 to be understood as a geometric axis in the housing 12, wherein the rotation of the cam member 42 serves to generate the reciprocating movements of the pistons 22 to 28.

For this purpose, the cam member 42 has a first control cam 48 and a second control cam 50, wherein the two control cams 48, 50 are arranged axially adjacent to each other with respect to the axis of rotation and each extend fully around the axis of rotation 14.

With the control cam 48 is a guide member 52 which is connected to the first piston 22, and a guide member 54 which is connected to the second piston 24 in engagement. With the control cam 50 is a guide member 56 which is connected to the third piston 26, and a guide member 58 which is connected to the fourth piston 28, in engagement. The guide members 52 to 58 are formed as rollers and arranged on the respective end faces 30 to 36 facing away from the back of the piston 22 to 28.

As shown in FIG. 2 by way of example for the guide member 52, this is rotatably mounted on the piston 22 via a journal 60, which is fixedly connected to the piston 22.

The guide members 52 to 58 may be formed instead of by rollers as in the embodiment shown also by ball cups in the pistons 22 to 28 mounted balls, or by sliding shoes or other shaped rollers.

The pistons 22 to 28 are also slidably mounted in a piston cage 62, which is fixed with respect to the axis of rotation 14 in the housing 12, so is rotatably connected to the housing 12.

The piston cage 62 has for the first piston 22 and the second piston 24 has a circular bore 64 here, as well as for the third piston 26 and the fourth piston 28 is also a circular bore 66, so that the piston 22 and 24 in the bore 64 and the pistons 26 and 28 are slidably mounted in the bore 66. The pistons 22 to 28, which are preferably circular in cross-section, can thus be sealed in the bores 64 and 66 via circular seals (for example seals 68 of the piston 22 in FIG. 3) so that the working chambers 38 and 40 are sealed. The peripheral walls of the bores 64 and 66 bound together with the end surfaces 30, 32 and 34, 36, the working chambers 38 and 40, so that the working chambers 38 and 40 have substantially the shape of a cylinder.

As the cam member 42 rotates about the axis of rotation 14, the cams 48 and 50 pass along the guide links 52-58, and corresponding to the contouring of the cams 48 and 50 which are "mountains" relative to the rotational axis 14. and "valleys", the reciprocating movements of the pistons 22 to 28 are generated.

Each of the pistons 22 to 28 carries out its reciprocating movements between two end positions, wherein the movement of the pistons 22 to 28 always takes place in the same plane of motion, for the four pistons 22 to 28 in FIGS. 2 to 4 the plane of the drawing is. The pistons 22 to 28 thus do not run around the axis of rotation 14 as in the known rotary piston machines. The pistons 22 to 28, however, are always in a substantially central plane in the housing 12th

The first piston 22 and the second piston 24 perform mutually opposite movements, and the third piston 26 and the fourth piston 28 also perform mutually opposite movements. In contrast, the reciprocating movements of the first piston 22 are rectified to those of the third piston 26, and the reciprocating movements of the second piston 24 are rectified with those of the fourth piston 28. This causes the working chambers 38 and 40 do not enlarge and reduce in the same direction, but as the working chamber 38 decreases in volume, the working chamber 40 increases, and vice versa.

In Fig. 2, the first piston 22 and the second piston 24 are shown in their end position, which is referred to as top dead center (TDC), in which the pistons 22 and 24 have moved toward each other maximum and the working chamber 38 corresponding to a minimum volume having.

At the same time, the pistons 26 and 28 are in an end position, referred to as bottom dead center (UT), in which the pistons 26 and 28 are maximally spaced apart and the working chamber 40 has correspondingly maximum volume. Fig. 3 shows an intermediate position of the pistons 22 and 24 or 26 and 28, in which the pistons 22 to 28 have moved from their respective end position in Fig. 2 by half each in the direction of the other end position. The transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3 is based on a 90 ° rotation of the cam member 42 about the axis of rotation 14.

Fig. 4 shows, after a further 90 ° rotation starting from Fig. 3, the opposite to Fig. 2 situation in which the pistons 22 and 24 have reached their BDC position, while the pistons 26 and 28 have reached their TDC position ,

In Fig. 6, the TDC position of the pistons 22 and 24 and the simultaneous BDC position of the pistons 26 and 28 together with the associated rotational position of the cam member 42 is shown in perspective, and in Fig. 7, the reverse case, i. the TDC position of the pistons 22 and 24 and the BDC position of the pistons 26 and 28.

The first piston 22 and the third piston 26 are connected to each other on their rear surfaces facing away from the end surfaces 30 and 34, preferably elastically, for example via a tension spring 68, and the second piston 24 and the fourth piston 28 are also preferably connected elastically, For example, via a tension spring 70. The connection between the first piston 22 and the third piston 26 and the connection between the second piston 24 and the fourth piston 28 causes a mutual drag or entrainment effect between the first piston 22 and the third piston 26 or between the second piston 24 and the fourth piston 28, whereby the guide members 52 to 58 are securely held in contact with the control cam 48 and 50 of the cam member 42. The elastic connection between the pistons 22 and 26 or 24 and 28 allows a slight elastic distance clearance between these pistons.

In order to use the rotation of the cam member 42 during operation of the piston engine 10 as a driving force, the cam member 42 is in operative connection with a shaft 72 (FIG. 1). In Fig. 2 to 4 end portions 74, 76 of the shaft 72 are shown, to the For example, the drive train of a vehicle or units can be connected.

The cam member 42 has, according to FIGS. 6 and 7 on the outside a worm gear 78, and the shaft 72 has a corresponding external toothing, which meshes with the worm gear 78 of the cam member 42, such that upon rotation of the cam member 42 about the axis of rotation 14, the shaft 72 is set in rotation about its longitudinal central axis. The shaft 72 extends in this particularly simple embodiment, which requires only a toothing on these two parts and no other parts of a transmission for rotational transmission between the cam member 42 and the shaft 72, perpendicular to the axis of rotation 14th

Hereinafter, further aspects of the piston engine 10 will be described.

The first working chamber 38 is associated with a gas inlet 80 and a gas outlet 82, wherein the gas inlet 80 and the gas outlet 82 are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the rotational axis 14 in the front-side housing segment 16.

The working chamber 40 is correspondingly associated with a gas inlet 84 and a gas outlet 86 in the housing segment 86.

In the gas inlet 80, a fuel supply device 88 and in the gas inlet 84, a fuel supply device 90 is further arranged.

Thus, a mixture of fresh air and fuel, which is supplied via the fuel supply device 88, for example an injection nozzle, into the working chamber 38 can be introduced through the gas inlet 80. While the introduction of fresh air in the TDC position of the pistons 22 and 24 begins, which then move to the BDC position, the fuel can also be injected just before reaching the BDC position. The pistons then move back to the TDC position, then the mixture is compressed. In the recent OT Position of the pistons 22, 24, the mixture can then be ignited by means of an igniter 92, such as a spark plug, whereupon the pistons 22 and 24 are moved apart explosively, ie, the expansion stroke takes place. After the pistons 22 and 24 have again reached the TDC position, as the pistons 22 and 24 are moved back to the UT position, the burnt mixture is then expelled via the gas outlet 82, as is known in a four-stroke engine.

A corresponding ignition device 94 is provided for the working chamber 40.

For releasing and closing the gas inlet 80 and the gas outlet 82, a rotary valve 96 is disposed in the housing 12, and for closing the gas inlet 84 and the gas outlet 86, a rotary valve 98 is disposed in the housing 12.

The two rotary valves 96 and 98 each have only one circumferentially limited about the axis of rotation 14 opening, wherein in Fig. 1, an opening 100 of the rotary valve 98 can be seen.

Both rotary valves 96 and 98 are rotatably mounted about the axis of rotation 14 in the housing 12, wherein the rotary valves 96 and 98 rotate at the same speed as the cam member 42 about the axis of rotation 14.

The rotation of the rotary valve 96 and 98 is derived from the rotation of the cam member 42 which is connected to the rotary valves 96 and 98 via a gear 102, which transmits the rotational speed of the cam member 42 1: 1 in the rotational speed of the rotary valve 96 and 98.

The gearbox 102 has a shaft 104 which meshes with the external toothing 78 of the cam member 42 via a toothed wheel 106 in order to set the shaft 104 in rotation about its longitudinal axis, the shaft 104 bearing end gears 108, 110 which mesh with gears 112, 114, which in turn mesh with external teeth on the rotary valves 96, 98.

Characterized in that the rotation of the rotary valve 96, 98 is derived from the rotation of the cam member 42, an optimal synchronization of the rotational speed of the rotary valves 96 and 98 is achieved with the rotational speed of the cam member 42, and thus the release of the gas inlets 80, 84 and the gas outlets 82, 86 at the right time in each case as a function of the rotational speed of the cam member 42.

With reference to FIG. 8, the operation of the reciprocating engine 10 will be described below.

The starting point of the description is the TDC position of the pistons 22 and 24 and, consequently, the UT position of the pistons 26 and 28. The working chamber 38 thus has a minimum volume and the working chamber 40 has a maximum volume.

Was previously compressed in the working chamber 38, a fuel-air mixture, it can be ignited starting from the TDC position of the pistons 22 and 24 in the working chamber 38, as indicated by a spark in Fig. 8. After a 90 ° turn of the cam member 42 about the rotation axis 14, the pistons 22 and 24 have then moved from the TDC position to the BDC position, and the working cycle of expansion has taken place.

In the working chamber 40, a fuel-air mixture was admitted with a corresponding position of the rotary valve 98 shown in FIG. 1, and during the above-described 90 ° rotation of the cam member 42, the pistons 26 and 28 move from the BDC position in the OT Position, whereby the fuel-air mixture in the working chamber 40 is compressed.

In a further 90 ° rotation of the cam member 42 about the axis of rotation 14 is now in the working chamber 38 below the power stroke of ejecting the burned th fuel-air mixture, while in the working chamber 40 at the same time the working cycle of working (expanding) takes place after ignition of the fuel-air mixture. At the end of this cycle are the pistons 22, 24 in the TDC position, and the pistons 26, 28 in the UT position.

During a further 90 ° rotation of the cam member 42 about the axis of rotation 14 takes place in the working chamber 38, the working stroke of the intake of new fuel-air mixture, and in the working chamber 40, the power stroke of ejecting the combusted fuel-air mixture. At the end of this cycle are the pistons 22, 24 in the BDC position, and the pistons 26, 28 in the TDC position.

During a further rotation of the cam member 42 by 90 ° about the axis of rotation 14 takes place in the working chamber 38 of the power stroke of the compression and in the working chamber 40 of the power stroke of the intake of new fuel-air mixture. At the end of this cycle are the pistons 22, 24 in the TDC position, and the pistons 26, 28 in the UT position.

During a full rotation of the cam member 42 by 360 ° about the axis of rotation 14 thus take place in both working chambers 38 and 40, the four working cycles of working, ejecting, sucking, compacting, the work cycles are phase-shifted in the working chamber 38 by 90 °.

Turning now two piston machines 10 together in parallel, creates a piston engine with a total of four working chambers, and selects the arrangement so that in the two working chambers of the second piston engine, the working cycles both with each other and with respect to the work cycles in the working chambers 38 and 40 of the The first piston engine 10 are phase-shifted by 90 ° to each other, can be a total of a piston machine realize in each revolution of the then two cam members by 90 ° a working cycle of working (expanding) takes place, so that in this way a complete sequence of four Cycles of working (expanding) in a revolution of 360 ° as an 8-cylinder engine takes place.

Claims

claims

A piston engine having a housing (12) in which at least a first piston (22) is arranged, which is reciprocable between two end positions, in order to move one to a first end surface (30) of the at least one first piston (22). periodically increasing and decreasing the adjacent working chamber (38), the at least one first piston (22) having at least one guide member (52) provided with a control cam (48) formed on a cam member (42) disposed in the housing (12). is engaged, wherein the cam member (42) in the housing (12) concentrically and fully around a housing fixed axis of rotation (14) around and with respect to the axis of rotation (14) radially outwardly of the piston (22) is arranged, wherein the at least one a second piston (24) facing the first piston (22), which performs opposite reciprocating movements to the first piston (22), wherein the second piston (24) has a second end surface (32), the first end surface (30) of the first piston (22) faces and the working chamber (38) between the end surfaces (30, 32), characterized in that the cam member (42) about the rotational axis (14) rotatable in the housing ( 12) while the at least one first piston (22) and the second piston (24) are not rotatable about the rotation axis (14) such that the at least one first piston (22) and the second piston (24) rotate of the cam member (42) about the rotation axis (14) reciprocating movements in a fixed relative to the axis of rotation (14) movement plane.

2. Piston engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the second piston (24) has a guide member (54) which is in engagement with the control cam (48) of the cam member (42).

3. Piston engine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axis of rotation (14) extends centrally through the working chamber (38).

4. Piston engine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one first piston (22) in a piston cage (62) is slidably mounted, which is fixed with respect to the housing (12).

5. Piston engine according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that with the cam member (42) is a shaft (72) in operative connection, such that the rotation of the cam member (42) is converted into a rotation of the shaft (72) ,

6. Piston engine according to claim 5, characterized in that the shaft (72) via a worm toothing (78) with the cam member (42) is connected.

7. Piston engine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the housing (12) with respect to the axis of rotation (14) frontally a gas inlet (80) and a gas outlet (82) are provided, wherein the gas inlet ( 80) and the gas outlet (82) by means of a rotary valve (96) having an opening, is released and closed, which rotates about the axis of rotation (14) at the same speed as the cam member (42).

8. Piston engine according to claim 7, characterized in that the rotation of the rotary valve (96) from the rotation of the cam member (42) via a transmission (102) with a speed ratio of 1: 1 is derived.

9. piston engine according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a total of four pistons (22, 24, 26, 28) in the housing (12) are arranged, of which the first and a second piston (22, 24) a a first pair of pistons and a third and a fourth piston (26, 28) form a second pair of pistons, the second pair of pistons defining a second working chamber (40) lying in a plane with the working chamber (38) defined by the first pair of pistons; the reciprocating movements of the first and third piston (22, 26) are rectified and the reciprocating movements of the second and fourth pistons (24, 28) are rectified.

10. Piston engine according to claim 9, characterized in that the third and fourth pistons (26, 28) each have a guide member (56, 58), wherein the two guide members (56, 58) in a further control cam (58) of the cam member ( 42) intervene.

11. Piston engine according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the first piston (22) and the third piston (26) are connected to each other on its side facing each other, and the second piston (24) and the fourth piston (28) their mutually facing side are interconnected.