JPH0520568B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to seal valves for rotary engines, and particularly to seal valves located across a combustion chamber that contribute to the compression, explosion, and expansion of a mixture. This relates to seal valves.

(Prior Art) Rotary engines that have characteristics such as smoother motion and less mechanical loss than reciprocating engines have various structures.

For example, a rotary engine previously proposed by the applicant in JP-A-56-126601 has a rotor housing 1 having a cylindrical inner surface, as shown in FIG.
, a rotary shaft 2 disposed coaxially with the axis thereof, and a rotor 3 eccentrically fixed to the rotary shaft and having a sliding contact portion that slides along the inner circumferential surface of the rotor housing. A sealing member 5 having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the opening of the combustion chamber 4 formed in the rotor housing 1 is provided at the sliding contact portion.

An air supply valve 6 and an exhaust valve 7 are provided in the air supply hole opening into the combustion chamber 4 and the exhaust hole formed separately in the combustion chamber, respectively.
It is driven by a valve drive device (not shown) having a cam, and controls the supply of a mixture of fuel and air and the discharge of combustion gas in relation to the movement of the rotor 2.

Further, one seal valve 8 is disposed in the rotor housing 1 so as to be able to reciprocate in the radial direction thereof, and is located forward in the rotational direction of the rotor 3 with respect to the combustion chamber 4.
In addition, the other seal valve 9 disposed between the combustion chamber and the exhaust hole is driven by another valve driving device in accordance with the rotation of the rotor, so that the rotor 3
and partitions the space defined by the rotor housing, rotor, and side housing (not shown), contributing to the compression of the air-fuel mixture, and also functions to prevent combustion gas from entering toward the combustion chamber. do.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, this rotary engine has a structure in which the tips of the seal valves 8 and 9 are brought into contact with or separated from the rotor by a valve drive device including a cam. Each seal valve 8, 9 is connected to the rotor 3
Secondly, it is difficult to achieve seal integrity between the rotor 3 and the seal valves 8 and 9 because the rotor 3 and the seal valves 8 and 9 contact each other at only one location in the circumferential direction based on the pressing force of the valve drive device. In addition, it is difficult to maintain the sealing performance between the rotor 3 and the seal valves 8, 9 over a long period of time, and some kind of solution has been sought.

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and achieves excellent sealing performance, as well as
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seal valve for a rotary engine that can sufficiently maintain its sealing performance over a long period of time.

(Means for Achieving the Object) In order to achieve this object, in the seal valve of the present invention, in particular, each of the seal valves located on both sides of the combustion chamber can be moved reciprocally in the radial direction of the rotor housing. a reciprocating member disposed adjacent to the rotor in the circumferential direction within the accommodation recess, the reciprocating member having a housing recess extending in the axial direction of the rotor at one end facing the rotor; It is composed of a pair of sealing members that have a tip shape that can be in line contact with each other and are movable relative to each other in the advancing and retracting directions, and an elastic member that presses each of the sealing members in the advancing direction.

More preferably, the reciprocating member of one seal valve is provided with a valve body portion that controls opening and closing of the exhaust hole formed in the rotor housing, and the reciprocating member of the other seal valve is provided with a valve body portion that is also formed in the rotor housing. A valve body portion is provided that controls opening and closing of the suction communication hole.

(Function) Here, when the seal valve and, by extension, the pair of seal members are brought into contact with the rotor based on the operation of the drive device, the seal member is made of elastic material arranged in the accommodation recess of the reciprocating member. Under the action of the member, it is elastically pressed against the rotor, so that the sealing condition between the sealing member and the rotor is sufficiently maintained over a long period of time, regardless of the occurrence of wear. .

Furthermore, since the pair of seal members individually slide into contact with the rotor at two locations in the circumferential direction of the rotor, extremely excellent sealing performance by the seal valve is achieved.

Note that here, on the reciprocating member of one seal valve,
In the case where a valve body part that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole formed in the rotor housing is provided, and a valve body part that controls the opening and closing of the suction communication hole formed in the rotor housing is provided on the reciprocating member of the other seal valve, , it becomes unnecessary to provide separate on-off valves for opening and closing those holes and driving means for them,
The structure of the rotary engine can be greatly simplified.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rotary engine 10 having a seal valve according to the present invention. is rotor 1
6 is integrally attached eccentrically.

A seal member 20 having a surface dimension larger than the opening of the combustion chamber 18 is provided at one location of the rotor 16. While being pressed, the inner peripheral surface 1 of the rotor housing
Slides into contact with 2a.

An air intake valve 22 is disposed in an air intake hole that opens into the combustion chamber 18, and accommodation holes 24 and 26 are provided in the rotor housing 12 at positions across the combustion chamber 18 to extend through the rotor housing 12 in the radial direction. Seal valves 28 and 30 are disposed so as to be able to reciprocate in the radial direction.

The air supply valve 22 and these seal valves 28, 30 are
In connection with the rotational movement of the rotor 16, each valve drive cam is driven by a respective valve drive cam forming part of a valve drive, each controlling the inflow of the air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 18, and the rotor housing 12 , function to partition the space defined by the rotor 16 and the side housing, and to sufficiently airtightly seal the partitioned spaces from each other.

Note that the reference numeral 32 is a suction communication hole that allows the space partitioned by the rotor 16, the rotor housing 12, and the seal valve 28 to communicate with the outside to ensure smooth rotational movement of the rotor 16. Reference numeral 34 is an exhaust hole for guiding combustion gas to the outside.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, taking one of them as an example, the seal valves 30 and 28 include a reciprocating member 36 disposed in the accommodation hole 26 so as to be able to reciprocate in the radial direction of the rotor housing. The reciprocating member 36 has, at its end portion facing the rotor 16, a widened portion 36a whose end surface has a substantially arcuate shape and whose width is widened in the circumferential direction of the rotor housing.

This widened portion 36a of the seal valve 30 has a shape corresponding to the widened seating portion 26a of the receiving hole 26, which opens into the inner circumferential surface 12a of the rotor housing 12, and when the seal valve retreats, the widened portion 36a
However, when housed in the rotor housing, the widened portion 36a of each seal valve is in close contact with the corresponding seating portion to form the exhaust hole 34, and in the case of a seal valve (not shown), the suction communication hole 32. Both will be closed.

Therefore, the seal valves 28, 30 having such a configuration
When using a rotary engine with a conventional structure as shown in FIG. It also becomes unnecessary to provide a valve. Moreover, here, since the end face of the widened portion of the reciprocating member 36 is arc-shaped,
There is no possibility that the reciprocating member will come into contact with the rotor 16.

Note that even if the widened portion 36a of the reciprocating member 36 moves outward in the radial direction of the rotor housing 12 and approaches the seating portion 26a of the accommodation hole 26, it still prevents combustion gas from flowing into the exhaust hole 34. A notch 36b is provided to allow this. Of course, such a notch is similarly formed in the seal valve 28 disposed in relation to the receiving hole 24.

Incidentally, the widened portion 36a of the reciprocating member 36 has a housing recess 3 extending in the axial direction of the rotor 16.
8 is formed, and its cross section is the rotor 16
The bottom of the T is larger than the corresponding opening.
Forms a groove shape. A pair of seal members 40 are disposed in the accommodation recess 38 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the rotor so as to be movable relative to each other in the movement direction of the reciprocating member.

Each seal member 40 is connected to one rotor 16.
The rotor 16 and the rotor housing 12 are in contact with the surface of the rotor 16 and the rotor housing 12 at the front and rear positions in the rotational direction of the rotor 16 and the rotor housing 12 to separate the space defined by the rotor 16 and the rotor housing 12. In consideration of exposure, it should be made of metal or ceramic with excellent heat resistance.

As shown in FIG. 3a, such a sealing member 40 has an abutting end surface 40a that can abut against the rotor surface.
has an arcuate shape that can make line contact with the rotor surface, while the end portion away from the rotor has a
Each of the protrusions 40b is provided to protrude in a direction away from the adjacent seal member.

Therefore, when the reciprocating member 36 and each sealing member 40 are combined, the protrusion 40b of each sealing member 40 engages with the shoulder of the accommodation recess 38 of the reciprocating member 36. Therefore, the seal member 40 will not fall off from the reciprocating member 36.

As shown in FIG. 2, an elastic member, for example, a compression spring 42, is disposed between each seal member 40 and the housing recess 38 of the reciprocating member 36, and each seal member 40 is Elastically presses toward the surface of the rotor.

With this configuration, in addition to the elastic restoring force of the spring 42, the gas pressure acting on the bottom of the housing recess presses each pair of seal members 40 against the surface of the rotor 16, causing each seal member 40 to Since both are brought into close contact with the rotor surface at the same time, a more reliable sealing function can be achieved.

In addition, here, by pressing the sealing member 40 with the elastic restoring force of the spring 42, a proper sealing state can be maintained for a long period of time even if at least one of the sealing member 40 and the rotor 16 suffers some wear. can be maintained over a period of time.

FIG. 3b is a diagram showing another pair of seal members 40 suitable for application to the present invention. Each sealing member 40 in this example includes, at the bottom of the sealing member,
Protrusion 4 protruding in the direction of the opposing seal member forming a pair
0c are provided at a distance from each other, and these protrusions 40c
In between, the c members 40 are connected to each other in the axial direction R of the rotor.
Another elastic member 44 is provided to press the two parts apart. In this embodiment as well, it is assumed that each seal member 40 is pressed against the rotor surface under the action of the elastic member 42 disposed at the bottom of the accommodation recess 38.

According to the seal member having such a configuration, each seal member 40 is not only pressed individually against the surface of the rotor 16, but also the respective side end surfaces of each seal member 40 are also pressed against the side housing (not shown). Therefore, leakage of combustion gas and air-fuel mixture from between the side housing and the seal member 40 can be more effectively prevented.

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the seal valve of the present invention, each of the pair of seal members housed in the accommodation recess of the reciprocating member can be applied to the surface of one rotor under the action of the elastic member. Since the two parts contact each other in the circumferential direction, it is possible to achieve extremely excellent sealing performance. performance can be maintained over time.

In addition, if the reciprocating member of each seal valve is provided with a valve body portion that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole and the suction communication hole, not only the exhaust valve and other valves but also the By eliminating the need for a drive mechanism, the structure of the rotary engine can be simplified, and the rotary engine itself can be sufficiently miniaturized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a rotary engine having a seal valve of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the seal valve of the present invention, and Fig. 3a shows a pair of seal members shown in Fig. 2. FIG. 3b is a perspective view showing another seal member, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a conventional rotary engine. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Rotary engine, 12... Rotor housing, 12a... Cylindrical inner peripheral surface, 14... Rotating shaft, 16... Rotor, 18... Combustion chamber, 20...
... Seal member, 22 ... Air supply valve, 24, 26 ...
Accommodation hole, 28, 30... Seal valve, 32... Suction communication hole, 34... Exhaust hole, 36... Reciprocating member, 36a... Widened portion, 36b... Notch portion, 38... Accommodation recess, 40... Seal member, 4
0a...Abutting end surface, 40b...Protrusion portion, 42,4
4...Elastic member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The space defined by the rotor housing, the rotor, and the side housing is filled by contacting the rotor having one sliding contact portion that slides along the inner circumferential surface of the rotor housing. In a rotary engine seal valve that partitions a combustion chamber provided in a housing at different positions, each seal valve is disposed in the rotor housing so as to be able to reciprocate in the radial direction thereof, and is located at one end facing the rotor. , a reciprocating member having a housing recess extending in the axial direction of the rotor;
A pair of seal members that are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the rotor, each having a tip shape that can make line contact with the rotor, and that are movable relative to each other in the advancing and retracting directions, and pressing the respective seal members in the advancing direction. A rotary engine seal valve consisting of an elastic member. 2 The reciprocating member of one seal valve is provided with a valve body portion that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust hole formed in the rotor housing, and the reciprocating member of the other seal valve is provided with a valve body portion that controls the opening and closing of the suction communication hole also formed in the rotor housing. 2. The seal valve for a rotary engine according to claim 1, further comprising a valve body portion that controls the operation of the rotary engine.