WO2014012152A1

WO2014012152A1 - Internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: WO2014012152A1
Application number: PCT/BG2012/000027
Authority: WO
Inventors: Svetogor Svetoslavov DENEV
Original assignee: Dns Project, Jsc
Priority date: 2012-07-19
Filing date: 2012-10-15
Publication date: 2014-01-23
Also published as: BG111267A

Abstract

The internal combustion engine as per the present invention is applicable in the automotive industry, shipbuilding, railway transport, aircraft industry, operating of stationary units, etc. The engine is defined by high efficiency, minimized dimensions and weight. The internal combustion engine comprises cylinders with pistons (1). At the lower part of each piston (1) there is a opening where via piston pin a rack rod (4) with regular shape is fitted, and on all sides of each rack rod teeth (5) with trapezoid or other profile are made, where between inner sides of the respective pair of rack rods (4) a distribution gear wheel (6) is situated and engaged to the teeth (5) on the inner sides of both rack rods (4). On the front and the back side of the rack rods (4) gear wheels (7) of the output power shafts (8) are engaged, and they are fitted to the output power shafts (8) by means of one- way clutch bearings (9). In the bottom end of the engine a straight return shaft (10) is centrally fitted, whereon circular lobes (13) are immovably eccentrically fitted, on external surface of which bearings (11) roll, fitted to the respective lower end of the respective rack rod (4), whereas a gear (14) is fitted to the return shaft (10) engaged to the camshaft of the internal combustion engine.

Description

INTERERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The engine according to the present invention, with internal or external fuel-air mixture formation, finds application in automotive industry, shipbuilding, railway transport, aircraft industry, operating of stationary units, etc.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

From US 4433649 an internal combustion engine is known in the art, having pistons, each of them connected to the relevant rack rod, and the rack rods are connected to power output shaft through a mechanical rectifier so that the power output shaft can rotate in one direction only. The rack rods are connected to a crankshaft through pivotally connected bearings which ensure the pistons stroke. The crankshaft is not used as a power output shaft.

The shortcomings of the engine previously known in the art are the use of a single power output shaft, significant mechanical losses as a result of the use of the crankshaft for moving the pistons, as well as the use of plain bearings in the engine structure.

III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The purpose of the present invention is to create an engine with minimized mechanical losses, reduced inertial forces, lower vibrations and enhanced efficiency in comparison with the internal combustion engines previously known in the art. The purpose is achieved by using an internal combustion engine comprising two parts - upper and lower part. The upper part of the engine comprises cylinders, pistons, intake and exhaust valves, camshaft, fuel supply and cooling systems.

The lower part of the engine comprises rack rods, gear wheels, bearings (including one-way clutch bearings), distribution gear wheel, output power shafts and return shaft.

There is a rack rod fitted at the lower end of each piston through a piston pin.

The rack rod has a rectangular shape, with teeth in trapezoidal or other shape made on its front, back, and inner sides.

There is a distribution gear wheel, located between the inner sides of the adjacent rack rods, fitted through a bearing to a fixed shaft. The external diameter of the gear wheel is defined by the distance between the two adjacent rack rods and the length of the piston stroke.

The teeth in the front and back side of the rack rods engage gear wheels, fitted to the two output power shafts through one-way clutch bearings fixed to the gear wheels. The inner diameter of these bearings is equal to the external diameter of the output power shaft.

The one-way clutch bearings provide rotation in both directions, but engagement with shafts occurs only when the respective piston travels from top dead center (TDC) to bottom dead center (BDC).

In the present invention, an additional distribution gear wheel is added between 2^nd and 3 ^rd rack rod between the first and the second pair of cylinders of the inline four-cylinder engine. All distribution gear wheels have the same diameter and teeth profile.

At the engine lower part, a straight return shaft is located centrally, with fixed circular lobes fitted eccentrically to it. At the lower part of the rack rods, depending on the engine execution as per the present invention, at least two of the adjacent rack rods are fitted coaxially to the output power shafts bearings, which are fixed to the lower part of the respective rack rod. The outer face of these bearings is in contact with the lobes of the return shaft.

To the return shaft is fitted a gear which is engaged to the camshaft, controlling the combustion cycles of the engine. The same gear ensures the working process of the auxiliary units (cooling pump, hydraulic pump, etc.). The return shaft can be different from the one described.

The number of the engine cylinders as per the present invention can vary depending on its purpose, without limitation regarding their number and location in relation to the output power shafts. There can be one, two or more output power shafts.

The internal combustion engines working on the principles of the present invention may comprise even or uneven number of cylinders, two-stroke or four-stroke, with internal or external fuel-air mixture.

The advantages of internal combustion engines according to the present invention, in comparison with the engines previously known in the art, are as follows: the use of two output power shafts instead of one; longer piston working arm in relation to the output power shaft; longer piston stroke; minimized mechanical power waste as a result of reduced friction; reduced wear and fatigue and reduced vibrations; reduced fuel consumption; reduced toxicity of exhaust gases; enhanced torque and power; reduced temperature load of component details; reduced level of working noise.

IV. BRIEF DESCIPTION OF THE ATTACHED FIGURES

Fig. l a is a front view of the internal combustion engine as per the present invention.

Fig. lb is a side view of the internal combustion engine as per the present invention. Fig. 2a is a front view of the engine working process when pistons 1 and 3 are travelling from TDC to BDC.

Fig. 2b is a side view of the pistons 1 and 3 working process from TDC to

BDC

Fig. 2c is a side view of pistons 2 and 4 showing their travel from BDC to

TDC.

Fig. 3 a is a front view of the engine working process when pistons 2 and 4 are travelling from TDC to BDC and pistons 1 and 3 are travelling from BDC to TDC.

Fig. 3b is a side view of pistons 2 and 4 working process from TDC to

BDC.

Fig. 3 c is a side view of pistons 1 and 3 showing their travel from BDC to

TDC.

V. EXAMPLE

As shown on Fig.1 ( la and lb), the internal combustion engine has four pistons (1 ) with segments (2). At the lower part of each piston (1) there is an opening, where a rack rod (4) is fitted through a piston pin (3). Each rack rod (4) has teeth (5) on all four sides. On the two of the sides of each rack rod (4) two power output shafts (8) are fitted longitudinally and supported respectively by main bearings (15) rotating freely in both directions.

The teeth (5) of the front and back side of the rack rods (4) are engaged to the gear wheels (7) which are fitted to both output power shafts (8) through oneway clutch bearings (9) fixed to the gear wheels (7).

Distribution gear wheels (6) are engaged with the rack rods' teeth (5) of every two adjacent pistons. Depending on the engine construction, at the lower part of at least two of the adjacent rack rods (4) - fig. lb, bearings (1 1 ) are fitted coaxially to the output power shafts (8).

At the bottom end of the engine, a straight return shaft (10), supported by main bearings (12), is located centrally. On the return shaft (10), are fitted eccentrically fixed lobes (13) and a gear wheel ( 14), and the latter transmits the rotary motion of the return shaft (10) to the camshaft (not shown in the figure). The lower part of the rack rod (4) is in contact with the eccentrically fitted circular lobes ( 13) via the bearing (1 1 ).

The operation of the engine, in accordance with the present invention, in an inline 4-cylinder, 4-stroke internal combustion configuration is as follows:

The cylinders' operating order in the example is as following: 1-2-3-4, whereas the operating order could be any combination where the even and the odd numbers operate consecutively.

The first cycle runs as shown on fig. 2a. The fuel-air mixture, injected and compressed in the first cylinder, is ignited by a spark plug (not shown in the figure) and forces piston one (1 ) from top dead center to bottom dead center. The stroke of piston one (1 ) is transmitted by the rack rod (4) through clutch bearings (9) to the output power shafts (8). The clutch bearings (9) of the output power shafts (8) are one-way engaged and transmit the stroke only when the piston (1) travels from TDC to BDC, thus forcing the output power shafts to the direction shown on fig. 2b.

At the same time, the other pistons (1) are put in motion by the distribution gear wheels (6) engaged with the rack rods (4) of the pistons (1), as shown on fig. 2a: piston 2 from BDC to TDC (compression stroke), piston 3 from TDC to BDC (intake stroke), piston 4 from BDC to TDC (exhaust stroke). Due to the one-way engagement of the output power shafts (8) to the gear wheel (7), each piston travels from BDC back to TDC freely, without affecting the output power shaft (8) rotation in the reverse direction (fig. 2c). The rack rod (4) stroke is transmitted by the bearing (IT ) towards the eccentrically fitted circular lobes ( 13) which force the return shaft (10) to the direction shown on fig. 2b and 2c. The return shaft (10), through the gear wheel (14) fixed to the shaft (10), transmits its rotary motion to the camshaft (not shown in the figure) which controls the intake and exhaust valves.

The other 3 cycles run in the same manner and each cycle consists of the following strokes of the respective piston:

The second cycle (fig. 3a): piston 1 - from BDC to TDC (exhaust stroke); piston 2 - from TDC to BDC (ignition and expansion stroke); piston 3 from BDC to TDC (compression stroke); piston 4 from TDC to BDC (intake stroke).

The third cycle (fig. 2a): piston 1 from TDC to BDC (intake stroke); piston 2 from BDC to TDC (exhaust stroke); piston 3 from TDC to BDC (ignition and expansion stroke); piston 4 from BDC to TDC (compression stroke).

The fourth cycle (fig. 3a): piston 1 - from BDC to TDC (compression stroke); piston 2 - from TDC to BDC (intake stroke); piston 3 from BDC to TDC (exhaust stroke); piston 4 from TDC to BDC (ignition and expansion stroke).

During each cycle (stroke) the return shaft (10) rotates exactly 180 degrees.

During each cycle (stroke) the output power shafts (8) rotate to an angle, defined by the proportion among the width of the rack rod (4), the number and the size of the teeth (5) of the rack rod, the diameter, the number and the size of the teeth of the gear wheels (7) engaged to the output power shaft (8), and the diameter of the output power shaft (8).

The angle of rotation of the output power shafts during one engine cycle is defined by the needs of the operation of each particular engine (power, torque and speed) and can be modified (by modifying the proportion among the sizes of the elements described above - (4), (5), (7), (8)) without limitation. In the described example, the output power shafts (8) rotate to an angle of 240 degrees in one stroke of the engine.

According to another version of the present invention, the fuel-air mixture can be replaced by compressed air, steam or another gas that can be ignited out of the cylinders, and the effects achieved by the internal combustion engine, subject to this invention, remain the same.

The example described above is only given as a single, non-limiting version of the execution of the present invention, as it is disclosed in the present description and patent claims.

There are other possible versions of executions of the present invention, which will achieve the aimed effects by using the disclosed main principles and characteristics described herein and in the patent claims, thus being in the scope of the present invention, defined by the patent claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Internal combustion engine comprising of cylinders with fitted pistons with segments, connected via rack rods to distribution gear wheels and gear wheels of the output power shafts, whereas by means of bearings the rack rods move a return shaft, engaged to a camshaft, controlling the combustion processes of the engine, whereas at the lower part of each piston (1 ) there is an opening where a rack rod (4) in rectangular shape is fitted with a piston pin (3), and on all sides of each rack rod teeth (5) of trapezoid, square or other profile are made, whereas between the inner sides of the respective pair of rack rods (4) a distribution gear wheel (6) is fitted and engages the teeth (5) on the inner sides of both rack rods (4), whereas the external diameter of the distribution gear wheel is defined by the stroke of the piston (1 ) and by the distance between each pair of pistons (1), whereas between the adjacent pairs of pistons between the adjacent rack rods (4) distribution gear wheels (6) are engaged, and gear wheels (7) of the output power shafts (8) are engaged with the teeth (5) on the front and the back side of the rack rods (4) through fitted one-way clutch bearings (9), where each clutch bearing (9) provides rotation in both directions but is engaged to the respective output power shaft (8) only when the respective rack rod (4) is moving by the stroke of the respective piston (1 ) from TDC to BDC, whereas at the bottom end of the engine a straight return shaft ( 10) is fitted, on which fixed circular lobes (13) are fitted eccentrically , and on their external surfaces, bearings (1 1), fitted to the respective lower end of the respective rack rod (4), roll, whereas a gear (14) that is engaged to the camshaft of the internal combustion engine is fitted to the return shaft (10)|.

2. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that it is a two- stroke internal combustion engine.

3. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that it is a four- stroke internal combustion engine

4. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , comprising more than two or four cylinders.

5. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of the cylinders is different from inline arrangement.

6. The engine, according to claim 1 , wherein the return shaft rotates to an angle of 180 degrees and the power output shaft(s) rotate(s) to an angle different from 180 degrees.

7. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , wherein one, two or more output power shafts are used.

8. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , wherein the external diameter of the gear wheels (7) defines the revolutions of the output power shafts (8), rotating at a rate other than or equal to the pistons (1) rate.

9. The engine as detailed in claim 1 , wherein there is at least one one-way clutch bearing (9) fitted to the return shaft ( 10).