Rotary Valve Internal Combustion Engine
A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, has a crankshaft 2 and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft 2 to the rotary cylinder 1, the axis of the cylinder 1 being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft 2, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear 4 rotationally fast on the crankshaft 2, a second gear 8 rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder 1 and an idler gear 5 to transmit drive between the first and second gears.
The present invention relates to a rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having a cylinder within which the piston reciprocates, the cylinder being rotatable about its longitudinal axis in a cylindrical bore of a valve housing, the cylinder having a closed end which defines a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston and a valve port in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the valve housing having an inlet port and an outlet port adapted to be successively aligned with said valve port during rotation of the cylinder in the housing to enable fluid to flow respectively into and out of the combustion chamber.
Such rotating cylinder valve engines are known, for example from PCT/GB 01/04304 and PCT/GB 2003/002136.
The present invention seeks to provide improved forms of such engines.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder and an idler gear to transmit drive between the first and second gears.
Preferably, said angle is a right angle.
In a preferred embodiment, a balance weight is integrally formed in the idler gear, the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft. In an alternative form, a balance weight is secured to the idler gear in a rotationally fast manner the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft.
The first gear and the idler gear preferably have straight cut, helical cut or bevel gear teeth.
In one embodiment, the idler gear has a further gear rotationally fast thereto, the further gear comprising an axially extending face gear adapted to mesh with a spur gear on the rotary cylinder. In one form, the spur gear is formed in the rotary cylinder. In another form, the spur gear is a gear ring mounted, preferably by shrinking, on the rotary cylinder.
In another embodiment, the idler gear has a further gear rotationally fast thereto, the further gear comprising a bevel gear adapted to mesh with a bevel gear on the rotary cylinder. The bevel gear may be formed in the rotary cylinder or may be a gear ring mounted on the rotary cylinder, in which case, the gear ring may be shrunk on to the rotary cylinder.
The face gear of the idler gear may be adjustable axially towards and away from the spur gear on the rotary cylinder. The gear interface meshing between the idler gear and the rotary cylinder is preferably such that the cylinder is movable relative to the idler gear in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of the idler gear whilst still maintaining said meshing. This enables the cylinder to be moved axially relative to the crankshaft and piston to vary the compression ratio.
The gear ring may incorporate a resilient bushing to accommodate oscillatory motion between the gear ring and the cylinder, in which case the degree of oscillatory motion may be limited by a lug on the gear ring engageable with clearance in a recess in the cylinder, or by a lug on the cylinder engageable with clearance in a recess in the gearing.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having at least a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, and a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein the transmission drive incorporates a drive cushioning element.
Preferably, the drive cushioning element is incorporated in the said first gear and may include one or more coil springs or a resilient bush.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein one of the gears comprises a pair of coaxial gears mounted so as to enable a predetermined degree of relative rotational movement therebetween, with an anti-backlash mechanism between the said pair of gears.
Preferably, the anti-backlash mechanism is in the form of a resilient spring device which biases the two axial gears in the opposite rotational direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at the closed end adjacent to the combustion chamber through which volume a cooling fluid flows, the cooling volume having at least two radially spaced galleries in fluid communication.
Preferably, adjacent galleries are in a fluid communication through passages extending between the galleries at spaced intervals, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction. When three or more galleries are provided, the passages between two of the galleries are offset relative to passages between said two of the galleries and adjacent further galleries, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end by a wall to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at said closed end through which a cooling fluid flows, wherein the fluid is directed downwardly onto said closed end, then across the wall defining the closed end and then to an exit extending away from the wall.
Preferably, the cooling volume has radially inner and outer zones defined by a dividing wall extending generally around and adjacent to the periphery of the volume and downwardly towards the wall forming the closed end of the cylinder to a position adjacent but spaced from the wall so as to provide a small gap through which fluid can flow from one zone to the other zone before passing to the exit. In this case, the dividing wall is preferably essentially a circumferential wall co-axial with the cylinder to define the outer zone as a radial chamber extending around the periphery of the closed end of the chamber.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—
Referring now to
Referring now also to
The idler gear 5 is shown in greater detail in
As shown particularly in
Attention is also directed towards
As shown in this embodiment, the spur gear on the cylinder consists of a ring gear which is a force fit or a heat shrink fit on the cylinder. In an alternative form, the spur gear may be formed in the wall of the cylinder itself. In yet another embodiment, the ring gear may incorporate a resilient bush to act as a cushioning device. In such an embodiment, the ring gear would have an inner annular steel sleeve adapted to be a force fit on the cylinder and an outer ring gear with a resilient bush located between the sleeve and the ring gear to which the sleeve and ring gear are bonded.
Referring now to
As shown particularly in the cross sections of the cylinder in
The cooling volume in the closed end of the cylinder is in fluid communications through a port 34 (
An alternative form of cooling is shown in
Claims
1. A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder and an idler gear to transmit drive between the first and second gears, wherein the idler gear has a further gear rotationally fast thereto, the further gear comprising an axially extending face gear adapted to mesh with a spur gear on the rotary cylinder.
2. An engine according to claim 1 wherein said angle is a right angle.
3. An engine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a balance weight is integrally formed in the idler gear, the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft.
4. An engine according to claim 1 wherein a balance weight is secured to the idler gear in a rotationally fast manner the balance weight thereby contra-rotating relative to the direction of rotation of the crankshaft.
5. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first gear and the idler gear have straight cut gear teeth.
6. An engine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first gear and the idler gear have helical cut gear teeth.
7. An engine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first gear and the idler gear have bevel cut gear teeth.
8. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spur gear is formed in the rotary cylinder.
9. An engine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the spur gear is a gear ring mounted on the rotary cylinder.
10. An engine according to claim 9 wherein the spur gear ring is shrunk on to the rotary cylinder.
11. An engine according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the gear ring incorporates a resilient bushing to accommodate oscillatory motion between the gear ring and the cylinder.
12. An engine according to claim 11 wherein the degree of oscillatory motion is limited by a lug on the gear ring engageable with clearance in a recess in the cylinder, or by a lug on the cylinder engageable with clearance in a recess in the gearing.
13. An engine according to claim 12 wherein said clearance incorporates resilient material.
14. A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having at least a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, and a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein the transmission drive incorporates a drive cushioning element.
15. An engine according to claim 14, wherein the drive cushioning element is incorporated in the said first gear.
16. An engine according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the cushioning element includes one or more coil springs.
17. An engine according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the cushioning element comprises a resilient bush.
18. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the idler gear is mounted in an engine housing so that its axis of rotation is adjustable towards and away from the axis of rotation of the crankshaft and/or the rotary cylinder.
19. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the face gear of the idler gear is adjustable axially towards and away from the spur gear on the rotary cylinder.
20. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gear interface meshing between the idler gear and the rotary cylinder is such that the cylinder is movable relative to the idler gear in a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of the idler gear whilst still maintaining said meshing.
21. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims claim, wherein the face gear is adjustable axially relative to the idler gear.
22. An engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a drive cushioning device is located between the face gear and the idler gear.
23. An engine according to claim 22, wherein the drive cushioning device comprises a resilient bush or wave spring.
24. A rotary cylinder valve, reciprocating piston, internal combustion engine, having a crankshaft and a transmission drive to drivingly connect the crankshaft to the rotary cylinder, the axis of the cylinder being at an angle to the axis of the crankshaft, the transmission drive including a gear train having a first gear rotationally fast on the crankshaft, a second gear rotationally fast on the rotary cylinder, wherein one of the gears comprises a pair of coaxial gears mounted so as to enable a predetermined degree of relative rotational movement therebetween, with an anti-backlash mechanism between the said pair of gears.
25. An engine according to claim 24, wherein the anti-backlash mechanism is in the form of a resilient spring device which biases the two axial gears in the opposite rotational direction.
26. A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at the closed end adjacent to the combustion chamber through which volume a cooling fluid flows, the cooling volume having at least two radially spaced galleries in fluid communication.
27. An engine according to claim 26 wherein the galleries are generally circular or part circular.
28. An engine according to claim 26 or 27 wherein the galleries are concentric and have a common axis.
29. An engine according to claim 28, wherein the common axis is the axis of the cylinder.
30. An engine according to claims 26 or 27, wherein the galleries have spaced axes.
31. An engine according to any one of claims 26 to 30 wherein adjacent galleries are in a fluid communication through passages extending between the galleries at spaced intervals, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction.
32. An engine according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein when three or more galleries are provided, the passages between two of the galleries are offset relative to passages between said two of the galleries and adjacent further galleries, the passages being adapted to direct the fluid through the galleries in a generally circumferential direction.
33. An engine according to claim 26 wherein the cooling volume further includes cooling passages in the cylinder wall extending from said cooling volume towards the other end of the cylinder, the cylinder being formed by two contiguous concentric cylindrical parts, one of which has a plurality of grooves in its interfacing wall surface to thereby form said passages between the two cylinder parts.
34. A rotary cylinder valve reciprocating piston internal combustion engine wherein the rotary cylinder is closed at one end by a wall to form a combustion chamber between the closed end and the piston, wherein the rotary cylinder has a cooling volume at said closed end through which a cooling fluid flows, wherein the fluid is directed downwardly onto said closed end, then across the wall defining the closed end and then to an exit extending away from the wall.
35. An engine according to claim 34, wherein the cooling volume has radially inner and outer zones defined by a dividing wall extending generally around and adjacent to the periphery of the volume and downwardly towards the wall forming the closed end of the cylinder to a position adjacent but spaced from the wall so as to provide a small gap through which fluid can flow from one zone to the other zone before passing to the exit.
36. An engine according to claim 35 wherein the dividing wall is essentially a circumferential wall co-axial with the cylinder to define the outer zone as a radial chamber extending around the periphery of the closed end of the chamber.
37. An engine as claimed in the combination of any two or more of claims 1, 14, 24, 26, or 34.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 17, 2005
Publication Date: Feb 26, 2009
Inventor: Keith Trevor Lawes (Poole)
Application Number: 11/792,795
International Classification: F01L 1/32 (20060101);