WO2005068781A1

WO2005068781A1 - Rotary-alternating internal combustion engine

Info

Publication number: WO2005068781A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/000033
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio De Bei
Original assignee: Claudio De Bei
Priority date: 2004-01-14
Filing date: 2005-01-05
Publication date: 2005-07-28
Also published as: JP2007518916A; ITVI20040004A1; JP4668209B2

Abstract

Rotary-alternating internal combustion engine that comprises a fixed outer part defined as a stator (1), where intake and exhaust ports (14, 15) are formed, inside the stator a rotary body, known as a rotor (2) is installed, which rotates coaxially to the axis of the stator, in it chambers (19) are formed for the insertion of the cylinders (20), where the pistons (21) slide that are connected to a device (31), bound to operate eccentrically (30) with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor, making the volume of the combustion chamber of the engine according to the finding vary.

Description

Title: "ROTARY-ALTERNATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE'

The present finding concerns a rotary-alternating internal combustion engine. Numerous patents have been filed and many designs have been made with the intention of creating an engine that has better constructive and functional characteristics than those of the alternating engine.

Toroidal cylinder engines in which the pistons, during circular motion, chasing each other move closer together and further apart, engines with rotors provided with blades, engines with oscillating discs or blades and finally so- called rotary piston engines (although this is rather a rotor provided with lobes) have been researched. These engines, generally called rotary piston engines or rotary gear engines or lobe engines, are volumetric engines without crank mechanisms and with similar operating cycles to those of alternating engines.

The engines devised in the past, although in theory they appeared promising and, at least on paper, more cost- effective to build than alternating engines, failed above all due to the insufficient seal of the gases and the irrational shape of the combustion chamber.

As an example we quote the Umpleby engine of 1920, precursor to the better known NSϋ-Wankel rotary engine, of the type with a rotary piston - the only one that has been applied in a particularly difficult field like that of the automobile industry.

The purpose of the present finding is that of making an internal combustion engine that does not have either the constructive or functional drawbacks suffered by similar known engines. Specifically, the purpose of the present finding is that of making an internal combustion engine that allows the following advantages to be obtained: substantial reduction in the unbalanced shape and therefore a natural or easier balancing; reduction in the number of mobile parts and therefore simple construction; low total volume and therefore also low weight; substantial conditions of seal of the gas in all of the areas of the cycle, between rotor and casing; regular operation at all operating speeds; - excellent volumetric and mechanical yield; reduced specific consumption.

Such purposes are accomplished by making an internal combustion engine that associates the constructive and functional characteristics of normal reciprocating internal combustion engines with the constructive and functional characteristics of rotary engines.

The engine according to the finding is characterised firstly in that it comprises a fixed end part that constitutes a casing, defined hereafter with the term stator, on which the recess for the application of the spark plug and the intake and exhaust ports are formed, inside said stator a rotary body being present, which rotates coaxially with the axis of the casing itself.

On the inner rotary body, defined hereafter with the generic term "rotor", some through chambers are formed, arranged with radial direction and equally spaced on a circumference concentric with the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotor. Inside each chamber a piston equipped with alternating motion is able to slide so that said chambers become the cylinders of the engine according to the finding.

The sliding of the pistons inside the cylinders is made possible by the fact that the pistons are equipped with a device that is bound to operate around an axis arranged eccentrically with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor.

With such a constructive solution when the rotor rotates about its axis the pistons, being bound to an axis arranged eccentrically with respect to the aforementioned axis as well as engaged to slide inside the corresponding cylinders formed on the rotor itself, are forced to move with just alternating rectilinear motion with which the volume of the chamber defined between the head of the piston and the inner surface of the stator varies with continuity and cyclically, i.e. to vary the volume of the combustion chamber of the engine according to the finding.

The value of the eccentricity between the rotation axis of the rotor and the binding axis of the pistons and the arrangement of the spark plug and of the intake and exhaust ports are defined so that for each complete 360° rotation of the rotation, the four steps of Otto cycle take place on each piston, so as to carry out the same operation as that of a normal four-stroke combustion engine: intake, compression, power and exhaust.

The device that binds each piston to just the eccentric axis can be made differently, substantially able to be grouped into two embodiments: in a first embodiment it is foreseen that the device is engaged to follow the profile of a circular cam whereas in a second embodiment the device consists of a tie rod that is fitted idly on a pin and where both the cam and the pin are coaxial with the eccentric axis of the engine.

The finding shall be better defined with the description of some possible embodiments thereof, given as a non-limiting example, with the help of the attached tables of drawings, where:

- figs. 1 and 2 (Table I) respectively represent sectioned front and side views of a first embodiment of the engine according to the finding of the type equipped with a guide cam;

- figs. 3 and 4 (Table II) respectively represent assembly of the rotor and central support pin according to fig. 1; - figs. 5 and 6 (Table III) respectively represent front and side views of a second embodiment of the engine according to the finding, of the type equipped with a guide cam;

- figs. 7 and 8 (Table IV) respectively represent sectioned front and side views of an embodiment of the engine according to the finding of the type equipped with a tie rod;

- figs. 9 and 10 (Table V) respectively represent sectioned front and side views of the rotary group mounted on the engine according to fig. 7;

- figs. 11 and 12 (Table VI) respectively represent sectioned front and side views of the stator group mounted on the engine according to fig. 7; figs. 13 and 14 (Table VII) respectively represent perspective views of the body of the rotor, exploded and crowded together. As can be seen in the figures, the engine according to the finding comprises a fixed outer body that constitutes the stator 1 in which a mobile body or rotor 2 rotates coaxially, fitted through the bearings 3 on the central support pin 4, fixed to and made integral with the body of the stator through the keys 5.

As can be seen, in particular in figs. 11 and 12, the stator 1 is formed from a casing divided, with an axial middle plane, into a base 6 and a cover 7, held locked together through the flanged connection 8.

A full ring 9, having its inner surface 10 with a spherical profile, which goes into sliding contact with the outer surface 11, with a spherical profile, of the rotor, is inserted in the stator 1.

The seats 12 for housing the spark plug 13 and the ports 14 and 15, respectively for the exhaust fumes and for taking in the mixture, are formed on the stator 1.

As can be seen in particular in figs. 13 and 14, the body 16 of the rotor 2 is divided, with a middle plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, into two symmetrical blocks 17 that are held connected together through the screws 18. Some equally spaced radial recesses 19, which constitute the seats of the cylinder 20, in which the pistons 21 slide, are formed on the body 16.

Each cylinder 20 is made up of the liner 22 and a collar 23, equipped with 0-rings 24, spherically shaped to slide against the inner surface 10 of the fixed ring 9, which thus acts as a cap of the variable volume combustion chamber 25.

To make the seal between the surfaces in relative movement, the inner surface 10 of the stator and the outer surface 11 of the rotor, in the areas not occupied by the collars 23, it is foreseen to use shaped sliding blocks 26 applied, through the screws 27, on the flat parts 28 present on the body 16 of the rotor 2.

Advantageously, with the rotation of the rotor 2, the sliding blocks 26 also carry out the function of opening/closing the intake and exhaust ports 14 and 15, thus making the use of valves pointless, thus making a four-stroke internal combustion engine that acts like a two-stroke internal combustion engine.

As can be seen in figs. 1 and 2, in a first embodiment of the engine according to the finding, the pistons 21 are moved through the action of a device, wholly indicated with 30, which comprises two pairs of rollers, joined together through a double-T bracket 31 and where a first pair 32 is fitted on the bushing of the piston 21 and is able to slide on the outer surface of a fixed cam 33 whereas the second pair 34 is able to slide on the inner surface of said cam. As can be seen in figs. 2 and 3, the fixed cam 33 has a circular profile with the Y-axis eccentric with respect to the X-axis of the central support pin 4, with which it constitutes a single body.

Specifically, to allow the rotation of the bracket 31, the central pin/bracket group is divided into two symmetrical blocks 35, held connected together through the pins 36.

As can be seen in figs. 5 and- 6, a possible variant embodiment of the device 30 foresees the use of just the upper pair of bearings 32 that is kept in contact with the outer surface of the cam 33 through the thrusting action of a spring 38 inserted in the body 16 of the rotor 2.

As can be seen in figs. 7 and 8, in a second embodiment of the engine according to the finding, the pistons 21 are moved through the action of a device, wholly indicated with 40, in which the pistons 21 are each equipped with a tie rod 41 the forked end 42 of which is fitted idly on a single fixed pin 43, arranged with the Y-axis eccentric with respect to the X- axis of the fixed central pin 4, to which it is connected through the brackets 44.

Claims

1. ROTARY-ALTERNATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, of the type that comprises a fixed outer part that constitutes a casing or stator (1), on which the recess (12) for the application of the spark plug (13) and the intake and exhaust ports (14, 15) are formed, inside said stator a rotary body (2) being present, which rotates coaxially with the axis of the casing itself, on said rotary body or rotor some through chambers (19) being formed, arranged with radial direction and equally spaced on a circumference concentric with the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotor, inside each chamber a piston (21) equipped with alternating motion is able to slide, said sliding of the pistons inside the cylinders being made possible by the fact that said pistons are equipped with a device that is bound to operate around an axis (Y) arranged eccentrically with respect to the rotation axis (X) of the rotor itself, said engine being characterised in that the stator (1) is formed from a casing divided, with an axial middle plane, into a base (6) and a cover (7), held locked together through the flanged connections (8), and a full ring (9), having its inner surface (10), with a spherical profile, which goes into sliding contact with the outer surface (11) , with a spherical profile, of the rotor (2) , is inserted in said stator.

2. ENGINE, according to claim 1, characterised in that the body (16) of the rotor (2) is divided, with a middle plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, into two symmetrical blocks (17) that are held connected together through the screws (18) .

3. ENGINE, according to claim 2, characterised in that some equally spaced radial recesses (19) , which constitute the seats of the cylinders (20) , in which the pistons (21) slide, are formed on the body (16) , each cylinder being made up of the liner (22) and a collar (23), equipped with O-rings (24) and spherically shaped to slide against the inner surface (10) of the fixed ring (9), which thus acts as a cap of the variable volume combustion chamber (25) .

4. ENGINE, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the seal between the surfaces in relative movement, the inner surface (10) of the stator and the outer surface (11) of the rotor, in the areas not occupied by the collars (23) , is ensured by shaped sliding blocks (26) applied, through the screws (27), on the flat parts (28) present on the body (16) of the rotor (2), said sliding blocks also carry out the function of opening/closing the intake and exhaust ports (14, 15) .

5. ENGINE, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the pistons (21) are moved through the action of a device (30) , which comprises two pairs of rollers, joined together through a double-T bracket (31) where a first pair (32) is fitted on the bushing of the piston and is able to slide on the outer surface of a fixed cam (33) whereas the second pair (34) is able to slide on the inner surface of said cam.

6. ENGINE, according to claim 6, characterised in that the fixed cam (33) has a circular profile with the axis (Y) arranged eccentric with respect to the axis (X) of the central support pin (4), with which it constitutes a single body, said body being divided into two symmetrical blocks (35) held connected together through the pins (36) .

7. ENGINE, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the pistons are moved through the action of a device (30) , which uses a single upper pair of bearings (32) that is kept in contact with the outer surface of the cam (33) through the thrusting action of a spring (38) inserted in the body (16) of the rotor (2) .

8. ENGINE, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the pistons (21) are moved through the action of a device (40) , in which the pistons are each equipped with a tie rod (41) the forked end (42) of which is fitted idly on a single fixed pin (43) , arranged with the axis (Y) eccentric with respect to the axis (X) of the fixed central pin (4), to which it is connected through the brackets (44) .

9. ENGINE, according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the rotor (2), which rotates coaxially inside said stator (1), is fitted through the bearings (3) on the central support pin (4), said pin being fixed to and integral with - the body of the stator itself through the keys (5) .