Compact head assembly for internal combustion engine

Details Compact head assembly for internal combustion engine Compact head assembly for internal combustion engine

2000-09-11

2001-05-29

Lo, Weilun (Department: 3748)

Internal-combustion engines

Poppet valve operating mechanism

Rocker

C123S090410

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237554

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head assembly for an internal combustion engine, and in particular, to a compact rocker arm assembly useful in confined areas such as in motorcycles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many internal combustion engines that are currently in use are based on engineering compromises between performance of the engine and additional constraints such as surrounding non-engine components. Such additional constraints many times cause such compromises to affect the performance of the engine since it is perceived that there is not sufficient room for more optimal configurations. Thus, more compact design of various engine components or assemblies is beneficial, particularly if such designs allow greater optimization of engine performance within substantially the same space constraints that the engine would occupy otherwise.
In many internal combustion engines, their performance can be substantially enhanced by reconfiguring the engine head assembly so that, for example, intake and exhaust valve angles are reoriented and the combustion chamber is reconfigured to provide higher compression ratios and greater homogeneity or atomization within the fuel mixtures provided to such engines. Further, it can be desirable to reconfigure the intake and exhaust ports to the cylinders of such engines so that there is both a decrease in flow impeding bends within the ports, and optionally, appropriate contours to at least the input port so that this contour facilitates mixing the fuel and air together prior to entering a cylinder for combustion. Thus, it would be advantageous to have a novel internal combustion engine head that performed such enhancements to internal combustion engines currently in use. In particular, it would be advantageous to have such an internal combustion engine head assembly for Harley-Davidson Sportster and Big Twin motorcycles since these motorcycles are extremely popular and may be able to benefit greatly from a redesigned engine head assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a novel internal combustion engine head assembly, wherein the rocker arms for the intake and exhaust valves each have a portion that pivots about a common axis, and wherein these portions are concentric to one another. Accordingly, the present invention provides a very compact combustion head assembly. In particular, the present invention includes intake and exhaust rocker arms wherein each arm has an arm part and a pivot part such that the arm part transfers a force between components of the engine for actuating an intake and/or exhaust valve, and the pivot part has a longitudinal axis about which it pivots during the transfer of forces.
Other features and benefits of the present invention will become evident from the detailed description and accompanying drawings.


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