Internal-combustion engines – Cooling – Indicators and safety devices
Patent
1990-09-13
1997-07-08
Kamen, Noah P.
Internal-combustion engines
Cooling
Indicators and safety devices
123 9017, 464 2, 464160, F01L 134
Patent
active
056450176
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a coupling having a variable phase in operation. This coupling is for the transmission of an alternating torque between a driving part intended to be connected to a driving shaft, and a driven part intended to be connected to a shaft which is normally driven. These parts are subjected in operation to alternating resistant and driving torques. One of the driving and driven parts of the coupling is connected to a cylinder and the other to a piston (or similar such slidable member, generally referred to as "piston" hereinafter) which delimit therebetween at least two antagonistic chambers. Thus, there corresponds to an angular phase difference value between the two shafts a relative and single position between the piston and cylinder. The two chambers have a substantially constant total volume and are filled with a hydraulic liquid which is practically incompressible at the normal operating pressures.
The invention concerns more particularly, but not exclusively, couplings intended to be disposed between the main shaft of an internal combustion engine having valves and/or injectors actuated by at least one camshaft and this camshaft. These couplings are for the purpose of varying in operation the angular setting of the camshaft with respect to the main shaft of the engine. Indeed, in one of these cases, the camshaft is subjected cyclically below the coupling to resistant torques when the rising profiles of the cams open the valves against the action of the usual elastic return means for the latter, and then to driving torques when these return means close the valves by causing them to follow along the descending profiles of the cams. The same is true in the case where the camshaft actuates injectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known couplings, of the type defined above employ an exterior power means such as a source of fluid under pressure (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,315 and FR-A-2,187,051 and 1,085,087).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to arrange the couplings of the type in question in such manner that it is possible to vary in operation the phase between the driving shaft and the normally driven shaft without use of a power means such as a source of fluid under pressure. The invention also has for an object to render these couplings simpler, more compact, less costly and more reliable. It also has for an object to arrange these couplings in such a manner that they allow a large angular difference between the driving shaft and the driven shaft without resulting in angular vibrations. It finally has for an object to allow a rapid phase shift between the driving shaft and the driven shaft.
To this end, the coupling of the type defined hereinbefore is essentially characterized in that the two chambers are interconnected by two unidirectional communication circuits having opposite directions and each having a substantially constant volume. The coupling comprises distributing means arranged in such manner as to either bring into action either of these communication circuits while neutralizing the other, or to neutralize both of them. The action of the distributing means depends on whether the phase difference between the driving and driven parts of the coupling must be either increased or decreased, or maintained constant.
In this way, it is possible to benefit from the differences in the pressures of the hydraulic liquid, which are alternately positive and negative, between two antagonistic chambers of the piston-cylinder assembly for increasing the volume of one or the other of these chambers and correlatively decreasing the volume of the opposite chamber. This is accomplished with the joint action of the unidirectional communication circuits and distribution means, which thereby vary the phase difference in the desired sense by an exchange of hydraulic liquid between the two chambers.
The invention also relates to internal combustion engines provided with a coupling such as that defined hereinbefore between their main shaft and their
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