Opposed piston combustion engine

Details Opposed piston combustion engine Opposed piston combustion engine

1998-01-20

1999-11-30

McMahon, Marguerite

Internal-combustion engines

Multiple cylinder

Cylinders radiating

F02B 7524

Patent

active

059923563

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to internal combustion engines. In particular, the invention relates to internal combustion engines with improved control over the various cycles of the engine's operation. The invention also relates to internal combustion engines with improved torque characteristics.


BACKGROUND ART

Internal combustion engines such as used in automobiles are typically of the reciprocating type in which a piston oscillating in a cylinder drives a crankshaft via a connecting rod. There are numerous disadvantages in conventional reciprocating engine design, which disadvantages in large stem from the reciprocating motion of the piston and connecting rod.
Many engine designs have been developed to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of conventional internal combustion engines of the reciprocating type. These developments include rotary engines, such the wellknown Wankel engine, and engines in which a cam or cams are used in place of at least the crankshaft and, in some cases, connecting rods as well.
Internal combustion engines of the type where a cam or cams replace the crankshaft are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,282 and Australian Patent Application No. 17897/76. However, while developments in this type of engine have allowed some of the disadvantages of conventional reciprocating-type engines to be overcome, engines using a cam or cams in place of a crankshaft have not been fully exploited.
It is also known to provide internal combustion engines having opposed, interconnected pistons. Such an arrangement is described in Australian Patent Application No. 36206/84. However, there is no suggestion in this disclosure, and like disclosures, that the concept of opposed interconnected pistons can be used in conjunction with anything other than a crankshaft.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine of the camming rotary type which may have improved torque and engine cycle control characteristics. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine which may overcome at least some of the disadvantages of existing internal combustion engines.
According to a broad format, this invention provides an internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder module, said cylinder module comprising: adjacent second multilobate cam differentially geared to said first multilobate cam for axial counter rotation about said shaft; diametrically opposed with respect to said shaft with said multilobate cams interposed therebetween: and rigidly interconnected; an even-numbered integer; rotary motion to said shaft via contact between said pistons and the camming surfaces of said multilobate cams.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing passage that the crankshaft and connecting rods of a conventional internal combustion engine are replaced by a linear shaft and multilobate cams in an engine according to the invention. Use of a cam in the place of a connecting rod/crankshaft arrangement allows greater control over the positioning of a piston throughout the cycling of the engine. For example, the period at which a piston is at top-dead-center (TDC) can be extended.
It will be further appreciated from the broad description of the invention that although two cylinders are provided in the at least one pair of cylinders, a double-acting piston-cylinder arrangement is in effect provided by the opposed cylinders with interconnected pistons. The rigid interconnection of pistons also eliminates torsional twisting and minimizes piston to cylinder wall contact thereby reducing friction.
The use of the two counter-rotating cams allows higher torque to be achieved than with conventional internal combustion engines. This is because as the piston starts a power stroke, it is at maximum mechanical advantage with respect to the cam lobe.
Turning now to more specific details of internal combustion engines according to the invention, as noted above such engines include at least one cylinder modu

REFERENCES:
patent: 4679552 (1987-10-01), Kolev
patent: 4848282 (1989-07-01), Chaneac
patent: 5402755 (1995-04-01), Waissi
patent: 5634441 (1997-06-01), Ragain

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