Internal combustion engine with pushrod drive

Description

[0001] The invention relates to internal combustion engines without connecting rods and with a slider crank drive for converting the reciprocating movement of the pistons into the rotary movement of the working shaft.

[0002] An engine with a slider-crank drive is known. The engine contains a housing containing a shaft with a crank and at least two cylinders with pistons on rods. The ends of the rods extend from the pistons through guide sleeves in the housing and are connected to each other by a clamping unit. The clamping unit consists of a body in the form of a frame with a rectangular cross-section and internal guide surfaces for a slide. The slide is arranged between the guide surfaces. It is mounted freely between the guide surfaces and rotates on the crank of the shaft. The slide is made of two interconnected halves. These parts have lubrication grooves [US Patent No. 4013048, IPC F01B1 / 08, F01B9 / 02, F02B75 / 24, published March 22, 1977]. This engine was selected as the prototype.

[0003] The known engine has a simple design. This design allows the reciprocating motion of the pistons on the rods to be converted into rotary motion of the shaft. In the known engine, the piston force is transmitted to the body of the clamping unit frame and to the crank of the shaft. The piston force is transmitted to the frame body via the rods. The piston force is transmitted to the crank of the shaft via the slider in the guides of the frame. The lateral force perpendicular to the shaft axis is exerted by the slider on the crank of the shaft in the body of the clamping unit frame. The lateral force perpendicular to the shaft axis is absorbed by the sleeves of the rods in the engine housing and by the cylinders by the side surfaces of the pistons in the high-temperature zone with little lubricant.This leads to wear on the cylinders due to the piston sides and on the sleeves due to the lateral impact of the rods. This can cause a loss of compression in the engine and thus engine damage.

[0004] The lubrication grooves on the slider extend beyond the sliding plane in the body of the clamping unit frame, causing a loss of oil pressure in the engine lubrication system. Document WO 87 / 03039 A1 shows a similar engine in which the slider S is also provided with lubrication grooves 14, 14' that do not extend beyond the sliding plane.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of improving the engine with a slider-crank drive by modifying the structural design of the clamping unit components in such a way that high-quality, wear-free operation of the pistons in the cylinders and the rods in the engine sleeves, as well as the sliding part of the clamping unit, is ensured. At the same time, the specific power and the liter power are to be increased, and the internal mechanical losses of the engine are to be reduced.

[0006] The stated object is achieved in that, according to the invention, the guide sleeves are arranged in the cylinder heads in an engine with a slider-crank drive. The engine according to the invention with a slider-crank drive has a housing. A shaft with a crank is arranged within the housing. Furthermore, at least two cylinders with pistons on rods are installed in the engine housing. The ends of the rods run from the pistons through guide sleeves and are connected to one another by a clamping unit. The clamping unit consists of a body in the form of a frame with a rectangular cross-section and internal guiding sliding surfaces for the sliding piece. The sliding piece is located between the inner guiding sliding surfaces. It is freely movable between the guiding sliding surfaces and rotatably mounted on the crank of the shaft. The sliding piece is made of two halves connected to one another. These parts have first lubrication grooves.According to the invention, the body of the clamping unit frame is mounted with its side surfaces between the guide surfaces of the engine housing. The frame body can move freely along the axis of the cylinders with the double-acting pistons. The side surfaces have second lubrication grooves. The first lubrication grooves on the sliding piece do not extend beyond the plane of the inner guiding sliding surface in the clamping unit frame. The shaft can have one or more cranks. The engine is designed for two-stroke or four-stroke operation. The cylinders with the double-acting pistons are mounted individually or in tandem at the ends of the housing.

[0007] In the claimed invention, the piston force is transmitted via the rods to the body of the clamping unit frame. The frame moves with its lateral surfaces between the guide surfaces of the motor housing. The guide surfaces of the motor housing absorb the lateral influence on the body of the clamping unit frame from the slider on the crank of the shaft. All forces from the conversion of the reciprocating motion of the pistons in the cylinders into a rotary motion of the shaft, as well as from the rotary motion of the shaft into a reciprocating motion of the pistons on the rods in the slider-crank mechanism, which are caused by the slider in the inner guides of the frame, are transmitted via the lateral surfaces of the body of the clamping unit frame to the guide surfaces of the motor housing. The rod and the piston are not subjected to any lateral loads that could act perpendicular to the shaft axis and that would be caused by the slider-crank mechanism for motion conversion.This reduces wear on the connecting surfaces of the rods and the guide sleeves in the cylinder heads, as well as on the pistons in the cylinders. The guide sleeves of the rods in the cylinder heads serve to seal the gas exchange processes. Furthermore, the guide sleeves are designed to allow the rods and pistons to be positioned centrally in the engine's cylinders.

[0008] The use of double-acting pistons instead of single-acting pistons in the engine's cylinders increases power per liter while maintaining the same dimensions. Furthermore, this allows for the use of four-stroke engine operation. Due to the absence of lateral loads exerted by the pistons on the surface in the cylinders, the compression ratio can be increased by supercharging the fuel mixture in gasoline engines or by air charging in diesel engines. This results in increased specific power without reducing the engine's service life.

[0009] The lubrication grooves on the sliding piece ensure stable oil pressure without any loss of engine lubrication and reliable engine operation. The lubrication grooves do not extend beyond the level of the inner guiding sliding surface in the clamping unit frame.

[0010] The nature of the claimed invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the engine with the cylinders, wherein the cylinders are each mounted one piece at the respective front ends of the housing, Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the engine with the cylinders, wherein the cylinders are installed at the front ends of the housing in a tandem arrangement, Fig. 3 is an isometric schematic representation of the frame of the clamping unit and Fig. 4 is an isometric schematic representation of the slide piece.

[0011] The claimed engine with a slider-crank drive contains a housing 1. Within the housing 1, a shaft 2 with a crank 3 and at least two cylinders 4, 5 with pistons 6 on rods 7 are installed. The ends of the rods 7 run from the pistons 6 through the guide sleeves 8 in the cylinder heads 9 ( Fig. 1 ) and 10 ( Fig. 2 ) of the cylinders 4, 5. The ends of the rods 7 are connected to each other by a clamping unit. The clamping unit consists of a body 11 in the form of a frame with a rectangular cross-section and internal guide surfaces 12 for the slide 13. The slide 13 is located between the guide surfaces 12. It is freely movable between the guide surfaces 12 and rotatably mounted on the crank 3 of the shaft 2. The slide 13 is made of two interconnected halves with lubrication grooves 14. The lubrication grooves 14 serve to lubricate the outer sliding plane 15. The body 11 of the frame of the clamping unit is arranged with its side surfaces 16 between the guide surfaces 18 in the motor housing 1, freely movable along the axis of the cylinders 4, 5 with double-acting pistons 6. The side surfaces 16 are provided with lubrication grooves 17. The lubrication grooves 14 on the sliding piece 13 do not extend beyond the outer sliding plane 15 in the frame of the clamping unit.

[0012] Structurally, the double-acting cylinders 4 can be mounted on the front ends of the housing, one cylinder each ( Fig. 1 ) at the respective front end, or the cylinders 4, 5 in a tandem arrangement ( Fig. 2 ). In this case, four spaces are created in the two cylinders of the four-stroke engine between the cylinder heads and the double-acting pistons for the simultaneous execution of four power strokes.

[0013] For execution according to Fig. 1 : A1 and A4 are the spaces between the outer cylinder head 19 of cylinder 4 and the piston 6; A2 and A3 are the spaces between the piston 6 and the cylinder head 9.

[0014] For execution according to Fig. 2 : A1 is the space between the outer cylinder head 19 of cylinder 4 and the piston 6; A2 is the space between the piston 6 and the cylinder head 10 of cylinder 5; A3 is the space between the cylinder head 10 of cylinder 4 and the piston 6; A4 is the space between the piston 6 and the cylinder head 9 of cylinder 5.

[0015] During the combustion of the fuel mixture in chamber A1, the energy of the gas pressure is used to draw in a fresh charge in chamber A2 and to displace the exhaust gases from chamber A3. The compression of the fresh charge in chamber A4 helps to bring the inert reciprocating movement of the mass of the pistons 6 and the rods 7 with the frame 11 of the clamping unit to a standstill without the rotational energy of the shaft 2 being used. The remaining energy of the gas pressure is used to convert the reciprocating movement of the frame 11 into the rotational movement of the shaft 2 of the engine with the help of the sliding piece 13 on the crank 3. The energy of the gas pressure is generated from the piston 6 via the rod 7 to the frame 11. In this case, the rotational inertia of the shaft 2 experiences minimal alternating loads and does not participate in the intake of a fresh charge, the expulsion of exhaust gases and the interruption of the inert reciprocating movement of the pistons 6 and the rods 7 with the frame 11.

[0016] In the prototype, the lateral force perpendicular to the axis of shaft 2 is exerted by the sliding block 13 on the crank 3 of shaft 2 in the body 11 of the clamping unit frame. The lateral force perpendicular to the shaft axis is absorbed by the sleeves 8 of the rods 7 in the motor housing 1 and by the cylinders 4 by the side surfaces of the pistons 6 in the high-temperature zone with little lubricant. In the tested engine, the lateral force perpendicular to the axis of shaft 2, exerted by the sliding block 13 on the crank 3 of shaft 2 in the body 11 of the clamping unit frame, is absorbed by the side surfaces 16 of the body 11 of the clamping unit frame in the guide surfaces 18 of the motor housing 1 at a low temperature and with the required amount of lubrication.This leads to a rapid reduction in mechanical losses and thus to a reduction in the fuel consumption required to achieve the required engine power, as well as an increased engine life. At the same time, an output of more than 110 kW (150 hp) per liter of displacement can be achieved.

Claims

1. Internal combustion engine with a slider-crank mechanism comprising a housing (1), wherein: - inside the housing a shaft (2) with a crank (3) and at least two cylinders (4, 5) with double-acting pistons (6) on rods (7) is located; - the rods (7) extend from the pistons (6) through guide sleeves (8) and are connected to a clamping unit; - the clamping unit consists of a body (11) in the form of a frame with a rectangular cross-section and internal guide surfaces (12) for a slide (13); - the slide (13) is located between the internal guide surfaces (12) and is movably mounted between the internal guide surfaces (12) and rotatably on the crank (3) of the shaft (2); - the slide (13) is designed with two connected halves with first lubricating grooves (14); - the first lubricating grooves (14) serve to lubricate an outer sliding plane (15) on the slide (13); - the guide sleeves (8) are arranged in the cylinder heads (9, 10); - the body (11) of the clamping unit along the axis of the cylinders (4, 5) with its side surfaces (16) between guide surfaces (18) in the motor housing (1); - the side surfaces (16) are provided with second lubricating grooves (17); and - the first lubricating grooves (14) on the slide (13) do not extend beyond the outer sliding plane (15) and the inner guide surfaces (12) in the body (11) of the clamping unit.

2. Internal combustion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft has one or more than one crank.

3. internal combustion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed for two-stroke or four-stroke operation.

4. internal combustion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylinders are mounted with the double-acting pistons individually or in tandem.