Rotary piston type internal combustion engine

Abstract

To improve the sealing performance of a pair of annular segmented cases that form an annular working chamber. [Solution] The rotary piston type internal combustion engine E comprises an output shaft 1, a disc portion 3, an annular main body case 7, and an annular working chamber 6. The annular main body case is composed of a pair of divided cases 17 divided by a dividing surface perpendicular to the output shaft. Multiple bolts 14 are provided to fasten the outer peripheral portions of these divided cases, and a separation prevention mechanism 15 is provided to prevent the inner peripheral portions of these divided cases from separating from the disc portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary piston type internal combustion engine, and particularly to a rotor having a piston portion and a disk portion, where the piston portion rotates in an annular working chamber formed by a pair of divided cases, provided with first and second movable partition mechanisms for partitioning the annular working chamber, fastening the pair of divided cases with a plurality of bolts on the outer peripheral side of the annular working chamber, and provided with a separation prevention mechanism for preventing the pair of divided cases from separating from the disk portion on the inner peripheral side of the annular working chamber.

Background Art

[0002] In the case of a concentric rotary type internal combustion engine among rotary piston type internal combustion engines, when the pressure receiving area of the rotating piston portion is A, the combustion gas pressure is P, and the radius from the output shaft axis of the piston portion is R, the output torque T is T = A × P × R. In the case of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, when the piston pressure receiving area is Ao, the combustion gas pressure is Po, the crank radius is Ro, and the crank angle of the crank arm with respect to the piston axis is θ, the output torque To is To ≒ Ao × Po × Ro × Sinθ.

[0003] In the case of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, the output torque is reduced by multiplying by Sinθ as described above, and there is a limit to enhancing the output characteristics. Moreover, it is necessary for the crankshaft to rotate twice to perform one cycle of intake, compression, combustion (explosion), and exhaust. <着

[0004] In a rotary piston type internal combustion engine, there is no need to multiply the output torque by Sinθ as described above, and the radius R of the rotary piston can also be set to an appropriate size, so that the output torque T can be significantly increased. Moreover, since one cycle of intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust can be performed with one rotation of the output shaft, the internal combustion engine can be made high-output or miniaturized, the rotational speed can be set low, and the length of the combustion stroke can be set to a length of half a rotation or more for each rotation of the output shaft, so it is presumed that the combustion performance can be enhanced.

[0005] The inventors of the present application describe the background technology and problems of various rotary piston type internal combustion engines in Patent Document 1. In the rotary piston type internal combustion engine disclosed in Patent Document 1, an annular working chamber having a circular cross-section is formed by a rotor (including a piston portion and a disc portion) fixed to the output shaft and a main body case, the piston portion of the rotor is configured to rotate circumferentially within this annular working chamber, the piston portion has a circular cross-section, and first and second partition mechanisms are provided to gas-tightly partition the annular working chamber, and a sub-combustion chamber, a spark plug, a gas introduction passage and a first valve mechanism for opening and closing this passage, and a gas injection passage and a second valve mechanism for opening and closing this passage are provided inside the partition wall of the piston portion.

[0006] By gas-tightly partitioning the annular operating chamber with the piston section and the first and second movable partition mechanisms, an intake operating chamber, a compression operating chamber, a combustion operating chamber, and an exhaust operating chamber are formed within the annular operating chamber. To form the aforementioned annular working chamber, the main case is composed of a pair of divided cases that are symmetrically divided by a dividing plane perpendicular to the output shaft, and the disc portion of the rotor is disposed between the pair of divided cases.

[0007] [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] WO2020 / 049677 publication [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In the internal combustion engine described in Patent Document 1, on the outer circumference side of the annular working chamber, it is possible to fasten a pair of divided cases of the main body case with multiple bolts. However, on the inner circumference side of the annular working chamber, the rotor disc portion is located between the pair of divided cases, making it impossible to fasten the pair of divided cases together with bolts. As a result, there is a risk that the gas pressure of the combustion gas will cause the pair of divided cases to elastically deform and separate from the rotor disc portion, leading to combustion gas leakage. To prevent this, the rigidity of the divided cases must be sufficiently increased, which results in larger divided cases and higher manufacturing costs.

[0010] Furthermore, because the rotor's disc portion is positioned between a pair of split cases, frictional contact occurs between the rotor and the split cases over a wide contact surface, resulting in significant frictional losses. Additionally, the placement of the actuators for the first and second valve mechanisms and the spark plug within the partition wall of the piston section imposes space constraints, and the structure for arranging the harness becomes complex due to the rotor being a rotating component.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a rotary piston type internal combustion engine characterized in that the annular main body case forming the annular working chamber is composed of a pair of divided cases, and a separation prevention mechanism is provided to prevent these divided cases from separating from the disc portion of the rotor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The rotary piston type internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises an output shaft, a rotor having a disc portion fixed perpendicular to the output shaft and a piston portion fixed to a part of the outer peripheral end of the disc portion, an annular main body case that forms an annular working chamber in cooperation with the disc portion over which the piston portion revolves, and first and second movable partition mechanisms movably provided on the main body case to gas-tightly partition the annular working chamber at two positions separated in the circumferential direction, wherein the piston portion and the first and second movable partition mechanisms enable the formation of an intake working chamber, a compression working chamber, a combustion working chamber, and an exhaust working chamber within the annular working chamber, and the annular main body The case is characterized by being divided by a dividing plane perpendicular to the output shaft in the portion on the outer circumference side of the annular working chamber, and by a pair of divided cases in which the portion on the inner circumference side of the annular working chamber makes surface contact with the outer circumference side of the disc portion from both sides in the axial direction of the output shaft, and having a plurality of bolts that penetrate parallel to the output shaft and fasten together the portion on the outer circumference side of the pair of divided cases parallel to the output shaft, and being provided with a separation prevention mechanism that prevents the inner circumference side of the portion on the inner circumference side of the pair of divided cases that is in surface contact with the outer circumference side of the disc portion from separating from the disc portion in a direction parallel to the output shaft.

[0013] A separation prevention mechanism is provided to prevent the inner circumferential portion of the pair of divided cases of the annular main body case from separating from the disc portion in a direction parallel to the output shaft, thereby preventing combustion gas leakage, enabling miniaturization and weight reduction of the pair of divided cases, and reducing frictional resistance by decreasing the contact area between the pair of divided cases and the disc portion of the rotor.

[0014] The present invention can employ various forms as follows. In the first embodiment, the disc portion has an annular exposed portion on the inner side of the disc that is not covered by the pair of divided cases, rather than the outer peripheral portion that is in surface contact with the pair of divided cases. In the second embodiment, the annular working chamber has an approximate circular cross-section selected from one of the following: circular, oval, or a rounded triangular shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction. The piston portion has a partition wall portion with a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction that is approximately a circle, a first inclined surface extending downward from the leading end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion toward the leading side and parallel to the output shaft, and a second inclined surface extending downward from the trailing end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion toward the trailing side and parallel to the output shaft.

[0015] Since the partition wall of the piston section has a cross-sectional shape that is approximately circular, a sealing member similar to that of a piston ring can be applied to the partition wall, and the surface area / volume ratio of the annular working chamber can be reduced to reduce cooling losses and improve combustibility in the combustion chamber.

[0016] In the third embodiment, the separation prevention mechanism includes a pair of protrusions formed on the inner circumference of the pair of divided cases, projecting inward toward the inner diameter and making surface contact with the disc portion; a pair of annular restricting members positioned on both sides of the disc portion, fitted inward toward the inner diameter of the pair of divided cases; a pair of bearings mounted between the pair of protrusions and the pair of annular restricting members; and a plurality of bolts for fixing the pair of annular restricting members to the disc portion.

[0017] Thus, by preventing the split case from separating from the disc portion via a pair of annular restricting members fixed to the disc portion and a pair of bearings, it can be realized with a simple structure. In the fourth embodiment, bearing metals are attached to the sliding portion where the divided case and the disc portion are in contact, and to the sliding portion where the divided case and the annular restricting member are in contact.

[0018] In the fifth embodiment, the first movable partition mechanism includes a sub-combustion chamber formed inside the first movable partition mechanism for introducing and igniting the compressed air-fuel mixture from the compression working chamber, a gas introduction passage formed to communicate the sub-combustion chamber with the leading end portion on the compression working chamber side, and a first valve mechanism capable of opening and closing this gas introduction passage, a gas ejection passage formed to communicate the sub-combustion chamber with the trailing end portion on the combustion working chamber side, and a second valve mechanism capable of opening and closing this gas ejection passage, and a spark plug for igniting the compressed air-fuel mixture in the sub-combustion chamber.

[0019] Since the sub-combustion chamber, the gas introduction passage and the first valve mechanism, and the gas ejection passage and the second valve mechanism are provided inside the first movable partition mechanism, they can be arranged without difficulty.

[0020] In the sixth embodiment, an intake port communicating with the intake working chamber, an exhaust port communicating with the exhaust working chamber, and a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the intake working chamber or the compression working chamber are provided.

[0021] In the seventh embodiment, control means for controlling the spark plug, the fuel injector, and the first and second valve mechanisms, and control means for controlling the opening and closing of the first and second valve mechanisms in association with the rotational phase of the output shaft are provided.

[0022] In the eighth embodiment, when filling the sub-combustion chamber with the compressed air-fuel mixture from the compression working chamber, the control means controls the first and second valve mechanisms such that the first valve mechanism is in an open state and the second valve mechanism is in a closed state.

[0023] In the ninth embodiment, the first movable partition mechanism includes a first movable pressure-receiving member in which the auxiliary combustion chamber is formed and the ignition plug is fixed, and which partitions the annular working chamber. The first valve member of the first valve mechanism is slidably mounted on the first movable pressure-receiving member through an interference groove engagement, and the second valve member of the second valve mechanism is slidably mounted on the first movable pressure-receiving member through an interference groove engagement. A first electric actuator for driving the first valve member to open and close is fixed to the first movable pressure-receiving member, and a second electric actuator for driving the second valve member to open and close is fixed to the first movable pressure-receiving member.

[0024] Since the first and second electric actuators are fixed to the first movable pressure-receiving member, the control technology for controlling the opening and closing of the first and second electric actuators is simplified.

[0025] In the tenth embodiment, a first partition mechanism case fixed to the main body case is provided, and a first partition mechanism case in which the first movable pressure-receiving member and the first and second valve members are hermetically and slidably mounted is provided. The first movable pressure-receiving member is configured to be urged toward the rotor by pressurized air accommodated in a first pressurized chamber within the first partition mechanism case. A first accumulator for supplying pressurized air to the first pressurized chamber is provided, and first lubricating oil supply means for supplying lubricating oil to the first pressurized chamber is provided.

[0026] In the eleventh embodiment, the second movable partition mechanism includes a second partition mechanism case fixed to the main body case, and a second movable pressure-receiving member movably mounted on the second partition mechanism case and partitioning the annular working chamber. The second movable pressure-receiving member is configured to be urged toward the rotor by pressurized air accommodated in a second pressurized chamber formed within the second partition mechanism case. A second accumulator for supplying pressurized air to the second pressurized chamber is provided, and second lubricating oil supply means for supplying lubricating oil to the second pressurized chamber is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0027] The present invention exhibits various operations and effects as described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the internal combustion engine shown above. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the first movable pressure-receiving member and the first and second valve members. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Figure 1. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing the piston section, the first inclined surface, and the disc section of the rotor. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of a rotary piston type internal combustion engine in a modified configuration. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the internal combustion engine shown above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the rotary piston type internal combustion engine of the present invention will be simply referred to as "engine." This engine is suitable for driving the "lift generating device" (International Application No. PCT / JP2024 / 025652) proposed by the present inventor, and can be used with the output shaft in a vertical position.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the engine E comprises an output shaft 1, a rotor 5 having a disc portion 3 fixed perpendicularly to the output shaft 1 and a piston portion 4 fixed to a part of the outer peripheral end of the disc portion 3, an annular main body case 7 in which the piston portion 4 revolves and forms an annular working chamber 6 in cooperation with the disc portion 3, and first and second movable partition mechanisms 8 and 9 movably provided on the main body case 7 to gas-tightly partition the annular working chamber 6 at two positions separated in the circumferential direction, and is configured so that an intake working chamber 6a, a compression working chamber 6b, a combustion working chamber 6c, and an exhaust working chamber 6d can be formed within the annular working chamber 6 by the piston portion 4 and the first and second movable partition mechanisms 8 and 9.

[0031] The main body case 7 is provided with an intake port 10 that communicates with the intake operating chamber 6a, an exhaust port 11 that communicates with the exhaust operating chamber 6d, and a fuel injector 12 that injects fuel into the intake operating chamber 6a or the compression operating chamber 6b. In addition, to allow for the supply of additional fuel to the combustion operating chamber 6c, the main body case 7 is also provided with a fuel injector 13 that injects fuel into the combustion operating chamber 6c.

[0032] The annular main case 7 is divided by a dividing surface 16 perpendicular to the output shaft 1 at the outer peripheral portion 17a of the annular working chamber 6, and is composed of a pair of divided cases 17 at the inner peripheral portion 17b of the annular working chamber 6, which are in surface contact with the outer peripheral portion 3a of the disc portion 3 from both sides in the axial direction of the output shaft 1. The pair of divided cases 17 have a plurality of through bolts 14 that penetrate the outer peripheral portion 17a of the annular working chamber 6 parallel to the output shaft 1 and integrally connect the pair of divided cases 17, and a separation prevention mechanism 15 is provided to prevent the inner peripheral portion 17b of the pair of divided cases 17, which is in surface contact with the outer peripheral portion 3a of the disc portion 3, from separating from the disc portion 3 in a direction parallel to the output shaft 1. The disc portion 3 has an annular exposed portion 3b that is not covered by the pair of divided cases 17, located on the inner side of the outer peripheral portion 3a that is in surface contact with the pair of divided cases 17.

[0033] The annular working chamber 6 has an oval approximate circular cross-section perpendicular to the circumferential direction, with the pointed tip of the oval positioned at the outer diameter side furthest from the output shaft 1. The piston portion 4 has a partition wall portion 4a with a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction similar to the above-mentioned approximate circle, a first inclined portion 4B having a first inclined surface 4b that extends downward from the leading end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion 4a toward the leading side and is parallel to the output shaft 1, and a second inclined portion 4C having a second inclined surface 4c that extends downward from the trailing end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion 4a toward the trailing side and is parallel to the output shaft 1 (see Figure 7). Note that "downward inclination" means an inclination that approaches the disc portion 3. The circumferential length of the partition wall portion 4a is preferably such that it corresponds to an arc of 8 to 10 degrees centered on the axis of the output shaft 1. Piston rings 4p are mounted at both ends of the partition wall portion 4a. The piston rings 4p are mounted perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the annular working chamber 6.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the separation prevention mechanism 15 includes a pair of protrusions 18 formed on the inner circumference portion 17b of a pair of split cases 17, projecting inward toward the inner diameter and making surface contact with the disc portion 3; a pair of annular restricting members 19 having an L-shaped cross-section, each positioned to fit internally on the inner diameter side of the pair of split cases 17; a pair of bearings 20 mounted between the pair of protrusions 18 and the pressing portions 19a of the pair of annular restricting members 19; and a plurality of through bolts 21 that fix the pair of annular restricting members 19 to the disc portion 3. Bearing metals 22a, 22b, and 22c are mounted on the sliding portion where the split case 17 and the disc portion 3 come into contact, and on the sliding portion where the split case 17 and the annular restricting member 19 come into contact.

[0035] Furthermore, the bearing 20 may be a thrust bearing that receives a load parallel to the axial direction of the output shaft 1, or it may be a slewing bearing. Also, instead of the through bolt 21, bolts may be used to individually fix each annular restricting member 19 to the disc portion 3. As described above, by providing the separation prevention mechanism 15 and regulating the position of the pair of protrusions 18 via a pair of annular restricting members 19 fixed to the disc portion 3 and a pair of bearings 20, it is possible to reliably prevent the inner circumference portion 17b of the pair of divided cases 17 from separating from the disc portion 3 in a direction parallel to the output shaft 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent combustion gas from leaking from the annular working chamber 6, and to make the divided cases 17 smaller and lighter.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the first movable partition mechanism 8 is configured to partition the compression chamber 6b and the combustion chamber 6c with a first movable pressure-receiving member 23 that moves back and forth in the radial direction of the rotor 5, and the second movable partition mechanism 9 is configured to partition the exhaust chamber 6d and the intake chamber 6a with a second movable pressure-receiving member 41 that moves back and forth in the radial direction of the rotor 5. Inside the first movable partition mechanism 8, a sub-combustion chamber 24 is formed for introducing and igniting the compressed air-fuel mixture from the compression working chamber 6b, and a spark plug 25 for igniting the compressed air-fuel mixture in the sub-combustion chamber 24 is provided in the first movable partition mechanism 8.

[0037] The first movable partition mechanism 8 is provided with a gas introduction passage 26 formed to connect the sub-combustion chamber 24 to the leading end of the compression working chamber 6b and a first valve mechanism 27 that can open and close this gas introduction passage 26, and a gas ejection passage 28 formed to connect the sub-combustion chamber 24 to the trailing end of the combustion working chamber 6c and a second valve mechanism 29 that can open and close this gas ejection passage 28.

[0038] Furthermore, the gas introduction passage 26 is connected to the sub-combustion chamber 24 via a conical passage 26a that widens as it approaches the sub-combustion chamber 24. If the compression ratio of this engine E is, for example, 16, it is desirable that the volume of the sub-combustion chamber 24 and the conical passage 26a be 1 / 16 of the maximum volume of the intake working chamber 6a. However, the compression ratio can be set to any value in the range of, for example, 10 to 20, and the volume of the sub-combustion chamber 24 and the conical passage 26a is set according to that compression ratio. The shape of the sub-combustion chamber 24 is approximately spherical, but it is not limited to this spherical shape and can be formed into various shapes close to a sphere.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the first movable partition mechanism 8 has a first movable pressure receiving member 23 to which a sub-combustion chamber 24 is formed and a spark plug 25 is fixed. The first valve member 27a of the first valve mechanism 27 is slidably mounted on the first movable pressure receiving member 23 via a dovetail engagement in a direction parallel to the forward and backward direction of the first movable pressure receiving member 23. The second valve member 29a of the second valve mechanism 29 is also slidably mounted on the first movable pressure receiving member 23 via a dovetail engagement in a direction parallel to the forward and backward direction of the first movable pressure receiving member 23.

[0040] In Figures 1 and 4, the first valve member 27a is in the open state and the second valve member 29a is in the closed state, while in Figure 2, the first valve member 27a is in the closed state and the second valve member 29a is in the open state. The first movable pressure-receiving member 23 is preferably made of a metal (for example, sintered metal) that is permeable to lubricating oil and has excellent lubricity and heat resistance, and the first and second valve members 27a and 29a are preferably made of a heat-resistant alloy.

[0041] The first movable partition mechanism 8 has a first partition mechanism case 31 on which a first movable pressure receiving member 23 and first and second valve members 27a and 29a are mounted in an airtight, slidable manner. This first partition mechanism case 31 is fixed to the main body case 7. The first partition mechanism case 31 is formed to be elongated in the radial direction and perpendicular to the axis of the output shaft 1.

[0042] The rotor-side end of the first movable pressure-receiving member 23 has a sliding portion 23a formed on the trailing end and constantly sliding against the rotor 5, and an inclined portion 23b extending from the sliding portion 23a and inclined to move further away from the rotor on the leading side. The inclination angle of this inclined portion 23b is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the leading-side portion of the second inclined surface 4c of the piston portion 4. Note that the inclined portion 23b is not limited to a planar shape, but may be formed as a gently concave curved surface. The first valve member 27a is slidably mounted in a dovetail groove 32 formed on the trailing side wall of the first movable pressure receiving member 23, and the second valve member 29a is slidably mounted in a dovetail groove 33 formed on the leading side wall of the first movable pressure receiving member 30 (see Figure 5).

[0043] The body of the first electric actuator 34, which drives the opening and closing of the first valve member 27a, and the body of the second electric actuator 35, which drives the opening and closing of the second valve member 29a, are fixed to the first movable pressure receiving member 23. This simplifies the technology for controlling the first and second electric actuators 34 and 35. The first and second electric actuators 34 and 35 are composed of, for example, solenoid actuators, but may also be composed of other actuators (for example, electric cylinders).

[0044] A pressurized chamber 37 is formed inside the first partition mechanism case 31 to contain pressurized air supplied from the accumulator 36. The pressurized air in this chamber biases the first movable pressure receiving member 23 and the first and second valve members 27a and 29a toward the rotor 5. A sealing member 38 is also provided to prevent the pressurized air from leaking out of the pressurized chamber 37. An oil supply pipe 39 is also provided to supply lubricating oil to the pressurized chamber 37.

[0045] In the example shown in Figure 4, when the first valve member 27a is lowered to its lower limit position, the gas introduction passage 26 is closed, and when the first valve member 27a is raised from its lower limit position by a first set distance, the gas introduction passage 26 is opened. Similarly, when the second valve member 29a is lowered to its lower limit position, the gas ejection passage 28 is closed, and when the second valve member 29a is raised from its lower limit position by a second set distance, the gas ejection passage 28 is opened. Furthermore, by increasing the lifting stroke of the first and second valve members 27a and 29a, the cross-sectional area of ​​the passages 26 and 28 can be increased.

[0046] The second movable partition mechanism 9 partitions the exhaust chamber 6d and the intake chamber 6a, and is positioned approximately 130° trailing relative to the first movable partition mechanism 8. However, the above 130° is just an example and can be changed as appropriate. The second movable partition mechanism 9 comprises a second partition mechanism case 40 fixed to the main body case 7, and a second movable pressure receiving member 41 movably mounted on the second partition mechanism case 40. The second movable pressure receiving member 41 is made of a metal (for example, sintered metal) that is permeable to lubricating oil and has excellent lubricity and heat resistance. The wedge-shaped tip of the second movable pressure receiving member 41 is formed in a partially cylindrical shape, and the flat portion of the second movable pressure receiving member 41 is airtightly and slidably mounted on the main body case 7 and the second partition mechanism case 40.

[0047] An accumulator 43 is provided to fill the pressurized chamber 42 inside the second partition mechanism case 40 with pressurized air, and an oil supply pipe 44 is connected to supply lubricating oil to the pressurized chamber 42. The second movable pressure receiving member 41 is also provided with a sealing member 45 to seal the pressurized air.

[0048] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, an oil passage 50 is formed in the center of the output shaft 1 to supply lubricating oil to the ring groove in which the piston ring 4p is installed, and a rotary joint 51 that supplies lubricating oil to this oil passage 50 is attached to the output shaft 1. An oil passage 52 that supplies lubricating oil from the oil passage 50 to the ring groove is formed in the disc portion 3 and the piston portion 4.

[0049] A water jacket 53 is formed inside the split case 17, and cooling water is supplied to the water jacket 53 from a cooling water supply system (not shown) and circulated. The main case 7 and rotor 5 of this engine E can be made of any of the following materials: ductile cast iron, cast steel, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, fiber-reinforced ceramic material, etc. However, if the main case 7 is made of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy, it is desirable to form a portion of the wall surface of the annular working chamber 6 with a cylinder liner (not shown) that has excellent sliding properties and heat resistance. Furthermore, this engine E can use various fuels such as gasoline, methanol, LNG, LPG, and hydrogen gas.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, a water jacket 54 is formed around the sub-combustion chamber 24 inside the first movable pressure receiving member 23. Cooling water is supplied from the cooling water supply pipe 55 to the water jacket 54 via the cooling water passage 56 in the first partition mechanism case 31, and then returned to the cooling water return pipe 58 via the cooling water passage 57 in the first partition mechanism case 31.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, this engine E can be installed with the output shaft 1 in a vertical position and is mounted on the base surface GL via the mounting frames 60 and 61. However, it is also possible to install it with the output shaft 1 in a horizontal position if necessary.

[0052] The control unit 62 that controls the engine is supplied with various signals, including a crank angle signal indicating the rotational phase from the origin position of the output shaft 1, an intake air volume signal, an engine speed signal, and a combustion injection volume signal. Based on these signals and a control program, the control unit 62 drives and controls the first and second electric actuators 34 and 35, the spark plug 25, and the combustion injectors 12 and 13. In other words, the first and second valve mechanisms 27 and 29 are controlled in relation to the rotational phase of the output shaft 1. Furthermore, this engine E is assumed to be started by a starter.

[0053] During the compression stroke, when the partition wall 4a passes the intake port 10, the gas ejection passage 28 is closed by the second valve member 29a, the gas introduction passage 26 is opened by the first valve member 27a, and the pressurized mixture in the compression working chamber 6b is introduced from the gas introduction passage 26 to the sub-combustion chamber 24. In parallel with the compression stroke, an intake stroke is performed in which outside air is drawn in from the intake port 10 to the intake working chamber 6a.

[0054] At this time, the cross-sectional shape of the annular working chamber 6 is egg-shaped, and the pointed tip of the egg shape is positioned at the outermost position furthest from the output shaft 1. Therefore, in the final stage of the compression stroke, when the partition wall portion 4a of the piston portion 4 approaches the first movable pressure receiving member 23, the air-fuel mixture compressed at the pointed tip of the egg shape in the compression working chamber 6b is reliably introduced from the gas introduction passage 26 into the sub-combustion chamber 24 and ignited by the spark plug 25.

[0055] Subsequently, for example, from the moment the partition wall portion 4a of the piston portion 4 comes into contact with the first movable pressure receiving member 23, the first valve member 27a is switched to a closed state and the second valve member 29a also remains in a closed state while being ignited by the spark plug 25. When the partition wall portion 4a passes the first movable pressure receiving member 23 and the gas ejection passage 28 becomes open to the combustion operating chamber 6c, the second valve member 29a is switched to an open state, and the combustion gas of the ignited mixture in the sub-combustion chamber 24 is ejected from the gas ejection passage 28 into the combustion operating chamber 6c.

[0056] The combustion gas ejected from the sub-combustion chamber 24 expands and continues to burn in the combustion chamber 6c, applying combustion gas pressure to the piston section 4, generating torque that rotates the rotor 3 in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1. In parallel with the combustion stroke in the combustion chamber 6c, the combustion gas is exhausted from the exhaust chamber 6d to the exhaust port 11. When the partition wall 4a reaches the exhaust port 11, the second valve member 29a is switched to the closed state.

[0057] The combustion stroke occurs from the time the partition wall portion 4a of the piston portion 4 passes through the first movable partition mechanism 8 until it reaches the exhaust port 11. Since this combustion stroke lasts for more than half a rotation for each rotation of the output shaft 1, the duration of the combustion stroke is significantly extended. As a result, combustion performance can be improved to increase output, and unburned components in the exhaust gas can be significantly reduced. In addition, fuel may be injected additionally by the fuel injector 13 as needed.

[0058] Here, if A is the pressure-receiving area of ​​the partition wall 4a of the piston section 4, P is the average value of the combustion gas pressure in the combustion chamber 6c, and R is the radius from the center of the output shaft 1 to the center of the annular chamber 6, then the average torque T generated by the combustion gas pressure is T = A × P × R. Therefore, compared to a reciprocating engine, the torque characteristics of the engine E can be significantly improved, resulting in a highly efficient and high-output engine.

[0059] By providing a separation prevention mechanism 15, the inner circumference portion 17b of the pair of divided cases 17, which is closer to the annular working chamber 6, is prevented from separating from the disc portion 3 in a direction parallel to the output shaft 1. This ensures the gas seal performance of the annular working chamber 6, and because an annular exposed portion 3b is formed on the disc portion 3 that is not covered by the pair of divided cases 17, the contact area between the pair of divided cases 17 and the disc portion 3 can be reduced, thereby reducing frictional resistance. Moreover, the pair of divided cases 17 can be made smaller and lighter. Modified form

[0060] Next, the rotary piston type internal combustion engine with modified configurations will be explained based on Figures 8 and 9. In the case of the engine E of the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the inclined rotor-side end face of the first movable pressure-receiving member 23 was exposed to the combustion working chamber 6c. Therefore, the combustion gas pressure of the combustion working chamber 6c acted on the inclined rotor-side end face, and thus it was necessary to set the air pressure of the pressurized air contained in the first pressurizing chamber 37 higher than the combustion gas pressure.

[0061] Therefore, in the engine EA relating to this modified form, the shape of the first movable pressure receiving member 23A was changed. As shown in Figure 8, a curved surface 23d that can slide against the outer circumferential surface of the disc portion 3, a curved sliding contact portion 23a at the trailing end of the curved surface 23d, and a curved sliding contact portion 23c at the leading end of the curved surface 23d were formed at the rotor-side end of the first movable pressure receiving member 23A.

[0062] The gas introduction passage 26 and the conical passage 26a are formed in the same manner as the engine E of the above embodiment, and the gas injection passage 28A is formed near the upper side of the sliding contact portion 23c. The gas injection passage 28A is connected to the sub-combustion chamber 24 via a small additional passage 28a. During the compression stroke, as shown in Figure 8, the first inclined surface 4b of the piston portion 4 slides against the sliding contact portion 23a of the first movable pressure receiving member 23A, and the compressed air mixture is introduced into the sub-combustion chamber 24 from the gas introduction passage 26. When the partition wall portion 4a reaches the sliding contact portion 23a, it becomes the top dead center of the compression stroke, the gas introduction passage 26 is closed, and the compressed air mixture in the sub-combustion chamber 24 is ignited.

[0063] When the partition wall portion 4a of the piston portion 4 passes through the first movable partition mechanism 8, as shown in Figure 9, the second inclined surface 4c of the piston portion 4 slides against the sliding contact portion 23c of the first movable pressure receiving member 23A, partitioning the trailing end of the combustion operating chamber 6c. At the point when the gas ejection passage 28A becomes open to the combustion operating chamber 6c, or after a predetermined time has elapsed thereafter, the gas ejection passage 28A is opened, and the combustion gas ejected from the sub-combustion chamber 24 continues to burn while expanding in the combustion operating chamber 6c.

[0064] Thus, the sliding contact portion 23c of the first movable pressure receiving member 23A slides against the second inclined surface 4c of the piston portion 4, partitioning the trailing end of the combustion operating chamber 6c. As a result, the combustion gas pressure in the combustion operating chamber 6c does not bias the first movable pressure receiving member 23A toward the side away from the rotor 5. Therefore, the air pressure of the pressurized air contained in the pressurizing chamber 37 can be set low, and the resistance acting from the first movable pressure receiving member 23A to the piston portion 4 can be reduced. Note that in Figures 8 and 9, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in Figures 1 and 2.

[0065] Next, we will describe some examples of modifications to the above embodiment. (1) The cross-sectional shape of the annular working chamber 6 may be formed as an approximate circle selected from one of the following: oval, circular, or rounded triangle. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the partition wall portion 4a of the piston portion 4 is also formed as an approximate circle as described above. "Rounded" means a shape in which the edges are formed with outward-projecting curves, giving the overall shape a rounded appearance.

[0066] (2) The shapes of the first and second movable pressure receiving members 23 and 41 are not limited to those illustrated as examples, and various shapes can be adopted. (3) The piston portion 4 of the rotor 5 may be made of a metal (for example, sintered metal) that is permeable to lubricating oil and has excellent lubricity and heat resistance, and the rotor may be configured to supply lubricating oil to the piston portion 4. In this case, in addition to the piston portion 4, the outer peripheral portion 3a of the disc portion 3 may be made of the same metal as described above.

[0067] (4) In addition, those skilled in the art can implement the above embodiments in various modified forms. [Industrial applicability]

[0068] The present invention provides a rotary piston type internal combustion engine that can be used for various industrial applications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] E: Engine 1: Output shaft 3: Disc section 3a: Outer part 3b: Exposed part 4: Piston section 4a: Partition wall section 4b,4c: 1st, 2nd slope 5: Rotor 6: Annular working chamber 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d: Intake chamber, Compression chamber, Combustion chamber, Exhaust chamber 7: Main unit case 8,9: First and second movable partition mechanisms 10,11: Intake port, Exhaust port 12,13: Fuel injector 14: Bolt 15: Separation prevention mechanism 16: Split plane 17: Split Case 17a: Outer part 17b: Inner part 18: Protrusion 19: Annular regulating member 20: Bearings 21: Bolt 22a, 22b, 22c: Bearing metal 23,41: First and second movable pressure receiving members 24: Sub-combustion chamber 25: Spark plug 26: Gas introduction passage 27: First valve mechanism 27a, 29a: 1st, 2nd valve member 28,28A: Gas ejection passage 29: Second valve mechanism 31,40: First and second partition mechanism case 37,42: First and second pressurized chambers 36,43: First and second accumulators 39,44: First and second lubricating oil supply means

Claims

1. A rotary piston type internal combustion engine comprising: an output shaft; a rotor having a disc portion fixed perpendicular to the output shaft and a piston portion fixed to a part of the outer peripheral end of the disc portion; an annular main body case in which the piston portion circumfers and the disc portion cooperate to form an annular working chamber; and first and second movable partition mechanisms movably provided on the main body case to gas-tightly partition the annular working chamber at two positions separated circumferentially, wherein the piston portion and the first and second movable partition mechanisms enable the formation of an intake working chamber, a compression working chamber, a combustion working chamber, and an exhaust working chamber within the annular working chamber, The annular main body case is divided by a dividing plane perpendicular to the output shaft in the portion on the outer circumference side of the annular working chamber, and is composed of a pair of divided cases in which the portion on the inner circumference side of the annular working chamber makes surface contact with the outer circumference side of the disc portion from both sides in the axial direction of the output shaft. The pair of divided cases have a plurality of bolts that penetrate parallel to the output shaft and integrally fasten the outer peripheral portion of the annular working chamber, A rotary piston type internal combustion engine is characterized by having a separation prevention mechanism that prevents the inner circumferential portion of the pair of divided cases, which is on the inner circumferential side of the annular working chamber and is in surface contact with the outer circumferential portion of the disc portion, from separating from the disc portion in a direction parallel to the output shaft.

2. The disc portion is characterized in that it has an annular exposed portion on the inner side of the disc portion that is not covered by the pair of divided cases, on the inner side of the disc portion that is in surface contact with the pair of divided cases, as described in claim 1. Rotary piston type internal combustion engine.

3. The annular working chamber has an approximate circular cross-section selected from one of the following: circular, oval, or a rounded triangle perpendicular to the circumferential direction. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the piston portion has a partition wall portion with a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction having an approximate circular shape, a first inclined surface extending downward from the leading end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion toward the leading side and parallel to the output shaft, and a second inclined surface extending downward from the trailing end in the rotor rotation direction on the outer circumference of the partition wall portion toward the trailing side and parallel to the output shaft.

4. The separation prevention mechanism is characterized by comprising: a pair of protrusions formed on the inner circumference of the pair of divided cases, projecting inward toward the inner diameter and making surface contact with the disc portion; a pair of annular restricting members arranged on both sides of the disc portion in an internally fitted manner toward the inner diameter of the pair of divided cases; a pair of bearings mounted between the pair of protrusions and the pair of annular restricting members; and a plurality of bolts for fixing the pair of annular restricting members to the disc portion, as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 4, characterized in that bearing metals are attached to the sliding portion where the divided case and the disc portion are in contact, and to the sliding portion where the divided case and the annular restricting member are in contact.

6. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 1, characterized in that the first movable partition mechanism comprises a sub-combustion chamber formed inside the first movable partition mechanism for introducing and igniting a compressed air-fuel mixture from the compression working chamber; a gas introduction passage formed to connect the sub-combustion chamber to the leading end of the compression working chamber and a first valve mechanism capable of opening and closing the gas introduction passage; a gas injection passage formed to connect the sub-combustion chamber to the trailing end of the combustion working chamber and a second valve mechanism capable of opening and closing the gas injection passage; and a spark plug for igniting the compressed air-fuel mixture in the sub-combustion chamber.

7. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 6, characterized in that the main body case is provided with an intake port communicating with the intake operating chamber, an exhaust port communicating with the exhaust operating chamber, and a fuel injection means for injecting fuel into the intake operating chamber or the compression operating chamber.

8. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 7, comprising a control means for controlling the spark plug, the fuel injection means, and the first and second valve mechanisms, wherein the control means controls the opening and closing of the first and second valve mechanisms in relation to the rotational phase of the output shaft.

9. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 8, characterized in that when filling the sub-combustion chamber with compressed air from the compression working chamber, the control means controls the first and second valve mechanisms so that the first valve mechanism is in an open state and the second valve mechanism is in a closed state.

10. The first movable partition mechanism comprises a first movable pressure receiving member which partitions the annular working chamber and to which the sub-combustion chamber is formed and the spark plug is fixed, the first valve member of the first valve mechanism is slidably mounted on the first movable pressure receiving member via a dovetail engagement, and the second valve member of the second valve mechanism is slidably mounted on the first movable pressure receiving member via a dovetail engagement. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 6, characterized in that a first electric actuator for driving the first valve member to open and close is fixed to the first movable pressure receiving member, and a second electric actuator for driving the second valve member to open and close is fixed to the first movable pressure receiving member.

11. A first partition mechanism case is fixed to the main body case, and the first movable pressure receiving member and the first and second valve members are mounted in an airtight, slidable manner within the first partition mechanism case. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 10, characterized in that the first movable pressure receiving member is biased toward the rotor by pressurized air contained in the first pressurizing chamber within the first partition mechanism case, a first accumulator is provided for supplying pressurized air to the first pressurizing chamber, and a first lubricating oil supply means is provided for supplying lubricating oil to the first pressurizing chamber.

12. The second movable partition mechanism comprises a second partition mechanism case fixed to the main body case, and a second movable pressure receiving member movably mounted on the second partition mechanism case to partition the annular operating chamber. The second movable pressure-receiving member is biased toward the rotor by pressurized air contained in the second pressurized chamber formed within the second partition mechanism case. The rotary piston type internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further characterized by being provided with a second accumulator for supplying pressurized air to the second pressurized chamber, and a second lubricating oil supply means for supplying lubricating oil to the second pressurized chamber.

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