Internal combustion engine

• US 20030127067A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karnes Dyno-Rev Engine Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Karnes Dyno-Rev Engine Incorporated
• Inventors: Karnes, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,796,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/241
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 1/44 with vanes hinged to the inner member
• CPC Class Codes: F01C 21/0836 comprising guiding means, e.g. cams, rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2053/005 Wankel engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 53/02 Methods of operating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An internal combustion engine that has a torque wheel mounted for rotation within the central cavity defined by the housing and driving a crankshaft. The torque wheel has a plurality of arms in a spaced arrangement about the center of the torque wheel, thereby defining a plurality of corresponding volumes between the respective arms. A plurality of substantially identical combustion gates are positioned within these corresponding volumes, each combustion gate being mounted for rotation within a respective volume about a pivot pin. Rotation of the combustion gates about the respective pivot pins and resultant inward and outward movement of the combustion gates relative to the center of the torque wheel achieves a four-stroke combustion cycle.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine, comprising:

a housing defining a central cavity;

a torque wheel mounted for rotation within the central cavity defined by said housing and driving a crankshaft, said torque wheel having a plurality of arms in a spaced arrangement about its center, thereby defining a plurality of corresponding volumes between the respective arms;

a plurality of substantially identical combustion gates positioned within said corresponding volumes, each of said combustion gates being mounted for rotation within a respective volume about a pivot pin;

a pair of cam cutout plates positioned on either side of the torque wheel and within the central cavity defined by said housing, an elliptical cutout being defined in each cam cutout plate with a cam guide pin passing through each combustion gate and being received in the elliptical cutouts defined in each cam cutout plate, such that the elliptical cutouts serve as a track to guide the movement of the combustion gates;

wherein, as said torque wheel rotates, air is drawn into the central cavity of said housing and fuel is introduced into the central cavity of said housing to create a fuel/air mixture in one of said volumes between the respective arms of said torque wheel and adjacent one of said combustion gates, said fuel/air mixture being compressed during the continuing rotation of said torque wheel by the pivoting and outward movement of said one combustion gate as dictated by the elliptical cutouts, said fuel/air mixture then being ignited, causing a rapid expansion of combustion gases and imparting a torque that causes continued rotation of said torque wheel, the elliptical cutouts then causing said one combustion gate to pivot and move inwardly toward the center of said torque wheel, allowing said combustion gases to expand, and then said elliptical cutouts causing said one combustion gate to pivot and move outwardly again, forcing said combustion gases through an exhaust outlet.

2. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a pair of seal plates, a seal plate being positioned on either side of said torque wheel, slots being defined through said seal plates such that the cam guide pins associated with the respective combustion gates can pass through the seal plates and be received in the elliptical cutouts.

3. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, and further comprising a circumferential sleeve positioned within said central cavity between said housing and said torque wheel, said torque wheel, said combustion gates, and said seal plates functioning as a unitary body that rotates within said circumferential sleeve.

4. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein said circumferential sleeve is composed of cast iron.

5. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said combustion gates defines a cavity in the external surface thereof that cooperates with an outer combustion chamber defined in the wall of said housing of the engine, thus creating a split combustion chamber, said fuel/air mixture being ignited in said split combustion chamber.

6. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 5, in which said split combustion chamber is substantially rectangular in nature.

7. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 6, in which said split combustion chamber has a ratio of length to width to height of 3:

1;

1.

8. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 7, in which approximately one-half of the volume of said split combustion chamber is the volume of the cavity defined in the external surface of each combustion gate.

9. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 1, in which each of said cam guide pins is provided with four bushings which are received in pairs in the elliptical cutouts defined in the cam cutout plates, each elliptical cutout having a stair-step cross-section for receiving the pairs of guide bushings associated with each of the cam guide pins, one bushing of each pair abutting a lower side wall of the elliptical cutout and the second bushing abutting an upper side wall of the elliptical cutout.

10. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said seal plates has a series of interconnected slots defined in the surface thereof about its periphery, elongated seals being received in these slots to maintain an appropriate seal between said seal plates and said torque wheel.

11. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, and further comprising compression springs positioned in said slots at spaced intervals to bias said elongated seals away from said seal plates.

12. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 10, and further comprising star-shaped sealing members interposed between the distal ends of adjacent elongated seals to interconnect said adjacent elongated seals.

13. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 3, wherein each arm of said torque wheel defines one or more slots in an external surface thereof, each of said slots receiving an elongated seal to seal said torque wheel relative to said sleeve.

14. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 13, and further comprising compression springs positioned in said slots at spaced intervals to bias said elongated seals away from said torque wheel.

15. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said combustion gates has a series of interconnected slots defined in the outward external surface thereof, each of said slots receiving an elongated seal.

16. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 15, and further comprising compression springs positioned in said slots at spaced intervals to bias said elongated seals away from each said combustion gate.

17. An method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle, comprising the steps of:

mounting a torque wheel for rotation in a combustion chamber defined by a housing, said torque wheel having a plurality of arms in a spaced arrangement about its center, thereby defining a plurality of corresponding volumes between the respective arms;

positioning a plurality of substantially identical combustion gates within said corresponding volumes between the respective arms of said torque wheel, each of said combustion gates being mounted for rotation within a respective volume about a pivot pin;

providing a means for pivoting each combustion gate within its respective volume and about said pivot pin as said torque wheel rotates;

initiating rotation of said torque wheel such that air is drawn into a portion of said combustion chamber adjacent one of said combustion gates;

introducing fuel into the portion of said combustion chamber adjacent one of said combustion gates to create a fuel/air mixture in one of said volumes between the respective arms of said torque wheel, said fuel/air mixture being compressed during the continuing rotation of the said torque wheel by the pivoting and outward movement of said one combustion gate;

igniting said compressed fuel/air mixture, causing a rapid expansion of combustion gases and imparting a torque that causes continued rotation of said torque wheel, said one combustion gate then pivoting and moving inwardly toward the center of said torque wheel, allowing said combustion gases to expand, and then said one combustion gate pivoting and moving outwardly, forcing said combustion gases through an exhaust outlet.

18. The method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle as recited in claim 17, wherein a means for pivoting each combustion gate is an elliptical cutout, a cam guide pin passing through each combustion gate and being received in the elliptical cutout such that the elliptical cutouts serves as a track to guide the movement of the combustion gate during rotation of the torque wheel.

19. The method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle as recited in claim 17, wherein each of said combustion gates defines a cavity in the external surface thereof that cooperates with an outer portion of the combustion chamber, thus creating a split combustion chamber, said compressed fuel/air mixture being ignited in said split combustion chamber.

20. The method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle as recited in claim 19, wherein said split combustion chamber is substantially rectangular in nature.

21. The method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle as recited in claim 20, wherein said split combustion chamber has a ratio of length to width to height of 3:

1;

1.

22. The method for achieving a four-stroke combustion cycle as recited in claim 19, wherein approximately one-half of the volume of said split combustion chamber is the volume of the cavity defined in the external surface of each combustion gate.