Internal combustion engine
First Claim
1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
- two opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a cylinder liner adapted to accept two opposed pistons therein defining a combustion chamber therebetween, the opposed pistons adapted to reciprocate along a common axis, the cylinder liner further comprising intake ports and exhaust ports;
a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders, the crankshaft comprising journals;
a housing adapted to house the cylinders; and
a scavenge pump associated with each cylinder, the scavenge pump comprising a first scavenging chamber and a second scavenging chamber, the first scavenging chamber defined by an end of the housing and a plunger linked to one of the opposed pistons distal from the crankshaft, wherein the plunger is adapted to move in unison with the piston and to draw in a fluid from outside the housing and to expel fluid to the second scavenging chamber, the second scavenging chamber adapted to expel fluid into the combustion chamber through the intake ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A two-stroke internal combustion engine is disclosed having opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons, with all the pistons connected to a common central crankshaft. The inboard pistons of each cylinder are connected to the crankshaft with pushrods and the outboard pistons are connected to the crankshaft with pullrods. Each opposed cylinder further comprises an integrated scavenge pump for providing positive intake pressure. This configuration results in a compact engine with a very low profile, in which the free mass forces can be substantially balanced. The engine configuration also allows for asymmetrical timing of the intake and exhaust ports through angular positioning of the journals on the crankshaft.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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two opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a cylinder liner adapted to accept two opposed pistons therein defining a combustion chamber therebetween, the opposed pistons adapted to reciprocate along a common axis, the cylinder liner further comprising intake ports and exhaust ports;
a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders, the crankshaft comprising journals;
a housing adapted to house the cylinders; and
a scavenge pump associated with each cylinder, the scavenge pump comprising a first scavenging chamber and a second scavenging chamber, the first scavenging chamber defined by an end of the housing and a plunger linked to one of the opposed pistons distal from the crankshaft, wherein the plunger is adapted to move in unison with the piston and to draw in a fluid from outside the housing and to expel fluid to the second scavenging chamber, the second scavenging chamber adapted to expel fluid into the combustion chamber through the intake ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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at least two opposed cylinders, each cylinder comprising one pair of opposed pistons reciprocating along a common axis, each pair of opposing pistons defining a combustion chamber therebetween;
a crankshaft comprising a first journal and a second journal, each pair of opposed pistons further comprises an outer piston distal from the crankshaft and an inner piston proximate the crankshaft;
at least one pair of pushrods, each pushrod of one pair of pushrods coupled with one of the inner pistons at a pushrod first end and coupled to the first journal on the crankshaft at a pushrod second end, wherein one of the pushrods comprises a pushrod second end comprising a single tang and the other pushrod comprises a pushrod second end comprising two tangs adapted to receive the single tang therebetween; and
at least one pair of pullrods, each pullrod of one pair of pullrods coupled with one of the outer pistons at a pullrod first end and coupled to the second journal on the crankshaft at a pullrod second end, wherein one of the pullrods comprises a pullrod second end comprising a single tang and the other pullrod comprises a pullrod second end comprising two tangs adapted to receive the single tang therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An internal combustion engine comprising:
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two pairs of opposed pistons reciprocating along a common axis, and an end of each opposed piston, in conjunction with a cylinder, defining a combustion chamber;
a crankshaft disposed between the two pairs of opposed pistons, the crankshaft having a first journal; and
a connecting element linking each piston at an end of the piston opposite the combustion chamber, wherein at least a pair of connecting elements coupled to the first journal and movably aligned substantially along a common axis. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An engine comprising:
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an internal combustion engine comprising two opposed cylinders, each cylinder comprising at least one pair of opposed pistons reciprocating along a common axis, and an end of each opposed piston, in conjunction with a cylinder, defining a combustion chamber;
a crankshaft connected to at least one piston by at least one connecting element, the crankshaft having at least one journal for coupling the connecting element; and
a scavenge pump associated with each cylinder, the scavenge pump comprising a first scavenging chamber and a second scavenging chamber, the first scavenging chamber defined by an end of a housing and a plunger linked to one of the opposed pistons distal from the crankshaft, wherein the plunger is adapted to move in unison with the piston and to draw in a fluid from outside the housing and to expel fluid to the second scavenging chamber, the second scavenging chamber adapted to expel fluid into the combustion chamber. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An engine comprising:
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an internal combustion engine comprising at least two opposed cylinders, each cylinder comprising at least one pair of opposed pistons reciprocating along a common axis, and an end of each opposed piston, in conjunction with a cylinder, defining a combustion chamber; and
the pair of opposed pistons comprising an inner piston and an outer piston;
the cylinder comprises at least one exhaust port disposed so that reciprocation of the inner piston opens and closes the exhaust port, and at least one intake port disposed so that reciprocation of the outer piston opens and closes the intake port;
a crankshaft linked to the inner piston by a push rod, and the crankshaft linked to the outer piston by an pull rod wherein rotation of the crankshaft causes asymmetric port timing. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. An engine comprising:
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a piston disposed in a cylinder, one end of the piston cooperating with the cylinder to form a combustion chamber, the other end of the piston linked to a plunger, the plunger moves in unison with the piston; and
a scavenge pump associated with the engine, the scavenge pump comprising a first scavenge chamber adapted to receive the plunger. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. An internal combustion engine comprising:
at least two opposed cylinders, each cylinder including at least one first piston, the pistons in the opposing cylinders reciprocating along a common axis, a piston and its respective cylinder, defining a combustion chamber;
a crankshaft disposed between the cylinders comprising at least one journal, wherein the first pistons are each coupled to respective ends of inner-piston pushrods, and the opposite ends of the inner-piston pushrods are coupled to a common first journal on the crankshaft.- View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification