Piston-pin bearing lubrication system and method for a two-stroke internal combustion engine
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Abstract
An improved lubrication system and method for the normally contacting and abutting piston pin and connecting rod journal bearing surfaces of an internal combustion engine that includes an inertia pump in a connecting rod. The inertia pump reacts to the movement of the connecting rod and conveys a predetermined measure of lubricating oil at a high enough pressure to overcome the forces which cause the surfaces to normally maintain contact. By separating the normally contacting surfaces of the pin and the connecting rod journal, the surfaces become lubricated. Several embodiments of inertia pumps provide variations in implementing the invention.
23 Citations
35 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A system for lubricating normally abutting bearing surfaces between a piston pin and a small end journal of a connecting rod of an internal combustion engine in which said piston pin and said small end journal together provide a rotatable connection between a piston and its corresponding connecting rod, comprising:
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a source of lubricating oil being pumped under a first level of pressure;
communicating passages formed in a crankshaft and said connecting rod of said engine for delivering lubricating oil from said source to said abutting bearing surfaces;a pump installed within said connecting rod in communication with said passages to receive said lubricating oil from said source and to provide a predetermined measure of lubricating oil between said abutting surfaces at a second pressure level that is higher than said first pressure level in reaction to the movement of the connecting rod in which it is installed as said piston reaches bottom dead center portion of its stroke cycle; said pump contains a plurality of unbiased mass elements which are movable in directions parallel to the longitudinal inertia forces created in said connecting rod during the stroke cycle, including a first unbiased mass element which forces said predetermined measure of lubricating oil towards said pump outlet as said piston reaches bottom dead center portion of its stroke cycle; and a second unbiased mass element which moves from a first position, that allows oil to flow at said first pressure level from said source and through said pump to said normally abutting surfaces, to a second position, in reaction to said inertia forces caused by deceleration of said piston as it approaches bottom dead center position, blocking said oil flow from said source and only allowing said predetermined measure of oil forced by said first unbiased mass element to flow from said pump outlet. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of lubricating normally contacting surfaces of a piston pin and a small end journal of a connecting rod of an internal combustion engine in which said piston pin and said small end journal together provide a connection between a piston and its corresponding connecting rod, comprising the steps of:
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providing a source of lubricating oil being pumped under a first level of pressure; providing a crankshaft and connecting rods of said engine with communicating passages for the delivery of lubricating oil from said source to said normally contacting surfaces; providing a pump within a connecting rod to be in communication with said communicating passages to receive said lubricating oil from said source and to inject a predetermined measure of lubricating oil at a second pressure level that is higher than said first pressure level between said normally contacting surfaces as said piston reaches bottom dead center portion of its stroke cycle; said pump being provided with a plurality of freely movable mass elements which are movable in directions parallel to the longitudinal inertia forces created in said connecting rod during the stroke cycle, including providing a first unbiased mass element that forces said predetermined measure of lubricating oil towards said pump outlet as said piston reaches bottom dead center portion of its stroke cycle; and providing a second unbiased mass which moves from a first position that allows oil to flow at said first pressure level from said source and through said pump to said normally abutting surfaces to a second position in which said oil flow from said source is blocked and only said predetermined measure of oil forced by said first unbiased mass element is allowed to flow from said pump outlet. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An inertia reactive pump for receiving liquid from a source at a relatively low pressure and for providing a predetermined measure of liquid to a pump outlet comprising:
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a plurality of freely movable mass elements which are movable in a plurality of longitudinal and axially aligned bores within said pump in response to longitudinal inertia forces applied to said pump; a first unbiased mass element that forces said predetermined measure of lubricating oil in a first direction towards said pump outlet in response to inertia force being applied to said pump in a second direction opposite to said first direction; and a second unbiased mass which moves from a first position that allows oil to flow at said first pressure level from said source and through said pump to said pump outlet to a second position in which said oil flow from said source is blocked and only said predetermined measure of oil forced by said first unbiased mass element is allowed to flow from said pump outlet.
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Specification