INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

• US 20140165967A1
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Powertrain Ltd
• Original Assignee: Cox Powertrain Ltd
• Inventors: Bucksey, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,512,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/46.A
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 7/02 with oppositely reciprocating pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 7/08 with side rods
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 71/00 Free-piston engines; Engines without rotary main shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/28 Engines with two or more pistons reciprocating within same cylinder or within essentially coaxial cylinders arranged oppositely relative to main shaft F02B75/24
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/282 the pistons having equal strokes

Abstract

An internal combustion engine comprising at least one cylinder and a pair of opposed, reciprocating pistons within the cylinder forming a combustion chamber therebetween. The engine has at least one fuel injector disposed at least partly within the cylinder, the fuel injector having a nozzle that is positioned within the combustion chamber and through which the fuel is expelled into the combustion chamber, wherein the nozzle is exposed directly within the combustion chamber.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine comprising:

at least one cylinder;

a pair of opposed, reciprocating pistons within the cylinder forming a combustion chamber therebetween; and

at least one fuel injector disposed at least partly within the cylinder, the fuel injector having a nozzle that is positioned within the combustion chamber and through which the fuel is expelled into the combustion chamber;

wherein the nozzle is exposed directly within the combustion chamber.

2. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel injector is disposed on or parallel to the central axis of the cylinder.

3. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle of the fuel injector protrudes outwardly from an end face of a housing of the injector in the direction of the cylinder axis.

4. An internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle has a series of apertures around its periphery from which the fuel is expelled generally radially into the combustion chamber.

5. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel injector is fixed at one end of the cylinder and projects into the cylinder from that end, along or parallel to the central axis of the cylinder, to locate the injector nozzle in a fixed position that is within the combustion chamber when the combustion chamber volume is at its minimum.

6. An internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the injector extends through the piston closest to the end of the cylinder from which the injector projects and this piston is configured to reciprocate along a housing of the injector.

7. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the fuel injector moves with one of the pistons.

8. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the injector is cooled.

9. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the injector is held in a coupling that permits movement in a plane perpendicular to the cylinder axis but restrains movement in the direction of the cylinder axis.

10. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the engine further comprises a crankshaft positioned at one end of the cylinder and reciprocating motion of the pistons drives the crankshaft, the fuel injector being associated with the outer piston that is furthest from the crankshaft.

11. An internal combustion engine according to claim 10, further comprising a drive linkage connecting the pistons to the crankshaft to translate the opposed reciprocating motion of the pistons into a rotary motion of the crankshaft.

12. An internal combustion engine according to claim 11, wherein the drive linkage comprises a plurality of scotch yoke mechanisms.

13. An internal combustion engine according to claim 12, comprising at least one scotch yoke through which the inner piston drives the crankshaft and at least two scotch yokes, one to each side of the cylinder, through which the outer piston drives the crankshaft.

14. An internal combustion engine according to claim 13, wherein said pair of scotch yokes are connected to the outer piston by respective connection members on opposite sides of the cylinder, wherein the connection members external to the cylinder.

18. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising multiple cylinders.

19. An internal combustion engine according to claim 18, comprising at least two coaxially opposed cylinders, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons and all of the pistons driving a single crankshaft located between the two cylinders.

20. An internal combustion engine according to claim 19, comprising two pairs of coaxially opposed cylinders, the pairs of cylinders arranged adjacent one another in a flat four configuration, each cylinder having a pair of opposed pistons and all of the pistons driving a single crankshaft located between the two cylinders of each pair

15. An internal combustion engine comprising:

at least one cylinder;

a pair of opposed, reciprocating pistons within the cylinder forming a combustion chamber therebetween; and

at least one fuel injector disposed on or parallel with the central axis of the cylinder configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber;

wherein the pistons drive a crankshaft disposed at one end of the cylinder via respective drive linkages, the drive linkage for the piston furthest from the crankshaft being external to the cylinder.

16. An internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein the outer piston drives the crankshaft through a pair of scotch yokes, one to either side of the cylinder, connected to the outer piston by the external drive linkage.

17. An internal combustion engine according to claim 16, wherein the external drive linkage comprises one or more drive rods to either side of the cylinder.