INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

• US 20150027418A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Powertrain Ltd
• Original Assignee: Cox Powertrain Ltd
• Inventors: Bucksey, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 10,458,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/51.R
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 7/04 acting on same main shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 9/023 of Bourke-type or Scotch yoke
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 9/026 Rigid connections between piston and rod; Oscillating pistons
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 5/00 Engines characterised by positive ignition engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with positive ignition F02B1/02; engines characterised by air compression and subsequent fuel addition with positive ignition F02B3/02; with non-timed positive ignition F02B9/06; characterised by both fuel-air mixture compression and air compression, or characterised by both positive ignition and compression ignition F02B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 53/02 Methods of operating
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/246 with only one crankshaft of the "pancake" type, e.g. pairs of connecting rods attached to common crankshaft bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/282 the pistons having equal strokes
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/04 Two-stroke combustion engines with electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 15/04 one of the spark electrodes being mounted on the engine working piston
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 3/02 having inductive energy storage, e.g. arrangements of induction coils ignition coils structurally combined with sparking plugs F02P13/00; constructional details of ignition coils H01F38/12

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 combustion igniter associated with the cylinder, a portion of the combustion igniter being exposed within the combustion chamber formed between the opposed pistons.

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 combustion igniter associated with the cylinder, a portion of the combustion igniter being exposed within the combustion chamber formed between the opposed pistons.

2. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the combustion igniter is at or close to the central axis of the cylinder/piston.

3. An internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the combustion igniter 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 said portion of the combustion igniter in a fixed position that is within the combustion chamber throughout the engine cycle.

4. An internal combustion engine according to claim 3, wherein the combustion igniter extends through the piston closest to the end of the cylinder from which the combustion igniter projects and said piston is configured to reciprocate along a housing within which the combustion igniter is housed.

5. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the combustion igniter is fixed to and moves with one of the pistons.

6. An internal combustion engine according to claim 5, comprising a flexible lead, a sliding electrical connection or a non-contact electrical connection to provide power to the combustion igniter.

7. An internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more fuel injectors for injecting fuel indirectly into the cylinder through an intake manifold for the cylinder.

8. An internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising at least one fuel injector having a nozzle that is directly exposed to the combustion chamber in the cylinder for injecting fuel directly into the cylinder.

9. An internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein said at least one fuel injector is mounted to a side wall of the cylinder.

10. An internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein said at least one fuel injector is mounted at an end of the cylinder with the injector nozzle protruding through a respective piston crown at said one end of the cylinder into the combustion chamber.

11. An internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein said at least one fuel injector is fixed in position within the cylinder with the piston sliding along a housing of the fuel injector.

12. An internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein said at least one fuel injector is fixed to and moves with the piston as the piston reciprocates within the cylinder.

13. An internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the fuel injector and the combustion igniter project from opposite ends of the cylinder.

14. An internal combustion engine according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the fuel injector and the combustion igniter project from the same end of the cylinder.

15. An internal combustion engine according to claim 14, wherein the fuel injector and the combustion igniter are contained within a single housing.

16. An internal combustion engine according to any one of the preceding claims comprising multiple cylinders.

17. An internal combustion engine according to claim 16, 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.

18. An internal combustion engine according to claim 17, 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.