Balanced barrel-cam internal-combustion engine

• US 6,779,494 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2003
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deepak Jayanti Aswani
• Original Assignee: Deepak Jayanti Aswani
• Inventors: Aswani, Deepak Jayanti
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eshete, Zelalem
• Application Number:
  US10/698,226
• Time in Patent Office: 297 Days
• Field of Search: 123/90.24, 123/56.8, 123/56.1, 123/56.2, 123/56.7
• US Class Current: 123/56.1
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 3/04 the piston motion being transmitted by curved surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F01B 3/045 by two or more curved surfaces, e.g. for two or more pistons in one cylinder
• 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

Abstract

A multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine where translation between piston reciprocating motion and rotational motion occurs via a pair of conjugate axial cams with dual rolling followers on the piston-assemblies—one rolling follower per conjugate axial cam. A pair of conjugate axial cams form a grooved or ribbed axial cam that is form-closed and is frequently referred to as a barrel-cam. Balanced operation is ensured through a series of relative constraints between the number and masses of uniformly spaced piston-assemblies about the barrel-cam cylinder, the shape of the barrel-cam'"'"'s piston-assembly displacement profile, and also the valve-assemblies along with their actuation properties.

Claims

1. A balanced barrel-cam internal-combustion engine comprising:

(a) a rotating barrel cylinder through which rotational power can be transmitted,

(b) a plurality of p reciprocating piston-assemblies in uniformly spaced planetary arrangement about said rotating barrel cylinder, each that includes a piston head at one or both of the ends, a linear bearing segment to ensure exclusively rectilinear non-rotational motion of said piston-assembly, and a dual roller axial cam follower,

(c) a plurality of engine valve-assemblies per said piston-assembly,

(d) a restrained fixture equivalent to an engine block which houses said rotating barrel cylinder, said engine valve-assemblies, and said plurality of p reciprocating piston-assemblies,

(e) a barrel-cam, also known as a conjugate axial cam, that is attached to the cylindrical surface of said rotating barrel cylinder, that compliments each said dual roller axial cam follower such that the said barrel-cam'"'"'s displacement profile for each said piston-assembly has n oscillations per revolution of said rotating barrel cylinder and consists of a set, denoted as J, of 1st and any higher harmonics,

such that for all j from said set of harmonics J as well as for said values of p and n, p is not a factor of the expressions n×

j−

1, n×

j, and n×

j+1 whereby perfect balancing of aggregate piston-assembly forces and torques is achieved.

2. A balanced barrel-cam internal-combustion engine comprising:

(a) a rotating barrel cylinder, a plurality of p reciprocating piston-assemblies, a plurality of engine valve-assemblies per said piston-assembly, and a restrained fixture, each as described in claim 1,

(b) a barrel-cam, also known as a conjugate axial cam, that is attached to the cylindrical surface of said rotating barrel cylinder, that compliments each said dual roller axial cam follower such that the said barrel-cam'"'"'s displacement profile for each said piston-assembly has an even number of n oscillations per revolution of said rotating barrel cylinder and consists of a set of fixed perturbations in addition to a set, denoted as J, of 1st and any higher harmonics,

such that for all j from said set of harmonics J as well as for said values of p and n, p is not a factor of the expressions n×

j−

1, n×

j, and n×

j+1 whereby perfect balancing of aggregate piston-assembly forces and torques is achieved and furthermore such that the said perturbations balance the valve-assembly forces in the direction of said piston-amenably motion without introducing additional torque imbalances.