Engine assembly

Abstract

An engine assembly may include an internal combustion engine and an expander couplable to the internal combustion engine in a force transmitting manner. The engine assembly may also include a pulley mounted rotatably on a shaft of the expander. The pulley may be coupled to the internal combustion engine in a force-transmitting manner via a belt drive. The engine assembly may further include a first driver plate connected non-rotatably to the pulley and a second driver plate arranged adjacent thereto and connected non-rotatably to the shaft. The engine assembly may additionally include a clutch device including at least one actuating device and a coupling wheel. The coupling wheel may contact the first driver plate and the second driver plate when the clutch device is closed such that the pulley is connected with the shaft of the expander in a driving manner.

Claims

1. An engine assembly, comprising: an internal combustion engine; an expander couplable to the internal combustion engine in a force transmitting manner; a pulley mounted rotatably on a shaft of the expander, the pulley coupled to the internal combustion engine in a force-transmitting manner via a belt drive; a first driver plate connected non-rotatably to the pulley and a second driver plate arranged adjacent thereto and connected non-rotatably to the shaft; and a clutch device including an actuating device and a displaceable coupling wheel; wherein the coupling wheel is disposed in contact with the first driver plate and the second driver plate when the clutch device is closed such that the pulley is connected with the shaft of the expander in a driving manner; and wherein the coupling wheel is disposed spaced apart from and does not contact the first driver plate nor the second driver plate when the clutch device is open.

2. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling wheel is arranged rotatably on a lever having an end attached in an articulated manner to the expander such that the lever is pivotable.

3. The engine assembly according to claim 2, wherein the actuating device includes a spring mechanism configured to bias the lever into a position where the coupling wheel does not contact the first driver plate and the second driver plate.

4. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the actuating device includes a pressure box.

5. The engine assembly according to claim 3, wherein the actuating device further includes a pressure box arranged such that the pressure box displaces the lever against the spring mechanism when in an actuated state.

6. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first driver plate and the second driver plate are a first conical pulley and a second conical pulley, respectively, which together define an outwardly open circumferential channel.

7. The engine assembly according to claim 6, wherein an outer circumference of the coupling wheel is structured complementary to the circumferential channel.

8. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the coupling wheel is displaceable radially relative to the first driver plate and the second driver plate.

9. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein, when the clutch device is open, the coupling wheel is disposed radially spaced apart from and axially between the first driver plate and the second driver plate relative to the shaft.

10. A method for starting an expander via an engine assembly, comprising: rotatably mounting a pulley on a shaft of an expander, the pulley including a first driver plate non-rotatably connected thereto, the shaft including a second driver plate non-rotatably connected thereto and arranged adjacent the first driver plate; coupling the pulley in a force-transmitting manner to an internal combustion engine via a belt drive; and adjusting a coupling wheel of a clutch device into contact with the first driver plate and the second driver plate such that the pulley connects with the shaft of the expander in a driving manner.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein adjusting the coupling wheel into contact with the first driver plate and the second drive plate includes engaging the coupling wheel in an outwardly open circumferential channel defined between a portion of the first driver plate and a portion of the second driver plate.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: the coupling wheel is arranged rotatably on a lever having an end attached in an articulated manner to the expander; and adjusting the coupling wheel into contact with the first driver plate and the second drive plate includes pivoting the coupling wheel about the end of the lever attached to the expander.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein adjusting the coupling wheel into contact with the first driver plate and the second drive plate includes displacing the coupling wheel radially relative to the first driver plate and the second driver plate.

14. An engine assembly, comprising: an internal combustion engine; an expander couplable to the internal combustion engine in a force transmitting manner; a pulley mounted rotatably on a shaft of the expander, the pulley coupled to the internal combustion engine in a force-transmitting manner via a belt drive; a first driver plate connected non-rotatably to the pulley and a second driver plate arranged adjacent thereto and connected non-rotatably to the shaft; and a clutch device including at least one actuating device and a coupling wheel, the coupling wheel contacting the first driver plate and the second driver plate when the clutch device is closed such that the pulley is connected with the shaft of the expander in a driving manner, the coupling wheel including a coating facilitating friction between the coupling wheel and the first driver plate and the second driver plate; wherein the first driver plate is a first conical pulley and the second driver plate is a second conical pulley, the first conical pulley and the second conical pulley defining an outwardly open circumferential channel.

15. The engine assembly according to claim 14, wherein the coupling wheel is displaceable radially relative to the first driver plate and the second driver plate.

16. The engine assembly according to claim 14, wherein: the coupling wheel is arranged rotatably on a lever having an end attached in an articulated manner to the expander such that the lever is pivotable; and the at least one actuating device includes a spring mechanism configured to bias the lever into a position where the coupling wheel does not contact the first driver plate and the second driver plate.

17. The engine assembly according to claim 14, wherein the at least one actuating device includes a pressure box.

18. The engine assembly according to claim 16, wherein the at least one actuating device further includes a pressure box arranged such that the pressure box displaces the lever against the spring mechanism when in an actuated state.

19. The engine assembly according to claim 18, wherein an outer circumference of the coupling wheel is structured complementary to the circumferential channel.

20. The engine assembly according to claim 19, wherein the first driver plate and the pulley are structured integrally.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings, which are all schematic,

(2) FIG. 1 represents an engine assembly according to the invention and a detailed illustration of a clutch device,

(3) FIG. 2 is a representation of a cross-section along sectional plane A-A in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 is a representation of a cross-section along sectional plane A-A, but in another variant without a lever and with an electric actuator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) According to FIG. 1, an engine assembly 1 according to the invention includes an internal combustion engine 2not shown in more detailand an expander 3 which may be coupled for the transmission of force, wherein expander 3 may be embodied as an axial piston machine for example. A pulley 5 is mounted on a shaft 4 of expander 3 so as to be rotatable, for example via a roller bearing 6, that is to say a freewheel. Pulley 5 is coupled to internal combustion engine 2 in force transmitting manner via a belt drivenot shown. The belt drive runs over an outer surface of pulley 5. A first driver plate 7 which is connected non-rotatably to pulley 5 and a second driver plate 8 arranged axially adjacent thereto and connected non-rotatably to shaft 4 are also provided.

(6) In such case, a clutch device 9 is equipped with an actuating device 10 and a coupling wheel 11 (see also FIG. 2), which enters into contact with both driver plates 7, 8 when clutch device 9 is closed, thereby connecting pulley 5 to shaft 4 of the expander 3 in driving manner.

(7) Coupling wheel 11 is arranged rotatably on a lever 12, one end of which is attached in articulated manner and thus pivotably to expander 3, wherein lever 12 as shown in FIG. 2 is mounted rotatably on expander 3 at a fulcrum 13, particularly on a housing 14 thereof. Actuating device 10 is arranged on the opposite end of lever 12, while coupling wheel 11 is arranged approximately in the middle of lever 12. Levering forces of different magnitudes may be exerted on coupling wheel 11 via actuating device 10 depending on the arrangement of coupling wheel 11. Actuating device 10 may include for example a pressure box 15 or an electric actuator 19 or it may be constructed as such. Pressure box 15 or actuator 19 is arranged in such manner that in the actuated state it displaces lever 12 against a spring mechanism 16. Spring mechanism 16 is a component of actuating device 10 and biases lever 12 into a position which does not connect the coupling wheel 11 with the driver plates 7, 8.

(8) Alternatively, it may also be provided that coupling wheel 11 is displaceable radially with respect to driver plates 7, 8, direct by means of actuating device 10 in the form of a working cylinder, for example. For this purpose, actuating device 10 may include an electric actuator 19, for example. This electric actuator 19 may also act on lever 12 (see FIG. 2) or actuatein other words displacecoupling wheel 11 directly, as represented in FIG. 3. In this case, coupling wheel 11 would be displaceable vertically according to FIG. 3. This would also enable a complex levering geometry to be dispensed with, for example.

(9) First and second driver plates 7, 8 may also be embodied as first and second conical pulleys 7, 8, which together form an outwardly open circumferential channel 17. In this case, the outer circumference of coupling wheel 11 is preferably designed to complement the contour of circumferential channel 17. In order to be able to transmit the torque from pulley 5 to the shaft 4 of expander 3 and thus also transmit a starting torque impulse as reliably as possible, coupling wheel 11 may be furnished with a coating 18 to increase friction, particularly a rubber coating. In a particular special case, the first driver plate 7 may also form an integral part of pulley 5 and may simply have the form of a chamfer which forms circumferential channel 17 with the second conical pulley 8.

(10) The method for starting expander 3 by means of the engine assembly 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is executed as follows: First, compressed air is activated, and consequently pressure box 15 forces lever 12 downwards according to FIGS. 1 and 2 against the spring force of spring mechanism 16. As soon as coupling wheel 11 rolls over both driver plate 7 and driver plate 8, clutch device 9 is closed, so that a torque may be transmitted from the rotating pulley 5 and the first driver plate 7 or the first conical pulley 7 connected non-rotatably therewith to the second driver plate 8 or the second conical pulley 8 and thus also to the shaft 4 of expander 3. This starts expander 4. After it is started, the compressed air is deactivated, which in turn depressurises pressure box 15 of actuating device 10, which allows spring mechanism 16 to push lever 12 upwards about fulcrum 13, thereby releasing coupling wheel 11 from rotating contact with the two driver plates 7, 8. Clutch device 9 is then open again.

(11) In a particularly advantageous variant of first driver plate 7, said plate forms an integral part of pulley 5 and may thus be manufactured as single part therewith. This reduces the number of parts and also the warehousing and logistical costs associated therewith.

(12) The engine assembly 1 according to the invention and the method according to the invention serve to ensure reliable starting of an expander 3 by the simplest and most inexpensive structural means possible.