ENGINE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

An engine assembly may include an internal combustion engine, an expander coupled to the engine, a pulley rotatably arranged on a shaft of the expander and coupled to the engine, a coupling device including at least one elastic operating element arranged within an operating element accommodation in an axially deformable manner, a drive disk arranged on the shaft between the pulley and the at least one operating element, and a pressure device connected to the operating element accommodation via a fluid line and configured to apply pressure to the operating element accommodation. The at least one operating element may be deformable in an axial direction such that the at least one operating element adjusts the drive disk into force-transferring contact with the pulley when the at least one operating element is deformed by a pressure applied to the operating element accommodation by the pressure device.

Claims

1. An engine assembly comprising: an internal combustion engine; an expander coupled to the engine in a force-transferring manner; a pulley rotatably arranged on a shaft of the expander, the pulley coupled to the internal combustion engine via a belt drive in a force-transferring manner; a drive disk arranged on the shaft of the expander in a rotationally fixed manner axially adjacent to the pulley; a coupling device including at least one elastic operating element arranged within an operating element accommodation in an axially deformable manner with respect to the shaft, the drive disk arranged between the pulley and the at least one operating element; and a pressure device configured to apply pressure to the operating element accommodation, the pressure device connected to the operating element accommodation via a fluid line; wherein the at least one operating element is deformable in an axial direction such that the at least one operating element pushes the drive disk into force-transferring contact with the pulley when the at least one operating element is deformed by a pressure applied to the operating element accommodation by the pressure device.

2. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating element is a plastic element configured to be at least one of bendable and deformable.

3. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating element is structured in one of a ring-shaped manner, a ring segment-shaped manner, and a punctiform manner.

4. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pressure device is configured to provide at least one of a gas pressure and a hydraulic pressure.

5. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pressure device is configured to apply pressure via a fluid, and wherein the fluid is at least one of air and hydraulic oil.

6. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive disk is at least one of i) arranged on the shaft in an axially movable manner and ii) deformable such that the drive disk is pushable into force-transferring contact with the pulley.

7. The engine assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a friction lining arranged on at least one of the pulley and the drive disk.

8. The engine assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding element arranged between the at least one operating element and the drive disk.

9. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the expander is structured as an axial piston engine.

10. A method for starting an expander of an engine assembly including an internal combustion engine coupled to the expander in a force-transferring manner, a pulley rotatably arranged on a shaft of the expander and coupled to the internal combustion engine via a belt drive in a force-transferring manner, a drive disk arranged on the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner axially adjacent to the pulley, a coupling device including at least one elastic operating element arranged within an operating element accommodation in an axially deformable manner with respect to the shaft, the drive disk arranged between the pulley and the at least one operating element, and a pressure device connected to the operating element accommodation via a fluid line, the method comprising: applying a pressure to the operating element accommodation via the pressure device; one of adjusting and deforming the at least one operating element in an axial direction via an application of pressure to the operating element accommodation such that the at least one operating element pushes the drive disk into force-transferring contact with the pulley; and transferring an initial torque from the internal combustion engine to the expander.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising one of adjusting and deforming a sliding element into contact with the drive disk, the sliding element arranged between the operating element and the drive disk.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein one of adjusting and deforming the sliding element includes at least one of adjusting and deforming the sliding element in the same manner as the at least one operating element.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein one of adjusting and deforming the at least one operating element includes at least one of bending and moving the drive disk into contact with the pulley in a force-transferring manner.

14. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating element is a rubber element configured to be at least one of bendable and deformable.

15. The engine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pulley is arranged on the shaft via a rolling bearing configured to allow free rotation of the pulley when the pulley is not contacting the drive disk.

16. The engine assembly according to claim 8, wherein the sliding element is configured to reduce friction between the at least one operating element and the drive disk.

17. The engine assembly according to claim 8, wherein at least one of i) the sliding element is composed at least of a PTFE material and ii) the sliding material includes a low-friction coating.

18. The engine assembly according to claim 8, wherein the sliding element is adjoined to the at least one operating element in a rotationally fixed manner.

19. An engine assembly comprising: an internal combustion engine; an expander coupled to the engine in a force-transferring manner; a pulley rotatably arranged on a shaft of the expander, the pulley coupled to the internal combustion engine via a belt drive in a force-transferring manner; a drive disk arranged on the shaft of the expander in a rotationally fixed manner axially adjacent to the pulley; a coupling device including at least one elastic operating element arranged within an operating element accommodation in an axially deformable manner with respect to the shaft, the drive disk arranged between the pulley and the at least one operating element; a pressure device configured to apply pressure to the operating element accommodation, the pressure device connected to the operating element accommodation via a fluid line; a sliding element arranged between the at least one operating element and the drive disk; and a friction lining arranged on at least one of the pulley and the drive disk; wherein the at least one operating element is deformable in an axial direction such that the at least one operating element adjusts the drive disk into force-transferring contact with the pulley when the at least one operating element is deformed by a pressure applied to the operating element accommodation by the pressure device.

20. The engine assembly according to claim 19, wherein the drive disk is at least one of i) arranged on the shaft in an axially movable manner and ii) deformable such that the drive disk is adjustable into force-transferring contact with the pulley.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In each case schematically,

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration through an engine assembly according to the invention,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration along the sectional plane A-A in an embodiment comprising punctiform operating elements,

[0024] FIG. 3 shows an illustration as in FIG. 2, but comprising circular segment-shaped operating elements,

[0025] FIG. 4 shows an illustration as in FIG. 3, but comprising a ring-shaped operating element,

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a sectional illustration through an engine assembly according to the invention comprising an additional sliding element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] According to FIGS. 1 and 5, an engine assembly 1 according to the invention comprises an internal combustion engine 2 as well as an expander 3, which can be coupled thereto in a direct or indirect force-transferring manner. The expander 3 can thereby for example be embodied as a so-called axial piston engine. A pulley 5 is thereby rotatably arranged on a shaft 4 of the expander 3, wherein the pulley 5 is coupled to the internal combustion engine 2 via a non-illustrated belt drive in a force-transferring manner, that is, directly or indirectly via a drive train, which is also not shown, in a force-transferring manner. The rotatable arrangement of the pulley 5 on the shaft 4 is attained by means of a corresponding rolling bearing 6, which provides for a free run. A drive disk 7, which is connected to the shaft 4 in a rotationally fixed manner, is arranged on the shaft 4 axially adjacent to the pulley 5. Provision is also made for a coupling device 8 comprising at least one elastically deformable operating element 9 (see also FIGS. 2 to 4), which is arranged in an operating element accommodation 10 in an axially deformable manner with respect to the shaft 4. It goes without saying that the operating elements 9 shown according to FIG. 1 are also conceivably thinner, in particular as membranes. The drive disk 7 is thereby arranged between the pulley 5 and the coupling device 8, that is, the at least one operating element 9. Provision is furthermore made for a pressure device 11, for example a pressure-generating device in the manner of a pressure accumulator or a pump, which is provided to apply pressure to the operating element accommodation 10. For this purpose, the pressure device 11 is connected to the at least one operating element accommodation 10 via a fluid line 12. The at least one operating element 9 is thereby embodied in such a way that it is deformed, for example bent, in the axial direction 13 in response to a corresponding application of pressure to the operating element accommodation 10 by the pressure device 11, and thus pushes or brings the drive disk 7, respectively, into force-transferring contact with the pulley 5, whereby the pulley 5, which was arranged on the shaft 4 so as to rotate freely up to that point in time via the rolling bearing 6, is now connected to the shaft 4 of the expander 3 via the drive disk 7 in a torque-transferring manner. A sliding element 17, which, in response to the application of pressure to the operating element 9 is pushed against the drive disk 7 as a result of curvature of said operating element, can be arranged between the operating element 9 and the drive disk 7 (see FIG. 5). The sliding element 17 can adjoin the operating element 9, for example in a rotationally fixed manner, and can cause a smaller friction than the operating element 9 in response to the starting process (rotation of the drive disk 7), when the sliding element 17 is made for example of PTFE.

[0028] The at least one operating element 9 can thereby for example be embodied as elastic plastic element, in particular as rubber element or can at least have rubber.

[0029] When looking at the possible embodiments of the at least one operating element 9 according to FIGS. 2 to 4, it can be seen that a total of four operating elements 9, which are embodied in a punctiform manner, are arranged so as to be distributed evenly across the circumference in FIG. 2. In the illustration according to FIG. 3, provision is also made for four operating elements 9, which, however, are embodied in a ring segment-shaped manner. FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment, which only shows a single operating element 9, which is embodied in the manner of a closed ring.

[0030] In response to an application of pressure to the operating element accommodation 10 with gas pressure or hydraulic pressure, the at least one corresponding operating element 9 or the adjoining sliding element 17, respectively, is deformed against the drive disk 7 in the axial direction 13, whereupon said drive disk is brought into abutment and thus into torque-transferring contact with the pulley 5. In this connection, it shall be noted in general that the pulley 5 can also stand for a sprocket wheel or another force-transferring element.

[0031] The pressure device 11 can thereby for example be embodied as pressure accumulator, for example as gas tank, which, in turn, is in connection for example with a brake system of a motor vehicle or is used for this purpose. A corresponding valve then needs to be provided in the fluid line 12 for this purpose.

[0032] The expander 3 is thereby started as follows by means of the engine assembly 1 according to the invention: first of all, the internal combustion engine 2 is started and runs, so that it can transfer its energy into a drive train. If the expander 3 is to now be started, pressure is introduced by the pressure device 11 via the fluid line 12 into the at least one operating element accommodation 10, whereupon the elastic operating element 9 deforms in the direction of the drive disk 7 and either bends it or moves it towards the pulley 5 in the axial direction and pushes against it. Once this has taken place, a friction lining 14, which is arranged for example on the pulley 5 and/or on the drive disk 7, ensures a torque transfer from the pulley 5 to the drive disk 7 and thus to the shaft 4. The expander can thus be started comparatively easily by means of the engine assembly 1 according to the invention. The control element accommodations 10 can thereby be arranged on an operating element accommodating disk 15, which, in turn, is connected to a housing 16 in a rotationally fixed manner or is directly integrated therein.