TANGENTIAL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

An internal combustion engine with two arced cylinders, with movement of the pistons in first and second cylinders takes place in the same direction. An arcing connecting rod on each of the sides of the pistons are averted from the combustion chambers. A freewheel is associated with each cylinder. An axis of the shaft represents the center of the arced shape of the cylinders and connecting rods. A side of the connecting rod opposite the piston connects to the outer side of a freewheel, and inner sides of the freewheels each connect to the shaft. Movement produced by the combustion is transmitted by the connecting rod to the outer side of the freewheel and the shaft. Outer sides of the freewheels are coupled to move in opposite directions, so the pistons in the first and the second cylinder run oppositely. A method operates such an internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine having first and second cylinders having a circular arc shape in a longitudinal direction thereof, one piston being disposed in each of said cylinders so as to be movable from a position at a minimum distance from a cylinder head to a position at a maximum distance from the cylinder head, and a shaft , the cylinders being disposed such that motion of the piston in the first cylinder generated by combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber of the first cylinder and motion of the piston in the second cylinder generated by combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber of the second cylinder occur in a same direction, wherein: one piston rod having a circular arc shape in a longitudinal direction thereof, and one freewheel associated with each cylinder are present at the sides of pistons facing away from the combustion chambers, wherein the cylinders are further disposed so that an axis of the shaft is a center point of a circle defining a circular arc shape of the cylinders and of the piston rods, a side of each piston rod opposite the piston of the first cylinder and the second cylinder is connected to an outer side of one of the freewheels, and inner sides of the freewheels are each connected to the shaft, the freewheels are disposed such that motion generated by the combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber of a cylinder and transferred by the piston rod of a piston to the outer side of the freewheel is transferred to the shaft, and the freewheels each run freely in an opposite direction, and the outer sides of the freewheels are coupled to each other so as to perform a motion in the opposite direction, wherein the motion of the pistons in the first and second cylinders also runs in opposite directions.

2. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the motions of the pistons in the cylinders are such that, when the piston of the first cylinder is present at the position of minimal distance from the cylinder head, the piston is present in the second cylinder at the position of maximum distance from the cylinder head.

3. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped longitudinal extent of one or both cylinders is 60 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped piston path of the piston in one or both cylinders is 60 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

5. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the coupling of the outer sides of the freewheels comprises a gear connection.

6. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein one or both cylinders are disposed directly above the outer side of the respectively associated freewheel.

7. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the cylinders are disposed offset with respect to a circle defined by the axis of the shaft as the center point.

8. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein at least one intake valve and one exhaust valve are present for each cylinder.

9. A method for operating the internal combustion engine according to claim 1.

10. A method of using an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, comprising powering a motor vehicle, aircraft, or ship.

11. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped longitudinal extent of one or both cylinders is 90 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

12. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped longitudinal extent of one or both cylinders is 120 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

13. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped longitudinal extent of one or both cylinders is 160 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

14. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped piston path of the piston in one or both cylinders is 90 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

15. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped piston path of the piston in one or both cylinders is 120 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

16. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the circular arc-shaped piston path of the piston in one or both cylinders is 160 or more with respect to the circle defining the circular arc shape thereof.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0059] One embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the figures.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a front view of one embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a view of one side of the ensemble comprising the shaft, freewheel, and cylinders of the embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows an opposite side view from that of FIG. 2 of the ensemble of the shaft, freewheel, and cylinders of the embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention.

[0063] The embodiment of the internal combustion engine according to the invention shown in the figures comprises two identical circular arc-shaped cylinders 7, 7 having a circular cross section, in each of which there is one piston 5, 5 having one circular arc-shaped piston rod 6, 6 connected to the side of the piston 5, 5 opposite the combustion chamber 4, 4. The pistons 5, 5 running back and forth in each of the cylinders 7, 7 between the positions P.sub.min (that is, the position of the piston at the minimum distance from the cylinder head) and P.sub.max (that is, the position of the piston at the maximum distance from the cylinder head) are sealed off from the combustion chamber 4, 4 in a typical manner, for example by means of piston rings.

[0064] The cylinders 7, 7 are each disposed above the outer ring 8, 8 of one of the annular freewheels associated with each cylinder. The end of the piston rod 6, 6 opposite the piston is then fixedly connected to the outer ring 8, 8 of the associated freewheel by means of a connecting bar 9, 9.

[0065] The inner rings 10, 10 of the freewheels are fixedly connected to a shaft 11 supported in a mount 15.

[0066] The cylinders 7, 7 are disposed such that the pistons 5, 5 running back and forth in the same perform opposite, circular arc-shaped motions.

[0067] The freewheels, in turn, are disposed so as to lock in the direction of motion of the piston from P.sub.min to P.sub.max in each case, that is, so that said freewheels are each in the driving mode in which the outer ring is displaced in the direction 13, and each run free in the opposite direction of the outer ring motion 12 in which the piston is displaced from P.sub.max to P.sub.min.

[0068] The result is thus that the two locking directions are in the same direction, that is, that the shaft 11 receives a torque transferred in the same direction from the combustion process in both cylinders.

[0069] The outer rings 8, 8 of the two freewheels each have gear teeth on the circular disc-shaped lateral surfaces thereof facing toward each other. Said gear teeth are coupled by a spur gear 14 so that the outer rings 8, 8 of the freewheels are displaced in opposite directions, whereby the motion of each piston from P.sub.max to P.sub.min transmitted by the piston rods is brought about in the freewheeling mode.

[0070] During operation of the engine, a fuel-air mixture is fed into the combustion chamber 4, 4 of the cylinder 7, 7 through an intake valve 1,1; the combustion gases to be dispelled from the cylinder 7, 7 in each case are discharged from the cylinder through an exhaust valve 2, 2.

[0071] The igniting of the fuel-air mixture takes place by means of a spark plug 3, 3 present in the combustion chamber of each cylinder.

[0072] For example, the ignition takes place in the first cylinder 7 of the engine at a position near P.sub.min of the piston, as shown in FIG. 3. The piston 5 is thereby displaced along a circular arc-shaped path in the first cylinder 7 by the force arising from the explosive combustion process, wherein said force is transferred to the outer ring 8 of the freewheel associated with the first cylinder. Said freewheel is in the driving mode, so that the force is transferred to the shaft 11 as a torque in the direction 13.

[0073] When the piston 5 arrives at P.sub.max in the first cylinder 7, the piston 5 in the second cylinder 7 is at P.sub.min and the ignition in the second cylinder 7 takes place near said position. The piston 5 is thereby displaced along a circular arc-shaped path in the second cylinder 7 by the force arising from the explosive combustion process, wherein said force is transferred to the outer ring 8 of the freewheel associated with the second cylinder 7. Said freewheel is in the driving mode, so that the force is transferred to the shaft 11 as a torque in the direction 13 as well. By coupling the two outer rings 8, 8 of the freewheels, the pistons 5 and 5 in the first 7 and second cylinder 7 respectively are returned from P.sub.max to P.sub.min, wherein the freewheels are each in the freewheeling mode thereof for said motions in the direction 12.

[0074] The cylinders 7, 7 are mounted on the support device of the engine 15 by means of an attaching device 17. Gear teeth 19 in which a gear of the starter motor 18 engages are present on the outer side of the freewheel associated with the second cylinder on the side thereof facing toward the mount.

[0075] The support device of the engine 15 may be anchored to the foundation by means of fastening screws 16. Furthermore, bearings 20 for the shaft are present in the support device 15.

REFERENCE LIST

[0076] 1,1 Intake valve [0077] 2,2 Exhaust valve [0078] 3,3 Spark plug [0079] 4,4 Combustion chamber [0080] 5,5 Piston [0081] 6,6 Piston rod [0082] 7,7 Cylinder [0083] 8,8 Outer ring of freewheel, with gear teeth [0084] 9,9 Connecting bar between piston rod and outer ring of freewheel [0085] 10,10 Inner ring of freewheel [0086] 11 Shaft [0087] 12 Freewheeling direction of freewheel [0088] 13 Locking direction of freewheel [0089] 14 Connecting gear [0090] 15 Support device [0091] 16 Fastening screws [0092] 17 Cylinder mount [0093] 18 Starter motor [0094] 19 Gear teeth for starter motor [0095] 20 Bearing