Reciprocating-piston assembly, internal combustion engine, and related methods
AssigneeTranscend Energy Group, LLC
InventorJon Woodward
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A piston assembly includes a piston head for reciprocating back and forth within a cylinder of an engine, an upper rod coupled to the piston head at one longitudinal end of the upper rod and fixed relative to the piston head, and a lower rod rotatably coupled to an opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod, the lower rod configured to pivot about the opposite longitudinal end of the upper rod. The lower rod is configured to couple to a crankshaft at a longitudinal end of the lower rod opposite the upper rod. Methods of forming a piston assembly and engines incorporating such piston assemblies are also disclosed.
Claims18
A piston assembly, comprising:
- a piston head for reciprocating within a cylinder, the piston head including a piston skirt;
- a connecting rod coupled to the piston head at a first longitudinal end of the connecting rod;
- and
- one or more supports extending between the connecting rod and an interior portion of the piston skirt;
- wherein the one or more supports comprise a strut slidably coupled to a shoe.
An engine comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston head positioned within the cylinder and configured to reciprocate within the cylinder, the piston head including a piston skirt;
- a connecting rod coupled to the piston head at a first longitudinal end of the connecting rod;
- and
- at least two supports extending between the connecting rod and an interior portion of the piston skirt on opposite sides of the connecting rod, the at least two supports slidably coupled to a shoe at the piston skirt.
A method of moving a piston in a cylinder, the method comprising:
- applying an upward force to a central portion of a piston through a connecting rod, the upward force including a first lateral force and a first vertical force;
- generating a first moment on the piston through the first lateral force;
- transferring a strut force from a strut extending from the connecting rod to a piston skirt, the strut force including a second lateral force and a second vertical force, the second lateral force being directed in a direction opposite the first lateral force, wherein transferring the strut force from the strut to the piston skirt comprises, transferring the strut force to the piston skirt through slidable contact between the strut and a shoe coupled to the piston skirt;
- and
- generating a second moment on the piston through the second lateral force, the second moment having a magnitude substantially similar to a magnitude of the first moment and a direction opposite the first moment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.