US 12,241,390 B2 · Actuation system for an internal combustion engine · patentgrep

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Abstract

An internal combustion engine includes a camshaft operably adjusted by a phaser. Another aspect includes an internal combustion engine having an actuation system for an air valve. A further aspect provides a camshaft-in-camshaft system with a cam phaser located adjacent opposite ends. In another aspect, an internal combustion engine apparatus includes multiple nested camshafts with one of the camshafts having a cam configured to actuate an air intake valve associated with a turbulent jet ignition prechamber, and another of the camshafts having a cam configured to actuate an air valve of a main piston combustion chamber, the nested camshafts being independently rotatable by separate electromagnetic actuators.

Claims35

Dependent claims

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to a phased one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
a third camshaft laterally offset from the first camshaft and the second camshaft;
an air exhaust valve associated with the primary piston combustion chamber being opened or closed by rotation of the third camshaft, one of the first camshaft and the second camshaft opening or closing the main valve assembly air valve which is an air inlet valve associated with the primary piston combustion chamber;
and
the prechamber valve assembly being laterally located between the first camshaft and the third camshaft.

13 more elements

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to a phased one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
a rocker arm having a first end contacting against the prechamber valve assembly and having a surface moved by periodic contact with a lobe which rotates with the one of the camshafts;
and
a rotational axis of the first camshaft and the second camshaft being laterally offset from a longitudinal centerline of the prechamber valve assembly.

12 more elements

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to a phased one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
and
an elongated rod having a first end causing opening or closing of the prechamber valve assembly and having a surface moved by periodic contact with a lobe which rotates with the one of the camshafts.

11 more elements

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to a phased one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
a first valve timing wheel coupled to the one of the camshafts;
a second valve timing wheel coupled to the another of the camshafts;
cam lobes spaced between the first valve timing wheel and the second valve timing wheel;
position or rotation sensors operably sensing a position or rotation of the timing wheels;
and
the prechamber valve assembly being laterally offset from and longitudinally between the first timing wheel and the second timing wheel and the sensors.

15 more elements

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to a phased one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
wherein the prechamber valve assembly is a dual-nozzle air-fuel injector comprising both of the prechamber air valve and the prechamber fuel valve therein configured to emit mixed fresh air and fuel into the prechamber cavity;
and
a rotational axis of the first camshaft and the second camshaft being laterally offset from a longitudinal centerline of the prechamber valve assembly.

12 more elements

An internal combustion engine comprising:

a first camshaft;
a second camshaft comprising a hollow end concentrically surrounding a section of the first camshaft;
a phaser coupled to one of the camshafts;
a primary piston combustion chamber;
an internal combustion prechamber comprising a prechamber cavity therein with at least one opening configured to allow prechamber combustion to move from the prechamber cavity to the primary piston combustion chamber;
a prechamber valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a prechamber air valve, a prechamber fuel valve or a prechamber mixed air/fuel valve, the prechamber valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the internal combustion prechamber;
a main valve assembly comprising at least one of:
a main valve assembly air valve, a main valve assembly fuel valve or a main valve assembly mixed air/fuel valve, the main valve assembly having an outlet thereof located in the primary piston combustion chamber;
a rotational axis of the first camshaft and the second camshaft being laterally offset from a longitudinal centerline of the prechamber valve assembly;
the phaser being configured to move the phased one of the camshafts differently than another of the camshafts;
the phased one of the camshafts actuated by the phaser operably actuating the prechamber valve assembly;
and
the another of the camshafts operably actuating the main valve assembly;
wherein the prechamber valve assembly is the prechamber air valve which is configured to emit fresh air into the internal combustion prechamber, and the prechamber fuel valve is spaced apart from the prechamber air valve with a fuel outlet of the prechamber fuel valve located in the prechamber cavity.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/420,997Filed 24 Jan 2024 · continuation
Priority: 30 Jul 2021
Published: US 2024/0209759 A127 Jun 2024
Granted: 4 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

Family

Application63/227,503Us provisional application · filed 30 Jul 2021
PCT/US2022/038767Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jul 2022
US 2024/0209759 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Jun 2024
US 12,241,390 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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