Reciprocating-piston assembly, internal combustion engine, and related methods
AssigneeTranscend Energy Group, LLC
InventorJon Woodward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims19
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
- at least two supports extending between the connecting rod and an interior portion of the piston skirt, the at least two supports slidably coupled to the interior portion of the piston skirt on opposing sides of the connecting rod.
An engine comprising:
- a cylinder;
- a piston head positioned 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, the at least two supports positioned on opposing lateral sides of the connecting rod and configured to transmit lateral forces between the connecting rod and the interior portion of 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 support force from a first support extending from the connecting rod to a piston skirt, the support 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 support force from the first support to the piston skirt comprises, transferring the support force to the piston skirt through slidable contact between the first support and an interior portion of the piston skirt;
- 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;
- applying a downward force to the connecting rod through the piston, the downward force including a third lateral force and a third vertical force;
- generating a third moment on the piston through the third lateral force;
- transferring a second support force from a second support extending, in an opposite direction from the first support, from the connecting rod to the piston skirt, the second support force including a fourth lateral force and a fourth vertical force, the fourth lateral force being directed in a direction opposite the third lateral force, wherein transferring the second support force from the second support to the piston skirt comprises, transferring the second support force to the piston skirt through slidable contact between the second support and the interior portion of the piston skirt;
- and
- generating a fourth moment on the piston through the fourth lateral force, the fourth moment having a magnitude substantially similar to a magnitude of the third moment and a direction opposite the third moment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.