Internal combustion engine with combustion pre-chamber

An internal combustion engine comprising:

• a cylinder block defining a cylinder;
• a cylinder head connected to the cylinder block, the cylinder head defining a seat;
• a piston disposed in the cylinder;
• a crankshaft operatively connected to the piston,
• the piston, cylinder and cylinder head defining a variable volume combustion chamber therebetween;
• an air intake passage fluidly connected to the combustion chamber;
• an exhaust passage fluidly connected to the combustion chamber;
• a fuel injector fluidly connected to the combustion chamber for supplying fuel to the combustion chamber;
• a combustion pre-chamber housing connected to the cylinder head and extending in part into the combustion chamber,
• the combustion pre-chamber housing having:
• a tapering portion;
• and
• a tip connected to the tapering portion,
• the tapering portion abutting the seat of the cylinder head, the tapering portion tapering toward the tip,
• the seat of the cylinder head and the tapering portion of the combustion pre-chamber housing having corresponding shapes,
• the combustion pre-chamber housing defining:
• a combustion pre-chamber;
• and
• at least one orifice fluidly communicating the combustion pre-chamber with the combustion chamber,
• fuel from the fuel injector being supplied outside of the combustion pre-chamber;
• a spring biasing the tapering portion of the combustion pre-chamber housing against the seat of the cylinder head for sealing an interface between the tapering portion and the seat;
• and
• a spark plug connected to the combustion pre-chamber housing;
• during operation of the engine:
• the air intake passage supplying air into the combustion chamber and the fuel injector supplying fuel into the combustion chamber to form an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber;
• part of the air-fuel mixture flowing from the combustion chamber to the combustion pre-chamber via the at least one orifice;
• the spark plug igniting the part of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion pre-chamber;
• and
• the ignited air-fuel mixture flowing from the combustion pre-chamber to the combustion chamber via the at least one orifice to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.