Internal combustion engine

An internal combustion engine comprising a casing and a piston arrangement including a piston coupled to a track;

• wherein the track is coupled to a shaft and has an inner cam surface and an outer cam surface, and the piston is coupled to the track by followers which run on the respective inner and outer cam surfaces of the track to control motion of the piston;
• wherein a sliding element is connected to the piston, the sliding element extending below the piston head and comprising a profiled slider surface which engages a corresponding profile in the casing, and the followers are mounted on the sliding element.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element is rigidly attached to the piston by one or more fasteners, or wherein the sliding element is integrally formed with the piston.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element is arranged to have a running clearance with the track.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the followers comprise one or more plain bearings or roller bearings.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element comprising two limbs each extending below the piston so as to straddle the track, wherein the profiled slider surface is provided on each limb, and each profiled slider surface engages a respective profile in the casing.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the followers are arranged such that at least one follower which runs on the outer cam surface of the track is located between the two limbs of the sliding element.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 5, wherein the followers are arranged such that each of the two limbs of the sliding element has at least one follower which runs on the inner cam surface of the track.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 7, further comprising a pair of timing wheels coupled to the shaft one on either side of the track, each timing wheel having an inner cam surface substantially matching the inner cam surface of the track, and wherein each limb of the sliding element has at least one follower which runs on the inner cam surface of the respective timing wheels.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the profiled slider surface is arranged to be lubricated such that the profiled slider surface contacts the casing profile via a layer of lubricant.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 9, wherein the profiled slider surface comprises an oil pick-up aperture adapted to receive oil from an elongate slot in the casing profile.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 10, wherein the elongate slot in the casing profile does not extend up to an end of the casing profile furthest from the piston.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer cam surfaces of the track are arranged to be lubricated such that the followers contact the cam surfaces via a layer of lubricant.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the followers each include a roller mounted on plane bearing shaft fixed to the sliding element, wherein the plane bearing shaft includes an oil-pick up aperture adapted to receive oil from the sliding element.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the track is a radial track with the inner and outer cam surfaces arranged as inner radial and outer radial surfaces with respect to an axis of rotation of the track.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the piston arrangements comprising a plurality of the pistons coupled to one or more of the tracks.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 15, wherein two pistons are coupled to one of the tracks, the pistons being coupled to opposite sides of the track.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 8 further comprising a plurality of the piston arrangements comprising a plurality of the pistons coupled to one or more of the tracks, wherein each track is accompanied by a pair of the timing wheels.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises at least two plates having a cutout for receiving the track and a bore for receiving the shaft, and at least two end plates coupled transverse to the plates;

• wherein at least one cylinder bore is formed in the end plates, and the piston is arranged to move in reciprocating motion in the cylinder bore.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the plates are attached together by a plurality of fasteners.

An internal combustion engine comprising a piston arrangement including a piston coupled to a track;

• wherein the track is coupled to a shaft and has a cam surface, and the piston has a follower which runs on the cam surface of the track to control motion of the piston;
• the engine further comprising a casing, wherein the casing comprises at least two plates having a cutout for receiving the track and a bore for receiving the shaft, and at least two end plates coupled transverse to the plates;
• wherein at least one cylinder bore is formed in the end plates, and the piston is arranged to move in reciprocating motion in the cylinder bore.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 20, wherein the plates are attached together by a plurality of fasteners.

An internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes a plurality of plates, the plates having cut-outs shaped to correspond to the profiled slider surface.