US 4,463,718 A · Lubricant metering system for rotary internal combustion engine

Abstract

The lubricant metering system for a rotary internal combustion engine has a lubricant metering device connected to the engine to communicate with the working chambers of the engine during the compression phase of operation thereof and is in communication with a source of lubricant to receive lubricant to be metered from the latter in a lubricant reservoir. The lubricant metering device is also connected to deliver metered lubricant from the lubricant reservoir to a place of use in the engine. A differential pressure sensing means is provided in the lubricant metering device to sense the differential gaseous fluid pressure in the working chamber and the lubricant pressure in the lubricant reservoir and to displace lubricant from the lubricant reservoir in response to engine speed and load demand.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a rotary internal combustion engine having a housing forming a housing cavity within which a rotor is eccentrically supported for planetary rotation and defining with the housing a plurality of working chambers which successively expand and contract in volumetric size as the rotor planetates within said housing cavity so that each working chamber goes through a compression phase of operation where gaseous fluid therein is compressed and is, therefore, at a relatively high pressure, an improved lubricant metering system comprising:

(a) a source of lubricant under pressure;
(b) a metering device having a lubricant reservoir therein connected to said source of lubricant to receive lubricant from such source and connected to pass lubricant from said lubricant reservoir to a place of use;
(c) said metering device having a pressure differential sensing element movable to vary the volumetric size of the lubricant reservoir and subject to fluid pressure in the working chambers and the lubricant reservoir and responsive to the differential fluid pressure between the fluid pressure in the working chamber and the fluid pressure in the lubricant reservoir so that during the compression phase of operation of the working chamber the pressure differential sensing element is moved to displace the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and cause the displaced lubricant to flow to said place of use in accordance with engine speed, and
(d) stop means coacting with the pressure differential sensing element to vary the amount of lubricant passed from the lubricant reservoir in accordance with engine load.

1 more element

In a rotary internal combustion engine having a housing forming a housing cavity within which a rotor is supported for planetary rotation and defining with the housing cavity a plurality of working chambers which successively expand and contract in volumetric size as the rotor planetates within said housing cavity so that each working chamber goes through a compression phase of operation where gaseous fluid therein is compressed and is, therefore, at a relatively high pressure, an improved lubricant metering system comprising

(a) a metering device mounted on said housing;
(b) said metering device comprising
(b-1) a cylinder forming a bore;
(b-2) a piston disposed for reciprocative movement in said cylinder bore and defining on one side of said piston with the cylinder bore a lubricant reservoir;
(b-3) inlet means communicating with a source of lubricant and with said lubricant reservoir to pass lubricant from the former to the latter;
(b-4) outlet means communicating at one end with said lubricant reservoir and at the opposite end with the housing cavity to pass lubricant to the latter;
(b-5) check valve means in said inlet and outlet means to insure lubricant flow in only one direction through said inlet and outlet means;
(b-6) a passageway means communicating said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston from the lubricant reservoir with the working chamber when the latter is in the compression phase of operation and thereby force the piston to move against the pressure of the lubricant in said lubricant reservoir and to force lubricant through said outlet means;
and
(b-7) stop means coacting with said piston to control the extent of movement of the piston in response to engine load.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Lubricant metering system for rotary internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Lubricant metering system for rotary internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11