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US 4,677,950 AGranted
Rotary cam fluid working apparatus
OwnerNorm Buskeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mechanical apparatus for compressing, expanding or otherwise working a fluid. The apparatus includes a rotor rotatably mounted in a housing. The rotor has an interior and rotor ports through which a working fluid flows into the rotor interior. Two or more cam structures are rotatably mounted within the rotor interior. A working volume is defined between interior surfaces of the rotor and adjacent cams. The cams are maintained in a desired orientation by a synchronizer. Apparatus according to the invention are useful as engines, compressors and in other fluid working applications.
Claims25
An apparatus for mechanically defining a variable displacement working volume, comprising:
- a housing having a least one passageway through which a working fluid can enter or leave an interior of said housing;
- a rotor mounted for rotation at least partially enclosed within said housing;
- said rotor having an interior with interior surfaces, and at least one port through which a working fluid can enter and leave the interior of said rotor;
- at least two cam structures mounted at least partially within the interior of the rotor and adapted for rotational motion relative to said rotor about axes of rotation of said cam structures;
- exterior surfaces of at least two of said cam structures serving with said interior surfaces of the rotor to variably define said working volume during at least portions of relative rotational motion of the cam structures with respect to the rotor;
- said exterior surfaces of the cam structures including major curvature surfaces;
- the major curvature surface of each cam structure being at least partially defined by an associated major radius which defines a circular arc when swung about the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure;
- the circular arc defined by each cam structure overlapping at least one circular arc defined by at least one adjacent cam structure;
- synchronizing means for maintaining said cam structures in approximately constant angular orientations with respect to the housing as the rotor is rotated with respect to said housing.
6 more elements
An apparatus for mechanically defining a variable displacement working volume, comprising:
- a housing having at least one intake passageway and at least one exhaust passageway extending between a housing interior and a housing exterior;
- a rotor mounted for rotation with respect to the housing about a rotor axis of rotation;
- said rotor having exterior surfaces and interior surfaces;
- said exterior and interior surfaces adjoining at at least one rotor port which allow a working fluid to pass from outside the rotor to a rotor interior substantially defined by said interior surfaces of the rotor;
- a plurality of cam structures mounted for rotation relative to said rotor about cam structure rotational axis;
- said cam structures being mounted at least partially within said rotor interior and being shaped to define a working volume between two adjacent cam structures and interior surfaces of said rotor during at least portions of rotational motion of the cam structures and rotor, to allow compression and expansion of the working volume as a result of rotation of the rotor;
- exterior surfaces of said cam structures each including a major curvature surface which is at least partially defined by an associated major radius of curvature centered upon the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure;
- each major radius of curvature being greater than one-half of a separation distance existing between the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure and adjacent axes of rotation of adjacent cam structures;
- and
- cam synchronizing means for maintaining said cam structures in approximately constant angular orientations with respect to the housing as the rotor is rotated relative to the housing.
7 more elements
An internal combustion engine comprising:
- a housing having housing walls which substantially enclose a housing interior;
- said housing further including at least one intake passageway and at least one exhaust passageway through which at least one working fluid passes to and from said housing interior;
- a rotor mounted within the housing interior for rotation about a rotor axis of rotation which extends longitudinally within said housing;
- said rotor having exterior surfaces which are substantially cylindrical about said rotor axis of rotation;
- said rotor further including interior surfaces having cylindrically concave interior surface portions extending longitudinally within said rotor to define a rotor interior;
- said rotor further having at least one rotor port communicating the rotor interior with the housing passageways to allow passage of a working fluid into and from said rotor interior;
- a plurality of cam structures mounted substantially within the rotor for rotation with respect thereto;
- said cam structures including cam surfaces which are convex;
- exterior surfaces of said cam structures each including a major curvature surface which is at least partially defined by an associated major radius of curvature centered upon the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure;
- each major radius of curvature being greater than one-half of a separation distance existing between the associated axis of rotation of the cam structure and adjacent axes of rotation of adjacent cam structures;
- and
- cam synchronizing means for maintaining said cam structures in approximately parallel relative angular orientations with respect to said housing as the rotor rotates and the cam structures revolve about each other.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.