Reed valves for internal combustion engines
AssigneePerformance Industries, Inc.
InventorGregory S. Rarick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an improved single stage or multiple stage reed valve for use in an air intake of an internal combustion engine. The multiple stage reed valve of the preferred embodiment includes a relatively stiff first stage reed member having ports therein, a relatively flexible second stage reed member comprising multiple reed petals to control flow through the ports in the first stage reed, and means to join each reed petals to an adjacent reed petal to cause the reed petals to move substantially in unison with one another. The present invention provides a reed valve with increased life and which is resistant to material fatigue even under conditions of uneven flow through the air intake.
Claims31
In an internal combustion engine having an air intake means, fluid flow through the air intake being controlled by flexible multiple stage reed valves, the improvement which comprises:
- said multiple stage reed valves including a first stage reed member and multiple second stage reed petals;
- said first stage reed member covering a valve seat within said air intake means and being sufficiently flexible to open the valve seat under the influence of decrease in pressure in the engine incident to high speed engine operation but being sufficiently rigid to open minimally under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to low speed engine operation, said first stage reed member having therein multiple ports to permit fluid flow therethrough;
- each said second stage reed petal being adapted to cover one of the ports in the first stage reed member and to restrict fluid flow through the reed valves during periods of no fluid intake into the engine, said second stage reed petals being sufficiently flexible to uncover the ports in the first stage reed member under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to engine operation at high and low engine speeds;
- each said second stage reed petal being joined to an adjacent reed petal so to cause each reed petal to move substantially simultaneously with its adjacent reed petals.
In a multiple stage reed valve for controlling air intake into an internal combustion engine, each stage having a different degree of flexibility, and including a first stage reed member of greatest stiffness and having therein multiple ports and a second stage reed member of lesser stiffness and having multiple reed petals, each reed petal corresponding to one of the multiple ports in the first stage reed so to cover completely each such port and to restrict air flow through the reed valves during periods of no air intake into the engine, the improvement which comprises:
- said second stage reed member having a base joining each of the reed petals at one end, said second stage reed member being anchored to said engine by means attaching to said base, and
- means to join a reed petal to an adjacent reed petal at a point spaced from said base to cause the joined reed petals to move substantially in unison.
In an internal combustion engine having an air intake, the air flow through which is controlled by a reed valve, the improved reed valve which comprises:
- multiple segmented reed petals, collectively controlling flow through a reed cage positioned within the air intake so that flow through the air intake occurs only upon a sufficient decrease in pressure within the engine;
- and
- means to join the reed petals so that the petals move substantially in unison with one another while maintaining separation of the petals from one another at least in part.
In an internal combustion engine having an air intake means, fluid flow through the air intake being controlled by flexible multiple stage reed valves, the improvement which comprises:
- said multiple stage reed valves including a first stage reed member and a second stage reed member;
- said first stage reed member having multiple first stage reed petals, each covering a valve seat within said air intake means and being sufficiently flexible to open the valve seat under the influence of decrease in pressure in the engine incident to high speed engine operation but being sufficiently rigid to open minimally under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to low speed engine operation, and each said first stage reed petal having therein a port to permit fluid flow therethrough;
- said second stage reed member being adapted to cover the ports of each of the first stage reed petals and to restrict fluid flow through the reed valves during periods of no fluid intake into the engine, said second stage reed member being sufficiently flexible to uncover the openings in the first stage reed member under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to engine operation at high and low engine speeds;
- each said first stage reed petal including means to join each petal to an adjacent reed petal so to cause each reed petal to move substantially simultaneously with its adjacent reed petals;
- said second stage valve member including multiple segmented reed petals and means to join each petal to an adjacent reed petal so to cause each reed petal to move substantially simultaneously with its adjacent reed petals, each said second stage reed petal adapted to cover a port in said first stage reed petal.
In an internal combustion engine having an air intake means, fluid flow through the air intake being controlled by flexible multiple stage reed valves, the improvement which comprises:
- said multiple stage reed valves including a first stage reed member and a second stage reed member;
- said first stage reed member having multiple first stage reed petals, each covering a valve seat within said air intake means and being sufficiently flexible to open the valve seat under the influence of decrease in pressure in the engine incident to high speed engine operation but being sufficiently rigid to open minimally under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to low speed engine operation, and each said first stage reed petal having therein a port to permit fluid flow therethrough;
- said second stage reed member being adapted to cover the ports of each of the first stage reed petals and to restrict fluid flow through the reed valves during periods of no fluid intake into the engine, said second stage reed member being sufficiently flexible to uncover the openings in the first stage reed member under the influence of decrease in pressure in the intake chamber incident to engine operation at high and low engine speeds;
- said first stage reed member including means to join a first stage reed petal to an adjacent reed petal so to cause each joined reed petal to move substantially simultaneously with its adjacent reed petal while maintaining separation of the petals from one another at least in part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.