Stratified-charge internal combustion engine with fuel injection and dual ignition

In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder with a side wall, a piston movably disposed in said cylinder for reciprocal motion along a central longitudinal axis of said cylinder and a cylinder head secured over said cylinder to form with said cylinder and piston a combustion chamber, at least one intake valve for allowing air to be admitted into said combustion chamber and at least one exhaust valve for allowing exhaust gases to exit said combustion chamber, the improvement characterized by:

• a fuel injector means for spraying an expanding fuel stream from a nozzle thereof into said combustion chamber from a peripheral section of said combustion chamber substantially spaced from said central axis of said cylinder toward said cylinder side wall at an approximately transverse direction with respect to said central longitudinal axis of said cylinder;
• said piston having a converse recess section with a variable width, said width being relatively narrow in proximity with said fuel injector means and becoming wider away from said fuel injector means, said concave recess having a variable depth, said depth being relatively shallow in proximity with said fuel injector means and becoming deeper at a point away from said fuel injector means;
• a first igniter mounted in said cylinder head in proximity to said nozzle of said fuel injector means;
• a second igniter mounted in said cylinder head downstream from said first igniter in said expanding fuel stream form said first igniter;
• said intake ports, valves, cylinder head and piston being constructed to provide and promote air tumble within said combustion chamber about and axis that is substantially transverse to the central longitudinal axis of said cylinder whereby the flow of air contacts said fuel stream near said first igniter for an initial ignition and then flows past said second igniter for further ignition.

In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder with a side wall, a piston movably disposed in said cylinder for reciprocal motion along a central longitudinal axis of said cylinder and a cylinder head secured over said cylinder to form with said cylinder and piston a combustion chamber with an upper wall, piston bottom wall and a side wall, intake valves for allowing air to be admitted into said combustion chamber and exhaust valves for allowing exhaust gases to exit said combustion chamber, the improvement characterized by:

• a fuel injector means for spraying an expanding fuel stream from a nozzle thereof into said combustion chamber from a side wall of said combustion chamber at an approximately transverse direction with respect to said central longitudinal axis of said cylinder;
• said piston having a converse recess being eccentrically positioned in said piston with respect to a central horizontal axis of said piston, said eccentrically positioned recess having a variable width, said width being relatively narrow in proximity with said fuel injector means and becoming wider away from said fuel injector means, said recess having a variable depth, said depth being relatively shallow in proximity with said fuel injector means and becoming deeper at a point away from said fuel injector means;
• said recess having a longitudinal axis aligned with said transverse direction of said expanding fuel stream;
• fuel igniter means for sequentially igniting said fuel sprayed into said combustion chamber at two different times with an initial ignition and a second ignition, such that said initial ignition occurs after said fuel injector means injects a first amount of fuel into said combustion chamber with said fuel injection means injecting additional fuel into said combustion chamber after said initial ignition occurs and said second ignition occurs after said additional fuel is sprayed into said combustion chamber.