Rotary engine

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6439868
  • Patent Number
    6,439,868
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 15, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 27, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Denion; Thomas
    • Trieu; Theresa
    Agents
    • Fattibene & Fattibene
    • Fattibene; Paul A.
    • Fattibene; Arthur T.
Abstract
A rotary engine having end plates attached to a rotor and moving therewith. A rotor has a plurality of blades reciprocally mounted therein and placed within a housing. A chamber is formed between the blades, the rotor, the end plates, and a cylindrical stator. The end plates move with the rotor, thereby improving sealing. The structure permits easy assembly and manufacture and substantially reduces sealing problems associated with rotary engines. The rotary engine may be applied to many applications where rotational motion is needed.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates in general to a rotary engine having a plurality of chambers, and more particularly to a rotary engine with improved sealing.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




There are many different types of rotary engines. Most rotary engines, however, have difficulty sealing, and therefore have a reduced efficiency. Many rotary engines have the rotor placed within a housing. The chamber is generally formed with a stationary end wall adjacent a rotor. One such rotary engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,298 entitled “Concentric Rotary Engine” issuing to Schulz on Mar. 29, 1977. Therein disclosed is a concentric rotary engine concentrically disposed within a hollow rotor housing. The rotor is in slidable, sealable and rotatable engagement with the inner surface of the rotor housing. Another rotary engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,704 entitled “Hinge Valve Rotary Engine With Separate Compression And Expansion Sections” issuing to Slaughter on Aug. 29, 1989. Therein disclosed is a rotary engine with respective smooth surfaced compression and expansion rotors mounted within chambers. The expansion rotor has opposite end faces, which, in cooperation with end face seals, seal against the partitions.




While these and other rotary engines have proven satisfactory for their intended use, there is a need for an improved rotary engine that provides better sealing and more efficient operation.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention comprises a rotary engine that has a substantial portion of a chamber that rotates with the rotor of the rotary engine. A rotor has movable blades contained therein that extend radially inward and outward. The rotor has fixed end walls or plates that rotate with the rotor. The rotor assembly is contained within a cylindrical housing that has a plurality of chamber dividers acting as cam surfaces for moving the movable blades. The chamber dividers have a sealing surface adjacent the rotor. The end plates rotate with the rotor providing improved sealing between the end plate and the chambers of the rotary engine.




Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary engine having improved efficiency.




It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotary engine that has improved sealing, especially between the rotor assembly and an end plate.




It is an advantage of the present invention that it is relatively easy to manufacture and assemble.




It is a further advantage of the present invention that it can maintain a high pressure with little seal leakage during extended use and operation.




It is a feature of the present invention that end plates are attached to the rotor and move with the rotor.




It is a further feature of the present invention that centrifugal force helps to seal the chamber between the movable blade and the housing.




These and other objects, advantages, and features will become readily apparent in view of the following more detailed description.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

schematically illustrates a front elevational view of the present invention.





FIG. 2

schematically illustrates a side elevational view of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a perspective view illustrating the rotor assembly of another embodiment.





FIG. 4

schematically illustrates a front elevational view of another embodiment.





FIG. 5

is a partial sectional view of a preferred sealing structure.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

schematically illustrates the rotary engine


10


of the present invention. The rotary engine


10


has a central shaft


12


with a rotor assembly enclosed in a housing


14


. Bearings


16


are placed between the shaft


12


and the housing


14


. Rotor


18


, which is placed within the housing


14


, is connected to the shaft


12


. Rotor


18


has a pair of end plates


20


attached thereto by rotor bolts


34


. A plurality of movable blades


22


extend between the rotor


18


and a stator


24


. The blades


22


are mounted within rotor


18


so as to move radially in and out. Formed within stator


24


are a plurality of exhaust ports


26


. At the point of contact between the end plates


20


and the stator


24


O-ring seals


28


are placed. Additionally, a sliding surface


30


may be inserted between the stator


24


and the end plates


20


contacting the O-rings


28


. The sliding surface


30


may be made of a friction free material, such as Teflon brand polymer. Bolts


32


connect the stator


24


to the housing


14


. A coupling


36


is attached to one end of shaft


24


. The coupling


36


may then be coupled to other rotary engines or a load. The end plates


20


, which are fixed to the rotor


18


and form a part of the rotor assembly, will rotate together with the rotor


18


. Accordingly, the seal between the blade


22


and the end plate


20


may be made relatively leak free and is less prone to wear, increasing the efficiency and longevity of the rotary engine


10


.





FIG. 2

schematically illustrates the interior of the rotary engine


10


. Chambers


38


are formed between blades


22


and the chamber dividers


42


. Chamber dividers


42


have a seal


44


adjacent the surface of rotor


18


. Blades


22


form a seal against the cylindrical surface of stator


24


attached to housing


14


. Springs


46


force the blade


22


radially outward and are advantageous when the rotor


18


is turning at relatively low speed or revolutions. At higher revolutions, the centrifugal force will exert additional pressure radially outward, creating a better seal. The blades


28


reciprocate within blade channels


48


. An inlet valve


40


provides pressurized gas into chamber


38


, causing the rotor


18


to move in the direction of arrow


50


. Accordingly, the exhaust gases are outlet through exhaust ports


26


as the rotor


18


rotates. A suitable valve or timing system may be utilized to time the injection of pressurized gas into the chamber


38


so as to prevent the pressurized gas entering through inlet port


40


from escaping when the chamber


38


also communicates or is open to the exhaust ports


26


.





FIG. 3

more clearly illustrates another embodiment of a rotor assembly


111


. The rotor assembly


111


comprises a rotor


118


having end plates


120


attached to the ends of rotor


118


. Seals


128


extend around the peripheral edge of the end plates


120


. A plurality of blades


122


are radially movably mounted on the rotor


118


and the end plates


120


. There may be any number of blades


122


. The blades


122


and the end plates


120


form a chamber


138


. The top surface of chamber


138


is bounded by the surface of a stator, not illustrated. Accordingly, the chamber


138


, defined by the blades


122


and the end plates


120


, moves with the rotor


118


. Rotor


118


may move in the direction of arrow


150


. Since the chamber


138


moves with the rotor


118


, the seal between the blades


122


and the fixed end plates


120


may be made substantially less prone to leakage or wear. This improves the sealing efficiency and longevity of a rotary engine.





FIG. 4

schematically illustrates another embodiment of a rotor assembly


211


of the present invention. In this embodiment, blade


222


is positioned diagonally or transverse to the longitudinal axis of rotor


218


. Affixed to rotor


218


are two end plates


220


. The end plates


220


have a seal


228


therein.





FIG. 5

schematically illustrates an embodiment of preferred sealing. End plate


320


has a groove or channel


321


therein. Placed within channel


321


is O-ring


328


. The O-ring


328


may be made of a soft elastic or plastic material, such as silicone. Adjacent the O-ring


328


is a sliding surface


330


. Sliding surface


330


may be made of a tough polymer, such as tetrafluoroethylene sold under the trademark Teflon. The sliding surface


330


contacts stator


324


. This sealing structure is very effective in sealing between the end plate


320


attached to the rotor and the stator


324


. The sliding surface


330


and O-ring


328


are retained within channel


321


. Additionally, the sliding surface


330


provides a smooth surface for the O-ring


328


. The O-ring


328


will remain stationary. This reduces friction and provides good long lasting sealing.




Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved rotary engine that has increased efficiencies and longevity. A portion of the sealing difficulties in rotary engines is eliminated because a substantial portion of the surfaces forming the chamber of the rotary engine move with the rotor. This eliminates much of the wearing and leaking of seals used in a rotary engine. Therefore, the rotary engine of the present invention operates smoothly and efficiently. Additionally, the structure of the rotary engine of the present invention is relatively easily manufactured and assembled. The present invention may be used in any application where a rotary power source is required.




While the present invention has been described with respect to several embodiments, the usefulness of the present invention may be applied to different arts. Additionally, although the preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.



Claims
  • 1. A rotary engine comprising:a housing; a cylindrical rotor placed within said housing; a pair of end plates attached to said cylindrical rotor; a plurality of movable blades held by said cylindrical rotor and moving therewith; a cylindrical stator attached to said housing and containing said cylindrical rotor and plurality of blades; a channel formed in each of said pair of end plates; an O-ring placed in each of said channels; and a sliding surface placed adjacent each of said O-rings, whereby said pair of end plates move with said rotor and a seal is formed between each of said pair of end plates and said cylindrical stator.
  • 2. A rotary engine as in claim 1 further comprising:a plurality of chamber dividers attached to said cylindrical stator and contacting said cylindrical rotor.
  • 3. A rotary engine as in claim 1 further comprising:an exhaust port on one side of each of said plurality of chamber dividers; and an inlet port on another side of each of said plurality of chamber dividers.
  • 4. A rotary engine as in claim 1 wherein:said sliding surface comprises tetrafluoroethylene.
  • 5. A rotary engine as in claim 1 wherein:said cylindrical rotor has an axis of rotation, and each of said plurality of movable blades has a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical rotor.
  • 6. A rotary engine comprising:a housing; a cylindrical rotor placed within said housing; a pair of end plates attached to said cylindrical rotor; a plurality of movable blades held by said cylindrical rotor and moving therewith; a cylindrical stator attached to said housing and containing said cylindrical rotor and plurality of blades, whereby said pair of end plates move with said rotor, and wherein said cylindrical stator has an axis of rotation, and each of said plurality of movable blades has a longitudinal axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical stator.
  • 7. A rotary engine comprising:a housing; a shaft extending though said housing; a cylindrical rotor placed within said housing and rotating with said shaft; a pair of end plates attached to said cylindrical rotor, said shaft extending though said end plates; a plurality of blades held by said cylindrical rotor, each of said plurality of blades adapted to move radially within said cylindrical rotor; a cylindrical stator attached to said housing and containing said cylindrical rotor and plurality of blades; and a plurality of stationary chamber dividers extending radially from said cylindrical stator and contacting said cylindrical rotor, whereby a chamber is formed between each of said plurality of blades, each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers, said cylindrical rotor, said cylindrical stator, and said pair of end plates, a channel formed in each of said pair of end plates; an O-ring placed in each of said channels; and a sliding surface placed adjacent each of said O-rings, whereby a seal is formed between each of said pair of end plates and said cylindrical stator and a substantial portion of elements forming the chamber move with the rotor.
  • 8. A rotary engine as in claim 7 further comprising:an exhaust port on one side of each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers; and an inlet port on another side of each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers.
  • 9. A rotary engine as in claim 7 further comprising:a seal placed between each of said pair of end plates and said cylindrical stator.
  • 10. A rotary engine as in claim 7 wherein:said sliding surface comprises tetrafluoroethylene.
  • 11. A rotary engine as in claim 7 wherein:said cylindrical rotor has an axis of rotation, and each of said plurality of movable blades has a longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical rotor.
  • 12. A rotary engine comprising:a housing; a shaft extending though said housing; a cylindrical rotor placed within said housing and rotating with said shaft; a pair of end plates attached to said cylindrical rotor, said shaft extending though said end plates; a plurality of blades held by said cylindrical rotor, each of said plurality of blades adapted to move radially within said cylindrical rotor; a cylindrical stator attached to said housing and containing said cylindrical rotor and plurality of blades; and a plurality of stationary chamber dividers extending radially from said cylindrical stator and contacting said cylindrical rotor, whereby a chamber is formed between each of said plurality of blades, each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers, said cylindrical rotor, said cylindrical stator, and said pair of end plates, wherein said cylindrical rotor has an axis of rotation, and each of said plurality of movable blades has a longitudinal axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical rotor, whereby a substantial portion of elements forming the chamber move with the rotor.
  • 13. A rotary engine as in claim 12 further comprising:a spring placed between each of said plurality of blades and said cylindrical rotor, whereby each said plurality of blades is biased radially outward toward said cylindrical stator.
  • 14. A rotary engine comprising:a housing; a shaft extending though said housing; shaft bearings supporting said shaft; a cylindrical rotor placed within said housing and rotating with said shaft, said cylindrical rotor having a plurality of radial blade channels; a pair of end plates attached to said rotor, said shaft extending though said end plates, each of said end plates having a circumferential groove; a plurality of blades, one each of said plurality of blades held within one each of said plurality of blade channels formed within said cylindrical rotor, each of said plurality of blades adapted to move radially within said rotor; a plurality of springs, one of said plurality of springs placed within one of said plurality of radial blade channels, whereby said plurality of blades are biased outward; a cylindrical stator attached to said housing and containing said rotor and plurality of blades; an O-ring placed within the circumferential groove of each of said pair of end plates; a sliding surface placed adjacent said O-ring and said cylindrical stator, whereby said O-ring slides on said sliding surface and said sliding surface is retained within the circumferential groove; and a plurality of stationary chamber dividers extending radially from said cylindrical stator having a surface adjacent said cylindrical rotor, whereby a chamber is formed between each of said plurality of blades and each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers; a seal placed within each of said plurality of stationary chambers dividers contacting said cylindrical stator; an exhaust port formed within a portion of each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers on one side of said seal; and an inlet port formed adjacent each of said plurality of stationary chamber dividers on the other side of said seal, whereby a substantial portion of a chamber of the rotary engine rotates with said rotor.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
3626265 Emmasingel Dec 1971 A
3627456 Gerlach Dec 1971 A
3672797 Gerlach et al. Jun 1972 A
4014298 Schulz Mar 1977 A
4448161 Tseng May 1984 A
4507067 Hansen Mar 1985 A
4620514 Tseng Nov 1986 A
4860704 Slaughter Aug 1989 A
5247916 Riney Sep 1993 A
6071106 Martensen et al. Jun 2000 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number Date Country
4221199 Feb 1993 DE
2591286 Jun 1987 FR