Patent Application
20090302252
The traditional poppet valves fitted to the ports of the internal combustion engine are reliable and durable, capable of withstanding the pressurized compression of the chamber and the subsequent explosion of the air fuel mixture. However, they are not amenable to adjusting or metering the flow with the reciprocating motion that is tied to the fixed cam or pushrod profile. Whereas the iris shutter can be amenable to adjusting or metering the flow, it does not withstand the explosion of the combustion chamber. Thus by combining these two, the best feature of each can be made contributory to producing the ideal intake and exhaust valve design.
The invention consists of an enclosed apparatus housing an iris shutter assembly with the linkage devices to allow easy external control to vary and adjust the flow into or out of the intake or exhaust port of the combustion chamber fitted with the conventional poppet valves.
The apparatus or device to be described is connected via an entry portal opening 22 and an exit portal opening 22 for the ingress and egress of gaseous mixture through the said device assembly, such as between the fuel injector port upstream and the poppet valve leading to the combustion chamber downstream, or is connected between the exhaust poppet valve upstream and the exhaust pipe downstream (not shown). The said device can be reversed in its polarity for placement in the said locations with identical function.
The combustible gaseous mixture (or the exhaust gas) will flow through the center portal opening 22 of a round cylindrical housing assembly 1 composed of three fixed separate round cylindrical casings 1, 4 & 6 interposed with optional ring gaskets (not shown): a first or front cylindrical casing 1 with the said center ‘entry’ portal opening 22 within the entry conduit 10, a second or middle cylindrical body 4 (also a casing) with a lead-out conduit 17 carrying the center ‘exit’ portal opening 22 and a third or rear cylindrical casing 6 with a slightly larger center opening to accomodate the presence of the said ‘exit’ portal conduit 17 of the said middle casing 4. These are attached to each other by screws or bolts 8 driven into drilled holes 19 of these adjacent casings 1, 4 & 6 with the said optional interposed gaskets (not shown)in between. The said entry conduit 10 of the said first (or front) casing 1 on the one end of the said device is connectable to the external duct from the outside components (not shown). The said exit portal conduit 17 of the said second (or middle) casing 4 will exit through the said center opening on the third (or rear) casing 6 containing the said optional interposed gasket (not shown). The said center exit portal conduit 17 on this end is connectible to the external duct from the outside components (not shown). An iris shutter system 2 and the corresponding gaskets with the actuating mechanisms are contained inside this housing assembly 1 & 4.
The primary surface 12 of one end of each of the element 26 of the pleurality of curved blades is fitted with a pinion 11, or with a screw countersunk through the reverse side 12′ near the said end of the said blade 26 such that the reverse surface 12′ of the said end is necessarily flat or flushed, thus allowing the said individual blades 2 to overlap each other with the respective adjacent blades without obstruction. The curvature of the said blade will conform to the interior dimension of the cylindrical shape of the said casing 1. The said blade 26 is pivoted by the said pinion 11 along the periphery on the interior side 23 of the said first (or front) casing 1 within the first (or front) chamber when laid and anchored into the drilled holes 9 created along the periphery such that each said element 26 of the said blades 2 is overlapped by the preceding element, and the said element itself overlapping the next succeeding element in a recursive pattern when the entire set of blades are assembled in a clockwise manner 2. The reverse side 12′ of the said blade element 26 will face the surface of a rotary hollow-center disc 3 (an annular or donut shaped disc) with the size and shape conforming to the interior of the said cylindrical casing 1 and with radially cut grooves 13 that will guide a second small pinion 11′ or countersunk screw created to protrude on this said reverse surface 12′ near the said opposite end of the said blade element 26. The said primary surface 12 which is now on the reverse side of this said protrusion 11′ is necessarily flat or flushed, thus allowing for the overlapping of its adjacent blade with no obstruction. The said second pinion 11′ or screw protrusion of the said blades 2 will glide within the said grooves 13 such that the rotation of the said grooved rotary annular disc 3 will move the said blades 2 centripetally or centrifugally as illustrated by the accompanying figures, thus varying the orifice size.
The said radially grooved annular disc 3 has a pinion or stent 15 fitted on the reverse surface such that the said pinion or stent 15 will exit the said first (or front) chamber via an arcuate slot 14 created along the periphery of the said second (or middle) casing 4. The said protruding pinion or stent 15 is attached by a screw or rivet 24 onto the frontal or primary surface of a second rotary annular disc 3 with the size and shape conforming to the interior of the said third or rear casing 6, such that the said rotary annular disc 5 can revolve freely around the said center exit portal conduit 17 of the said second (or middle) casing 4, together with the said grooved annular disc 3 inside the said frontal chamber due to the coupling of the said pinion or stent 15 to the screw or rivet 24. The said pinion or stent 15 is countersunk into an indentation created on the said second rotary annular disc 5 resulting in a secured mounting of the said pinion or stent 15. The said radially grooved rotary annular disc 3 in the first (or front) chamber and the said second rotary annular disc 5 in the second (or rear) chamber connected in series by the said pinion or stent 15, with the screw or rivet 24 within the said arcuate slot 14 will function as the gaskets to seal off any gas (combustible air-fuel mixture or exhaust) from escaping.
A second connecting pinion or stent 16 on the reverse surface of the said second rotary annular disc 5 is created and is positioned at a diametrically opposed location of the said first pinion or stent 15 on the said primary surface. The said second actuating pinion or stent 16 is attached by a screw or rivet 25 countersunk on the said second rotary annular disc 5 resulting in a flat or flushed mounting. The said second actuating pinion or stent 16 will exit via a separate arcuate slot 18 created along the said third (or rear) casing 6 at the diametrically opposed position to the said arcuate slot 14 of the said second (or middle) casing 4. The said second pinion or stent 16 is attached to an outside cog-tooth arc 7 (or an arcuate gear) with the size and shape conforming to the said third (or rear) casing 6 by a squared off end of the said pinion or stent 16 inserted into a square hole and indentation 20 created on the said toothed arc 7. An optional attachment screw or cap 21 placed into the indentation 20 is used to anchor the said pinion or stent 16 securely onto the toothed arc 7. The said arc 7 will revolve around the said centrally positioned duct 17 when acted upon by an external cog gear, spiral gear, toothed lever, chain or belt (not shown) onto the gear tooth 27.
Therefore by motion linkages from any external device mechanism fitted with chain, belt or gear drive, the said serially connected discs and arc can be made to revolve and rotate within the said housing assembly 1, 4 & 6. The movement of this said arc 7 will rotate the said second rotary annular disc 5, which will rotate the said first grooved rotary annular disc 3 resulting in the said blades or leaflets 2 moving centripetally or centrifugally, thus adjusting the orifice size of the said iris shutter inside the device.
The said second rotary annular disc 5 in the said second (or rear) chamber and the said arc 7 outside of the said third (or rear) housing cover 6 will function as gaskets to seal off any gaseous medium from escaping. In addition, optional gasket rings between the casings and optional gas sealant type medium can be added to the rear chamber to further seal off gas escaping or blow-by.
The iris shutter system with the overlapping blades and its principle of operation are well known in photography for decades to control the amount of light passing through the lenses. Its use for controlling the flow of gaseous medium is shown by the reference design (U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,492). Therefore the simplicity and reliability of the iris shutter system are well established and proven.
The design to achieve a variable valve lift of the poppet valves for the traditional overhead valve engine can be very complex due to the complicated mechanism that converts the action of the fixed profile crankshaft and pushrod inside the engine block into the variable lifting motion of the poppet valves. In addition, the manufacturing of such a mechanism has to be complicated as well. However, with this independently operated volumetric control apparatus used in conjunction with the poppet valves, the present device can be used to simulate the variable valve lift similar to that of the complex overhead cam design. The variable flow of fuel mixture or exhaust gas can be controlled independently but operated according to some pre-specified values. Rapid motion and response of the low inertia mass of the iris leaflets can be achieved manually or with electro-mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic assist such that the flow volume can be adjusted in real time synchronous to the opening and closing of the poppet valves during the ingress or egress of the gases to and from the combustion chamber. The technical importance and benefits of an instantaneous adjustable control of the flow to gain a better combustion efficiency, as well as the control of exhaust gas recirculation for pollution reduction varies with different load and condition, and is beyond the scope of discussion here.
In addition, the device can also be used in the overhead cam engines to independently control the flow into and out of the combustion chamber as well. This may obviate the need for the complex cam profiling necessary to produce the variable valve lift simply by using the independent flow control to augment or attenuate the flow as stated above.
