Apex seal arrangement for rotary internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344870-B2
Application number	US-201113273798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2011
Priority date	Jul 28, 2011
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

In one aspect, described is a rotor for a Wankel engine comprising two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals at each of the apex portions with each apex seal protruding axially from both end faces, and each apex seal having a first biasing member biasing the apex seal radially outwardly away from the peripheral face of the body, and a second biasing member biasing the apex seal axially outwardly away from a respective one of the end faces, the two apex seals of a same one of the apex portions being biased by the respective second biasing member in opposite axial directions from one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotor for a Wankel engine comprising:
a body having two axially spaced apart end faces, and a peripheral face extending between the two axially spaced apart end faces and defining three circumferentially spaced apex portions, each of the three circumferentially spaced apex portions having two circumferentially spaced apart grooves extending radially inwardly into the rotor body, each of the two circumferentially spaced apart grooves extending between the two axially spaced apart end faces;
the rotor includes two axially spaced apart end plates each in contact with the peripheral face and extending radially adjacent a respective one of the two axially spaced apart end faces, each of the two axially spaced apart end faces having two slots defined therethrough in alignment with the two the two axially spaced apart end faces grooves; and
two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals at each of the apex portions, said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals being received in a respective one of the two circumferentially spaced apart grooves, protruding radially from the peripheral face of the body and protruding axially from the two axially spaced apart end faces, and
at least a portion thereof received in the corresponding slot of a respective one of the end plates; and
a spring positioned in said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals;
wherein the spring further includes:
a respective first biasing member biasing the apex seal radially outwardly away from the peripheral face of the body; and
a respective second biasing member biasing the apex seal axially outwardly away from a respective one of the two axially spaced apart end faces and extending between radial surfaces of the apex seal and of a respective one of the end plates;
wherein the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals of a same one of the three circumferentially spaced apex portions are biased by the respective second biasing member in opposite axial directions from one another.

2. A rotor for a Wankel engine comprising:
a body having two axially spaced apart end faces, and a peripheral face extending between the two axially spaced apart end faces and defining three circumferentially spaced apex portions, each of the three circumferentially spaced apex portions having two circumferentially spaced apart grooves extending radially inwardly into the rotor body, each of the two circumferentially spaced apart grooves extending between the two axially spaced apart end faces; and
two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals at each of the apex portions, said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals being received in a respective one of the two circumferentially spaced apart grooves, protruding radially from the peripheral face of the body and protruding axially from the two axially spaced apart end faces, and
a spring positioned in said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals;
wherein the spring further includes:
a respective first biasing member being a radial action portion which is in contact with a first surface of the apex seal and pushing the apex seal radially outwardly away from the peripheral face of the body; and
a respective second biasing member being an axial action portion which is in contact with a second surface of the apex seal and pushing the apex seal axially outwardly away from a respective one of the end faces;
wherein the respective first biasing member being a radial action portion is distinct from the second biasing member being an axial action portion of the spring; and

wherein the two apex seals of said each of the apex portions are biased by the respective second biasing member being an axial action portion which is in opposite axial directions from one another.

3. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein at said each of the apex portions:
the rotor further includes two axially spaced apart end plates;
wherein each of the two axially spaced apart end plates is in contact with the peripheral face and is extending radially adjacent a respective one of the end faces;
wherein said each of the two axially spaced apart end plates has two slots defined therethrough in alignment with the two circumferentially spaced apart grooves; and

each of the two apex seals has opposed ends;
wherein said each of the two apex seals has at least a portion thereof received in the corresponding slot of said each of the two axially spaced apart end plates respectively;
the second biasing member being a axial action portion of the spring for said each of the two apex seals extending between radial surfaces of said each of the two apex seals and of said each of the two axially spaced apart end plates respectively.

4. The rotor as defined in claim 3 ,
wherein said each of the two apex seals includes an indentation in an end thereof adjacent said each of the two axially spaced apart end plates;
wherein the indentation defines a radially extending surface and an axially protruding finger located radially outwardly from the radially extending surface,
wherein the second biasing member being a axial action portion of the spring extends between the radially extending surface and said each of the two axially spaced apart of the end plates respectively; and
wherein the axially protruding finger is received in the slot of said each of the two axially spaced apart of the end plates respectively.

5. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein the two axially spaced apart end faces include first and second end faces, the rotor including first face seals protruding from the first axially spaced apart end face and second face seals protruding from the second axially spaced apart end face, the first and second face seals being biased axially outwardly away from the first axially spaced apart end face and second axially spaced apart end face, respectively, with one of the first face seals and one of the second face seals extending from said each of the three circumferentially spaced apex portions;
said each of the two apex seals biased radially outwardly away from the first end face extending between curled ends of two adjacent ones of the first face seals and being in direct contact therewith, said each of the two apex seals biased radially outwardly away from the second end face extending between curled ends of two adjacent ones of the second face seals and being in direct contact therewith.

6. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart two-apex seals is made of ceramic.

7. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals is monolithic.

8. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals has a substantially rectangular shape.

9. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals is made of ceramic.

10. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals is monolithic.

11. The rotor as defined in claim 2 , wherein said each of the two circumferentially spaced apart apex seals has a substantially rectangular shape.

12. A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:
a stator body having an internal cavity defined by two axially spaced apart end walls and a peripheral wall extending between the end walls;
wherein the cavity has an epitrochoid shape defining two lobes; and
wherein the peripheral wall has at least an inlet for supplying air and for injecting fuel, an outlet for discharging exhaust gas, and an ignitor;

a rotor bod

Assignees

• Gekht Eugene
• Thomassin Jean
• Bolduc Sebastien
• Gagnon Martin David
• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Gekht Eugene
• Thomassin Jean
• Bolduc Sebastien
• Gagnon-Martin David

Classifications

• F01C19/005

  Structure and composition of sealing elements such as sealing strips, sealing rings and the like; Coating of these elements (vane construction F01C21/0809; piston rings and ring sealings of similar construction in general F16J9/00) · CPC title

• F16J15/545 Primary

  submitted to unbalanced pressure in circumference; seals for oscillating actuator · CPC title

• F01C21/08

  Rotary pistons (reciprocating pistons in general F16J) · CPC title

• F01C1/22

  of internal-axis type with equidirectional movement of co-operating members at the points of engagement, or with one of the co-operating members being stationary, the inner member having more teeth or tooth- equivalents than the outer member · CPC title

• F01C19/02

  Radially-movable sealings for working fluids · CPC title