Rotary engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10954848-B2
Application number	US-201815983712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a rotary engine having a crankshaft with an improved structure, the rotary engine including a housing, a rotor, housing covers, and a crankshaft installed to penetrate through the rotor so as to receive rotational force from the rotor, wherein the crankshaft includes a first member extending in one direction and having an insertion groove recessed in one side surface thereof, a second member extending to penetrate through a center portion of the housing and provided with a protruding portion on one end thereof to be fixedly inserted into the insertion groove, and a coupling member interposed at a position where the insertion groove and the protruding portion overlap each other such that the first member and the second member are closely coupled to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary engine, comprising:
a housing that defines a plurality of accommodating portions and that defines a plurality of combustion chambers configured to communicate with the plurality of accommodating portions, respectively;
a rotor that is configured to rotate about an axis that is eccentric with respect to a center of each accommodating portion, the rotor having a plurality of lobes configured to insert to one or more of the plurality of accommodating portions, wherein a number of the plurality of lobes is less than a number of the plurality of accommodating portions;
housing covers that are coupled to ends of the housing, respectively, and that are configured to cover the plurality of accommodating portions to define a closed space in each accommodating portion;
a crankshaft that penetrates through the rotor and that is configured to receive rotational force from the rotor, the crankshaft comprising:
a first member that defines an insertion groove recessed from a side surface of the first member,
a second member that extends through a center portion of the housing, the second member including a protruding portion located at an end of the second member and configured to insert into the insertion groove of the first member, and
a coupling member that is located at a position where the insertion groove and the protruding portion overlap each other and that is configured to couple the first member to the second member; and

a bushing that has a shape corresponding to an inner surface of the insertion groove, that is configured to insert into the insertion groove, and that is positioned between the protruding portion and the insertion groove.

2. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the insertion groove of the first member is offset from a center axis of the first member.

3. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the insertion groove of the first member is offset from a center axis of the first member.

4. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein a rotational speed of the crankshaft is between 200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 2500 rpm.

5. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second members of the crankshaft has a hollow cylindered shape.

6. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the first member and the coupling member are located outside of the rotor, and
wherein the second member penetrates through the rotor and is configured to couple to the rotor to receive rotational force from the rotor.

7. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the protruding portion includes a flat surface.

8. The rotary engine of claim 7 , wherein the outer surface of the protruding portion further includes a round surface that extends from the flat surface, the flat surface being configured to restrict relative movement of the second member with respect to the first member.

9. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of accommodating portions is greater than or equal to three.

10. The rotary engine of claim 9 , wherein the number of the plurality of lobes is less than the number of the plurality of accommodating portions by one.

11. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the second member comprises:
an eccentric portion that extends to a first end of the second member and that is configured to couple to the insertion groove, a rotational axis of the eccentric portion being offset from a center axis of the first member, and
a supporting portion that extends from the eccentric portion to a second end of the second member, a rotational axis of the supporting portion being coaxial with the center axis of the first member.

12. The rotary engine of claim 11 , wherein the eccentric portion of the second member passes through the rotor in a first direction, and
wherein the support portion of the second member is located outside of the rotor and protrudes from a first side surface of the rotor.

13. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein an inner circumferential surface of the bushing is configured to contact an outer surface of the protruding portion, and
wherein the inner circumferential surface of the bushing includes a flat portion configured to restrict relative movement of the second member with respect to the first member.

14. The rotary engine of claim 13 , wherein the inner circumferential surface of the bushing further includes a curved portion that extends from the flat portion and that is configured to contact the outer surface of the protruding portion.

15. The rotary engine of claim 14 , wherein the protruding portion of the second member includes a round portion configured to contact the curved portion of the bushing.

16. The rotary engine of claim 1 , wherein the first member defines a first coupling hole at an outer circumferential surface of the first member, the first coupling hole extending to the insertion groove of the first member,
wherein the protruding portion of the second member defines a second coupling hole that extends toward a center portion of the protruding portion, and
wherein the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole are configured to overlap each other based on the first member coupling to the second member.

17. The rotary engine of claim 16 , wherein the coupling member is configured to insert into the first coupling hole and the second coupling hole.

18. The rotary engine of claim 16 , wherein the first coupling hole comprises a plurality of first coupling holes, and
wherein the second coupling hole comprises a plurality of second coupling holes that are configured to overlap the plurality of first coupling holes, respectively, based on the first member coupling to the second member.

19. The rotary engine of claim 18 , wherein the first member further defines a support hole located at the outer circumferential surface of the first member and spaced apart from the plurality of first coupling holes, and
wherein the coupling member is configured to insert to the support hole and to support an outer surface of the protruding portion.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Yunhi
• Yu Byeonghun
• Oh Wheesung
• Lee Byeongchul

Classifications

• F02B55/08 Primary

  Outer members for co-operation with rotary pistons; Casings · CPC title

• F02B55/02

  Pistons · CPC title

• F04C2240/60

  Shafts · CPC title

• F01C21/008

  Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmissions specially adapted for rotary or oscillating-piston machines or engines (brakes, couplings, transmissions per se F16, B60) · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title