Fluid working machine having first and second valve cylinder devices in fluid communication with each other via a common conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995739-B2
Application number	US-201414895659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 18, 2013
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid working machine comprising: a cylinder block ( 1 ) having an axial bore ( 4 ); a crankshaft ( 2 ) which extends within the axial bore ( 4 ) and is rotatable about an axis of rotation ( 3 ); and first and second valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) provided in the cylinder block ( 1 ) arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the axial bore ( 4 ), the first and second valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) being axially offset from each other, the first and second valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) being offset from each other about the axis of rotation ( 3 ), and the first valve cylinder device having an axial extent which overlaps the axial extent of the second valve cylinder device, wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) comprise first valves ( 14 ) having respective first working fluid ports ( 48, 49 ), the said respective first working fluid ports ( 48, 49 ) of the first valves ( 14 ) of the first and second valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) being in fluid communication with each other via a common conduit ( 50, 52 ) extending within the cylinder block ( 1 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid working machine comprising:
a cylinder block having an axial bore;
a crankshaft which extends within the axial bore and is rotatable about an axis of rotation; and
first and second valve cylinder devices provided in the cylinder block arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the axial bore, the first and second valve cylinder devices being axially offset from each other, the first and second valve cylinder devices being offset from each other about the axis of rotation, and the first valve cylinder device having an axial extent which overlaps the axial extent of the second valve cylinder device,
wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices comprise first valves having respective first working fluid ports, the said respective first working fluid ports of the first valves of the first and second valve cylinder devices being in fluid communication with each other via a common conduit extending within the cylinder block.

2. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 further comprising a third valve cylinder device provided in the cylinder block, the third valve cylinder device being axially offset from the first and second valve cylinder devices, and the second valve cylinder device being offset from the third valve cylinder device about the axis of rotation.

3. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 wherein the said common conduit intersects the said respective first working fluid ports of the first valves of the first and second valve cylinder devices.

4. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the said common conduit comprises a single straight drillway extending through the cylinder block.

5. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the said common conduit extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

6. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices are comprised in a first group of valve cylinder devices, the fluid working machine further comprising a second group of valve cylinder devices provided in the cylinder block adjacent the first group of valve cylinder devices, the second group of valve cylinder devices being spaced from the first group of valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation.

7. The fluid working machine according to claim 6 wherein the second group of valve cylinder devices comprises a plurality of valve cylinder devices having first valves comprising respective first working fluid ports, the respective first working fluid ports of the first valves of the valve cylinder devices of the second group being in fluid communication with each other via a second common conduit extending within the cylinder block.

8. The fluid working machine according to claim 6 wherein the second group of valve cylinder devices comprises a valve cylinder device having an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of a valve cylinder device of the first group of valve cylinder devices.

9. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising respective pistons reciprocating in the first and second valve cylinder devices, wherein the crankshaft comprises a plurality of cams including first and second cams, and wherein the piston reciprocating in the first valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the first cam and the piston reciprocating in the second valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the second cam.

10. The fluid working machine according to claim 9 wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices are comprised in a group of valve cylinder devices, the cams of the crankshaft being rotationally offset from each other about the axis of rotation such that the pistons reciprocating in the said group of valve cylinder devices drive, or are driven by, cams of the crankshaft respectively at phases which are substantially equally spaced.

11. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the common conduit is offset from the first valve cylinder device about the axis of rotation in a first rotational sense and offset from the second valve cylinder device about the axis of rotation in a second rotational sense opposite the first rotational sense such that the common conduit has a circumferential position which is disposed circumferentially between the circumferential position of the first valve cylinder device and the circumferential position of the second valve cylinder device.

12. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second valve cylinder devices are provided in first and second housing bores of the cylinder block respectively, the first and second housing bores being axially offset from each other, the first and second housing bores being offset from each other about the axis of rotation, and the first and second housing bores having axial extents which overlap with each other.

13. The fluid working machine according to claim 2 wherein the said common conduit intersects the said respective first working fluid ports of the first valves of the first and second valve cylinder devices.

14. The fluid working machine according to claim 2 , wherein the said common conduit comprises a single straight drillway extending through the cylinder block.

15. The fluid working machine according to claim 3 , wherein the said common conduit comprises a single straight drillway extending through the cylinder block.

16. The fluid working machine according to claim 2 , wherein the said common conduit extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

17. The fluid working machine according to claim 3 , wherein the said common conduit extends in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

18. The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional conduit, wherein the common conduit has a first longitudinal axis and the additional conduit has a second longitudinal axis, wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are parallel to the axis of rotation, and wherein the second longitudinal axis of the additional conduit is radially closer to the axis of rotation than the first longitudinal axis of the common conduit.

Assignees

• Danfoss Power Solutions Gmbh & Co Ohg
• Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Dole Alexis
• Stein Uwe Bernhard Pascal

Classifications

• F01B1/0634 Primary

  with two or more series radial piston-cylinder units · CPC title

• F04B39/122

  Cylinder block · CPC title

• F01B1/0624

  with cam-actuated distribution member(s) · CPC title

• F04B53/10

  Valves; Arrangement of valves · CPC title

• F01B1/0655

  cylinders · CPC title