Fluid working machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016356160-A1
Application number	US-201414895684-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 18, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid working machine comprising: a crankshaft ( 2 ) which is rotatable about an axis of rotation ( 3 ); adjacent first and second groups ( 5, 6, 8, 10 ) of valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) spaced from each other about the axis of rotation ( 3 ), one or each of the first and second groups ( 5, 6, 8, 10 ) of valve cylinder devices having first, second and third valve cylinder devices ( 13 ) arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the crankshaft ( 2 ), the first and third valve cylinder devices being axially offset from each other, the second valve cylinder device being axially offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices and the second valve cylinder device being offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation, wherein the second valve cylinder device has an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third valve cylinder devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fluid working machine comprising: a crankshaft which is rotatable about an axis of rotation; adjacent first and second groups of valve cylinder devices spaced from each other about the axis of rotation, one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices having first, second and third valve cylinder devices arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the crankshaft, the first and third valve cylinder devices being axially offset from each other, the second valve cylinder device being axially offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices and the second valve cylinder device being offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation, wherein the second valve cylinder device has an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third valve cylinder devices.

2 . The fluid working machine of claim 1 wherein, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, the first and third valve cylinder devices are axially aligned with each other.

3 . The fluid working machine of claim 1 further comprising respective pistons reciprocating in the first, second and third valve cylinder devices of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, wherein the crankshaft comprises first, second and third cams, and wherein, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, the piston reciprocating in the first valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the first cam, the piston reciprocating in the second valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the second cam and the piston reciprocating in the third valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the third cam.

4 . The fluid working machine according to claim 3 wherein the first, second and third cams are rotationally offset from each other about the axis of rotation such that the pistons reciprocating in the first, second and third valve cylinder devices of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices drive, or are driven by, the first, second and third cams at phases which are substantially equally spaced.

5 . The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a cylinder block having an axial bore, wherein the crankshaft extends within the axial bore and wherein the valve cylinder devices of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices are provided in respective housing bores arranged about and extending outwards with respect to the axial bore.

6 . The fluid working machine according to claim 5 wherein the first, second and third valve cylinder devices of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices are provided in respective first, second and third housing bores, the first and third housing bores being axially offset from each other, the second housing bore being axially offset from the first and third housing bores and the second housing bore being offset from the first and third housing bores, wherein the second housing bore has an axial extent which overlaps with the axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third housing bores.

7 . The fluid working machine of claim 1 , wherein the said valve cylinder devices of the said first and second groups of valve cylinder devices each comprise a first working fluid port and a second working fluid port wherein, within the first and/or second groups of valve cylinder devices, the first working fluid ports of the valve cylinder devices are fluidly connected and/or the second working fluid ports of the valve cylinder devices are fluidly connected.

8 . The fluid working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third valve cylinder devices of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices each have a first valve comprising a first working fluid port, the respective first working fluid ports of the valve cylinder devices, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, being in fluid communication with each other via a respective common conduit.

9 . The fluid working machine according to claim 8 wherein the common conduit of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

10 . The fluid working machine according to claim 8 further comprising a cylinder block housing the valve cylinder devices of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, wherein, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, the common conduit comprises a single straight drillway extending through the cylinder block in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

11 . The fluid working machine according to claim 8 wherein, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, a longitudinal axis of the common conduit is offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices 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 second valve cylinder device and the circumferential positions of the first and third valve cylinder devices.

12 . A method of manufacturing a fluid working machine, the method comprising: providing a crankshaft which is rotatable about an axis of rotation; providing adjacent first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices having first, second and third valve cylinder devices; and arranging the valve cylinder devices of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices about the crankshaft such that they extend outwards with respect to the crankshaft, that the adjacent first and second groups of valve cylinder devices are spaced from each other about the axis of rotation and that, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, the first and third valve cylinder devices are axially offset from each other, the second valve cylinder device is axially offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices, the second valve cylinder device is offset from the first and third valve cylinder devices about the axis of rotation, and the second valve cylinder device has an axial extent which overlaps at least partly with axial extent of one, or the axial extents of both, of the first and third valve cylinder devices.

13 . The method according to claim 12 further comprising: providing the crankshaft with first, second and third cams; and providing respective pistons reciprocating in the first, second and third valve cylinder devices of the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices wherein, within the said one or each of the first and second groups of valve cylinder devices, the piston reciprocating in the first valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the first cam, the piston reciprocating in the second valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the second cam and the piston reciprocating in the third valve cylinder device is in driving relationship with the third cam, the first, second and third cams being rotationally offset from each other about the axis of rotation such that the pisto

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Dole Alexis
• Stein Uwe Bernhard Pascal
• LAIRD Michael Stephen

Classifications

• F01B1/0655

  cylinders · CPC title

• F04B39/122

  Cylinder block · CPC title

• F04B1/0536 Primary

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

• F04B1/0421

  Cylinders · CPC title

• F01B1/062

  the connection of the pistons with an actuating or actuated element being at the inner ends of the cylinders · CPC title