Internal combustion engine

Abstract

The internal combustion engine comprises at least one combustion chamber ( 1, 1 ′) for burning a fuel in timed explosions accompanied by formation of a combustion gas, at least one expansion chamber ( 3 ) which is connected with the combustion chamber and separate from the combustion chamber and which has a piston ( 4 ) for converting energy of the combustion gas into mechanical energy or work, and a cam gear unit by which a drive shaft ( 32 ) can be driven by the piston and which has a cam disk ( 31 ) and associated thrust member ( 30 ), wherein the thrust member ( 30 ) can be lifted from the cam disk ( 31 ) for carrying out irregular engine cycles independent from a continuous rotation of the cam disk ( 31 ), including a pausing of the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) at its top dead center.

1 . Internal combustion engine with at least one combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) for burning a fuel in timed explosions accompanied by formation of a combustion gas, at least one expansion chamber ( 3 ) which is connected with the combustion chamber and separate from the combustion chamber and which has a piston ( 4 ) for converting energy of the combustion gas into mechanical energy or work, and with a cam gear unit by which a drive shaft ( 32 ) can be driven by the piston and which has a cam disk ( 31 ) and associated thrust member ( 30 ), wherein the thrust member ( 30 ) can be lifted from the cam disk ( 31 ) for implementing irregular engine cycles independent from a continuous rotation of the cam disk ( 31 ), including a pausing of the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) at its top dead center.  
     
     
         2 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein the thrust member ( 30 ) of the cam gear unit which acts on a cam disk ( 31 ) arranged at the drive shaft ( 32 ) is formed by the free end of the piston rod ( 18 ) of the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) or by a part attached thereto and is constructed as a roller tappet.  
     
     
         3 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein the cam disk ( 31 ) of the cam gear unit has two cams ( 38 ) along its circumference.  
     
     
         4 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein a precompressor device which is separated from the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) is provided for precompression of air to be introduced into the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′).  
     
     
         5 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 4   , wherein the precompressor device is formed by at least one piston-cylinder unit ( 25 ) whose piston ( 24 ) communicates mechanically with piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) and can be driven by a force acting on the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ).  
     
     
         6 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 5   , wherein the piston ( 24 ) of the precompressor device is pretensioned by a spring ( 48 ) in the position of its top dead center.  
     
     
         7 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein at least one injection nozzle ( 42 ) opening into the expansion chamber ( 3 ) is provided for injecting a coolant liquid to introduce an implosion stroke following the explosion stroke, which injection nozzle is preferably arranged in the shared piston rod ( 18 ) of the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) and of the piston ( 24 ) of the precompressor device.  
     
     
         8 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein the piston rod ( 18 ) of the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) is mounted via a rolling bearing ( 34 ).  
     
     
         9 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein the cam disk ( 31 ) has a first running surface ( 39 ,  39 ′) extending over 40° to 70° of the circumference of the cam disk for driving the cam disk ( 31 ) by means of the thrust member ( 30 ).  
     
     
         10 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 9   , wherein the cam disk ( 31 ) has a second running surface ( 40 ,  40 ′) for restoring the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) to the top dead center (OT), which second running surface ( 40 ,  40 ′) preferably extends over 50° to 140°, again preferably over 50° to 80° of the circumference of the cam disk ( 31 ).  
     
     
         11 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 10   , wherein the first running surface ( 39 ,  39 ′) constructed more steeply than the second running surface ( 40 ,  40 ′).  
     
     
         12 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein the cam disk ( 31 ) has an area ( 49 ) with a constant radius in which the piston ( 4 ) is located at its top dead center (OT), wherein the length of this area ( 49 ) corresponds at least to the time required for the complete burnup of the mixture in the combustion chamber at maximum rotational speed of the engine.  
     
     
         13 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein a plurality of pistons ( 4 ) are mounted in expansion chambers ( 3 ) and act on the same cam disk or on different cam disks arranged at the same drive shaft ( 32 ).  
     
     
         14 . Internal combustion engine according to    claim 13   , wherein pistons ( 4 ) are provided in pairs so as to work in opposite directions.  
     
     
         15 . Method for operating an internal combustion engine according to    claim 1   , wherein fuel is ignited in the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) and the drive shaft ( 32 ) is driven by the cam gear unit ( 30 ,  31 ), also idle strokes or stroke pauses in which the piston ( 4 ) of the expansion chamber ( 3 ) remains at its top dead center and the thrust member ( 30 ) of the cam gear unit remains raised by the cam disk ( 31 ) of the cam gear unit are inserted without ignition of fuel in the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′), wherein the cam disk ( 31 ) rotates past the thrust member ( 30 ) in an unimpeded manner.  
     
     
         16 . Method according to    claim 15   , wherein identical amounts of fuel are introduced into the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) for carrying out individual explosion strokes.  
     
     
         17 . Method according to    claim 15   , wherein the fuel in the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) is ignited at a time such that, after the fuel in the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) is essentially completely burned up, the cam disk ( 31 ) has the precise angular position suitable for the driving of the cam disk ( 31 ) by the thrust member ( 30 ), whereupon the combustion chamber outlet valve ( 2 ,  2 ′) is opened.  
     
     
         18 . Method according to    claim 15   , wherein the burner valve ( 2 ,  2 ′) is opened in a delayed manner at the start of the expansion stroke of the piston ( 4 ), wherein the combustion gas flows out of the combustion chamber ( 1 ,  1 ′) into the expansion chamber ( 3 ) in throttled manner.