Air engine with rotatable intake-exhaust mechanism

Abstract

An air engine includes a cylinder, a piston, a gas supply and an intake-exhaust mechanism. The gas supply supplies a compressed gas to move the piston reciprocating in the cylinder. The intake-exhaust mechanism connected to the cylinder and the gas supply includes a body and an intake-exhaust assembly. The body has a chamber, and an intake channel, an exhaust channel, an inlet port and an outlet port, which communicate with the chamber. The intake-exhaust assembly, rotatable within the chamber, controls the inlet port to be connected to the intake channel, and further controls the outlet port to be connected to the exhaust channel, so that the compressed gas enters the cylinder via the inlet port and the intake channel to drive the piston. After driving the piston, the compressed gas becomes an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the cylinder via the exhaust channel and the outlet port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air engine, comprising:
 a cylinder;   a piston capable of reciprocating in the cylinder;   a gas supply supplying a compressed gas to move the piston; and   an intake-exhaust mechanism, which is connected to the cylinder and the gas supply and comprises:
 a body having a chamber, and an intake channel, an exhaust channel, an inlet port and an outlet port, which communicate with the chamber, wherein the intake channel and the exhaust channel communicate with the chamber and the cylinder; and 
 an intake-exhaust assembly, which is rotatable within the chamber, controls the inlet port to be connected to the intake channel or not upon rotation, and controls the outlet port to be connected to the exhaust channel or not upon rotation, so that the compressed gas enters the cylinder via the inlet port and the intake channel to drive the piston, wherein after driving the piston, the compressed gas becomes an exhaust gas, which is exhausted from the cylinder via the exhaust channel and the outlet port. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the intake-exhaust assembly comprises:
 a rotating shaft;   an intake member, which is disposed on the rotating shaft and has an intake passage that can communicate with the inlet port and the intake channel; and   an exhaust member, which is disposed on the rotating shaft and has an exhaust passage that can communicate with the outlet port and the exhaust channel.   
     
     
         3 . The air engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the intake-exhaust assembly further comprises a phase adjusting mechanism, which is connected to the intake member and the exhaust member, adjusts an angular position of the intake member relative to the exhaust member, and adjusts a relative relationship between an intake timing and an exhaust timing. 
     
     
         4 . The air engine according to  claim 3 , wherein the phase adjusting mechanism comprises:
 nuts, which are screwed to the rotating shaft and mount the intake member or the exhaust member on the rotating shaft in an adjustable manner.   
     
     
         5 . The air engine according to  claim 3 , wherein the phase adjusting mechanism comprises:
 a nut, which is screwed to the rotating shaft and mounts the intake member or the exhaust member on the rotating shaft in an adjustable manner.   
     
     
         6 . The air engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the rotating shaft is coupled to the intake member or the exhaust member with a spline, and a relative relationship between an intake timing and an exhaust timing is adjusted by adjusting the spline. 
     
     
         7 . The air engine according to  claim 1 , wherein extension lines of the intake channel and the inlet port intersect each other in the chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The air engine according to  claim 1 , wherein an included angle between the inlet port and the intake channel is unequal to an included angle between the outlet port and the exhaust channel. 
     
     
         9 . The air engine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a link and a crankshaft, wherein the link connects the piston to the crankshaft and converts reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion of the crankshaft, and the crankshaft drives the intake-exhaust assembly to rotate. 
     
     
         10 . The air engine according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a crankshaft sprocket mounted on the crankshaft;   an intake-exhaust sprocket mounted on the intake-exhaust mechanism; and   a chain connecting the crankshaft sprocket to the intake-exhaust sprocket.