Stratified charge rotary combustion engine

Claim 2

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and vary in volume as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means including intake passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, and said intake passage means including a pair of intake ports, one of said intake ports introducing a relatively lean air-fuel mixture, the other of said intake ports introducing a relatively rich air-fuel mixture, said intake ports open to said cavity and disposed relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that said one intake port is opened to each working chamber longer than the opening of said other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in each working chamber that varies from lean to rich in a peripheral Direction.

Claim 3

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and vary in volume as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means including intake passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, and said intake passage means including a pair of intake ports, one of said intake ports introducing a relatively lean air-fuel mixture, the other of said intake ports introducing a relatively rich air-fuel mixture, said intake ports open to said cavity and disposed relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that said one intake port is opened to each working chamber throughout an intake phase and said other intake port is opened to each working chamber through only a latter portion of the intake phase to effect an air-fuel mixture in each working chamber having an air-fuel ratio that varies in a peripheral direction.

Claim 4

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and vary in volume as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means including intake passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, and said intake passage means including a pair of intake ports, one of said intake ports introducing a relatively lean air-fuel mixture, the other of said intake ports introducing a relatively rich air-fuel mixture, said intake ports open to said cavity and disposed relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that said one intake port is opened to each working chamber throughout an intake phase and said other intake port is opened to each working chamber through only a latter portion of the intake phase to effect an air-fuel mixture in each working chamber having an air-fuel ratio that varies in a peripheral direction.

Claim 5

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and vary in volume as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means including intake passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, and said intake passage means including a pair of intake ports, one of said intake ports introducing a relatively lean air-fuel mixture, the other of said intake ports introducing a relatively rich air-fuel mixture, said intake ports open to said cavity and arranged relative to each other and the path of said rotor so that said one intake port is opened to each working chamber throughout an intake phase and said other intake port is opened to each working chamber only during a latter portion of the intake phase to effect in each working chamber an air-fuel mixture that is lean in a leading chamber region and rich in a trailing chamber region.

Claim 6

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and vary in volume as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means including intake passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, and said intake passage means including a pair of intake ports, one of said intake ports introducing a relatively lean air-fuel mixture, the other of said intake ports introducing a relatively rich air-fuel mixture, said intake ports open to said cavity and arranged relative to each other and the path of said rotor so that said one intake port is opened to each working chamber throughout an intake phase and said other intake port is opened to each working chamber only during a latter portion of the intake phase to effect in each working chamber an air-fuel mixture that is lean in a leading chamber region and rich in a trailing chamber region.

Claim 7

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity having a plurality of peripheral faces, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary between a minimum volume and a maximum volume as said rotor planetates, each said rotor face having a contour for cooperating with said housing to divide each said working chamber when at minimum volume into separate regions with a flow restriction therebetween and wherein one chamber region leads the other chamber region as said rotor planetates, exhaUst passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air intake passage means including an air intake port open to said cavity in a position to be periodically opened by said rotor to admit only air to each said working chamber during an intake phase when said regions are not separated by said flow restriction, air-fuel intake passage means including an air-fuel intake port open to said cavity in a position to be periodically opened by said rotor to admit air and fuel to each said working chamber through a latter portion of the intake phase subsequent to the opening of said air intake port thereto and when said regions are not separated by said flow restriction so that when each said working chamber approaches minimum volume and are separated by said flow restriction there is a rich air-fuel mixture in the trailing chamber region in comparison with the air-fuel mixture in the leading chamber region, and ignition means for igniting the rich air-fuel mixture in each said working chamber in the trailing chamber region when said regions are separated by said flow restriction whereby combustion is initiated in the trailing chamber region and on continued rotor planetation and removal of said flow restriction combustion is continued into the leading chamber region.

Claim 8

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity having a plurality of peripheral faces, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary between a minimum volume and a maximum volume as said rotor planetates, each said rotor face having a contour for cooperating with said housing to divide each said working chamber when at minimum volume into separate regions with a flow restriction therebetween and wherein one chamber region leads the other chamber region as said rotor planetates, exhaUst passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air intake passage means including an air intake port open to said cavity in a position to be periodically opened by said rotor to admit only air to each said working chamber during an intake phase when said regions are not separated by said flow restriction, air-fuel intake passage means including an air-fuel intake port open to said cavity in a position to be periodically opened by said rotor to admit air and fuel to each said working chamber through a latter portion of the intake phase subsequent to the opening of said air intake port thereto and when said regions are not separated by said flow restriction so that when each said working chamber approaches minimum volume and are separated by said flow restriction there is a rich air-fuel mixture in the trailing chamber region in comparison with the air-fuel mixture in the leading chamber region, and ignition means for igniting the rich air-fuel mixture in each said working chamber in the trailing chamber region when said regions are separated by said flow restriction whereby combustion is initiated in the trailing chamber region and on continued rotor planetation and removal of said flow restriction combustion is continued into the leading chamber region.

Claim 9

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity having a plurality of peripheral faces, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary between a minimum volume and a maximum volume as said rotor planetates, each said rotor face having a contour for cooperating with said housing to divide each said working chamber when at minimum volume into separate regions with a flow restriction therebetween and wherein one chamber region leads the other chamber region as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel intake passage means including a first intake port open to said cavity at a location to be periodically open to each said working chamber by traversing of said rotor as said rotor planetates and a second intake port open to said cavity at a location to be periodically opened to each said working chamber subsequent to opening of said first intake port thereto and to close with said first intake port by traversing of said rotor as said rotor planetates, said air and fuel supply means including air and fuel control means for providing different proportions of air and fuel to said intake ports to effect an air-fuel mixture in the trailing chamber region that is rich in comparison with the air-fuel mixture in the leading chamber region, and ignition means for igniting the rich air-fuel mixture in each said working chamber in the trailing chamber region when said regions are separated by said flow restriction whereby combustion is initiated in the trailing chamber region and on continued rotor planetation and removal of said flow restriction combustion is continued into the leading chamber region.

Claim 10

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity having a plurality of peripheral faces, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary between a minimum volume and a maximum volume as said rotor planetates, each said rotor face having a contour for cooperating with said housing to divide each said working chamber when at minimum volume into separate regions with a flow restriction therebetween and wherein one chamber region leads the other chamber region as said rotor planetates, exhaust passage means periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel intake passage means including a first intake port open to said cavity at a location to be periodically open to each said working chamber by traversing of said rotor as said rotor planetates and a second intake port open to said cavity at a location to be periodically opened to each said working chamber subsequent to opening of said first intake port thereto and to close with said first intake port by traversing of said rotor as said rotor planetates, said air and fuel supply means including air and fuel control means for providing different proportions of air and fuel to said intake ports to effect an air-fuel mixture in the trailing chamber region that is rich in comparison with the air-fuel mixture in the leading chamber region, and ignition means for igniting the rich air-fuel mixture in each said working chamber in the trailing chamber region when said regions are separated by said flow restriction whereby combustion is initiated in the trailing chamber region and on continued rotor planetation and removal of said flow restriction combustion is continued into the leading chamber region.

Claim 11

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that aRe peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an intake port open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.

Claim 12

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that aRe peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an intake port open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.

Claim 13

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a peripheral wall and a pair of opposed end walls defining a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an intake port in said peripheral wall open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port in one of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.

Claim 14

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a peripheral wall and a pair of opposed end walls defining a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an intake port in said peripheral wall open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port in one of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fuel supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.

Claim 15

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a peripheral wall and a pair of opposed end walls defining a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an inlet port in one of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port in the other of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically open to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fueL supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.

Claim 16

A rotary combustion engine comprising a housing having a peripheral wall and a pair of opposed end walls defining a cavity, a rotor disposed in said cavity, an output shaft rotatably supported by said housing having an eccentric rotatably supporting said rotor, means for providing a fixed speed ratio between said rotor and said output shaft whereby said output shaft is caused to rotate as said rotor planetates with a fixed cyclic relationship, said rotor and said housing cooperatively providing a plurality of working chambers that are peripherally spaced around and move with said rotor within said housing and that vary in volume as said rotor planetates, a first intake passage having an inlet port in one of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, a second intake passage having an intake port in the other of said end walls open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically opened to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, an exhaust passage open to said cavity and arranged to be periodically open to said working chambers by traversing motion of said rotor as said rotor planetates, air and fueL supply means for supplying air and fuel in different proportions to said intake passages, and said intake ports arranged relative to each other and the traversing path of said rotor so that one of said intake ports is opened to each said working chamber longer than the opening of the other intake port thereto to effect an air-fuel mixture in the working chamber whose air/fuel ratio varies peripherally.