Patent ID: 9109446
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: F01B,F04B

Abstract:
1. An engine comprising: an engine block; an elongated power shaft rotatably supported by the engine block, the power shaft having a longitudinal axis and being fixed longitudinally relative to the engine block; at least one cylinder supported by the engine block, each cylinder having a bore defining a bore axis aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the power shaft; one or more pistons corresponding in number to the number of the cylinders, each respective piston being slidably disposed within the bore of a respective cylinder; a wobble plate assembly having a generally annular configuration defining a central opening through which central opening the power shaft passes, the wobble plate assembly including a central support member, a first ring portion, a second ring portion and a ring bearing assembly, a displacement actuator operatively connected between the engine block and the central support member, the displacement actuator selectively moving the central support member with the pivot axis of the wobble plate assembly in the longitudinal direction along the power shaft so as to longitudinally position the pivot axis of the wobble plate assembly at a user-selectable distance d from a theoretical zero displacement point on the longitudinal axis, the theoretical zero displacement point being disposed longitudinally between the pivot axis and the one or more pistons; a piston control linkage operatively connected from a first anchor point disposed on a zero displacement line running through the theoretical zero displacement point perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the power shaft to the wobble plate assembly, the piston control linkage setting the wobble plate inclination angle θ as the distance d changes so as to maintain a linear relationship between d and sin(θ); an anti-rotation assembly having a first portion operatively connected to the second ring portion of the wobble plate assembly and a second portion operatively connected to the engine block, the anti-rotation assembly preventing rotation of the second ring portion of the wobble plate assembly relative to the engine block; one or more connecting rods corresponding in number to the number of cylinders, each respective connecting rod having an upper end connected to a respective piston and a lower end connected to a respective connecting rod bearing on the second ring member of the wobble plate assembly such that reciprocation of the piston(s) within the cylinder bore(s) results in rotation of the power shaft; and whereby operation of the displacement actuator to selectively change the pivot axis-to-zero point distance d within a range between a maximum distance dmax and a minimum distance dmin, where the ratio of dmax/dmin=N, correspondingly changes the piston displacement DP of the engine within a range between a maximum displacement DPmax and a minimum displacement DPmin having a ratio DPmax/DPmin=N, while the piston control linkage maintains the compression ratio of the engine at a substantially constant value as the displacement changes within the range between DPmax and DPmin.