Patent EP-0130171-A1 (EP)
Inventor: BECKER JEAN VICTOR
IPC: F01C11/00
Filed: 1984-06-22
Abstract: 1. A rotary four-stroke internal combustion engine, comprising a rotor (1), a drive shaft (2), and a stator comprising two flanges (3, 3') enclosing the rotor (1), the latter and the stator being coaxial and arranged to define at least two recesses (10, 11) which form two sealed chambers (17, 19) in mirror-image fashion, the totality of the recesses of a flange extending over a sector of the order of 180 degrees and one recess being offset 180 degrees with respect to the other, two identical movable elements (15) offset by 180 degrees and co-operating with the rotor and stator to define two sealed zones (17', 17'' and 19', 19'') in each of the chambers, said chambers and movable elements being so arranged that the latter moves simultaneously in opposite directions and along the axis of the drive shaft (2) in said chambers so that intake and compression take place in the two sealed zones (17', 17'') of one of the chambers (17) while ignition-expansion and exhaust take place in the two zones (19', 19'') of the other chamber (19), said engine comprising, in the chamber (17) where intake and compression take place, an admission port (21) for the air and fuel mixture (petrol engine) or air (diesel engine) and, in the chamber (19) where ignition-expansion and exhaust take place, ignition (petrol engine) means (23) or fuel injection means (diesel engine) and an exhaust port (24), means (27) being provided for transferring the mixture or compressed air from the chamber (17) where compression takes place to the chamber (19) where ignition takes place, said means (27), which comprise at least one valve (36) adapted to open automatically when the pressure in the chamber (17) where compression takes place is greater than the pressure in the chamber (19) where ignition takes place and close automatically when the pressure in said latter chamber (19) is greater than that in the chamber (17) where compression takes place, being adapted to pass said mixture or compressed air, during the transfer and a considered in the direction of rotation of the rotor, from downstream to upstream of the movable element (15) considered when the latter leaves the compression chamber (17) and is engaged in the chamber (19) where ignition takes place, said engine being characterized in that it comprises means (28) adapted to provide its lubrication, said means (28) comprising at least one cavity (40) in the form of an annular segment made in each of the flanges (3, 3') and arranged so that its opening faces the corresponding base (14) of the rotor co-operating with a flange remote from a chamber (17, 19) formed in the other flange, said cavity (14) extending over a sector of the order of 160 degrees and the cavity of one flange being offset 180 degrees with respect to that of the other flange, lubricant conduits (41) being provided in the flanges to create an oil circuit from an opening (42) provided at the periphery of each flange and connected to a pressure oil supply device, such as an oil pump known per se, which supplies the lubricant to the said cavities, in bearings formed in the flanges to support the drive shaft (2) connected to the rotor and in grooves (43) in the form of annular segments communicating with the cavities (40) and formed in the flanges and/or the rotor in the zones where the same are in contact, each of the said movable elements (15) comprising at least one continuous groove (44) formed on the surfaces adapted to co-operate with the side walls and the base of the said chambers (17, 19), said groove (44) communicating with the said cavities (40) when said movable elements (15) move opposite the said cavities (40), means (29) also being provided to cool the engine.