Patent Publication Number: US-2010116086-A1

Title: Highly Efficient Universal Connecting Rod

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part and claims priority to U.S. Non-provisional application Ser. No. 12/321,490 filed on Mar. 17, 2008. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of internal combustion engines, and in particular to a connecting rod. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a side perspective view of a traditional connecting rod. 
         FIG. 2  shows a side perspective view of the highly efficient universal connecting rod. 
         FIG. 3  shows a side perspective view of the one embodiment of a highly efficient universal connecting rod, further showing the highly efficient universal connecting rod within an internal combustion engine at top dead center. 
     
    
    
     GLOSSARY 
     As used herein, the term “force transfer area” shall refer to a physical gap, void or open area (including curvature and contouring) that eliminates the traditional line of action found in a conventional connecting rod and redirects the force to an offset line of action. 
     As used herein, the term “force transfer area equation” shall refer to the following equation: 
       (½)((0.1)(w))(((0.1)(w))(cot θ)) 
     In this equation, w is defined as the radius of the wrist pin. θ is defined as the calculated angle of offset. 
     As used herein, the term “traditional line of action” is a line of action running from the center point of the wrist pin to the center point of the big end bearing. 
     As used herein, the term “offset line of action” is a line of action running from the center point of the wrist pin to away from the center of big end bearing in the direction of normal crankshaft rotation and is the result of including a force transfer area in a connecting rod. 
     As used herein, the term “connecting rod” shall refer to any element or system that connects the piston to the crankshaft using the wrist pin at the piston end, and the big end bearing at the crankshaft end. 
     As used herein, the term “angle of offset” shall refer to the angle between the traditional line of action and the offset line of action. The minimum value for the angle of offset must be sufficient to create a force transfer area, as defined herein. 
     As used herein, the term “angle of offset equation” shall refer to the following equation: 
       θ=arcsine( r/L ) 
     In this equation, L is defined as the distance between the center point of the wrist pin aperture and the center point of the big end bearing aperture. r is defined as the measure of the radius of the big end bearing aperture. θ is defined as the calculated angle of offset. 
     As used herein, the term “universal” means an apparatus which may be adapted for use in any internal combustion engine using the force transfer area equation and angle of offset equation. 
     As used herein, the term “force transfer angle” means the angle of offset formed between the offset line of action of the highly efficient universal connecting rod and the traditional line of action of a traditional connecting rod. 
     As used herein, the term “offset longitudinal axis” refers to the axis of the elongated body of the highly efficient universal connecting rod. 
     As used herein, the term “line of action” means the path along which the force of an action is transferred. 
     As used herein, the term “co-linear” means a force that acts in the same line as the line extending through the center point of the wrist pin aperture  122  and the center point of the big end bearing aperture  132 . 
     As used herein, the term “circular” means in the shape of a circle which is substantially circular and does not require that a perfect circle be formed. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the present art, an internal combustion engine is comprised of at least one cylinder containing a piston connected to a crankshaft through the use of a connecting rod. The pistons in a typical internal combustion engine move in a linear manner Within the cylinders of the engine. In a traditional combustion engine, the connecting rod allows the linear force created by a piston to be transmitted through the body of the connecting rod to a big end bearing, and ultimately to the rotating crankshaft. The crankshaft rotates within the engine and transfers power from the engine. 
     When ignition occurs within the cylinder, the burning fuel/air mixture expands and the piston is driven toward the crankshaft. The force of the expanding mixture is transferred through the piston, to the wrist pin and through the body of the connecting rod to the big end bearing, and ultimately to the crankshaft. This is accomplished by a mechanical linkage of the components and a force transmitted through the connecting rod that is co-linear to the center line of the crankshaft. With respect to a connecting rod, a co-linear force is inherently inefficient as compared to a torque (offset) force. There have been many attempts in the prior art to create a torque force which would replace the co-linear force of the connecting rod, and create a predictable scientific result based on Newton&#39;s laws which predict the resulting force from co-linear versus torque force and the desirability of creating a force perpendicular to the crankshaft 
     Various attempts have been made to develop an internal combustion engine which uses a connecting rod to produce a torque force rather than a co-linear force to increase the power and efficiency of the engine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,505 (the &#39;505 patent) discloses an engine which incorporates an “offset connecting” rod. However, this disclosure fails to enable a functioning offset connecting rod and allow use of the device in an existing combustion engine as for manufacturing a working embodiment of an offset connection rod. While the &#39;505 patent discloses the desirability of using an offset connecting rod, neither the figures included within the patent nor the written description include enabling data to create a working embodiment of an offset connecting rod. 
     It is known in the art that, as the inventors of the &#39;505 patent claim on their website “[t]he principle of leverage can also be derived using Newton&#39;s laws of motion and modern statics.” Upon a reading of the &#39;505 patent it is thus apparent that its drafters have identified a scientific principal of leverage, but have not enabled a specific working embodiment of an apparatus which can be manufactured to implement the generalized scientific principle. 
     It is therefore desirable to identify a structural configuration that will provide a working embodiment of an offset connecting rod and to provide an enabling disclosure of the calculations which must be performed to create a proven method of manufacture to replicate the working embodiment of the general non-enabling concept disclosed in the &#39;505 patent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a highly efficient universal connecting rod comprised of an elongated body having an offset longitudinal axis, a first circular aperture and a second circular aperture. The first circular aperture attaching the offset connecting rod to the wrist pin and the second circular aperture connecting the offset connecting rod to the big end bearing. The offset longitudinal axis of the elongated body of the rod has an angle of offset which creates an force transfer area redirecting the line of action away from the center point of the aperture of the big end bearing. In addition, the present invention is a method of manufacture of a highly efficient universal connecting rod. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the present invention, references are made in the text hereof to embodiments of a highly efficient universal connecting rod, only some of which are described herein. It should nevertheless be understood that no limitations on the scope of the invention are thereby intended. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that modifications such as the dimensions of the connecting rod, alternate but functionally similar material(s) from which the connecting rod is made, and the inclusion of additional elements are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those described in the written description do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Some of these possible modifications are mentioned in the following description. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed apparatus or manner. 
     It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In addition, in the embodiments depicted herein, like reference numerals in the various drawings refer to identical or near identical structural elements. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a traditional connection rod  100  which shows traditional line of action  102 . The traditional connecting rod  100  is fitted within cylinder  170  and is connected to piston  160  through wrist pin  162 . The traditional connecting rod  100  then connects to crankshaft  150  through the big end bearing  152 . The traditional connecting rod  100  has an elongated rod body  110  co-linear to the traditional line of action  102  extending between wrist pin aperture  120  and big end bearing aperture  130 . The wrist pin aperture having a center point  122  and the big end bearing aperture having a center point  132  and radius  134 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of one (1) embodiment of highly efficient universal connecting rod  100 . highly efficient universal connecting rod  100  contains an elongated rod body  110  extending between wrist pin aperture  120  and big end bearing aperture  130 . Wrist pin aperture  120  having a center point  122  and radius  124 . Big end bearing aperture  130  having a center point  132  and radius  134 . Elongated rod body  110  further includes an outer edge  114 , an inner edge  116  and an offset line of action  104 . Also shown in  FIG. 2  is angle of offset  112 , which is the angle formed between traditional line of action  102  and offset line of action  104 . 
       FIG. 2  further shows a force transfer area  118  which is a gap or lack of continuity in the material from which elongated rod body  110  is constructed, and which eliminates the traditional line of action found in a conventional connecting rod. Force transfer area  118  redirects the force to an offset line of action  104  created by angle of offset  112  between the line of action in traditional connecting rod and offset connecting rod described herein. In various embodiments, force transfer area  118  may be created by the removal of metal, contouring, milling, molding, forging curvature, an aperture, remanufacturing or by any other structural configuration. 
     The embodiment of highly efficient universal connecting rod  100  shown in  FIG. 2  may be made universal by a method of manufacture disclosed herein which uses the force transfer area equation and angle of offset equation. 
     The angle of offset equation is an equation pursuant to which the angle of offset  112  is proportional to the distance between wrist pin center point  122  and big end bearing center point  132 , and is a calculation which determines the angle sufficient to create an offset line of action  104  which creates an offset torque force resulting in increased efficiency. 
     The angle of offset equation is as follows: 
       θ=arcsine( r/L ) 
     In this equation, L is defined as the distance between the center point of the wrist pin aperture  122  and the center point of the big end bearing aperture  132 . r is defined as the measure of the radius of the big end bearing aperture  134 . θ is defined as the calculated angle of offset. 
       FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of highly efficient universal connecting rod  100  as fitted within an internal combustion engine, which also shows offset line of action  104 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  is adaptable to an internal combustion engine using a method of manufacture employing the angle of offset equation and force transfer area equation defined herein. A traditional connecting rod may simply be removed from internal combustion engine and replaced with highly efficient universal connecting rod  100  with no mechanical adaptation to accommodate highly efficient universal connecting rod  100 . 
     While the connecting rod has been shown and described with respect to an illustrative embodiment and used in accordance with the present invention, it is to be understood that the same is not limited thereto, but is susceptible to numerous changes and modifications as known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the details shown and described herein, but rather cover all such changes and modifications obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.