Patent ID: 8597006

Claim:
A rotor of a Wankel engine, the rotor comprising: a rotor body having two axially spaced apart end faces, and a peripheral face extending between the end faces and defining three circumferentially spaced apex portions; and a plurality of apex seal members extending axially along a corresponding one of the apex portions, each apex seal member protruding radially from the peripheral face of the rotor; each apex seal member being biased by a respective spring, each spring being an integral band having first and second ends and including an axial action portion and a radial action portion distinct from one another and interconnected by a longitudinal portion, the axial action portion including the first end and at least two radially extending band sections with adjacent ones of the radially extending band sections being connected by a fold, one of the radially extending band sections contacting a radially extending surface of the apex seal member and another of the radially extending band sections contacting a radially extending element of the rotor body, and the radial action portion forming a major part of a length of the spring, the radial action portion including the second end and contacting an axially extending surface of the apex seal member in two spaced apart locations, and contacting the rotor body between the two spaced apart locations.