Claims:Claims:

1. An apparatus (10) for gaseous matter exchange in an internal combustion engine (12), said apparatus (10) comprising:
a first pulley (14a) rotatably coupled to a crankshaft (16) of said internal combustion engine (12) and a second pulley (14b) being rotatably coupled to any one of an inlet port (18a) and an exhaust port (18b) for enabling opening and closing of any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b) respectively, based on rotation of said crankshaft (16); and
a first timing belt (20a) connecting said first pulley (14a) to said second pulley (14b) for causing rotation of said second pulley (14b) based on rotation of said first pulley (14a).

2. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second pulley (14b) comprises a port-opening (22) for opening and closing any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b) when said port-opening (22) is in-line with any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b).

3. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a third pulley (24a) rotatably coupled to said crankshaft (16) and a fourth pulley (24b) being rotatably coupled to other of said any one said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b) of said cylinder (12a) for enabling opening and closing of other of said any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b), respectively, based on rotation of said crankshaft (16).

4. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a second timing belt (20b) connecting said third pulley (24a) to said fourth pulley (24b) for causing rotation of said second pulley (14b) based on rotation of said first pulley (14a).

5. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1 and claim 2, wherein said second pulley (14b) is rotatably coupled to said any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b) using a shaft and ball bearing arrangement (14c) press-fitted into a first groove (14d) located proximal to said any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b).

6. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 3 and claim 4, wherein said fourth pulley (24b) is rotatably coupled to other of said any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b) using a shaft and ball bearing arrangement (24c) press-fitted into a second groove (24d) located proximal to other of said any one of said inlet port (18a) and said exhaust port (18b)
, Description:Complete Specification:

The following specification describes and ascertains the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Field of the invention
[0001] This invention relates to the field of internal combustion engine and most specifically to an apparatus for flow of gaseous matter in an internal combustion engine.

Background of the invention
[0002] In a conventional internal combustion engine intake valve and an exhaust valve is used for intake and exhaust operations respectively. The intake valve and the exhaust valve is operated by a camshaft that is connected to a crankshaft through a chain drive. The cam lobes on the camshaft facilitate operation of the intake valve and the exhaust valve.

[0003] However, the problem with this design is that, there is wear and tear between the valve and the valve seat in the intake and exhaust ports of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. Further, the intake valve and the exhaust valve are spring operated valves and hence there is a possibility of damage to the springs due to continuous usage. Hence there is a need for an apparatus for controlling flow of gases into the internal combustion engine and flow of gases out of the internal combustion engine.

Brief description of the accompanying drawing
[0004] Different modes of the invention are disclosed in detail in the description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

[0005] Figure 1 illustrates a front view of an apparatus for flow of gaseous matter in an internal combustion engine, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

[0006] Figure 2 illustrates a front view of an apparatus for flow of gaseous matter in an internal combustion engine during an intake stroke, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure;

[0007] Figure 3 illustrates a front view of an apparatus for flow of gaseous matter in an internal combustion engine during an exhaust stroke, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0008] Figure 4 illustrates a front view of a pulley along with a port opening, in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure.

Detailed description of the embodiments
[0009] An apparatus (10) for gaseous matter exchange in an internal combustion engine (12), the apparatus (10) comprising a first pulley (14a) rotatably coupled to a crankshaft (16) of the internal combustion engine (12) and a second pulley (14b) being rotatably coupled to any one of an inlet port (18a) and an exhaust port (18b) for enabling opening and closing of any one of the inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) respectively, based on rotation of the crankshaft (16) and a first timing belt (20a) connecting the first pulley (14a) to the second pulley (14b) for causing rotation of the second pulley (14b) based on rotation of the first pulley (14a).

[0010] The structure and working of the apparatus (10) will be explained in the below paragraphs in conjunction with Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4.

[0011] The apparatus (10) includes a first pulley (14a) and a second pulley (14b). The first pulley (14a) is rotatably coupled to an input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) or an output side (16b) of the crankshaft (16). The apparatus (10) also includes a second pulley (14b) that is rotatably coupled to either an inlet port (18a) or an exhaust port (18b) that correspond to the input side (16a) and the output side (16b) respectively. The inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) are present in a cylinder (12a) of the internal combustion engine (12).

[0012] In one embodiment, the first pulley (14a) is rotatably coupled to the input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) and the second pulley (14b) is rotatably coupled to the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a).

[0013] In one embodiment, the first pulley (14a) is rotatably coupled to the output side (16b) of the crankshaft (16) and the second pulley (14b) is rotatably coupled to the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a).

[0014] In one embodiment, the first pulley (14a) is rotatably coupled to the input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) and another pulley, for example a third pulley (24a) is rotatably coupled to the output side (16b) of the crankshaft (16). Further, in this embodiment, the second pulley (14b) is rotatably coupled to the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a) wherein the inlet port (18a) is aligned to the input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) and another pulley, for example, a fourth pulley (24b) is rotatably coupled to the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a). The structural features of the apparatus (10) is explained in detail in conjunction with Figure 1 considering this embodiment.

[0015] The first pulley (14a) and the second pulley (14b) are connected using a timing belt so that the second pulley (14b) rotates in accordance with the rotation of the first pulley (14a) that is rotatably coupled to either the input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) or the output side (16b) of the crankshaft (16).

[0016] In one embodiment, the first pulley and the second pulley can be present on one side, either an input side or an output side. Further, the other side can include a conventional cam arrangement.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first pulley and the second pulley can be present on one side, for example, the input side of the crankshaft and similar pair of pulleys, for example, the third pulley and the fourth pulley can be present on the other side, for example, output side of the crankshaft.

[0018] This disclosure is explained considering the first pulley and the second pulley being present on the input side of the crankshaft and the third pulley and the fourth pulley being present on the output side of the crankshaft.

[0019] Figure 1 illustrates a front view of an apparatus (10) for gaseous matter exchange in an internal combustion engine (12), in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure. The apparatus (10) includes a first pulley (14a) rotatably coupled to the input side (16a) of the crankshaft (16) and the second pulley (14b) is rotatably coupled to the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a). Similarly, a third pulley (24a) is rotatably connected to the output side (16b) of the crankshaft (16) and the fourth pulley (24b) is rotatably coupled to the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a).

[0020] In one embodiment, the pulleys include grooves on the surface. These grooves function as a timing control so that one pulley rotates in accordance with another pulley with required speed.

[0021] The first pulley (14a) is rotatably coupled along the axis of the crankshaft (16) for enabling rotation. The second pulley (14b) includes a shaft that is press-fitted into a first groove (14d) which is usually circular in shape and is located proximal to the input port of the cylinder (12a) using a ball bearing. Such shaft and ball bearing arrangement (14c) enables the second pulley (14b) to rotate freely. Similarly, the fourth pulley (24b) also includes a shaft that is press-fitted into a second groove (24d) located proximal to the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a) using a ball bearing. Such shaft and ball bearing arrangement (24c) enable the fourth pulley (24b) to rotate freely.

[0022] The second pulley (14b) further includes port-opening (22) as illustrated in Figure 4. The port-opening (22) is a hole present in the second pulley (14b). The dimension of this hole is decided based on many parameters such as cylinder (12a) size, intake stroke timing, exhaust stroke timing, flow rate requirement. When such port-opening (22) is in-line with the input port of the cylinder (12a) & intake manifold (18a) then a flow path is created for flow of gaseous matter into the cylinder (12a). Similarly, the third pulley (24a) includes a port-opening (22) as illustrated in Figure 4 and when this port-opening (22) is inline with the exhaust port (18b), a flow path is formed thereby enabling flow of the gaseous matter out of the cylinder (12a). Therefore, in general, such port-openings are used for exchange of gaseous matter in and out of the cylinder (12a) of the internal combustion engine (12).

[0023] The first pulley (14a) and the second pulley (14b) are connected to each through a first timing belt (20a) and the third pulley (24a) and the fourth pulley (24b) are connected to each other through a second timing belt (20b). These timing belts also include grooves on their surface. The spacing between the grooves on the timing belt is such that these grooves mesh with the grooves present in the pulleys. Such mesh contact between the timing belt and the pulley enable control of speed of rotation of one pulley in accordance with the other pulley. Therefore, the apparatus (10) disclosed enables flow of gaseous matter in an internal combustion engine (12) without the use of a camshaft or the inlet valve and the exhaust valve.

[0024] The working of the apparatus (10) is explained in the below paragraphs. In Figure 1, both the inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) are closed. The piston (12b) which is fitted into the connecting rod (12c) is located inside the cylinder (12a) of the internal combustion engine (12) and is adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder (12a).

[0025] As the crankshaft (16) rotates the piston (12b) reciprocates within the cylinder (12a). Further as the crankshaft (16) rotates, the first pulley (14a) located on the input side (16a) and the third pulley (24a) located on the output side (16b) also rotates. As the first pulley (14a) rotates the second pulley (14b) also rotates since the first pulley (14a) and the second pulley (14b) are connected through the first timing belt (20a). The rotation of the second pulley (14b) is timed such that during the intake stroke the port-opening (22) present in the second pulley (14b) is in-line with the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a). Such alignment of the port-opening (22) and the inlet port (18a) creates a flow path for enabling flow of fuel-air mixture from the intake manifold (17a) into the cylinder (12a). Hence, during the intake stroke, flow of fuel-air mixture into the cylinder (12a) is achieved. The timing control for aligning the port-opening (22) and the inlet port (18a) during the intake stroke is achieved through the grooves in the timing belt.

[0026] Similarly, as the crankshaft (16) continues to rotate, the third pulley (24a) also rotates. Rotation of the third pulley (24a) causes the fourth pulley (24b) to rotate since the third pulley (24a) and the fourth pulley (24b) are connected to each other through the second timing belt (20b). As the fourth pulley (24b) rotates, the grooves in the timing belt and the speed of rotation of the fourth pulley (24b) is such that the port-opening (22) present in the fourth pulley (24b) is in-line with the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a) at one point during the exhaust stroke. Such alignment of the port-opening (22) with the exhaust port (18b) creates a flow path so that the exhaust gases moves out of the cylinder (12a) to the exhaust manifold (17b).

[0027] In Figure 1, the internal combustion engine (12) is at power stroke. At power stroke, both the inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) are closed. That is the port-opening (22) in the second pulley (14b) is not aligned with the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a) and the port-opening (22) in the fourth pulley (24b) is not aligned with the exhaust port (18b) of the cylinder (12a). Therefore, both the inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) are closed. Thus during the power stroke, closure of both the ports are achieved.

[0028] In Figure 2, the internal combustion engine (12) is at intake stroke. Therefore, the position of the third pulley (24a) is such that the port-opening (22) in the third pulley (24a) is in-line with the inlet port (18a) thereby opening the inlet port (18a) and the position of the fourth pulley (24b) is such that the port-opening (22) in the fourth pulley (24b) is not in-line with the exhaust port (18b) thereby closing the exhaust port (18b). Since the inlet port (18a) is opened, the fuel-air mixture flows into the cylinder (12a) of the internal combustion engine (12). Thus the rotation of the first pulley (14a) and the second pulley (14b) along with the port-opening (22), function as an intake valve.

[0029] In Figure 3, the internal combustion engine (12) is at exhaust stroke. Therefore, the position of the fourth pulley (24b), at the exhaust stroke, is such that the port-opening (22) in the fourth pulley (24b) is aligned with the exhaust port (18b). Such alignment creates a flow path between the cylinder (12a) and the exhaust port (18b). Thus, at the exhaust stroke the exhaust gases can flow out of the engine cylinder (12a) through the exhaust port (18b). Hence, the rotation of the third pulley (24a) and the fourth pulley (24b) along with the port-opening (22) in the fourth pulley (24b), function as an exhaust valve. It should be noted that, at the exhaust stroke, the position of the second pulley (14b) is such that the port-opening (22) in the second pulley (14b) is not aligned with the inlet port (18a) of the cylinder (12a) thereby closing the inlet port (18a). Since the inlet port (18a) is closed, fuel-air mixture cannot flow into the cylinder (12a) during the exhaust stroke.

[0030] Therefore, the apparatus (10) disclosed in this disclosure enables intake operation and an exhaust operation in an internal combustion engine (12) without using a camshaft, intake valve and an exhaust valve. The pulleys along with the timing belt arrangement ensures opening and closing of the inlet port (18a) and the exhaust port (18b) based on the engine cycle. Since, camshaft, intake valve and exhaust valves are not used, errors due to wear between various elements are limited.

[0031] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention in terms of the type of injector used and the material used for sealing washer. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.