Desmodronic shaft and yoke assembly for translating linear to rotary motion

摘要

The present invention relates to an assembly for translating linear movement to rotary motion, and in particular to an improved relationship between a linearly reciprocal member such as a yoke structure and associated piston, and a rotatable shaft such as a crank shaft. The invention could be used in any application where motion is to be translated from rotary to linear or vice versa, such as in compressors for example.

主权项

1. An assembly for translating linear motion of a linearly moveable member between a top dead center and a bottom dead center position to rotary motion of a rotatable shaft that is rotatable about a first axis, said assembly characterized by:
a yoke structure associated with said linearly moveable member and moveable therewith, said yoke structure including at least one inner arced surface having a radius defined by a second axis that extends parallel to the first axis but is disposed therefrom; and leverage means associated and rotatable with the rotatable shaft about said first axis, whereby an outer peripheral edge of said leverage means includes at least one arced contact surface having a radius defined by a third axis extending parallel to each of said first and second axes, said leverage means including a centerline extending through each of said first and third axes; wherein the leverage means and the yoke structure are dimensioned such that the inner arced surface of the yoke structure is encountered by the arced contact surface of the leverage means during a downstroke of the linearly moveable member from an approximate 90 degree shaft rotation angle; wherein from the commencement of each shaft revolution to the approximate 90 degree shaft rotation angle, useful contact between the yoke structure and the leverage means resulting in energy transfer from the yoke structure to the rotatable shaft via the leverage means occurs at a first contact point along said leverage means arced contact surface which is disposed along said centerline; and wherein useful contact between the respective arced surfaces from an approximate 90 degree shaft rotation angle occurs at a second contact point along said leverage means arced contact surface that is circumferentially disposed from said first contact point.