IP Library Granted Patent US 8,544,443
Granted Patent B2
US 8,544,443 · App. 12/920,827 · Granted Oct 1, 2013

Pre-chamber

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,544,443
App. No.
12/920,827
Granted
Oct 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pre-chamber is provided. In one embodiment, the pre-chamber is part of a two-stroke combustion engine having a cylinder head with a sparkplug receptacle that has a generally frustoconical shape, and the pre-chamber is coupled to the sparkplug receptacle. The pre-chamber may include a cooling jacket with a generally frustoconical shape and a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, which may be narrower than the upper zone.

Claims (53)

1. A device comprising:

a two-stroke combustion engine comprising:

a cylinder head having a sparkplug receptacle; and

a pre-chamber removably coupled to the sparkplug receptacle, wherein the pre-chamber comprises a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, the upper zone has a first passage angled toward a first side wall of the combustion chamber, the lower zone has a second passage angled toward a second side wall of the combustion zone opposite from the first side wall, and the first and second passages are oriented to induce swirl to enhance fuel air mixing in the combustion chamber.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sparkplug receptacle is generally angled relative to a central axis of the cylinder head.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cylinder head comprises two spark plug receptacles that are generally reflectively symmetric.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sparkplug receptacle has a generally frustoconical shape.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the upper zone is wider than the lower zone, the upper zone generally defines a first spherical segment, the lower zone generally defines a second spherical segment, and the upper zone is joined to the lower zone by a generally frustoconical zone.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises a cooling jacket configured to circulate a cooling fluid, the cooling jacket surrounds the combustion chamber, and the cooling jacket is removably coupled to the combustion chamber.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the cooling jacket has a generally frustoconical shape.

8. A device comprising:

a pre-chamber configured to removably couple to a sparkplug receptacle of an engine, wherein the pre-chamber comprises:

a combustion chamber;

a first passage angled toward a first side wall of the combustion chamber; and

a second passage angled toward a second side wall of the combustion chamber opposite from the first side wall, wherein the first and second passages are oriented to induce swirl to enhance fuel air mixing in the combustion chamber.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises:

a removable inner body, comprising:

a first shoulder; and

a tip extending from the first shoulder, wherein the tip is configured to thread into a threaded aperture of the sparkplug receptacle;

a cooling housing disposed at least partially around the removable inner body, wherein the cooling housing comprises a second shoulder biased against the first shoulder, and the cooling housing is configured to circulate a cooling fluid;

a clamping member coupled to the removable inner body and coupled to the cooling housing by a threaded connection, wherein the threaded connection is disposed at a distal portion of the pre-chamber away from the tip.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the combustion chamber of the removable inner body comprises a generally oval shaped interior.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the removable inner body is biased in compression and the cooling housing is biased in tension by the clamping member.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein:

the first passage is a fuel passage that is generally tangent to the combustion chamber; and

the second passage is directed toward a tip of the pre-chamber, and the second passage is generally tangent to the combustion chamber.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the second passage is generally co-planar with the fuel passage.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the pre-chamber is configured to support an ignition device to ignite a fuel air mixture in the combustion chamber.

15. A system, comprising:

an engine;

a pre-chamber coupled to the engine, wherein the pre-chamber comprises a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, the upper zone has a first passage angled toward a first side wall of the combustion chamber, the lower zone has a second passage angled toward a second side wall of the combustion chamber opposite from the first side wall, and the first and second passages are oriented to induce swirl to enhance fuel air mixing in the combustion chamber; and

a compressor coupled to the engine.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises a cooling jacket removably coupled to the combustion chamber, the pre-chamber is removably coupled to a sparkplug receptacle of the engine, and the cooling jacket is configured to circulate a cooling fluid about the combustion chamber.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pre-chamber has the combustion chamber that comprises:

the upper zone that generally defines a first spherical segment;

the lower zone that generally defines a second spherical segment; and

a frustoconical portion that extends between the upper zone and the lower zone.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the engine is a two-stroke engine configured to combust a gas fuel.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pre-chamber has a generally frustoconical shape.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises:

a cooling housing in tension; and

an inner body in compression.

21. A system, comprising:

a pre-chamber configured to couple to an engine, wherein the pre-chamber comprises a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, the upper zone has a first passage angled toward a first side wall of the combustion chamber, the lower zone has a second passage angled toward a second side wall of the combustion chamber opposite from the first side wall, and the first and second passages are oriented to induce swirl to enhance fuel air mixing in the combustion chamber.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the pre-chamber has a generally frustoconical shape.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises:

a cooling housing in tension; and

an inner body in compression.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the pre-chamber comprises a cooling housing removably coupled to the combustion chamber, and the pre-chamber is configured to removably couple to a sparkplug receptacle of the engine.

25. A system, comprising:

an engine; and

a pre-chamber removably coupled to a sparkplug receptacle of the engine, wherein the pre-chamber comprises a combustion chamber having an upper zone and a lower zone, the upper zone has a first passage angled toward a first side wall of the combustion chamber, the lower zone has a second passage angled toward a second side wall of the combustion chamber opposite from the first side wall, and the first and second passages are oriented to induce swirl to enhance fuel air mixing in the combustion chamber.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the pre-chamber has a cooling housing in tension and an inner body in compression, the cooling housing is removably coupled to the inner body, and the inner body comprises the combustion chamber.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 058495/0392 Recorded Aug 28, 2025
From: BMO BANK, N.A. (F/K/A BMO HARRIS BANK), AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: COOPER MACHINERY SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 072711/0461 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2025
From: COOPER MACHINERY SERVICES LLC; ACI SERVICES, LLC
To: BANK OF MONTREAL, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072772/0850 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 52371/0164 Recorded Dec 14, 2021
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
To: GE OIL & GAS COMPRESSION SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 058913/0232 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2021
From: COOPER MACHINERY SERVICES LLC
To: BMO HARRIS BANK N.A., A CANADIAN CHARTERED BANK ACTING THROUGH ITS CHICAGO BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058495/0392 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 27, 2021
From: GE OIL & GAS COMPRESSION SYSTEMS, LLC
To: COOPER MACHINERY SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 055136/0168 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 10, 2020
From: GE OIL & GAS COMPRESSION SYSTEMS, LLC
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 052371/0164 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2014
From: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
To: GE OIL & GAS COMPRESSION SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 033073/0069 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2010
From: TALIAFERRO, JASON
To: CAMERON INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024940/0273 →