Synchronizing clutch mechanism for a split crankshaft in an internal combustion engine
View Patent ↗The invention relates to an internal combustion engine comprising a plurality of subunits which each comprise a crankshaft part, at least one piston being accommodated on a crank of each crankshaft part by means of a connecting rod, wherein at least one first subunit is permanently operated while the internal combustion engine is operating, and at least one additional subunit can be switched off. To switch off a subunit and to disconnect the crankshaft parts from each other, the crankshaft parts of at least one first subunit and an adjacent second subunit that can be switched off are connected to each other in a rotationally locked manner and can move relative to each other with respect to the rotational axes thereof in such a way that a rotational motion applied to the crankshaft part of the second subunit by the crankshaft part of the first subunit is substantially suspended.
1. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a first subunit including a first crankshaft part and a first rotary axis;
a second subunit including a second crankshaft part and a second rotary axis;
at least one respective piston being accommodated on a respective crank of each said first and second crankshaft parts by means of a first and second connecting rod, respectively; and,
an eccentric arm non-rotatably connected to said first crankshaft part, wherein:
said first subunit is permanently operated while said internal combustion engine is operating;
said second subunit can be switched off;
in a first position, said eccentric arm rotationally connects said first and second crankshaft parts; and,
said eccentric arm is arranged to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to said first and second rotary axes from said first position to rotationally disconnect said first and second crankshaft parts.
2. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 1 , wherein said eccentric arm extensible depending on the shift of said first and second crankshaft parts acts between said first and second crankshaft parts of said first and second subunits.
3. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 2 , wherein said eccentric arm is designed to be extensible by means of a linear guide.
4. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 2 , wherein said eccentric arm on said first rotary axis of said first crankshaft part and on said second crankshaft part is basically offset from said second rotary axis of said second crankshaft part by a distance between said second rotary axis of said second crankshaft part and a rotary axis of said respective crank, and said eccentric arm is fixedly arranged on said first crankshaft part and rotatably arranged on said second crankshaft part.
5. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 2 , wherein said permanently operated subunit having said first crankshaft part fixedly mounted relative to a housing, and said second crankshaft part of said second subunit that can be shut off can be shifted in parallel to said first rotary axis of said first crankshaft part of said permanently operated subunit, wherein said non-shiftable first crankshaft part accommodates said eccentric arm, and said shiftable second crankshaft part is connected in a manner locked against rotation to said non-shiftable first crankshaft part by means of a crank pin that is provided on said eccentric arm, is radially offset relative to said second rotary axis of said second shiftable crankshaft part and is radially shiftable relative to said first rotary axis of said first non-shiftable crankshaft part depending on a shift of said first shiftable crankshaft part.
6. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 1 , wherein said second subunit is arranged to be shiftable in parallel by means of an actuator relative to said first subunit in reference to their respective rotary axes.
7. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 1 , wherein said second shiftable subunit is accommodated on a slide that is arranged to be slightly shiftable relative to said housing with said non-shiftable subunit.
8. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 1 , wherein said eccentric arm has a center of gravity that lies outside of said first rotary axis of its respective crankshaft part when said second subunit is turned off.
9. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 1 , wherein said first and second crankshaft parts of a permanently driven and an engaged subunit are clamped against each other free of play.
10. The internal combustion engine recited in claim 7 , wherein said housing and said slide are clamped against each other free of play when said second subunit is engaged.
11. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a first subunit with a first crankshaft part and a first rotary axis; and,
a second subunit with a second crankshaft and a second rotary axis, wherein:
in a first position of the second subunit, the first and second rotary axes are coaxial and the first and second subunits are rotationally coupled; and,
the second subunit is displaceable in an orthogonal direction, with respect to the first rotary axis, such that the first subunit is decoupled from the second subunit.