Motion conversion apparatus
A motion conversion apparatus ( 110 ) comprises a rodrack assembly ( 110 ) and a gearshaft member ( 150 ). The rodrack assembly ( 110 ) comprises a first gear connection member ( 120 ) and two guide members ( 140 ). The gearshaft member ( 150 ) comprises a second gear connection member ( 160 ) configured to engage with the first gear connection member ( 120 ), and a guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) configured to contact the guide members ( 140 ). The rodrack assembly ( 110 ) is configured to provide rotation of the gearshaft member ( 150 ) about a rotational axis (A) by reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly ( 110 ) along a first spatial dimension (D 1 ) orthogonal to the rotational axis (A), and/or the gearshaft member ( 150 ) is configured to provide reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly ( 110 ) along the first spatial dimension (D 1 ) by rotational motion of the gearshaft member ( 150 ) about the rotational axis (A). The guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) is configured to simultaneously contact each guide member ( 140 ) during at least a portion of the reciprocating linear motion of the rodrack assembly ( 110 ).
1. A motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) comprising:
at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ) comprising a first gear connection member ( 120 ) and two guide members ( 140 ); and
a gearshaft member ( 150 ) comprising a second gear connection member ( 160 ) configured to engage with the first gear connection member ( 120 ), and a guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) configured to contact the two guide members ( 140 ),
the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ) being configured to provide rotation of the gearshaft member ( 150 ) about a rotational axis (A) by reciprocating linear motion of the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ) along a first spatial dimension (D 1 ) orthogonal to the rotational axis (A), and/or the gearshaft member ( 150 ) being configured to provide reciprocating linear motion of the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ) along the first spatial dimension (D 1 ) by rotational motion of the gearshaft member ( 150 ) about the rotational axis (A),
the guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) being configured to simultaneously contact each of the two guide members ( 140 ) during at least a portion of the reciprocating linear motion of the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ),
wherein the guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) comprises wall surfaces ( 173 ) of an interrupted central periodic groove ( 172 ), and an outer surface ( 174 ) of the pear shaft member ( 150 ).
2. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two guide members ( 140 ) includes two opposite ends which each protrude from opposite sides of the first gear connection member ( 120 ).
3. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the two guide members ( 140 ) are located on the first gear connection member ( 120 ).
4. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the two guide members ( 140 ) include two shafts.
5. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) comprises wall surfaces ( 173 ) of an interrupted central periodic groove ( 172 ), and the two shafts are configured to travel within the periodic groove ( 172 ) during the reciprocating linear motion of the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ).
6. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 4 , wherein each of the two shafts is configured to spin along a longitudinal axis thereof.
7. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear connection member ( 120 ) includes a first gear engagement ( 122 ) and a second gear engagement ( 124 ), the first gear engagement ( 122 ) and the second gear engagement ( 124 ) being opposed to one another in a second spatial dimension (D 2 ) parallel to the rotational axis (A), and being offset from one another in the second spatial dimension (D 2 ) and a third spatial dimension (D 3 ), the first, second and third spatial dimensions (D 1 , D 2 , D 3 ) being orthogonal to one another, the second gear connection member ( 160 ) being disposed between the first gear engagement ( 122 ) and the second gear engagement ( 124 ) in the second spatial dimension (D 2 ).
8. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the second gear connection member ( 160 ) includes:
a third gear engagement ( 162 ) and a fourth gear engagement ( 164 ), the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ) facing in opposite directions and being disposed on opposite surfaces of the second gear connection member ( 160 ) along a first diameter of the second gear connection member ( 160 ); and
a fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and a sixth gear engagement ( 168 ), the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ) facing in opposite directions and being disposed on opposite surfaces of the second gear connection member ( 160 ) along a second diameter of the second gear connection member ( 160 ),
wherein the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ) are offset relative to the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ) in the third spatial dimension (D 3 ), such that the first gear engagement ( 122 ) is engageable with the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ), and the second gear engagement ( 124 ) is engageable with the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ).
9. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the second gear connection member ( 160 ) extends through the at least one reciprocating rodrack assembly ( 110 ).
10. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ) is configured to provide constant rotation of the gearshaft member ( 150 ) by the reciprocating linear motion of the at least one rodrack assembly ( 110 ).
11. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the gearshaft member ( 150 ) includes a central hole extending through the second gear connection member ( 160 ).
12. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear connection member ( 120 ) is located between at least one pair of opposing pistons ( 130 ) along the first spatial dimension (D 1 ), the opposing pistons ( 130 ) being configured to reciprocate along the first spatial dimension (D 1 ).
13. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the opposing pistons ( 130 ) are configured such that two strokes of the opposing pistons ( 130 ) cause one revolution of the gearshaft member ( 150 ).
14. The motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the second gear connection member ( 160 ) is located between the two guide members ( 140 ).
15. A gearshaft member ( 150 ) for a motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ), the gearshaft member ( 150 ) comprising:
a second gear connection member ( 160 ) and a guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ), the second gear connection member ( 160 ) being configured to engage with a first gear connection member ( 120 ) of a rodrack assembly ( 110 ), the guiding surface arrangement ( 170 ) including an interrupted central periodic groove ( 172 ) and an outer surface ( 174 ) of the gear shaft member ( 150 ),
a third gear engagement ( 162 ) and a fourth gear engagement ( 164 ), the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ) facing in opposite directions and being disposed on opposite surfaces of the second gear connection member ( 160 ) along a first diameter of the second gear connection member ( 160 ); and
a fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and a sixth gear engagement ( 168 ), the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ) facing in opposite directions and being disposed on opposite surfaces of the second gear connection member ( 160 ) along a second diameter of the second gear connection member ( 160 ),
wherein the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ) are offset relative to the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ) in the third spatial dimension (D 3 ), such that a first gear engagement ( 122 ) of the first gear connection member ( 120 ) is engageable with the third gear engagement ( 162 ) and the fourth gear engagement ( 164 ), and a second gear engagement ( 124 ) of the first gear connection member ( 120 ) is engageable with the fifth gear engagement ( 166 ) and the sixth gear engagement ( 168 ).
16. An internal combustion engine assembly comprising:
the motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 .
17. A pump assembly comprising:
the motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 .
18. A compressor assembly comprising:
the motion conversion apparatus ( 100 ) according to claim 1 .