US 12,320,312 B2
Piston assembly with opposing injection regions for an opposed-piston engine
Ryan G. MacKenzie, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Achates Power, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by ACHATES POWER, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 16, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/451,007.
Application 18/451,007 is a continuation of application No. 16/790,552, filed on Feb. 13, 2020, abandoned.
Application 16/790,552 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2018/049214, filed on Aug. 31, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/555,201, filed on Sep. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0392564 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. F02F 3/22 (2006.01); B23P 15/10 (2006.01); F02B 75/28 (2006.01); F02F 3/00 (2006.01); F02F 3/26 (2006.01)
CPC F02F 3/22 (2013.01) [F02F 3/003 (2013.01); B23P 15/10 (2013.01); F02B 75/282 (2013.01); F02F 2003/0061 (2013.01); F02F 3/26 (2013.01); F02F 2200/04 (2013.01); F05C 2201/0448 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An opposed-piston engine, comprising:
a cylinder block with a plurality of cylinders disposed in an inline array along a length of the cylinder block;
a pair of pistons disposed in opposition in each cylinder;
each piston of the pair of pistons comprising an inner ring belt region, an outer ring belt region, and a wristpin bore with a wristpin axis, the wristpin bore for receiving a wristpin coupling the piston to a connecting rod that swings in a connecting rod motion envelope that is substantially orthogonal to the wristpin axis, the piston further comprising a crown with an end surface and a bowl in the end surface configured to form a combustion chamber in cooperation with a bowl of an adjacent end surface of an opposing piston, the end surface including a pair of injection regions across which fuel is injected into the bowl;
a respective injection trench situated in each injection region;
wherein the injection regions are disposed in respective diametrically-opposed quadrants of the end surface, situated at locations that are offset arcuately between the wristpin bore axis and the envelope of motion;
wherein each injection region extends along a respective arc concentric with the center of the circular peripheral edge; and,
wherein the respective arc of each injection region subtends an angle of 50-70 degrees, with the vertex of the angle being coincident with a longitudinal axis of the piston.