US20020083922A1

US20020083922A1 - Airflow constrictor valve for automotive cylinder

Info

Publication number: US20020083922A1
Application number: US09/753,177
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth Siebert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-03
Filing date: 2001-01-03
Publication date: 2002-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2021-01-03
Also published as: US6450142B1

Abstract

A slightly convex plate (1) having one or more fixed shafts (2) on either end so that it can swing back and fourth within an intake port of a cylinder head. The plate also contains one or more counter weights (3) attached to either side of said plate to keep said plate in a vertical position through the use of gravity when no vacuum is present.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

2. Description of Prior Art

The automotive industry has always had the belief that large intake ports on cylinder heads make horsepower at high revolutions per minute (rpm) above approximately 3000 rpm. However, due to their size, these large ports have air flow that is slow at lower rpm, below 3000 rpm, making them unusable in daily driving on the street, especially when your automobile spends most of its time below 3000 rpm. This is due to the fact that when the piston in the engine is moving up and down in the cylinder, a vacuum is created. This vacuum at 800 rpm idle for most automobiles pulls air and fuel from the carburetor or fuel injection system, through the intake port of a cylinder head, down inside the combustion chamber to be ignited to make power to keep the engine continuously working. By varying the size of the intake port, you can change how much fuel and air the engine can take into the combustion chamber. At high rpm and vacuum, the engine is theoretically limited in its power ability by the size of the intake ports. Large ports have large airflow but slow air speed, while small ports have less airflow but faster air speed. Taking a certain size straw and sucking a milk shake through it can experience this phenomenon. Next, take a larger diameter straw and repeat the same process. You will find the suction is less on the larger diameter straw and the milkshake moves slower through the straw. Basically, larger ports have a lower flow velocity given the same flow demand. An air column of a given mass at a lower velocity has less inertia and potential energy possible negating any ram air effect. The ram air effect is critical for obtaining a complete cylinder filling at low rpm and is just as critical for maximizing volumetric efficiency at high rpm. Incomplete cylinder filling at low rpm causes an engine to have poor bottom end power and throttle response. For these reasons, large ports are mainly reserved for racing-type engines only. The automotive industry logically uses smaller ports for factory cars because smaller ports make a power band more useful to the average motorist on the street. This is due to their faster airflow. The speed of the mixture of fuel and air determines how tightly the combustion chamber is packed. The more tightly packed the combustion chamber, the more pressure developed when the mixture is ignited pushing the piston with more force for more power. There is no dual-purpose cylinder head available, to my knowledge. Until now, it is either large port for racing or small port for the street by placing a constrictor valve inside an intake port approximately one-half to three-quarters of an inch the size of the port. I can make a large port speed up airflow, but as the rpm increases it adjusts by vacuum pulling on it causing it to open up to a large port size at a specific rpm again, effectively being a dual purpose cylinder head. You get low rpm throttle response and high rpm horsepower all in one. Basically, a cylinder head that was believed to work only at high rpm can be used at lower rpm also.

SUMMARY

A device for increasing airflow speed through an inlet port of an automotive cylinder head.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, in addition to the aforementioned background, other object advantages of my invention are:

(1) more power capability from virtually any internal combustion engine that uses intake ports such as lawnmowers, gas-powered weed eaters, generators, motorboat engines, etc.

(2) the use of this constrictor valve could eliminate the need for more costly and less reliable devices which speed airflow such as turbocharger, superchargers.

DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a respective view of the valve assembly with all its parts. [0008]
FIG. 2 shows a valve with the pivot points placed toward the center of the valve. [0009]
FIG. 2A shows two valves placed within an intake port.[0010]

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

[0011] 1 constrictor valve
[0012] 2 fixed pivot
[0013] 3 counter weight
Description—FIGS. [0014] 1
A preferred embodiment of the constrictor valve of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 perspective view (front). The valve has a rectangular shape to fit most intake ports of engines, past or presently produced. However, the valve can be any shape to accommodate the intake port of any engine. In the preferred embodiment, the valve [0015] 1 is made of aluminum. However, the valve can be made of other materials that can withstand heat and stress of being inside an intake port, i.e., brass, stainless steel, titanium, etc.
At either side of the valve [0016] 1 there is a pivot point, 2 they are attached 5 mm in diameter and approximately 16 mm in length, the valve is approximately 38 mm wide, 45 mm long (depending on size of intake port), and 2 mm thick. The outer four comers are rounded off as well as the bottom of the valve 1 to make the valve more aerodynamic with less friction to air and fuel flow.
FIG. 4—AIternative Embodiment [0017]
There are other possibilities regarding the means of self-adjustment. FIG. 4 illustrates a constrictor valve using a spring in place of a counterweight for returning the valve back to the upright position. [0018]
Operation—Figs [0019]
The manner in which the constrictor valve operates is as follows: The valve [0020] 1 sits inside an engine intake port, it is held upright by the attached counterweight and gravity, 3 when the engine is started, a vacuum is induced inside the intake port. As vacuum increases with the engine rpm, the valve is pulled open more and pivots on the two pivot points 2, as vacuum decreases, it returns to upright position once again.
Conclusion, Ramifications, and Scope [0021]
Accordingly, the reader will see that the constrictor valve of the invention provides a simple means to increase air/fuel flow speed in a cylinder head in an easy and economical way, and especially, when compared to the other means to speed airflow currently in manufacture, i.e., superchargers, turbo chargers. [0022]
Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example, the valve can have other shapes such as rectangular, oval, trapezoid, etc.; i.e., the valve could have linkage arms or a spring connected to it. [0023]
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. [0024]

Claims

I claim:

1. A device for increasing airflow speed through a fuel intake port of an automotive cylinder head, comprising.

a) a plate of rigid material, having sufficient size to fit inside an intake port of a cylinder head and having in combination

b) a plurality of pivotably fixed pivot points on either end of said plate and

c) a counterweight attached to said plate whereby said plate has means to self adjust inside a fuel intake port of a cylinder head, caused by vacuum changes.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said counterweight has predetermined weight.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said plate is convex in shape.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said fixed pivot points are of an arbor type.