Axial piston engine with an inclined cylinder bore

Abstract

An axial piston engine, in particular pump or motor, includes a housing, a drive shaft, and a cylinder drum. The drive shaft is mounted in the housing so as to be rotatable with respect to a first axis of rotation. A bearing body is received in the cylinder drum rotatably with respect to a second axis of rotation. The bearing body is connected to the drive shaft via a first ball joint that has a joint center lying on the first axis of rotation. The cylinder drum has at least one circular-cylindrical cylinder bore in which an elongated piston is displaceably received. A first end of the piston is connected to the drive shaft via a second ball joint. The at least one cylinder bore is arranged at an inclination to the second axis of rotation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An axial piston engine, comprising:
 a housing;   a drive shaft mounted rotatably in the housing with respect to a first axis of rotation;   a cylinder drum defining at least one circular-cylindrical cylinder bore;   a bearing body received rotatably in the cylinder drum with respect to a second axis of rotation, the bearing body being connected to the drive shaft via a first ball joint, the first ball joint having a joint center which lies on the first axis of rotation; and   an elongated piston received displaceably in the at least one circular-cylindrical cylinder bore, the piston having a first end connected to the drive shaft via a second ball joint,   wherein the at least one cylinder bore is arranged at an inclination to the second axis of rotation.   
     
     
         2 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the inclination angle between the second axis of rotation and the at least one cylinder bore amounts to between 0.4° and 3°. 
     
     
         3 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the mid-axis of the cylinder bore intersects the second axis of rotation on that side of the cylinder drum which faces away from the drive shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of cylinder bores are all arranged so as to be inclined to the second axis of rotation at the same inclination angle. 
     
     
         5 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the piston has a circular-conical portion that tapers toward the first end of the piston in such a way that the portion is linearly supported, at least indirectly, against the respective cylinder bore in at least one rotary position of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the piston has a one-piece basic body that, at the first end, has a ball head of the second ball joint, the piston bearing directly at the opposite second end against the respective cylinder bore. 
     
     
         7 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 5 , wherein the piston has a one-piece basic body that, at the first end, has a ball head of the second ball joint, the piston bearing directly at the opposite second end against the respective cylinder bore, and wherein the circular-conical portion is configured on the basic body. 
     
     
         8 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the axial piston engine is configured as a pump or a motor. 
     
     
         9 . The axial piston engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the inclination angle amounts to between 0.6° and 1.2°.