Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
(OP)
Can anyone start producing rotary engines, or would they likely have to be licensed by companies like Mazda, Wankel, Moller, or others?
Are certain critical technologies are still under active patents by Wankel or Mazda or ...?





RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Chances are, few people would have the resources to produce a complete engine on their own. Since they would have to borrow from others, they would likely run into patent and licensing issues. There were many other patents besides the original concept.
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
I am very interested in learning about the German company working on a diesel version.
Thanks in advance for any info.
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
From my little bit of USPTO searching and from someone else in another unrelated forum who says he has searched, saved and studied hundreds of rotary engine related patents- well, it seems to me that the only hold anyone has of anything related to the rotary engine are those with particular technologies, for instance like rotor seals which may be, but likely are not, showstoppers (there is rarely only one way to skin a cat). I am told that Mazda has not bothered to patent much lately, and that the vast majority of the original patents are long expired without any kind of "renewal".
So it would seem to me that the field is open.
Can anyone inform me otherwise? If so I would be pleased to learn in order to not waste my time and work.
I am arranging to do serious patent research, but that is not a mere couple hours or couple days of work, and I am "innocent" as regards patent laws and practice.
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Keep us posted headintheclouds as a diesel rotary sounds like a great aero engine. Ther are lots of leads if you search diesel wankel on google.
cheers, derek
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RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Wankle in Germany claims they are developing a heavy fuel rotary: http://www.wankel-ag.de/entw_e.html
RPI (Rotary Power International) was also trying to market a spark-assist heavy fuel rotary for several years, but they went out of business.
The drawback with these spark-assist heavy fuel engines is that they are usually fairly low performance (regardless of what their developers like to "project" or "estimate" about their power and fuel consumption).
Regards,
Terry
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
I do not know if the Midwest JP engines are spark or glow ignition. They were still making a aviation gasoline version for light aircraft last I looked.
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
RE: Does anyone know the patent status of the Wankel-type rotary engine?
Info. on the DA42 Atlantic Ocean crossing here
http://www.diamondair.com/contentc/prTwinAtlan.htm