An internal combustion engine includes: a crankshaft supported via a bearing; a balancer drive gear ; a balancer shaft; and a one-way clutch mechanism that transmits to the crankshaft a drive force to start the internal combustion engine. In the internal combustion engine, the bearing includes an oil seal built therein, the oil seal sealing a crank chamber of the crankcase. The one-way clutch mechanism includes a case fixed to the crankshaft and a starter driven gear provided relatively rotatably with respect to the case and driven by the drive force. The starter driven gear includes a thrust bearing portion that abuts on the balancer drive gear in an axial direction of the crankshaft.

An engine-driven generator includes an engine having a crankshaft, a generator unit having a drive shaft connected to the crankshaft, a cooling fan connected to the drive shaft, and a recoil starter engageable with the cooling fan. The cooling fan includes a starting pulley engageable with the recoil starter, a centrifugal fan formed on a circumferential outer side of the pulley, and a mixed flow fan formed on a circumferential inner side of the pulley. The pulley, the centrifugal fan, the mixed flow fan are molded integrally with one another.

A prime mover for a lightweight vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a starter motor integrally integrated with the internal combustion engine, and a housing for the prime mover. The prime mover additionally comprises a Hall Effect sensor and an prime mover control module structured and operable to communicate with the Hall Effect sensor, determine when operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, and upon the determination that operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, utilize the communication from the Hall Effect sensor to stop the internal combustion engine such that a piston of the internal combustion engine is positioned at between 15 and 25 after bottom-dead-center.

A starter motor assist mechanism is provided. The starter motor assist mechanism may include a housing, a solenoid, and a hammer. The housing may be attachable to a starter motor. The solenoid may be disposed within the housing, and the hammer may be connected to the solenoid. The solenoid may move the hammer from a retracted position to an extended position for striking the starter motor.

An apparatus for starting engine of mild hybrid electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an ignition switch including a plurality of contact points; A gradient detector configured for detecting a road gradient of a road on which the vehicle is located; a state of charge (SOC) detector configured for detecting an SOC of a high voltage battery; a mild hybrid starter & generator (MHSG) including a stator and a rotor disposed inside the stator, and starting the engine or generating electricity by an output of the engine; a starter which is able to start the engine independently from the MHSG; an MHSG wheel rotating integrally with the rotor; an MHSG position detector configured for detecting a position of the MHSG; and a controller configured for determining a top dead center (TDC) of a predetermined cylinder based on a signal of the MHSG position detector.

A compressed self-ignition type internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection nozzle provided such that a plurality of injection holes are exposed from a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine to a combustion chamber, and a plurality of hollow ducts configured such that an inlet and an outlet are exposed to the combustion chamber. The plurality of ducts are configured such that each fuel spray injected from the plurality of injection holes of the fuel injection nozzle passes from the inlet to the outlet. The internal combustion engine includes a heating device for heating at least one of the plurality of ducts.

An engine device including a cylinder block having one side portion to which a flywheel that is rotated integrally with a crankshaft is disposed. The engine device is provided with a starter that transmits a rotational force to the flywheel at a time of engine start. A flywheel housing, which accommodates the flywheel and includes a starter attachment pedestal for attaching the starter, is attached to the one side portion of the cylinder block. The starter is disposed inner side of the engine than a portion of the flywheel housing, the portion being located outermost in the engine with respect to a direction that is perpendicular to a direction along a crankshaft center and that is parallel to the cylinder head joining surface of the cylinder block.

In an internal combustion engine for a saddle-ride type vehicle, in which a generator and a clutch are distributed and arranged on opposite sides in an axial direction of a crankshaft, a starting power transmission mechanism is arranged between a cylinder bore and the generator in a direction along an axis of the crankshaft, the starting power transmission mechanism transmitting starting power from a starter motor to the crankshaft, the starter motor being mounted on an outer surface of a crankcase. A crankcase cover covering the generator and the starting power transmission mechanism is mounted on the crankcase on a side opposite to the clutch. A release rod of a clutch release lever switching transmission and cutoff of power of the clutch is turnably supported to the crankcase cover at a side position of the generator.

A prime mover for a lightweight vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a starter motor integrally integrated with the internal combustion engine, and a housing for the prime mover. The prime mover additionally comprises a Hall Effect sensor and an prime mover control module structured and operable to communicate with the Hall Effect sensor, determine when operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, and upon the determination that operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, utilize the communication from the Hall Effect sensor to stop the internal combustion engine such that a piston of the internal combustion engine is positioned at between 15 and 25 after bottom-dead-center.

A method for maintaining a state of charge in a gas powered golf car, wherein the method comprises via an integrated starter control unit: continuously monitoring a state of charge of the battery; and continuously controlling operation of a generator based on the continuously monitored state of charge of the battery to thereby continuously maintain the state of charge of the battery within a desired range. A method for remotely controlling the operation of a gas powered golf car, wherein the method comprises using geospatial position data to monitor a location of the golf car and determine when the golf car is near or within a geofenced area, and then instructing an engine control unit to modify operation of the internal combustion engine in accordance with a predetermined operation profile specific to the geofenced area.