A saddled vehicle includes: a fuel injection valve mounted in a cylinder head from one side surface of the cylinder head and injecting fuel toward a combustion chamber; and a fuel pump that supplies fuel to the fuel injection valve in response to a generated pump pressure. The fuel pump is disposed in a space between main frames and a down frame and in the one side surface of the cylinder head. Accordingly, there is provided a layout of the fuel pump capable of sufficiently protecting the fuel pump without a need to restrict a position of an internal combustion engine.

According to the present invention an expandable joint is made without removable bearing caps by preassembling eccentric bushings onto the hinge pin. The expandable joint has a hinge type construction, but with the journals for each side of the hinge being spaced apart so that the distance between the two sides of the hinge changes with rotation of the hinge pin. The expandable joint of the present invention is assembled by sliding the hinge pin into the hinged joint with the eccentric bushings attached. Once the hinge pin is in place, the eccentric bushings are locked in place with fasteners so that they do not rotate. After the eccentric bushings are locked in place, the hinge pin can be turned to expand the joint. The expandable joint is intended for use in variable compression ratio engines, where expansion of the joint changes the compression ratio of the engine.

An internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism A able to change a mechanical compression ratio. The control device comprises a compression ratio detector for detecting a mechanical compression ratio based on a value of the relative position parameter representing a relative positional relationship between the cylinder block 2 and a piston 4, and a compression ratio controller for feedback controlling the mechanical compression ratio so that the mechanical compression ratio becomes a target mechanical compression ratio. In feedback controlling the variable compression ratio mechanism, the compression ratio controller does not use the mechanical compression ratio detected by the compression ratio detector when a crank angle is in a predetermined crank angle range including a time period where the cylinder pressure is equal to or greater than a preset predetermined pressure at least at one cylinder among the plurality of cylinders.

An internal combustion engine provided with a cylinder block which can move relative to a crankcase is provided with a block movement mechanism arranged at just one side of the left and right of the internal combustion engine, a support member supporting a side surface of the cylinder block, and a pushing member pushing against a side surface of the cylinder block at the opposite side to the side surface supported by the support member. Further, the support member supports the side surface of the cylinder block at the side of arrangement of the block movement mechanism, while the pushing member pushes against the side surface of the cylinder block at the opposite side to the side of arrangement of the block movement mechanism.

According to the present invention a variable compression ratio engine having a pair of eccentric control shafts, a crankcase and a cylinder jug has contiguous metal casting bearing sockets located in the crankcase for supporting the eccentric control shaft, and an eccentric control shaft axis location close in to the working cylinders, and located between the bottom edge of the working cylinders and the floor of the water jacket, thereby providing a rigid and compact crankcase and cylinder jug assembly. Nesting of the eccentric control shafts under the water jacket and close in to the cylinder bores, and also eliminating use of removable bearing caps in the crankcase provides a compact and rigid crankcase and cylinder jug assembly. Side walls that extend above and below the eccentric control shafts provide added rigidity and also enclose the crankcase for containing oil within the crankcase. Internal webbing within the crankcase provides added rigidity and provides an aerodynamic crankcase interior and an oil drain back passageway for reduced internal aerodynamic drag on the cranktrain at high engine speeds. A major benefit of the present invention is that it is robust and can support the large forces encountered in internal combustion engines. Another benefit of the present invention is that removable bearing caps are not required, resulting in a lower cost and a smaller size than prior art engines having removable bearing caps.

According to the present invention a variable compression ratio engine having a pair of eccentric control shafts, a crankcase and a cylinder jug has contiguous metal casting bearing sockets located in the crankcase for supporting the eccentric control shaft, and an eccentric control shaft axis location close in to the working cylinders, and located between the bottom edge of the working cylinders and the floor of the water jacket, thereby providing a rigid and compact crankcase and cylinder jug assembly. Nesting of the eccentric control shafts under the water jacket and close in to the cylinder bores, and also eliminating use of removable bearing caps in the crankcase provides a compact and rigid crankcase and cylinder jug assembly. Side walls that extend above and below the eccentric control shafts provide added rigidity and also enclose the crankcase for containing oil within the crankcase. Internal webbing within the crankcase provides added rigidity and provides an aerodynamic crankcase interior and an oil drain back passageway for reduced internal aerodynamic drag on the cranktrain at high engine speeds. A major benefit of the present invention is that it is robust and can support the large forces encountered in internal combustion engines. Another benefit of the present invention is that removable bearing caps are not required, resulting in a lower cost and a smaller size than prior art engines having removable bearing caps.

The control system of a vehicle comprises: a variable compression ratio mechanism A able to change a mechanical compression ratio of an internal combustion engine 2 provided in the vehicle 1, 1, 1; a compression ratio control part 31 configured to control the mechanical compression ratio by the variable compression ratio mechanism; and a slope detection device 41 detecting a slope of a road on which the vehicle is driving. The compression ratio control part is configured to control the mechanical compression ratio based on the slope detected by the slope detection device when fuel cut control in which feed of fuel to combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine is stopped is being performed.

A control device for controlling an internal combustion engine equipped with an engine body, a variable compression ratio mechanism A configured to be able to change a mechanical compression ratio of the engine body, and an intake system configured to be able to make exhaust discharged from combustion chambers of the engine body be recirculated to an intake passage of the engine body. The control device is provided with a compression ratio control part controlling the variable compression ratio mechanism A so that the mechanical compression ratio becomes the target compression ratio. The compression ratio control part sets the target compression ratio at a lower value when exhaust is being recirculated at a predetermined operating region at an engine low load side than when exhaust is not being recirculated.

An internal combustion engine provided with a cylinder block able to move relative to a crankcase is provided with a block movement mechanism arranged just at one side of the internal combustion engine, a pair of guide walls provided at the crankcase, a support member supporting a side surface of the cylinder block, and a pushing member pushing against a side surface of the cylinder block. Further, at the guide wall at the side of arrangement of the block movement mechanism, the support member is attached to the top side from the position of attachment of the other end part of the connecting member and the pushing member is attached to the bottom side from the position of attachment of the other end part of the connecting member, while at the guide wall at the opposite side from the side of arrangement of the block movement mechanism, the support member is attached to the bottom side (bottom side of cylinder block) a predetermined space from pushing member.

According to the present invention a closed cell compressible sponge is used to provide a seal between the cylinder head assembly and the crankcase assembly in variable compression ratio engines. The closed cell sponge is capable of accommodating large travel distances and can be fabricated out of durable rubber. The sponge gasket also does not flap, and is effective at isolating noise inside the crankcase.