A connecting rod for an internal combustion engine with an eccentrical element adjustment arrangement for adjusting an effective connecting rod length, the eccentrical element adjustment arrangement including at least one ball joint including a ball head that is arranged at a support rod and supported in a ball head receiver of a piston, wherein the ball head is secured at its outer surface in the ball head receiver by safety devices against sliding out of the ball head receiver, and wherein the safety devices are configured as a one-piece or a multi-piece annular safety element which is arranged in the piston at least partially bonded or form locking.

An internal combustion engine includes: a variable compression ratio mechanism arranged to vary an engine compression ratio in accordance with a rotation position of a control shaft; an actuator arranged to vary the rotation position of the control shaft; an arm portion extending from the control shaft in a radially outward direction; a lever arranged to link the actuator and the arm portion; a link pin which penetrates the lever and the arm portion, and which rotatably links the lever and the arm portion; and a wall portion which confronts an end surface of the link pin irrespective of the rotation position of the control shaft, and which retains the link pin to the lever or the arm portion.

A set of mechanisms, for use with an internal combustion test engine, for testing cylinder offset during operation of the engine. The test engine specifics may vary, but it is assumed to have a crankcase base that supports a cylinder barrel and cylinder head. During engine operation, a transit plate is secured to the top surface of the crankshaft base, and a pair of wedge plates is secured between the transit plate and the bottom of the cylinder barrel. When the engine is not in operation, the transit plate can be slid in a direction normal to the crankshaft axis (for cylinder offset adjustment), and the wedge plates can be moved relative to each other (for cylinder height adjustment).

A piston arrangement comprising a cylinder, a piston head movable along a piston axis within the cylinder, a con rod, and a track having a path; wherein the con rod has a first end which is coupled to the piston head and a second end which is coupled to the track; wherein the track is adapted to be moved relative to the cylinder and is shaped such that, as the track moves relative to the cylinder, the piston head moves in reciprocating motion along the piston axis in accordance with the path of the track; wherein the path of the track is shaped such that piston head displacement is non simple harmonic with respect to displacement of the track relative to the cylinder. Also an internal combustion engine including the piston arrangement.

A device for changing a compression ratio of a cylinder unit of a reciprocating piston combustion engine is provided. An eccentric bushing is rotatably arranged in a receiving bore hole of a bearing eye of a connecting rod (conrod). The conrod bearing eye is formed by a conrod upper part and a conrod lower part, and which surrounds a crankpin of a crankshaft. In addition, the eccentric bushing is rotatably guided in the receiving bore hole and can be locked preferably in two positions which are offset from one another by approximately 180 in the circumferential direction of the eccentric bushing. In order to achieve a targeted rotation of the eccentric bushing in the bore hole of the conrod bearing eye between the locking positions, a freewheel is arranged between an outer casing surface of the eccentric bushing and the receiving bore hole of the conrod bearing eye.

A variable displacement hypocycloidal crankshaft includes a crankshaft, a hypocycloidal gear assembly, an external pin, and an angle-setting device. The crankshaft mounted in a chassis houses the piston assembly. The hypocycloidal gear assembly includes an internal gear and an external gear. The crankshaft is mounted on the chassis coaxially with the internal gear and rotates freely in the center of the internal gear. Then, the external gear is mounted on the crankshaft movable pin and engaged with the internal gear thereby rotating the external gear. The external pin operably engages the piston assembly. The angle-setting device mounted on the chassis operably engages the internal gear. The angle-setting device is coaxial to the hypocycloidal gear assembly for selectively varying the linear displacements of the piston assembly. The external gear meshes with the internal gear for converting the continuous rotation of the crankshaft to varying linear displacements of the piston assembly.

A variable displacement hypocycloidal crankshaft includes a crankshaft, a hypocycloidal gear assembly, an external pin, and an angle-setting device. The crankshaft mounted in a chassis houses the piston assembly. The hypocycloidal gear assembly includes an internal gear and an external gear. The crankshaft is mounted on the chassis coaxially with the internal gear and rotates freely in the center of the internal gear. Then, the external gear is mounted on the crankshaft movable pin and engaged with the internal gear thereby rotating the external gear. The external pin operably engages the piston assembly. The angle-setting device mounted on the chassis operably engages the internal gear. The angle-setting device is coaxial to the hypocycloidal gear assembly for selectively varying the linear displacements of the piston assembly. The external gear meshes with the internal gear for converting the continuous rotation of the crankshaft to varying linear displacements of the piston assembly.

An internal combustion engine includes: a variable compression ratio mechanism arranged to vary an engine compression ratio in accordance with a rotation position of a control shaft; an actuator arranged to vary the rotation positon of the control shaft; an arm portion extending from the control shaft in a radially outward direction; a lever arranged to link the actuator and the arm portion; a link pin which penetrates the lever and the arm portion, and which rotatably links the lever and the arm portion; and a wall portion which confronts an end surface of the link pin irrespective of the rotation position of the control shaft, and which retains the link pin to the lever or the arm portion.

An improved reciprocating internal combustion engine converts a larger percentage (than a conventional engine) of the linear force exerted by the piston into rotation of the crankshaft when the combustion pressures are at maximum, high or intermediate levels. This increased conversion results in more power per cycle, when compared to conventional engines of comparable size. The improved engine includes an engine block, a cylinder within the engine block, a piston slidably positioned within the cylinder for a reciprocating motion, a crankshaft, a connecting rod and a torque arm. One side of the connecting rod is pivotally mounted to the piston and on the other side to the torque arm. The torque arm is also operatively rigidly connected to a template that is mounted to the engine block. The template guides the movement of the torque arm along a predetermined path. The template is configured to position the torque arm at an angle with respect to the radius of the crankshaft at the pivot point such that the combined value of vectors that contribute to turning the crankshaft are significantly larger than that of the turning vectors in a conventional engine, when the combustion pressure in the cylinder is at the maximum high or intermediate levels.

It has variable compression ratio mechanism (10) that changes engine compression ratio depending on the rotational position of first control shaft (14). First control shaft (14) and second control shaft, which is connected to a motor, are coupled together by lever (24) of coupling mechanism (20). First arm portion (25) of first control shaft (14) and one end of lever (24) are rotatably coupled together by first coupling pin (26). When viewed in the axial direction of this first coupling pin (26), at least at a given compression ratio position, first coupling pin (26) is arranged at a position away from bearing cap (30) that is for rotatably supporting first control shaft (14).