A crank drive device for an internal combustion engine which comprises a crankshaft configured to be eccentrically connected to a connecting rod of a piston and to drive the drive shaft. The crankshaft is eccentrically connected to the camshaft and is rotatably supported with respect to the camshaft. An auxiliary motor which is configured to rotate the rotatable eccentric system.

A crank and connecting rod mechanism which can realize Miller cycle and its control method, wherein an interior of a crankshaft is provided with a drive oil channel and a lock-up oil channel. A connecting rod neck of the crankshaft is arranged with an eccentric connecting rod bearing. In a crankshaft balance weight, a drive gear meshing with an outer meshing gear ring of the eccentric connecting rod bearing through an idle gear is installed. A planetary gear is installed in a drive gear hollow shaft. A lockpin is designed for the drive gear hollow shaft so as to lock with the crankshaft balance weight or with a planetary gear shaft.

The present invention relates to a control device and to a control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body having a movability range regulated by two stoppers, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body. The control device of the present invention learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of a high-rigidity stopper, and limits, to a lower level, an operation variable of the actuator for moving the moving body toward a low-rigidity stopper along with an increase in an amount of change in the output of the sensor from the contact state of the high-rigidity stopper. Then, the control device learns the output of the sensor corresponding to the contact state of the low-rigidity stopper, and controls the actuator based on the output of the sensor learned at both the stopper positions.

A method for varying a compression ratio of an operating applied-ignition internal combustion engine having at least two cylinders and having a crank mechanism (1) comprising a crankshaft (2) which is mounted in a crankcase and which rotates at a crankshaft rotational speed .sub.crankshaft, is described. The method includes increasing an expansion phase of a cylinder cycle via rotation of the eccentric bushing (4).

In a first region on a low load side of an operation region of a direct fuel injection engine, homogenous combustion is performed, while, in a second region of the operation region on a load side higher than the first region, stratified combustion is performed. In the stratified combustion, a fuel is dispersed in a cylinder by a first injection operation and a fuel is unevenly distributed in a vicinity of the ignition plug by a second injection operation. Shift control by the stratified combustion is executed at a time of shifting when an operation state of the engine has shifted from the first region to the second region, and in the shift control, a fuel in an amount larger than a target amount of the second injection operation in the second region is injected by the second injection operation and then, an injection amount of the second injection operation is decreased toward the target amount.

A crankshaft is rotatably supported by an engine block and rotatable about a crank axis. An eccentric shaft is rotatably supported within the engine and rotatable about an eccentric shaft axis, wherein the eccentric shaft axis is parallel to and distal from the crank axis. A speed change mechanism interlinks movement of the eccentric shaft and the crankshaft. The speed change mechanism selectively varies a ratio of a rotational speed of the eccentric shaft relative to a rotational speed of the crankshaft from 1:1 to one of: 8:1, 6:1, 4:1 2:1, 1:1, 0.5:1, 0:1, 0.5:1, 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, and 8:1, thereby causing the eccentric shaft to rotate at a speed different from the crankshaft and varying a rotational position of the eccentric shaft relative to the crankshaft.

A internal combustion engine comprises an engine block defining a cylinder bore, and a piston slideably supported within the cylinder bore. The piston slides reciprocally within the cylinder bore throughout an engine cycle through a piston compression stroke having a compression stroke length and a piston expansion stroke having an expansion stroke length. A crankshaft is rotatably supported by the engine block and rotatable about a crank axis, and a drive gear is co-axially mounted on the crankshaft. A control shaft is rotatably supported by the engine block and rotatable about a control axis that is parallel to and distal from the crank axis. A driven gear is coaxially mounted on the control shaft. A link rod is rotatably connected to the crankshaft and rotatable relative to the crankshaft about an axis that is parallel to and distal from the crank axis. A lower connecting rod has a first end rotatably connected to the link rod, and a second end rotatably connected to the control shaft and is rotatable relative to the control shaft about an axis that is parallel to and distal from the control axis, and an upper connecting rod has a first end rotatably connected to the link rod, and a second end rotatably connected to the piston. A phasing device is supported by the engine block between and interconnecting the crankshaft and the control shaft, and includes an idler shaft rotatable about a phase axis, an electric motor adapted to rotate the idler shaft, a gearbox mounted co-axially on the idler shaft, a crank gear supported on the gearbox co-axial to the idler shaft, and a control shaft gear mounted co-axially on the idler shaft distal from the crank gear. The drive gear engages the crank gear and transfers rotation of the crank shaft to the idler shaft, and the driven gear engages the control shaft gear and transfers rotation of the idler shaft to the control shaft, and when the electric motor rotates the idler shaft, the gearbox is adapted to allow the rotational speed of the idler shaft to change relative to the rotational speed of the crank shaft to change the rotational speed of the control shaft relative to the crankshaft and change the clearance volume.

A variable compression ratio mechanism includes a variable length connecting rod. The variable length connecting rod includes a connecting rod body, an eccentric member, and an eccentric member drive mechanism. The eccentric member includes a piston pin receiving opening, is rotatably attached to the body, and changes in effective length when it is rotated. The eccentric member drive mechanism includes a projecting pin protruding from the body and rotating the eccentric member when a position of the projecting pin relative to the body changes. A guide member of the variable compression ratio mechanism guides the projecting pin during operation.

Methods and systems are provided for a VCR engine. In one example, the VCR engine includes a VCR mechanism that mechanically locks the engine pistons at a high compression ratio or a low compression ratio, utilizing locking pins that engage with eccentrics. Movement of the locking pins may be actuated by a valve that controls hydraulic pressure in the VCR mechanism where varying the hydraulic pressure adjusts engagement/disengagement of the locking pins.

The present invention relates to a control device and to a control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body having a movability range regulated by two stoppers, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body. The control device of the present invention learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of a high-rigidity stopper, and limits, to a lower level, an operation variable of the actuator for moving the moving body toward a low-rigidity stopper along with an increase in an amount of change in the output of the sensor from the contact state of the high-rigidity stopper. Then, the control device learns the output of the sensor corresponding to the contact state of the low-rigidity stopper, and controls the actuator based on the output of the sensor learned at both the stopper positions.