In a spark-ignition internal combustion engine in which a protrusion including an intake-side inclined surface and an exhaust-side inclined surface is formed on a top surface of a piston, and a cavity is formed in the protrusion at a position associated with a spark plug, the intake-side inclined surface and the exhaust-side inclined surface are formed in such a way that an inclination angle of the exhaust-side inclined surface is smaller than an inclination angle of the intake-side inclined surface, and a difference in inclination angle between the intake-side inclined surface and the exhaust-side inclined surface is 4 degrees or larger.

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine and to a method for operating the internal combustion engine, which has at least one cylinder having a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber being bounded by a cylinder roof, a cylinder wall and a movable cylinder piston, a multi-hole injection nozzle and a spark plug being arranged in a central position in the cylinder roof, the multi-hole injection nozzle injecting fuel into the combustion chamber at injection pressures of >/=300 bar by means of a plurality of injection jets. It is provided that at least one injection jet (i>/=1) injects fuel into a three-dimensional space within the combustion chamber on the intake side, which space lies below an opening of at least one intake valve (104A, 104B) with respect to the direction of the longitudinal central axis (Z) of the cylinder, and at least four injections jets (i>/=4) inject fuel into a three-dimensional space of the combustion chamber on the exhaust side, which space lies below an opening of at least one exhaust valve (105A, 105B).

An engine includes: a cylinder head that forms an intake port connected to a combustion chamber; a throttle body that is joined to the intake port and adjusts a degree of an opening of an intake passage by rotating a throttle vale around a rotation axis of a valve shaft, the throttle vale being fixed to the valve shaft; and a case that stores a drive member and supports a drive motor, the drive member being fixed to the valve shaft, the drive motor generating a drive force that is transmitted to the drive member. The case overlaps with the intake port as seen in a side view. Accordingly, in the engine, it is possible to reduce the volume of the intake passage between the throttle valve and the combustion chamber.

A pushrod valvetrain combustion system assembly for an internal combustion engine includes a two-valve pushrod assembly and a cylinder top that forms a portion of a cylinder head. The cylinder top has a single intake port, a single exhaust port, a spark plug bore, and a fuel injector bore. The pushrod assembly includes an intake valve positioned in the intake port and an exhaust valve positioned in the exhaust port. The intake port and exhaust port are positioned adjacent each other and are positioned along an axis that intersects a center point of each of the ports. The intersecting axis is rotated relative to a centerline of the crankshaft of the engine, providing space for the spark plug bore and fuel injector bore to both be located in the cylinder top on a same side of the intersecting axis.

In a spark-ignition internal combustion engine in which a protrusion including an intake-side inclined surface and an exhaust-side inclined surface is formed on a top surface of a piston, and a cavity is formed in the protrusion at a position associated with a spark plug, the intake-side inclined surface and the exhaust-side inclined surface are formed in such a way that a ratio of a length of the exhaust-side inclined surface with respect to a length of the intake-side inclined surface is 1.25 or larger in a cross section passing through a center axis of the piston and orthogonal to an axis direction of a crankshaft.

A method for manufacturing a cylinder head includes: preparing a cylinder head casting having an intake passage, an exhaust passage, and a combustion chamber by casting using a mold and a plurality of cores; machining an intake port, an intake valve seat, an intake valve guide bore, an exhaust port, an exhaust valve seat, and an exhaust valve guide bore in the cylinder head casting by a first cylindrical tool; and forming a tapered surface on a portion of edge of the intake port by a second cylindrical tool. In particular, the second cylindrical tool moves along a predetermined trajectory at the edge portion of the intake port and rotates around an axis simultaneously to machine the tapered surface.

An internal combustion engine includes a reduction gear including: at one end thereof, a small-diameter gear in mesh with a one-way clutch gear; and at an opposite end thereof, a large-diameter gear in mesh with a drive gear of a starter motor. The starter motor has a driveshaft disposed below a rotation axis of the reduction gear and within a width of the large-diameter gear as viewed in an axial direction. Accordingly, in the internal combustion engine, it is possible to efficiently dispose components in a reentrant space formed between a crankcase and a cylinder block.

An engine includes: a crankcase; a cover that is connected to the crankcase at a mating surface of the cover inclined toward an inner side in a vehicle width direction in going downward when the engine is mounted to a vehicle body, the cover covering a protruding end of a rotary shaft; and attachment bosses that are formed to be integral with the cover, have a predetermined height from the mating surface, and accept fastening members for fastening the cover to the crankcase. Accordingly, when mounted on a two-wheeled motor vehicle, the engine can restrain protrusion in the vehicle width direction and can be disposed at a position as low as possible with reference to the vehicle.

An engine valve includes a stem, a head comprising an outer lip surface, a seating surface extending from the outer lip surface toward the stem, and a combustion surface extending from the outer lip surface on the opposite side of the head as compared to the seating surface. The combustion surface includes a first convex arcuate surface spaced away from the outer lip surface, at least partially forming a raised ring, and a first concave arcuate surface spaced away from the outer lip surface, at least partially forming a dimple.

A guiding portion of an intake valve head includes a specific tangent line, which, when the intake valve is in a fully open state, intersects with at least one selected from an ignition plug and a closed exhaust valve. A line segment that agrees with a tangent line contacting the guiding portion and extends from a contact point of the tangent line with the guiding portion to an intersection point of the tangent line with a central axis of the head is defined as a first line segment, a line segment that agrees with the central axis and extends from the intersection point toward the intake passage is defined as a second line segment, and an angle formed by the first second line segments is defined as a specific angle. The tangent line that minimizes the specific angle is the specific tangent line.