Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Akinori Maezuru

Shigekazu Tanaka

Kenji Abe

Noriaki Fujii

Keiko Yoshida

Masanobu Takazawa

Taichi Yoshikawa

Koichi Eto

Koichi Ikoma

Keitaro Nakanishi

Kouichi Ikoma

Masakazu Kinoshita

Jiro Fujimoto

Hisashi Sato

Yoshihiro Okada

Kazuhiko Iso

Katsuya Minami

In a variable stroke engine assembly for a front engine, front wheel drive vehicle, an engine output shaft (OS), a variable stroke control mechanism (, CR), an actuator (AC) and a starter motor (SM) are laid out in a favorable manner so that the general outer profile of the engine assembly can be made free from excessive protrusions, an increase in the engine room space requirement is avoided, layout freedom can be enhanced, and the cooling performance for the actuator can be improved.

Variable stroke engine assembly

In a variable stroke engine comprising a plurality of links () connecting a piston () with a crankshaft (), a control member () disposed on an engine main body so as to be moveable in two directions over a prescribed range relative to the engine main body, a control link () connecting one of the plurality of links with the control member and an actuator (AC) for displacing the control member, the actuator comprises a ratchet mechanism that utilizes a force transmitted from the piston to the control member as an actuating force for the control member. By providing a spring member (, SP,) that applies a biasing force to the control member, an appropriate actuating force can be applied to the control member in either direction.

Variable stroke engine

A variable stroke characteristic engine is provided in which a piston () and a crankshaft () are linked to a control shaft () via a variable stroke link mechanism (LV), and the variable stroke link mechanism (LV) is operated by an actuator (AC) that drives the control shaft () to thus make the stroke travel of the piston () variable, wherein a housing (HU) of the hydraulic actuator (AC) for operating the variable stroke link mechanism (LV) is provided in a bearing member () of a lower block () supporting the crankshaft (), and the housing (HU) is thus made small, thereby suppressing any increase in the dimensions of the engine. Furthermore, a hydraulic switching valve unit () for controlling operation of the hydraulic actuator (AC) is directly mounted on the housing (HU), thereby enhancing the responsiveness of the hydraulic actuator (AC).

Variable stroke

Secondary vibration generated accompanying reciprocation of a piston () of a multi-link variable compression ratio engine (E) can be eliminated effectively, even when the direction of the secondary vibration is inclined relative to a cylinder axis (L), by inclining the direction (shown by arrow) of an excitation force generated by a secondary balancer system () so that it coincides with the direction of the secondary vibration. The secondary balancer system () is formed by supporting balancer weights () on a pair of balancer shafts () rotating in directions opposite to each other, and by displacing the phases of these balancer weights () the direction of the excitation force generated can be inclined so as to coincide with the direction of secondary vibration of the engine (E).

Engine vibration elimination system and variable stroke characteristic engine

A stroke characteristic variable engine comprising a primary link connected to a piston which is slidably fitted in a cylinder, a secondary link connecting the primary link with a crankshaft and a tertiary link connected to the primary link or the secondary link at one end and to an engine main body via a control shaft at the other end thereof. An oil level position of engine oil stored in an oil pan is set such that at least part of the control shaft is submerged in the engine oil, whereby since oil stored within the oil pan can be used as it is, the lubrication around the control shaft can be ensured in a simplified configuration.

Stroke characteristic variable engine

Provided is a variable stroke property engine that can prevent an increase in the resistance to the engine owing to the contact between the variable stroke piston mechanism and lubricating oil. In a variable stroke property engine equipped with a variable piston stroke mechanism consisting of a plurality of linksand, a baffle plateis provided between the links and the oil surface of the lubricating oil received in an oil pan so that the links may be separated from the oil surface by the baffle plate and the lubricating oil is prevented from contacting the links. Thereby, an increase to the resistance to the movement of the links can be avoided.

Variable stroke property engine

In a variable stroke-characteristic engine for a vehicle, a control shaft and a control link are disposed on a front side of a vehicle body with respect to a crankshaft. An actuator for driving the control shaft is disposed on an outer surface of an engine block on the front side of the vehicle body. Thus, the actuator projects as much as possible from a position of the engine block toward the front side of the vehicle body so that traveling wind from ahead of the vehicle is effectively applied to the actuator to enhance the cooling effect. Hence, any temperature increase of the actuator is suppressed. Moreover, the actuator is disposed as far as possible from an exhaust manifold that is heated to a high temperature by the heat of an exhaust gas.

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Wako, Japan

Akinori Maezuru