Oil supply system in internal conbustion engine

Abstract

In an internal combustion engine comprising a valve operating device which is disposed in a cylinder head coupled to an upper surface of a cylinder block and which includes a valve operating cam shaft connected to a crank shaft rotatably carried in a lower engine body portion including the cylinder block, and valve operation characteristic changing means for changing, in accordance with a variation in hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic pressure chamber, the operation characteristics of an engine valve which is supported in the cylinder head for opening and closing, a lower oil supply system and an upper oil supply system are disposed independently of each other. The lower oil supply system is comprised of a first oil pump connected to individual oil consumption parts disposed in a lower engine body portion for supplying a first oil, and the upper oil supply system is comprised of a second oil pump connected to individual oil consumption parts included in the valve operating device as well as to the hydraulic pressure chamber for supplying a second oil. This ensures that the second oil pump can be disposed in proximity to the hydraulic pressure chamber, so that an oil having a characteristic suitable for the operation of the valve operation characteristic changing means can be supplied quickly, and the cycle of replacement of the oil in the upper oil supply system can be prolonged.