Patent ID: 8746188
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: F02B,F16C,F16J

Abstract:
1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a cylinder block defining a cylinder; a crankshaft having a crankpin, wherein the crankshaft is rotatably received by the cylinder block and rotates along a longitudinal axis, and the crankpin defines a longitudinal axis parallel to and offset by a distance with respect to the longitudinal axis along which the crankshaft rotates; a piston configured to reciprocate within the cylinder; and a connecting rod operably coupled to the piston and the crankpin, wherein at least one of the piston and the connecting rod is configured such that a distance between a cross-sectional center of the crankpin and an upper surface of the piston is variable via hydraulic operation, wherein the connecting rod comprises a hydraulic cylinder comprising a cylinder portion and a piston portion defining two fluid receiving chambers, and at least one of the cylinder portion and the piston portion of the hydraulic cylinder defines a port configured to provide selective flow communication between the two fluid receiving chambers, wherein the piston portion of the hydraulic cylinder comprises a first disc having a first aperture and a second disc having a second aperture, and wherein opening and closing of the port comprises rotating the first disc and the second disc relative to one another, thereby selectively aligning and misaligning the first aperture and the second aperture with respect to one another.