Patent ID: 8967097
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: F02B

Abstract:
1. In an internal combustion engine comprising: an engine block defiling a plurality of cylindrical combustion chambers each defining a chamber axis, a crankshaft mounted to the engine block for rotation about a crankshaft axis extending transversely to the combustion chambers, a piston disposed within each combustion chamber for reciprocation along the chamber axis thereof, the internal combustion engine being operable according to a four stroke cycle wherein the piston reciprocates within the combustion chamber through an intake stroke moving in a first direction, a compression stroke moving in a second direction, an expansion stroke moving in the first direction, and an exhaust stroke moving in the second direction, wherein the position of the piston at the conclusion of the compression stroke and at the beginning of the expansion stroke is defined as top dead center and the position of the piston at the end of the expansion stroke and at the beginning of the exhaust stroke is defined as bottom dead center, a connecting rod pivotably mounted to each piston, a mechanical assembly connecting each connecting rod rotatably to the crankshaft for translating the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion of the crankshaft, the mechanical assembly comprising: the pinion gear portion of the first gear member and the crown gear portion of the second gear member having a gear ratio of 2:1 for causing the second gear member to rotate once for every two rotations of the crankshaft, the improvement wherein: the first and second bearing surfaces of the second gear member are selectively configured and dimensioned such that: