Patent ID: 8387590

Claim:
A four-stroke internal combustion engine comprising a crankcase and at least one cylinder that is arranged in the crankcase and in which a working piston is guided by a crankshaft, at least one cylinder head closes the cylinder and includes intake and exhaust channels that are controlled by at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve that are each loaded with a closing spring and the at least one intake valve and the at least one exhaust valve are activated by transmission elements driven by a camshaft, and a brake control device by which pressure is built up in an exhaust system in the exhaust channels, and an opening of the at least one exhaust valve is performed, a hydraulic valve clearance compensation element is installed in at least one of the transmission elements between the camshaft and the at least one intake valve and the at least one exhaust valve, wherein the compensation element has at least one piston, a cylinder housing part interacting with the at least one piston, a return spring installed there-between, and a check valve, a locking device is provided that is activated and that limits movement of the at least one piston relative to the cylinder housing part and of the cylinder housing part relative to an outer housing connected to one of the transmission elements at least in one direction of motion, and the at least one piston is supported on a stop body that is connected to the outer housing or the transmission element.