Patent ID: 8408171

Claim:
A variable stroke engine assembly for a front engine, front wheel drive vehicle, comprising: a piston slidably received in a cylinder; a crankshaft rotatably support by an engine main body; an output shaft extending along a rear side of the engine main body substantially in parallel with the crankshaft to transmit an engine output to front wheels of a vehicle carrying the engine assembly; a connecting mechanism functionally connecting the piston with the crankshaft, the connecting mechanism including a lower link pivotally supported by a crankpin of the crankshaft, an upper link connecting one end of the lower link to a piston pin of the piston, and a control link connected to another end of the lower link and an eccentric portion of the control link so that a piston stroke may be varied by turning the control shaft; a control shaft rotatably supported by the engine main body and coupled to the connecting mechanism for varying a configuration of the connecting mechanism; and an actuator coupled to the control shaft for driving the control shaft; and a starter motor mounted on the engine main body on an opposite side of a connecting point between the lower link and the control link with respect to a reference line passing through an axial center of the crankshaft and extending in parallel with a cylinder axial line, wherein the engine main body is tilted rearward and the control shaft and the actuator are disposed on a different side of the crankshaft than the output shaft as seen in plan view, the actuator being located in front of the engine at a substantially same elevation as the output shaft.