Patent ID: 6868815

Claim:
An internal combustion engine including one or more pistons ( 3 ) connected to a common crankshaft ( 4 ), a balancer shaft ( 10 ) connected to the crankshaft ( 4 ) to be rotated thereby at the same speed as the crankshaft ( 4 ) but in the opposite sense, the balancer shaft ( 10 ) carrying mutually offset eccentric weights ( 14 ) at its ends, characterised in that an integrated starter generator unit ( 26 ) is provided including a stator ( 27 ) and a rotor ( 23 ) and that the rotor is mounted to rotate about the axis of the balancer shaft ( 10 ) and is connected to the balancer shaft ( 10 ) by step up gearing ( 18 , 20 , 22 ) such that the rotor ( 23 ) rotates in the same sense as the balancer shaft ( 10 ) but at a substantially greater speed.