Patent ID: 7305961

Claim:
Modular internal combustion engine comprising an engine housing with a crankshaft drive having at least one reciprocating piston in a cylinder, which acts on a crankshaft by means of a connecting rod, and a variable-speed gear box connected to the crankshaft via a disengaging clutch, and a gearbox output train which connects to at least one drive shaft of a vehicle, wherein the internal combustion engine is provided with least one main module including the subassemblies engine housing, crankshaft drive, variable-speed gearbox, and gearbox output train, and at least one auxiliary module attachable to the main module, and wherein no mechanical connection between the variable-speed gearbox and the gearbox output train is provided within the main module but a rotational connection is facilitated by attaching a first auxiliary module to the main module, wherein the variable-speed gearbox includes an output shaft and the gearbox output train includes a secondary input shaft, wherein the first auxiliary module includes a gear step between the output shaft and the secondary input shaft, and wherein an axis distance of the gear step corresponds to an axis distance between the output shaft and the secondary input shaft.