Patent ID: 7040273

Claim:
An internal combustion engine comprising: a crankcase; a crankshaft disposed within crankcase for rotation about a crankshaft axis, the crankshaft having a first connecting-rod journal with a first connecting-rod journal axis and a second connecting-rod journal with a second connecting-rod journal axis; a piston; a piston connecting rod connecting the piston to the crankshaft about the first connecting-rod journal for relative rotation about the first connecting-rod journal axis; a counterweight connecting rod pivotally connected to the crankshaft about the second connecting-rod journal for relative rotation about the second connecting-rod journal axis; and a counterweight connected to the counterweight connecting rod; wherein a counterweight angle is formed between the first connecting-rod journal axis, the crankshaft axis, and the second connecting-rod journal axis with the crankshaft axis defining a vertex of the counterweight angle, and wherein the counterweight angle is more than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees.