Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device has a first idler roller disposed between an engine roller and a first rotating roller; a second idler roller disposed between the first rotating roller and a second rotating roller; a third idler roller disposed between the second rotating roller and the engine roller; and a linking mechanism driven by one actuator to switch the first idler roller between a state in which the first idler roller contacts the engine roller and the first rotating roller, and a state in which the first idler roller separates from the engine roller and the first rotating roller, and to switch at least one of the second and third idler rollers between a state in which the at least one roller contacts two rollers adjacent the at least one roller, and a state in which the at least one roller separates from the two rollers.

Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device is provided for a vehicle. The auxiliary machine-driving device has a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, a fourth roller and a fifth roller. The first roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of an engine. The second roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of a motor/generator. The third roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of an auxiliary machine. The fourth roller is provided between the first roller and the second roller. The fifth roller that always contacts the second roller and the third roller. The actuator switches the fourth roller between a contact state with the first and second rollers and a separation state from the first and second rollers.

Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device has a first idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of a motor/generator roller and an engine roller, a second idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the engine roller and a rotating roller, and a third idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the rotating roller and the motor/generator roller. When the engine starts, the engine is started by transmitting the driving force of the motor/generator to the engine via the motor/generator roller, the first idler roller and the engine roller. After the engine starts, power is generated from the driving force of the engine being transmitted to the motor/generator via the engine roller, the second idler roller, the rotating roller, the third idler roller and the motor/generator roller.

Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device is provided for a vehicle. The auxiliary machine-driving device has a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, a fourth roller and a fifth roller. The first roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of an engine. The second roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of a motor/generator. The third roller rotates integrally with a rotary shaft of an auxiliary machine. The fourth roller is provided between the first roller and the second roller. The fifth roller that always contacts the second roller and the third roller. The actuator switches the fourth roller between a contact state with the first and second rollers and a separation state from the first and second rollers.

Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device has a first idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of a motor/generator roller and an engine roller, a second idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the engine roller and a rotating roller, and a third idler roller having an outer peripheral surface biased into contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the rotating roller and the motor/generator roller. When the engine starts, the engine is started by transmitting the driving force of the motor/generator to the engine via the motor/generator roller, the first idler roller and the engine roller. After the engine starts, power is generated from the driving force of the engine being transmitted to the motor/generator via the engine roller, the second idler roller, the rotating roller, the third idler roller and the motor/generator roller.

Abstract: An auxiliary machine-driving device has a first idler roller disposed between an engine roller and a first rotating roller; a second idler roller disposed between the first rotating roller and a second rotating roller; a third idler roller disposed between the second rotating roller and the engine roller; and a linking mechanism driven by one actuator to switch the first idler roller between a state in which the first idler roller contacts the engine roller and the first rotating roller, and a state in which the first idler roller separates from the engine roller and the first rotating roller, and to switch at least one of the second and third idler rollers between a state in which the at least one roller contacts two rollers adjacent the at least one roller, and a state in which the at least one roller separates from the two rollers.

Abstract: A lubricating mechanism of a multilink, piston-crank mechanism for an internal combustion engine is provided. At a predetermined crank angle at which the crank pin oil passage and the lower link oil passage are communicative, viewed in the direction of the crankshaft, along a straight line connecting the center of rotation of the crank shaft and the end of the lower link oil passage at the side opposed to the pin boss opposing surface, the pin boss portion is disposed as the lubricating object. On the axial side of the pin boss portion, a recess portion is provided.

Abstract: A lubricating mechanism of a multilink, piston-crank mechanism for an internal combustion engine is provided. At a predetermined crank angle at which the crank pin oil passage and the lower link oil passage are communicative, viewed in the direction of the crankshaft, along a straight line connecting the center of rotation of the crank shaft and the end of the lower link oil passage at the side opposed to the pin boss opposing surface, the pin boss portion is disposed as the lubricating object. On the axial side of the pin boss portion, a recess portion is provided.

Abstract: A bonding method includes bonding a pair of members together made of conductive material and having bonding surfaces which are not positioned on the same plane. In the bonding method, the bonding surfaces of the members to be bonded are positioned to face each other, an electric current is supplied from one of the members to be bonded to the other for carrying out resistance heating while the pair of members to be bonded are slid relative to each other. In this way, the bonding surfaces are bonded to each other. Split or partition surfaces that form a hollow passage and extending along the axis of the hollow passage are set as the bonding surfaces which are not on the same plane.

Abstract: Joining surfaces (2a, 2b) of a pair of conductive joining members (1a, 1b) to be joined to each other are caused to face each other, and while one of the joining members (1a, 1b) is slid relative to the other of the joining members (1a, 1b), a current is passed from one of the joining members (1a, 1b) to the other of the joining members (1a, 1b) so as to cause resistance heating. Abrasion, plastic flow, and material diffusion therefore occur in high surface-pressure sections of the joining surfaces (2a, 2b), and the joining surfaces (2a, 2b) are joined together while current concentration locations are varied from moment to moment.

Abstract: In a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine wherein a crankthrow is shortened by the use of a multi-link mechanism, the crankthrow from the axis of a main journal to the axis of a crankpin is set shorter than one-half of a piston stroke, and an oil passage is formed to supply lubricating oil to a bearing portion of the crankpin. The pin-side opening of the oil passage, which is open at the outer peripheral surface of the crankpin, is formed in ranges other than angular ranges of 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° with respect to a reference line extending from the axis of the main journal toward the axis of the crankpin in a decentering direction of the crankpin, thereby alleviating a stress concentration caused by a torsional torque in the vicinity of the pin-side opening of the oil passage.

Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston coupled to a crankshaft to move inside an engine cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link by an upper link pin. A crank pin of the crankshaft rotatably supports the lower link thereon. A control link pin connects the lower link to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The crank pin has a center arranged on a straight line joining centers of the upper link pin and the control link pin such that an angle formed between the straight line and a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to a center axis of the cylinder and that passes through an axial center of a crank journal is the same for at top dead center and at bottom dead center.

Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston coupled to a crankshaft to move inside an engine cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link by an upper link pin. A crank pin of the crankshaft rotatably supports the lower link thereon. A control link pin connects the lower link to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The upper link has an upper link axis that forms an angle with the cylinder axis, as viewed along a crank axis direction of the crankshaft, such that the angle reaches a minimum when a crank angle of the engine is within a range where the bottom end of a piston skirt is positioned below a topmost part of the bottom end of the cylinder liner.

Abstract: A multi link type piston-crank mechanism comprises an upper link that has one end pivotally connected to a piston of the engine through a piston pin, a lower link that is pivotally connected to the other end of the upper link through an upper pin and rotatably disposed on a crank pin of a crankshaft of the engine; and a control link that has a base end part swingably held by a body of the engine and a leading end pivotally connected to the lower link through a control pin. An axis of the piston pin is offset relative to an axis of the piston in thrust and counter thrust directions. When the piston comes to BDC, a part of the piston takes a position below a lower edge of a corresponding cylinder of the engine and the upper pin is offset relative to the axis of the piston pin in the same direction as a pin offset direction in which the axis of the piston pin is offset in the thrust and counter thrust directions relative to the axis of the piston.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, comprising: an upper link (11) connected via a piston pin (21) to a piston (32) that reciprocates within a cylinder; a lower link (12) attached to a crank pin (33b) of a crankshaft (33) to be free to rotate and connected to the upper link (11) via an upper pin (22); and a control link (13) which is connected to the lower link (12) via a control pin (23) and oscillates about an oscillation central shaft (24), the following equation is established when the piston (32) is at bottom dead center cos(?l+?)<cos(?l+?) where: ?l is a lower link attitude angle; and ? is a lower link aperture angle. As a result, a load acting on a crank journal when the piston is at bottom dead center can be reduced.

Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston that moves inside a cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link. A crank pin of a crankshaft supports the lower link thereon. The lower link is pivotally connected to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The control shaft is lower than a crank journal of the crankshaft, and disposed on a first side of a plane that is parallel to a cylinder center axis and that contains a center rotational axis of the crank journal. The cylinder center axis is located on a second (i.e., opposite the first side) plane. The control link has a center axis that is parallel to the cylinder center axis when the piston is near top and bottom dead centers.

Abstract: In a reciprocating piston engine employing a variable compression ratio mechanism linked to a reciprocating piston for variably adjusting a geometrical compression ratio by varying at least a piston top dead center position, so that the top dead center position obtained at a low geometrical compression ratio is set to be lower than that at a high geometrical compression ratio, responsively to a controlled variable, a controller is configured to set a target compression ratio to a high value at low engine load operation, and to a relatively low value at high engine load operation. A substantially entire area of a crown of the piston, defining a part of a wall surface of a combustion chamber, is formed of a non-metallic material having a higher heat-insulating and heat-reserving property as compared to a base structural material of each of the combustion chamber and the piston.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes a piston adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder. The piston includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The first portion of the piston forms a crown surface of the piston, the second portion of the piston forms a piston ring groove of the piston with the piston ring groove arranged and configured to receive a piston ring, and the third portion of the piston forms a crankcase side surface of the piston with the crankcase side surface facing a crankcase of the engine. The second portion of the piston is formed of a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material forming the first portion of the piston and a material forming a third portion of the piston.

Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston coupled to a crankshaft to move inside an engine cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link by an upper link pin. A crank pin of the crankshaft rotatably supports the lower link thereon. A control link pin connects the lower link to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The upper link has an upper link axis that forms an angle with the cylinder axis, as viewed along a crank axis direction of the crankshaft, such that the angle reaches a minimum when a crank angle of the engine is within a range where the bottom end of a piston skirt is positioned below a topmost part of the bottom end of the cylinder liner.

Abstract: A multi-link engine has a piston coupled to a crankshaft to move inside an engine cylinder. A piston pin connects the piston to an upper link, which is connected to a lower link by an upper link pin. A crank pin of the crankshaft rotatably supports the lower link thereon. A control link pin connects the lower link to one end of a control link, which is connected at another end to the engine block body by a control shaft. The crank pin has a center arranged on a straight line joining centers of the upper link pin and the control link pin such that an angle formed between the straight line and a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to a center axis of the cylinder and that passes through an axial center of a crank journal is the same for at top dead center and at bottom dead center.