Internal combustion engine

Abstract

An internal combustion engine (1) comprises: a front cover (5) that is made of resin and that covers an end surface of an internal combustion engine body (8) on one end side thereof in the cylinder row direction, the internal combustion engine body (8) having a cylinder head (2) and a cylinder block (3); and an internal combustion engine-side mounting bracket (6) that is made of metal, that is positioned on one end side of the internal combustion engine body (8) in the cylinder row direction, that is disposed so as to span the outer side of the front cover (5), and that attaches the internal combustion engine body (8) to a vehicle. The internal combustion engine-side mounting bracket (6) is such that portions of the internal combustion engine body (8) on both sides in the width direction are each fixed to both the cylinder head (2) and the cylinder block (3).

Description

internal combustion engine

[0001] The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle.

[0002] One end of the internal combustion engine in the direction of cylinder alignment is covered with a chain case (front cover) so as to cover a timing chain that transmits the rotational force of the crankshaft to the camshaft.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a metal chain case with an integrated support bracket, which is an integral part of a chain cover and a support bracket for fixing an engine mount, which is a component for suspending the engine from the vehicle body. The chain case in Patent Document 1 is made of metal and contributes to ensuring the rigidity of the front end of the internal combustion engine.

[0004] However, the chain case of Patent Document 1 is made of metal, which increases the weight of the internal combustion engine.

[0005] In other words, there is room for further improvement in an internal combustion engine having a chain case in terms of reducing the weight while ensuring the rigidity of the front end of the internal combustion engine.

[0006] JP 2013-76350 A

[0007] The internal combustion engine of the present invention includes a resin front cover that covers one end face in the direction of cylinder alignment of an internal combustion engine body having a cylinder head and a cylinder block, and a metal mounting bracket that is located at the one end face in the direction of cylinder alignment of the internal combustion engine body, is arranged so as to straddle the outside of the front cover, and mounts the internal combustion engine body to a vehicle. Both side portions in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body of the mounting bracket are fixed to both the cylinder head and the cylinder block, respectively.

[0008] In the internal combustion engine, both side portions of the mount bracket are fixed to both the cylinder head and the cylinder block at different fastening points, so that the rigidity of one end of the internal combustion engine body in the direction of cylinder alignment can be ensured.

[0009] An explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an internal combustion engine to which the present invention is applied. An explanatory diagram showing a schematic plan view of one end side in the cylinder row direction of an internal combustion engine to which the present invention is applied. A front view of a front cover. A front view of an internal combustion engine with an internal combustion engine side mount bracket attached. An exploded perspective view of the front cover and the internal combustion engine side mount bracket. An explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the X-axis indicates an axis along the longitudinal direction of the internal combustion engine 1 (an axis parallel to the central axis of the crankshaft 19 of the internal combustion engine 1), the Y-axis indicates an axis along the left-right direction (width direction of the internal combustion engine) of the internal combustion engine 1, and the Z-axis indicates an axis along the vertical direction of the internal combustion engine 1 (an axis parallel to the cylinder axis L1 of the internal combustion engine 1). In other words, the X-axis is an axis along the cylinder row direction of the internal combustion engine 1 or the internal combustion engine main body 8 (described later). The Y-axis is an axis along the width direction of the internal combustion engine main body 8.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the general configuration of an internal combustion engine 1 to which the present invention is applied.

[0012] The internal combustion engine 1 is, for example, an in-line multi-cylinder internal combustion engine and includes a cylinder head 2, a cylinder block 3 attached to the lower part of the cylinder head 2, a cam bracket 4 attached to the upper part of the cylinder head 2, a front cover 5 covering the front surface of an internal combustion engine body 8, and an internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6, which is a metal mount bracket located in front of the front cover 5. Note that reference numeral 7 in FIG. 1 denotes a vehicle-side mount bracket fixed to the vehicle body. The cylinder head 2, cylinder block 3, and cam bracket 4 constitute the internal combustion engine body 8. Therefore, the front cover 5 covers one end face of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the direction of the cylinder row.

[0013] The cylinder head 2 is a casting made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and is formed with an intake port (not shown) for supplying intake air to a combustion chamber (not shown), and an exhaust port (not shown) for discharging exhaust gas from the combustion chamber (not shown).

[0014] The cylinder block 3 is a casting made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and has cylinders (not shown) formed therein, the number of which corresponds to the number of cylinders.

[0015] The cam bracket 4 is made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and supports the camshaft 10 (see FIG. 2) so that it can rotate together with the cylinder head 2.

[0016] The front cover 5 is made of a synthetic resin material such as polyamide, and is attached liquid-tight to the internal combustion engine body 8 so as to cover the front surface of the internal combustion engine body 8. More specifically, the front cover 5 is attached to the front surface of the cylinder block 3, the front surface of the cylinder head 2, the front surface of the cam bracket 4, etc. with bolts (not shown). In other words, the front cover 5 is attached to the internal combustion engine body 8 so as to cover the end faces on one end side of the cylinder block 3 and the cylinder head 2 in the crankshaft axial direction, i.e., the end face 8a on one end side of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the front cover 5 has a shallow dish shape. A space 9 is formed between the front cover 5 and the front surface of the internal combustion engine body 8, which is an end face at one end of the cylinder row of the internal combustion engine body 8, to accommodate a rotational power transmission mechanism. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of one end of the cylinder row of the internal combustion engine 1. The space 9 accommodates a crank sprocket (not shown) fixed to the crankshaft 19 (see FIG. 4 ) and a cam sprocket 11 fixed to the front end of the camshaft 10. A timing chain (not shown) for transmitting rotational power is wound around the crank sprocket and the cam sprocket 11. The space 9 formed between the front cover 5 and the internal combustion engine body 8 is an environment containing an oil-lubricated timing chain. The space 9 is liquid-tight from the outside due to a liquid-tight seal between the front cover 5 and the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0018] An intake cam sprocket 11a is attached to the front end of the intake camshaft 10a. An exhaust cam sprocket 11b and a variable phase mechanism 12 are attached to the front end of the exhaust camshaft 10b. The variable phase mechanism 12 is a variable valve mechanism that changes the phase of the lift central angle of the exhaust valve, which serves as an engine valve, to change the valve timing of the exhaust valve.

[0019] The phase variable mechanism 12 is covered by the front cover 5 above the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the vertical direction along the cylinder axis L1 of the internal combustion engine 1 (see FIG. 4 described later).

[0020] 3 and 4, the front cover 5 is formed with a boss through-hole 13, a crankshaft through-hole 14, a first bolt through-hole 15, a second bolt through-hole 16, and a gauge insertion port 50. Fig. 3 is a front view of the front cover 5. Fig. 4 is a front view of the internal combustion engine 1 with the engine-side mount bracket 6 attached.

[0021] The boss through-holes 13 are formed at two locations in the central portion of the front cover 5 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8, through which the bolt boss portions 32 (see FIG. 5 ) of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 pass. The outer peripheral edges of the boss through-holes 13 form annular (cylindrical) through-hole peripheries (bolt through-hole peripheries) 17. The through-hole peripheries 17 are pressed against and contact one end face of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction on the back side of the front cover 5, supporting the central portion of the front cover 5 on the internal combustion engine body 8. A seal member (not shown) provides a liquid-tight seal between the through-hole peripheries 17 and the internal combustion engine body 8. A seal member (not shown) also provides a liquid-tight seal between the peripheries of the second bolt through-holes 16 and the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0022] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the front cover 5 and the engine-side mount bracket 6 attached to the internal combustion engine body 8. As shown in FIG.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the second bolt boss 32b passes through the boss through hole 13a. A through hole periphery 17a is formed around the boss through hole 13a. The through hole periphery 17a is pressed against the cylinder head 2 on the back side of the front cover 5.

[0024] The boss through-hole 13b is located below the boss through-hole 13a, and as shown in Figure 5, the fifth bolt boss 32e passes through the boss through-hole 13b. A through-hole periphery 17b is formed around the boss through-hole 13b. The through-hole periphery 17b is pressed against the cylinder block 3 on the back side of the front cover 5.

[0025] The crankshaft through-hole 14, through which the crankshaft 19 passes, is formed below the boss through-hole 13. The periphery of the crankshaft through-hole 14 is sealed liquid-tight.

[0026] The first bolt through-holes 15 are formed in plurality (a large number) on the outer periphery of the front cover 5. The outer periphery of the front cover 5 is liquid-tightly sealed by an annular outer periphery sealant (not shown). The outer periphery sealant is located more inward than the first bolt through-holes 15.

[0027] The second bolt through-holes 16 are formed in the front cover boss portion 21 and are passed through by fixing bolts (not shown) that fix the front cover 5 to the internal combustion engine body 8. The front cover boss portion 21 is fixed on the back side of the front cover 5 with its tip end surface pressed against an end surface on one end side of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction.

[0028] Front cover boss portion 21a is fixed on the rear surface of front cover 5 with its tip surface pressed against cylinder head 2. Front cover boss portions 21b, 21c, and 21d are fixed on the rear surface of front cover 5 with their tip surfaces pressed against cylinder block 3.

[0029] The front cover boss portion 21a is formed adjacent to and continuous with the through-hole peripheral portion 17a. A second bolt through-hole 16a is formed in the front cover boss portion 21a.

[0030] The front cover boss portion 21b is formed adjacent to and continuous with the through-hole peripheral portion 17b. A second bolt through-hole 16b is formed in the front cover boss portion 21b.

[0031] The front cover boss portion 21c is formed so as to be located between the through-hole peripheral portions 17a and 17b in the vertical direction (direction along the Z axis) of the front cover 5. In other words, the front cover boss portion 21c is formed in a portion of the front cover 5 that is covered by the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6. A second bolt through-hole 16c is formed in the front cover boss portion 21c.

[0032] The front cover boss portion 21d is formed so as to be located below the through-hole peripheral portion 17b in the vertical direction (direction along the Z axis) of the front cover 5. In other words, the front cover boss portion 21d is formed in a portion of the front cover 5 that is not covered by the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6. A second bolt through-hole 16d is formed in the front cover boss portion 21d.

[0033] The gauge insertion port 50 is a hole formed through the upper part of the front cover 5 into which an oil level gauge (not shown) is inserted.

[0034] The internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 is attached to one end face of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction without contacting the front cover 5. The internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 is a casting made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy, and is a member for attaching the internal combustion engine body 8 (internal combustion engine 1) to the vehicle.

[0035] 5, the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 is attached to one end surface of the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 by six bolts 31, namely, a first bolt 31a to a sixth bolt 31f. The bolts 31 pass through bolt boss portions 32 of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6.

[0036] The internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 is formed so that its length along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 is longer than that of the front cover 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 is attached to the internal combustion engine body 8, overlapping with the front cover 5 in the cylinder row direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 with a predetermined gap therebetween so as to cover part of the outer surface of the front cover 5. In other words, the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 is attached to the internal combustion engine body 8 so as not to come into contact with the front cover 5. The internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 is formed so that its length along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 is longer than the length of the front cover 5 along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8, at least in the area that overlaps with the mount bracket 6.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 straddles the outside of the front cover 5 in the width direction of the front cover 5 (the direction along the Y axis) and is fixed to the internal combustion engine body 8 on both sides of the front cover 5.

[0038] The internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 has an upper edge portion in the vertical direction along the cylinder axis L1 of the internal combustion engine 1 fixed to the internal combustion engine body 8 by first bolts 31a to third bolts 31c. The internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 has a lower edge portion in the vertical direction along the cylinder axis L1 of the internal combustion engine 1 fixed to the internal combustion engine body 8 by fourth bolts 31d to sixth bolts 31f.

[0039] More specifically, both widthwise end portions of the upper edge of the engine-side mount bracket 6 are fixed to the engine body 8 by a first bolt 31a and a third bolt 31c on the outside of the front cover 5. Furthermore, the widthwise central portion of the upper edge of the engine-side mount bracket 6 is fixed to the engine body 8 by a second bolt 31b that passes through the front cover 5.

[0040] Both widthwise end portions of the lower edge of the engine-side mount bracket 6 are fixed to the engine body 8 by a fourth bolt 31d and a sixth bolt 31f outside the front cover 5. In addition, the widthwise central portion of the lower edge of the engine-side mount bracket 6 is fixed to the engine body 8 by a fifth bolt 31e that passes through the front cover 5.

[0041] 5, the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 has six bolt boss portions 32, namely, a first bolt boss portion 32a to a sixth bolt boss portion 32f. The internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 does not come into contact with the front cover 5, and these six bolt boss portions 32 do not come into contact with the front cover 5.

[0042] The first bolt 31a secures an upper portion of one end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine to the cylinder head 2 outside the front cover 5. The first bolt 31a passes through a first bolt boss portion 32a of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6. The first bolt boss portion 32a is formed on one end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0043] The second bolt 31b passes through the front cover 5 and fixes the upper part of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6, approximately at the center in the width direction of the internal combustion engine, to the cylinder head 2. The second bolt 31b passes through a second bolt boss portion 32b of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6. The second bolt boss portion 32b is formed in the center portion of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0044] The second bolt boss 32b passes through the boss through-hole 13a so that its outer peripheral surface does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the boss through-hole 13a of the front cover 5. The tip of the second bolt boss 32b on the back surface side of the front cover 5 is pressed against the cylinder head 2. In addition, the front cover boss 21a adjacent to the boss through-hole 13a is fixed to the cylinder head 2 by a fixing bolt (not shown).

[0045] The third bolt 31c secures the upper portion of the other end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine to the cylinder head 2 outside the front cover 5. The third bolt 31c passes through a third bolt boss portion 32c of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6. The third bolt boss portion 32c is formed on the other end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0046] The fourth bolt 31d secures a lower portion of one end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine to the cylinder block 3 outside the front cover 5. The fourth bolt 31d passes through a fourth bolt boss portion 32d of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6. The fourth bolt boss portion 32d is formed on one end of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0047] The fifth bolt 31e passes through the front cover 5 and fixes the lower part of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6, approximately at the center in the width direction of the internal combustion engine, to the cylinder block 3. The fifth bolt 31e passes through a fifth bolt boss portion 32e of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6. The fifth bolt boss portion 32e is formed in the center portion of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0048] The fifth bolt boss portion 32e passes through the boss portion through-hole 13b so that its outer peripheral surface does not come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the boss portion through-hole 13b of the front cover 5. The tip portion of the fifth bolt boss portion 32e on the back surface side of the front cover 5 is pressed against the cylinder block 3. In addition, the front cover boss portion 21b adjacent to the boss portion through-hole 13b is fixed to the cylinder block 3 with a fixing bolt (not shown).

[0049] The sixth bolt 31f secures the lower portion of the other end of the engine-side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the engine to the cylinder block 3 outside the front cover 5. The sixth bolt 31f passes through a sixth bolt boss portion 32f of the engine-side mount bracket 6. The sixth bolt boss portion 32f is formed on the other end of the engine-side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the engine body 8.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 has a plurality of (three) mount portions 33 .

[0051] The mount portion 33 is used to attach the internal combustion engine 1 to the vehicle body, and an upper end surface 34 thereof is fixed to the vehicle body mount bracket 7 with a bolt (not shown). The mount portion 33 is configured as a bulging portion with a semi-cylindrical cross section that protrudes forward from an end surface 8a on one end side of the internal combustion engine body 8. In other words, the mount portion 33 has a hollowed-out back surface. The mount portion 33 is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction along the cylinder axis L1 of the internal combustion engine 1. In other words, the mount portion 33 is elongated in the vertical direction, and its upper end surface 34 is fixed to the vehicle body mount bracket 7.

[0052] In the internal combustion engine 1 of the above-described embodiment, one end 6a and the other end 6b, which are both sides of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 in the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8, are individually fixed to both the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 by bolts 31, which are fastening elements.

[0053] That is, the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 has an upper part of one end 6a (one end side) that is on the left side in Fig. 4 in the left-right direction along the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8 fixed to the cylinder head 2 by a first bolt 31a. Also, the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 has a lower part of one end 6a (one end side) that is on the left side in Fig. 4 in the left-right direction along the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8 fixed to the cylinder block 3 by a fourth bolt 31d.

[0054] The internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 has an upper part of its other end 6b (other end side) that is on the right side in Fig. 4 in the left-right direction along the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8 fixed to the cylinder head 2 by a third bolt 31c. Also, the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6 has a lower part of its other end 6b (other end side) that is on the right side in Fig. 4 in the left-right direction along the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8 fixed to the cylinder block 3 by a sixth bolt 31f.

[0055] The front cover 5 is attached to an end face on one end side in the cylinder row direction of the internal combustion engine body 8, and contributes to the rigidity of that end side of the internal combustion engine body 8. For example, even if the force transmitted from the rotational power transmission mechanism to the internal combustion engine body at the front end of the internal combustion engine acts in a direction that deforms the front end side of the internal combustion engine body or weakens the fastening force between the cylinder block and the cylinder head (promoting misalignment or gap between the fastening members), if the front cover fixed to the cylinder block and the cylinder head is made of metal, it will act as reinforcement, suppressing such deformation and reduction in fastening force (misalignment or gap between the fastening members), and contributing to improving the rigidity of the internal combustion engine body.

[0056] In the internal combustion engine 1, when the front cover 5 is made of resin, the rigidity of one end of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the direction of cylinder alignment is lower than when the front cover 5 is made of metal.

[0057] However, in the above-described internal combustion engine 1, both sides of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6, which is positioned so as to straddle the front cover 5, are fixed to the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3, respectively. Therefore, changing the front cover 5 from metal to plastic can suppress a decrease in rigidity at one end of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction, which is a concern.

[0058] In other words, since both side portions (one end 6a and the other end 6b) of the internal combustion engine 1's engine-side mount bracket 6 are fixed to both the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 at different fastening points, the rigidity of one end of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction can be ensured.

[0059] Furthermore, the internal combustion engine 1 is arranged so that the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 straddles the front cover 5, and the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 is unlikely to interfere with the front cover 5, improving the degree of freedom in designing the front cover 5.

[0060] Furthermore, the internal combustion engine side mounting bracket 6 is set to a length along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 that allows it to straddle the front cover 5, so that the length along the width direction (width) of the internal combustion engine body 8 can be set to be long, which is advantageous in ensuring the rigidity of one end of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction.

[0061] In the internal combustion engine 1, one end 6a and the other end 6b, which are both widthwise portions of the internal combustion engine body 8 of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6, are fixed to the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 at separate fastening points, so that the occurrence of vibrations that would cause the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 to open up at one end in the cylinder row direction can be suppressed.

[0062] Furthermore, even if the front cover 5 of the internal combustion engine 1 is made of resin, which has lower rigidity than a metal cover, by making the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 out of metal, which has high rigidity, it is possible to reduce the amplitude of vibration transmitted from the internal combustion engine main body to the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6.

[0063] The engine-side mount bracket 6 is a member that extends continuously in a strip-like shape along the width direction of the engine body 8, and when viewed from the front of the engine, the width dimension of the engine-side mount bracket 6 is longer than the height dimension of the engine body. The engine-side mount bracket 6 overlaps so as to cover part of the outer surface of the front cover 5, and multiple points on its outer periphery are fixed to the engine body 8.

[0064] Therefore, since the outer surface of the front cover 5 of the internal combustion engine 1 is covered in a band shape by the internal combustion engine side mounting bracket 6, the noise emitted from the surface of the front cover 5 is blocked by the internal combustion engine side mounting bracket 6, thereby reducing the noise emitted from the front cover 5, which contributes greatly to engine noise.

[0065] In the internal combustion engine 1 , both sides of the engine-side mount bracket 6 in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 are fixed to the outer periphery (outer periphery) of the end face on one end side of the internal combustion engine body 8 .

[0066] Therefore, the length of the internal combustion engine 1 along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body 8 of the internal combustion engine side mount bracket 6 can be set to the maximum possible length, so that it can effectively resist various forces and twists on one end side of the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0067] In the internal combustion engine 1, the gap between the front cover 5 and the internal combustion engine body 8 is lubricated with lubricating oil.

[0068] Since the internal combustion engine 1 has the internal combustion engine side mounting bracket 6 attached to the internal combustion engine body 8 across the front cover 5, a liquid-tight space 9 can be easily formed between the front cover 5 and the internal combustion engine body 8, and the deformation mode of the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 can be suppressed, thereby improving the sealing of the liquid-tight space 9 between the front cover 5 and the internal combustion engine body 8.

[0069] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

[0070] For example, the internal combustion engine 1 may employ a resin internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 41 having a generally X-shape as shown in Fig. 6. Similar to the above-described internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 6, this internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 41 is disposed so as to straddle the front cover 5, and one end 42 and the other end 43, which are both sides of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the width direction (direction along the Y axis), of the internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 41, are individually fixed to both the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 by bolts 44, which are fastening elements.

[0071] More specifically, the upper end 42a is fixed to the cylinder head 2 by a bolt 44a. The lower end 42b is fixed to the cylinder block 3 by a bolt 44b. The other upper end 43a is fixed to the cylinder head 2 by a bolt 44c. The other lower end 43b is fixed to the cylinder block 3 by a bolt 44d. The internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 41 shown in FIG. 6 is fixed to the internal combustion engine body 8 by four bolts 44.

[0072] The internal combustion engine-side mount bracket 41 shown in FIG. 6 has an X-shape, and therefore does not cover the outer surface of the front cover 5 in a continuous band-like manner. However, both side portions in the width direction (direction along the Y axis) of the internal combustion engine body 8 are fixed to both the cylinder head 2 and the cylinder block 3 by bolts 44 at different fastening points, and therefore the rigidity of one end of the internal combustion engine body 8 in the cylinder row direction can be ensured.

Claims

1. An internal combustion engine comprising: a resin front cover covering one end face in the cylinder row direction of an internal combustion engine body having a cylinder head and a cylinder block; and a metal mounting bracket located at one end face in the cylinder row direction of the internal combustion engine body, arranged to straddle the outside of the front cover, and for attaching the internal combustion engine body to a vehicle, wherein both side portions in the width direction of the internal combustion engine body of the mounting bracket are fixed to both the cylinder head and the cylinder block, respectively.

2. An internal combustion engine as described in claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is a band-like member extending along the width direction of the internal combustion engine body, overlapping so as to cover a portion of the outer surface of the front cover, and having multiple points on its outer circumferential edge fixed to the internal combustion engine body.

3. An internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein both widthwise side portions of said mount bracket are fixed to the outer periphery of one end face of said internal combustion engine body.

4. The internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the space between said front cover and said internal combustion engine body is lubricated with lubricating oil.