An engine
assembly (12) comprising the following: an engine block (13) which defines within itself a
combustion chamber (17) with a cylinder bore (15); a valve arrangement which is fluidically coupled to and actuated by the
combustion chamber (17) in order to selectively introduce a fluid into or evacuate it from the
combustion chamber (17); a
piston (16) that can be moved back and forth in the cylinder bore (15); a
crankshaft (11) which is rotatably mounted on the engine block (13) and is rotatable about a first axis; a multi-point linkage that connects the
piston (16) to the
crankshaft (11) for driving purposes and is rotatable about a second axis that is offset from the first axis; and a control shaft (104) rotatably mounted through the engine block (13) and rotatable on a third axis offset from the first and second axes, wherein the control shaft (104) is coupled to and actuated with the multi-point linkage to selectively rotate the multi-point linkage on the second axis, and the control shaft (104) is coupled to and actuated with the valve
assembly to selectively open it, wherein a phasing device (124) is mounted inside the engine block (13) and connected to the control shaft (104), wherein the multi-point linkage has a linkage body (106) with a first, a second and a third
pivot joint, wherein the first
pivot joint (108A) is rotatably coupled to the
piston (16), the second
pivot joint (108B) is rotatably coupled to the
crankshaft (11) and the third pivot joint (108C) is rotatably coupled to the control shaft (104), wherein the first pivot joint (108A) is rotatably coupled to the piston (16) via a connecting rod (21), the second pivot joint (108B) is rotatably coupled to a
crankpin (110) of the crankshaft (11) via a rod bearing, and the third pivot joint (108C) is rotatably coupled to the control shaft (104) via a tie rod (112), wherein the control shaft (104) includes an eccentric
cam (109) which projects radially outwards from a main shaft body, and wherein a first end of the connecting rod is rotatably coupled to the third pivot joint (108C) of the multi-point linkage to rotate about a fourth axis, and a second end of the connecting rod is rotatably coupled to the eccentric
cam (107) to rotate about a fifth axis which is offset from the first, second and third axes, wherein the control shaft (104) has a roller
cam (109) which projects radially outwards from a main shaft body, and wherein the valve
assembly has a spring-loaded valve (18) which is fluidically coupled to the
combustion chamber (17) and a pushrod (116) coupled to the roller cam (109). wherein the valve assembly further comprises a pivoting
rocker arm assembly (120) and a
hydraulic tappet (118), wherein the pivoting
rocker arm assembly (120) has a first
rocker arm (121) which rests against a stem of the spring-loaded valve (18), and a second rocker arm (123) which rests against a first end of the
tappet (116), and wherein the
hydraulic tappet is attached to a second end of the
tappet (116) and is seated on the roller cam.