Multilink cranktrains with combined eccentric shaft and camshaft drive system for internal combustion engines

A motor vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle body;
• multiple road wheels mounted to the vehicle body;
• and
• an internal combustion engine (ICE) assembly mounted to the vehicle body and operable to drive one or more of the road wheels to thereby propel the motor vehicle, the ICE assembly including:
• an engine block defining therein a combustion chamber with a cylinder bore;
• a valve assembly fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber and operable to selectively unseat to thereby introduce or evacuate a fluid from the combustion chamber;
• a piston reciprocally movable within the cylinder bore;
• a crankshaft rotatably supported by the engine block and rotatable on a first axis;
• a multipoint linkage drivingly engaging the piston to the crankshaft and rotatable on a second axis offset from the first axis;
• and
• a control shaft rotatably supported by the engine block and rotatable on a third axis offset from the first and second axes, wherein the control shaft is coupled to and operable to selectively rotate the multipoint linkage on the second axis, and the control shaft is coupled to and operable to selectively unseat the valve assembly.

A method of manufacturing an engine assembly, the method comprising:

• receiving an engine block defining therein a combustion chamber with a cylinder bore;
• attaching a valve assembly to the engine block, the valve assembly being fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber and operable to selectively unseat to thereby introduce or evacuate a fluid from the combustion chamber;
• attaching a piston to the engine block to move reciprocally within the cylinder bore;
• attaching a crankshaft to the engine block to rotate on a first axis;
• attaching a multipoint linkage to the engine block, the multipoint linkage drivingly engaging the piston with the crankshaft and rotating on a second axis offset from the first axis;
• attaching a control shaft to the engine block, the control shaft rotating on a third axis offset from the first and second axes;
• coupling the control shaft to the multipoint linkage, the control shaft being operable to selectively rotate the multipoint linkage on the second axis;
• and
• coupling the control shaft to the valve assembly, the control shaft being operable to selectively unseat the valve assembly.