Supercharged engine

Claim 1

A supercharged internal combustion engine having a first bank containing a plurality of aligned cylinders and a second bank containing a plurality of aligned cylinders, said banks being arranged in a "V" orientation and defined by an engine block having a pair of cylinder heads connected thereto each in closing relation to the cylinders of the respective bank, said banks defining a valley therebetween, a piston mounted for reciprocation within each cylinder and connected to a crankshaft which is journalled for rotation with respect to said engine block, a plurality of intake passages each leading through the respective one of said cylinder heads to a respective cylinder of the bank closed by said respective cylinder head, an intake air manifold, said intake manifold having a plenum portion extending longitudinally through said valley in spaced relation to the intersection between the respective cylinder banks, said plenum portion having an inlet disposed in said valley and a plurality of supply passages each leading from the sides of said plenum portion to a respective one of said intake passages leading to a respective one of said cylinders, a supercharger positioned within said valley in the area formed between said banks and said intake manifold plenum portion, said supercharger having an air intake formed at one longitudinal end of said valley and an air outlet formed within said valley and communicating with said inlet of said manifold plenum portion, said supercharger having a pair of intermeshing rotors rotating about parallel axes extending longitudinally of said valley, a valved bypass passage formed in said supercharger within said valley at said one longitudinal end and within said valley for selectively communicating inducted air from said supercharger air intake to said plenum portion bypassing said intermeshing rotors, and means for driving said supercharger at the other longitudinal end of said valley.