Abstract: A generally conventional lash adjuster is modified by incorporating a coaxially oriented hydraulic control piston assembly within the guide body. The control piston normally fixes latch means, such a plurality of hard spheres, in multiple detents loaded in compression with the other components, to provide a rigid stop, but when the control piston is hydraulically pressurized, the detents are overcome and the piston assembly provides a resilient or soft stop that accommodates extended displacement (retraction) of the lash adjuster within the guide. The hydraulic actuation is preferably implemented with a three-way solenoid valve or the like, for controlling high-pressure oil to a gallery and associated inlet ports for the control piston assembly. In the typical implementation of the invention, the piston need have only two operational positions-denergized to establish the detent or hard stop condition, or fully energized to establish the valve deactivation position.

Abstract: An engine with a lockable valve actuator and method of controlling an engine with such an actuator are disclosed. The actuator may include an actuator cylinder with an actuator piston reciprocatingly disposed therein. The actuator piston may be moved by directing pressurized fluid into the actuator cylinder, and locked into a given position by maintaining the pressurized fluid in the actuator cylinder. The actuator may be used in conjunction with a mechanically driven actuator used to move a valve, with the fluidically driven actuator being used to maintain the valve into a desired position.

Abstract: A connection between a shaft end of a gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine and a sleevelike actuating piston of a valve actuator, has at least two shell-like key pieces, surrounding the shaft end and on whose radially outer circumferential surface there is a conically tapering portion, pointing away from a combustion chamber of the engine, and extending in complementary fashion to the cone angle of a radially inner conical portion of a conical fastening sleeve that includes the key pieces, and the conical fastening sleeve and the key pieces can be braced axially against one another. Protrusions and recesses engaging one another are provided on the radially inner circumferential surface of the key pieces and on the radially outer circumferential surface of the shaft end of the gas exchange valve. The conical fastening sleeve is formed by the actuating piston and the actuating piston and the key pieces have threaded portions that can be screwed into one another.

Abstract: A valve-operating mechanism includes cam followers carried on an engine body 1 with their tip ends being in sliding contact with the cam, rocker arms integrally connected to the cam followers and carried on the engine body coaxially with said cam followers with their tip ends being connected to valves, and valve springs for biasing the valves in closing directions. In the valve-operating mechanism, auxiliary springs are connected to the cam followers for biasing and turning the cam followers in the same directions as directions in which the valve springs bias and turn the rocker arms through the valves. Thus, a couple of forces generated over the axis of the cam follower and the rocker arm due to biasing force of the valve spring can be offset in a valve-closing process.

Abstract: A locking pin mechanism disposed in a bore in a cam phaser rotor vane for controllably engaging the camshaft sprocket to rotationally lock together the rotor and stator of a vane-type camshaft phaser. A lock pin sleeve in the bore extends from the vane through a slot in the cover plate. Disposed within the sleeve is a slidable lock pin having a locking head for engaging the sprocket and a tail portion extending through the outer end of the sleeve. The tail portion of the lock pin may be manually retracted by an operator while the phaser is being installed or removed from the engine, thus preventing damage from high torque exerted via the phaser attachment bolt in bolting the phaser to the engine.

Abstract: A camshaft assembly and method of making a camshaft assembly is disclosed. Each of the cams includes a lobe boss portion that defines the cam lift profile, and a base portion that provides a surface for joining the cam to the shaft. In contrast to conventional ring-type cams, the base portion of the cam does not circumscribe the outer surface of the shaft, but instead extends only part way around the circumference or periphery of the shaft. This allows for radial mounting of the cams at virtually any timing angle, and permits the use of simple techniques for joining the cams to the shaft, including capacitance discharge welding. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus to clean an oil control valve for use by an internal combustion engine. The invention causes the oil control valve to execute a cleaning routine when specific entrance criteria are met. This ensures cleaning of the valve to remove contaminants that are wedged, pinched or otherwise trapped on the valve, without interference in the operation of the engine.

Abstract: A cam phase control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided for improving the controllability in a transient state in which an actual cam phase converges to a target cam phase to accurately and readily identify model parameters even when a mechanism for changing the actual cam phase exhibits an intense friction characteristic. The cam phase control apparatus relies on a sliding mode control algorithm which models a controlled object that receives the control input to a cam phase varying device and outputs an actual cam phase as a discrete time based model, and creates a switching function as a function of time series data of a following error. An ECU functions as a sliding mode controller for determining the control input to the cam phase varying device at a predetermined control period for converging the actual cam phase to a target cam phase.

Abstract: There is provided a support device for a rocker arm, which is capable of suppressing deformation or wear of a washer, and greatly improving the working efficiency in assembling the washer to the rocker arm. The support device supports the rocker arm having a supported portion, for driving an engine valve of an internal combustion engine. A rocker shaft is supported between a pair of shaft holders arranged in the cylinder head, for pivotally supporting the rocker arm thereon via the supported portion. A washer has engaging pieces, and is attached to one of opposed ends of the supported portion of the rocker arm and one of the shaft holders, in a manner interposed between the opposed ends. The one of the opposed ends is formed with an annular engaging portion for having the washer engaged thereon via the engaging piece.

Abstract: The invention proposes a switchable finger lever (1) comprising a fork-shaped outer lever (2) between whose arms (3a, 3b) a fork-shaped inner lever (4) is arranged for pivoting relative thereto. The outer lever (2) comprises on an underside (6) in the region of its one closed end (7), a support (8) for the gas exchange valve. The inner lever (4) comprises on the underside (6) on the opposite end (9), a complementary surface (10) for a support element, and on the side of the one end (7), a cam contacting means (12). The latter extends on an axle (13) that is fixed in the outer lever (2). The two levers (2, 4) can be coupled and uncoupled at the opposite end (9) by a transversely displaceable coupling element (5). In this way, a switchable finger lever (1) is obtained that can also be designated as a “buckling” lever and, due to its configuration, has only a small design space requirement.

Abstract: A three-step cam-profile-switching roller finger follower includes a body with low-lift, high-lift and medium-lift body sections. Low, high and medium cam followers are carried by the low-lift, high-lift and medium-lift body sections, respectively. At least one locking assembly selectively couples together and decouples the low and high-lift body sections, and selectively couples together and decouples the low and medium-lift body sections.

Abstract: A valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine is provided which is capable of ensuring reliable holding of a valve by an actuator, and attaining energy saving by efficient operation of the actuator. The valve timing control system controls valve-closing timing of a valve opened by a cam provided on a camshaft, by temporarily holding the valve. A response delay of the actuator is predicted as a response delay prediction value. Output timing is set in which a drive signal for driving the actuator is output, according to the predicted response delay prediction value. Holding timing is controlled in which the valve is held by the actuator, by outputting the drive signal to the actuator, based on the set output timing.

Abstract: A fuel valve is provided in the Diesel fuel supply line to a cylinder to be deactivated. A return fuel line is provided and when the fuel valve is open, the fuel is returned to the fuel supply tank. In closed position fuel is directed to the top portion of the cylinder. The cylinder is provided with a conventional exhaust valve. However, the intake valve is modified to be located closer to the top of the cylinder. The previous gap of about ¼ inch is reduced to about 0.005 to 0.015 inches. This allows the intake valve to remain open instead of closed as the piston moves upwardly in a deactivated cylinder when the exhaust valve is closed, to allow air to exit through the intake valve from the cylinder and relieve pressure when the piston is in the full up position. This valve system may be located in all Diesel engines including Diesel powered motorcycles.

Abstract: A variable valve timing device includes a rotation transmitting member rotated integrally with a rotation shaft of an engine, a rotor member disposed in the rotation transmitting member to be rotated relative to the rotation transmitting member and rotated integrally with an intake and exhaust valves controlling member, a fluid chamber defined between the rotor member and the rotation transmitting member, a vane radially equipped to one of the rotor member and the rotation transmitting member, and a covering member fixed to the rotation transmitting member for covering the fluid chamber. An axial edge surface of the biasing member discontinuously comes in contact with at least one of the rotor member and the covering member.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a system and method for actuating one or more valves in an internal combustion engine. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method that may provide lost motion valve actuation of intake, exhaust, and auxiliary valves in an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A drive shaft is synchronously rotated with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. A cylindrical hollow cam shaft is rotatably disposed about the drive shaft keeping a first cylindrical clearance therebetween. The cam shaft is formed with at least one cam that actuates an engine valve for opening and closing the same. A bearing bears a given portion of the cam shaft keeping a second cylindrical clearance therebetween. A movement transmitting mechanism transmits a torque of the drive shaft to the cam shaft while converting a rotation movement of the drive shaft to a swing movement of the cam shaft. The thickness of the first cylindrical clearance is smaller than that of the second cylindrical clearance.

Abstract: A variable valve drive for a cam-actuated lift valve of an internal combustion engine which is loaded by a closing pressure against the direction of opening, includes a hydraulic power generating device acting on the lift valve against the closing force with a control piston arranged longitudinally displaceable in a cylinder and adjacent to a hydraulic control chamber, a stroke of the lift valve produced by an actuating cam being at least reducible by removing hydraulic liquid from the control chamber by means of a control valve. In order to arrange the valve stroke and valve opening as free as possible in the simplest possible way the control chamber is connectable with a high pressure level preferably by means of the control valve.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine is provided. The engine includes a compression ratio control mechanism and an ignition timing control system. The control system comprises an engine control for controlling the compression ratio control mechanism and the ignition timing control system so that the compression ratio is varied depending upon variations of engine rpm, engine load and a warm-up condition of the engine and that when the engine is cold, the ignition timing is retarded from a MBT point and a top dead center position of a piston is made lower in level than that obtained when the engine is hot and operated at corresponding engine rpm and engine load. A method for controlling such an internal combustion engine is also provided.

Abstract: Method for piloting electromagnetic actuators for the control of the valves of an engine; each electromagnetic actuator is provided with at least one respective electromagnet, which is piloted by a common piloting device by means of the supply of an electric current wave which has two, initial and end control portions in which the intensity of the electric current varies rapidly and an intermediate maintenance portion in which the intensity of the electric current remains substantially constant; the method consists of supplying respective electric current waves cyclically to the electromagnets in order to control the valves according to the drive point, and to vary at a control portion of each wave the value of the intensity of the electric current supplied during the portions of maintenance of the other waves in order to limit the variation of the quantity of electric charge distributed overall by the piloting device.

Abstract: In a variable valve timing mechanism that changes a rotation phase of a camshaft with respect to a crankshaft by an actuator to vary valve timing of engine valves, when a fixed condition of the rotation phase is detected, the actuator is forcibly driven, to generate a torque alternately in an advance direction and a retarded direction of the rotation phase.