An internally cooled inlet or outlet valve for internal combustion engines, has a valve disc, a valve stem and a cavity inside the valve stem and the valve disc. A coolant is arranged in the cavity, wherein the cavity is provided with at least one guide vane for the coolant.

An internally cooled inlet or outlet valve for internal combustion engines, has a valve disc, a valve stem and a cavity inside the valve stem and the valve disc. A coolant is arranged in the cavity, wherein the cavity is provided with at least one guide vane for the coolant.

A mechanical seal clamping assembly includes a base, a fulcrum, a lever, and a cap. The base supports a mechanical seal. The lever is pivotally coupled to the fulcrum at a first pivot spaced from the base. The cap is coupled to the lever and is movable by the lever with respect to the base. The cap is movable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the cap is at a first distance away from the base. In the second position, the cap is at a second distance away from the base larger than the first distance. The lever moves the cap from the second position toward the first position to engage the mechanical seal to clamp, between the cap and the base, the mechanical seal to maintain a spring of the mechanical seal compressed during assembly or disassembly of the mechanical seal.

An assembling apparatus places a retainer on a valve spring to surround an upper end of a valve stem. The apparatus includes an assembling head, and a moving unit configured to move the assembling head between the supply position of the retainer and an assembling position. The assembling head includes a holding unit configured to hold the retainer, and a push unit configured to push out the retainer. The push unit includes a push member supported to be able to advance/retreat along an elevating direction of the assembling head, and a biasing member configured to bias the push member in an advancing direction.

An assembling apparatus places a retainer on a valve spring to surround an upper end of a valve stem. The apparatus includes an assembling head, and a moving unit configured to move the assembling head between the supply position of the retainer and an assembling position. The assembling head includes a holding unit configured to hold the retainer, and a push unit configured to push out the retainer. The push unit includes a push member supported to be able to advance/retreat along an elevating direction of the assembling head, and a biasing member configured to bias the push member in an advancing direction.

A method for introducing combustion air into a cylinder (25) of an internal combustion engine, a high-pressure inlet valve (1) provided therefor and an internal combustion engine that operates using the method and the high-pressure inlet valve are described. All the combustion air for the respective cylinders (25) is introduced into the cylinder (25) of the internal combustion engine, by means of a high-pressure inlet valve (1) arranged in the relevant cylinder head (26) and on the basis of a controlled mass flow, such that mixture formation and charge exchange are intensified. In addition, the temperature and/or pressure of the combustion air is measured and the quantity of combustion air is introduced into the cylinder (25), in a controlled manner and on the basis of the measurement results, by means of the high-pressure inlet valve (1) by opening or closing a sliding piston (3) of the high-pressure inlet valve (1) by displacement. As a result of an axial displacement of the sliding piston (3) between guide sections (5) in the housing (2) of the high-pressure inlet valve (1), passage areas (6) for combustion air are blocked in a closed position (7) and opened in an open position (8). In the passage area (6), the sliding piston (3) has two pressurization areas (10, 11) facing each other, the surfaces of which are of equal size or differ from each other when projected in one plane. The first pressurization area (10) can be designed as a poppet valve (12) and the second pressurization area (11) can be designed as an annular surface (13). The internal combustion engine has a high-pressure line (27) for the combustion air, which line is connected to the high-pressure inlet valve (1). With respect to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder (25), the high-pressure inlet valve (1) is arranged in the cylinder head (26) in an upright or horizontal position.

A method for introducing combustion air into a cylinder (25) of an internal combustion engine, a high-pressure inlet valve (1) provided therefor and an internal combustion engine that operates using the method and the high-pressure inlet valve are described. All the combustion air for the respective cylinders (25) is introduced into the cylinder (25) of the internal combustion engine, by means of a high-pressure inlet valve (1) arranged in the relevant cylinder head (26) and on the basis of a controlled mass flow, such that mixture formation and charge exchange are intensified. In addition, the temperature and/or pressure of the combustion air is measured and the quantity of combustion air is introduced into the cylinder (25), in a controlled manner and on the basis of the measurement results, by means of the high-pressure inlet valve (1) by opening or closing a sliding piston (3) of the high-pressure inlet valve (1) by displacement. As a result of an axial displacement of the sliding piston (3) between guide sections (5) in the housing (2) of the high-pressure inlet valve (1), passage areas (6) for combustion air are blocked in a closed position (7) and opened in an open position (8). In the passage area (6), the sliding piston (3) has two pressurization areas (10, 11) facing each other, the surfaces of which are of equal size or differ from each other when projected in one plane. The first pressurization area (10) can be designed as a poppet valve (12) and the second pressurization area (11) can be designed as an annular surface (13). The internal combustion engine has a high-pressure line (27) for the combustion air, which line is connected to the high-pressure inlet valve (1). With respect to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder (25), the high-pressure inlet valve (1) is arranged in the cylinder head (26) in an upright or horizontal position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a sliding member includes: a sliding surface against which an outer surface of a cam abuts; and a groove having a spiral shape or a plurality of grooves having an annular shape, which are provided on the sliding surface. The sliding surface includes a central region having a circular shape and including a center of the sliding surface, and a first annular region located outside the central region. A ratio R.sub.C of a width L2 of the groove to a pitch L1 of the groove in the central region is larger than a ratio R.sub.O1 of the width L2 of the groove to the pitch L1 of the groove in the first annular region.

A mechanical seal clamping assembly includes a base, a fulcrum, a lever, and a cap. The base supports a mechanical seal. The lever is pivotally coupled to the fulcrum at a first pivot spaced from the base. The cap is coupled to the lever and is movable by the lever with respect to the base. The cap is movable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the cap is at a first distance away from the base. In the second position, the cap is at a second distance away from the base larger than the first distance. The lever moves the cap from the second position toward the first position to engage the mechanical seal to clamp, between the cap and the base, the mechanical seal to maintain a spring of the mechanical seal compressed during assembly or disassembly of the mechanical seal.

An assembling apparatus places a retainer on a valve spring to surround an upper end of a valve stem. The apparatus includes an assembling head, and a moving unit configured to move the assembling head between the supply position of the retainer and an assembling position. The assembling head includes a holding unit configured to hold the retainer, and a push unit configured to push out the retainer. The push unit includes a push member supported to be able to advance/retreat along an elevating direction of the assembling head, and a biasing member configured to bias the push member in an advancing direction.