For example, two intake valves for each cylinder each are driven by a selected one of cams via a corresponding rocker arm. Each rocker arm includes a support portion and a pressing portion (distal end portion). The support portion is rockably supported by a cylinder head. The pressing portion is configured to press a stem of the corresponding intake valve. The support portion of one of the rocker arms deviates to one side in an axis X direction (cam axial direction) with respect to the distal end portion. The support portion of the other one of the rocker arms deviates to the other side in the axis X direction with respect to the distal end portion.

A camshaft module may include a module body in which at least one camshaft for controlling valves for a charge cycle of an internal combustion engine is accommodated. The camshaft may comprise a support shaft and sliding cam pieces that are accommodated on the support shaft so as to be displaceable in an axial direction of the support shaft. A support element may also be provided on which actuators for the axial displacement of the sliding cam pieces are accommodated. The support element may extend in the axial direction and therefore parallel to the support shaft. In some cases, a coefficient of thermal expansion of the support element substantially corresponds to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the support shaft.

A sliding cam system for an internal combustion engine includes an adjusting element that has at least three coupling pins. A first coupling pin is arranged in the region of the primary sliding cam element and a second coupling pin is arranged in the region of the first secondary sliding cam element and a third coupling pin is arranged in the region of the second secondary sliding cam element. The coupling pins each cooperate with a shifting gate of the respectively associated sliding cam element such that a movement of a primary sliding cam element initiated by the actuator pin is transmissible to secondary sliding cam elements by the adjusting element. The sliding cam system is designed such that a shifting operation of the first secondary sliding cam element takes place at least partially at the same time as the shifting operation of the second secondary sliding cam element.

A valve train for an engine of a motor vehicle and an engine assembly with such a valve train is provided. The valve train includes at least two inlet and/or outlet valves, and at least two motorized actuating units configured to independently control the maximum valve lifts of respective ones of the valves. A first actuating unit of the at least two actuating units is associated with a first valve of the at least two valves, and a second actuating unit is associated with a second valve of the at least two valves.

An electronic control unit of a control device for an internal combustion engine executes, for a first cycle, first drive processing for controlling an actuator such that a pin drive operation is executed for switching from a first cam to a second cam, executes second drive processing for controlling the actuator such that the pin drive operation is executed again for a second cycle, and executes abnormality determination processing for determining that a cam switching mechanism has an abnormality in a case where a pin returns to a reference position by using a pin return section following a cam switching section of the first cycle after the execution of the first drive processing and the pin returns to the reference position by using the pin return section following the cam switching section of the second cycle after the execution of-the second drive processing.

Multiple tubular members 40 that include multiple cam members 41 and 42 having cam parts 11 are connected to each other to form a single cam tube 12. Multiple female splines 45, which are partially arranged on an inner tube surface 44 of the tubular members which include the cam members 41 and 42, mate with male splines 47 formed on the outer tube surface 46 of a drive shaft 13, and the cam tube 12 rotates integrally with the drive shaft 13, and is capable of moving freely in the axial direction thereof.

A slide cam system includes a camshaft comprising a carrier shaft with slide cam elements that each comprise a slotted switching member having a switching groove. The slide cam elements are displaceable axially relative to the carrier shaft by an actuator pin. A displacement element is arranged parallel with a longitudinal axis of the carrier shaft, and the displacement element is axially displaceable in a direction of the longitudinal axis. The displacement element has a first coupling pin arranged in a region of the first slide cam element and a second coupling pin arranged in a region of the second slide cam element. The coupling pins cooperate with a slotted switching member of the associated slide cam element such that as a result of the displacement element a movement initiated by the actuator pin of the first slide cam element can be transmitted to the second slide cam element.

A variable valve-operating device for an internal combustion engine has a cam carrier with cam lobes formed therearound to act on an engine valve and with a speed increasing side lead groove and a speed decreasing side lead groove formed therearound to be engaged with a speed increasing side switching pin and a speed decreasing side switching pin, respectively, to axially shift the cam carrier, to selectively make one of the cam lobes to be operative. A speed increasing side entry lead groove portion of the speed increasing side lead groove is formed in a position axially overlapping a low speed steady position lead groove portion of the speed decreasing side lead groove. A speed decreasing side entry lead groove portion of the speed decreasing side entry lead groove is formed in a position axially overlapping a high speed steady position lead groove portion of the speed increasing side lead groove. The variable valve-operating device can thus be miniaturized by reducing the axial width of the cam carrier.

In starting the engine, if it is determined that large cams are not completely prepared for all driving cams, valve closing timings of all intake valves are changed by driving the VVT so that all of the cylinders have equal in-cylinder filling efficiency. A fuel injection amount of each cylinder is determined by a feedforward control assuming that the large cams are completely prepared for all of the driving cams. When the valve closing timing of all of the intake valves are changed by driving the VVT to equalize the in-cylinder filling efficiencies of all of the cylinders, all of the cylinders have substantially equal in-cylinder air-fuel ratios.

A method for monitoring an actuator device of a reciprocating piston engine, wherein the actuator device is designed to actuate, particularly reversibly displace, a sliding cam device of the reciprocating piston engine, particularly substantially parallel to a camshaft of the reciprocating piston engine, with the steps S1 Feeding of actuation energy to the actuator device, whereupon the actuator device undergoes a first state change, S2 Monitoring of the actuator device and detection of a second state change of the actuator device, S3 Determining of a first angle of rotation of a camshaft or of the camshaft of the reciprocating piston engine on the basis of the second state change.