Internal combustion engine having cam actuated valves that can be controlled to facilitate the use of different air charge levels in different cylinders or sets of cylinders are described. In one aspect a first set of cylinders is operated in a skip fire manner in which the corresponding cylinders are deactivated during skipped working cycles. Cam actuated intake valves associated with a second set of cylinders are operated differently so that the air charge in the cylinders in the second set is different than the air charge in fired cylinders subject to the skip fire control. According to another aspect, an engine having cam actuated intake valves is operated in a dynamic firing level modulation mode. During the dynamic firing level modulation operation, the cam actuated intake valves are controlled in at least two different manners to such that different cylinder working cycles have different air charges.

A valve mechanism includes a valve, a camshaft, an intermediate swing arm located between a cam and the valve, a lift regulating mechanism and a roller assembly. The cam drives the valve to move by means of the intermediate swing arm. The roller assembly is supported by the cam, an eccentric wheel of the lift regulating mechanism and an intermediate swing arm roller. A peripheral surface of the eccentric wheel includes a lift regulating section having a start point and an end point, a maximum lift point of the lift regulating section is located between the start point and the end point, and the lift regulating section is divided into a first section which is convex and a second section having at least a part thereof concave.

A control method for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism includes: controlling a continuously variable valve lift mechanism to enter a limp mode when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism fails and disables an automatic valve lift changing function; driving and forcing the continuously variable valve lift mechanism to move to a maximum lift position; and triggering a self locking function to self lock the continuously variable valve lift mechanism at the maximum lift position when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism reaches the maximum lift position. A control system for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism, and a vehicle are also provided.

Methods and systems are provided for a valve lift control device. In one example, a method may include rotating an adjusting camshaft of the valve lift control device in order to adjust a valve lift of one or more cylinders.

A variable valve drive for a lifting valve, such as a charge-exchange valve of an internal combustion engine, that is periodically movable between closed and open positions indirectly by way of a cam via a rocker lever. The variable valve drive includes a switchable rocker lever arrangement for the actuation of the lifting valve, having a transmission rocker lever and a valve rocker lever which are mounted pivotably on different rocker lever axles parallel to the camshaft axis. The valve rocker lever, is in operative contact with the lifting valve at a first end, and has a roller, at a second end. The transmission rocker lever, is in engagement with a cam of the camshaft and, is operatively connected to the roller of the valve rocker lever.

A continuously variable valve lift system includes a driving swing arm, a camshaft, a valve structure, a control shaft and an adjusting swing arm. The valve structure includes a roller rocker arm and a valve connected to the roller rocker arm. The driving swing arm has a driving arc surface. The driving arc surface contacts with the roller rocker arm to drive the valve to perform a reciprocating movement. The driving swing arm is sleeved on the control shaft and is capable of swinging around the control shaft. The control shaft is provided with a mounting part. The adjusting swing arm is connected to the mounting part and is capable of swinging relative to the mounting part. The adjusting swing arm is disposed between the camshaft and the driving swing arm. Two sides of the adjusting swing arm are contacted respectively with the camshaft and the driving swing arm.

A continuously variable valve lift system includes a driving swing arm, an adjusting member, an adjusting swing arm and a camshaft. The driving swing arm is provided with a first connecting part, the adjusting member is provided with a second connecting part, and the adjusting swing arm is provided with a third connecting part, wherein two sides of the second connecting part abut against the first connecting part and the third connecting part, respectively, the second connecting part abuts against the third connecting part to form a spiral surface therebetween, and the adjusting member is further capable of sliding along an axial direction of the middle shaft, and the camshaft contacts with the adjusting swing arm.

A control shaft of a cam shaft adjustment unit has axially spaced adjustment cams, which are designed in a first axial section of the control shaft for a continuous operation of a cylinder and in a second axial section for a cylinder shut-off. The adjustment cams for the continuous operation of a cylinder have, over the entire circumference of the cam circle, a radial extension which is greater than a zero stroke extension and the adjustment cams for the cylinder shut-off have, around their circumference, a shut-off section of the cam circle with a radial extension which is less than or equal to the zero stroke extension. The control shaft has a stop that reduces the rotation in both circumferential directions and functions as the calibration point for an engine electronics system.

An internal combustion engine capable of cylinder deactivation or skip fire control in combination with variable valve lift control. One bank of cylinders can be deactivated while the air induction of the other bank of cylinders is regulated using variable valve lift control to increase engine efficiency. An internal combustion engine with two cylinder banks, where control of one cylinder bank using skip fire control can be operating at an appropriate firing fraction in combination with variable valve lift control on the other cylinder bank. A single bank of cylinders can be controlled in a skip fire manner in conjunction with variable valve lift control.

A variable valve mechanism of an internal combustion engine includes a cam, a transmission mechanism, a first variable device that controls the transmission mechanism to continuously change at least a maximum lift amount of a lift curve indicating a lift amount of a valve that corresponds to a rotation angle of the internal combustion engine, and a second variable device that controls the transmission mechanism to continuously change at least an operation angle of the lift curve. When the lift curve lies in any condition within a predetermined range that covers all or part of a variable range of the lift curve, an absolute value of a ratio of a maximum lift amount variation to an operation angle variation for a slight change from the condition caused by the first variable device is larger than that for a slight change from the condition caused by the second variable device.