If an engine coolant temperature is equal to or lower than a first low-temperature determination value and a battery temperature is equal to or lower than a second low-temperature determination value when a request to start up an engine is made, the advancement driving of a variable valve operating mechanism is first started. Then, when an advancement amount of the variable valve operating mechanism later becomes equal to or larger than a prescribed startup start determination value, is started.

If an engine coolant temperature is equal to or lower than a first low-temperature determination value and a battery temperature is equal to or lower than a second low-temperature determination value when a request to start up an engine is made, the advancement driving of a variable valve operating mechanism is first started. Then, when an advancement amount of the variable valve operating mechanism later becomes equal to or larger than a prescribed startup start determination value, is started.

A continuous variable valve duration apparatus includes: a camshaft, a front cam unit and a rear cam unit of which the phase relative to the camshaft can be varied, a front inner wheel and a rear inner wheel, a front guide bracket and a rear guide bracket, a front wheel housing and a rear wheel housing, a front control shaft, a rear control shaft, a phase controller selectively changing the relative phase of the front control shaft and the rear control shaft, a main driving unit for driving the rear control shaft, vibration sensors that measure the vibration of each cylinder corresponding to the front cam unit and the rear cam unit and output a corresponding signal, and a controller for controlling the operation of the main driving unit and the phase controller according to the output signals of the respective vibration sensors.

A latch assembly comprises a latch pin and a cage. The latch pin comprises a latch nose and a pin body. The pin body comprises an outer surface and an inner compartment. The inner compartment comprises a first inner wall segmented by a first slot and a second inner wall segmented by a second slot. The first slot and the second slot vent out of the inner compartment. The cage comprises a stepped base and a shaft extending from the stepped base into the inner compartment. The shaft comprises a first exterior flat adjoining the first inner wall and a second exterior flat adjoining the second inner wall. A spring can be biased against the latch pin and the cage. The latch assembly can be used in a latching device of a valvetrain such as a switching roller finger follower or other rocker arm.

A latch assembly comprises a latch pin and a cage. The latch pin comprises a latch nose and a pin body. The pin body comprises an outer surface and an inner compartment. The inner compartment comprises a first inner wall segmented by a first slot and a second inner wall segmented by a second slot. The first slot and the second slot vent out of the inner compartment. The cage comprises a stepped base and a shaft extending from the stepped base into the inner compartment. The shaft comprises a first exterior flat adjoining the first inner wall and a second exterior flat adjoining the second inner wall. A spring can be biased against the latch pin and the cage. The latch assembly can be used in a latching device of a valvetrain such as a switching roller finger follower or other rocker arm.

A valve system/method suitable for an internal combustion engine (ICE), compressor pump, vacuum pump, and/or reciprocating mechanical device is disclosed. The system/method is optimized for construction of a four-stroke ICE. The rudimentary system incorporates an intake engine block cover (IEC) and exhaust engine block cover (EEC) that enclose an intake rotary valve disc (IVD) and exhaust rotary valve disc (EVD) that control intake/exhaust flow through a respective intake rotary valve port (IVP) and an exhaust rotary valve port (EVP) into and out of a combustion cylinder that provides power to a piston and crankshaft. An intake multi-staged valve (IMV) and exhaust multi-staged valve (EMV) provide intake and exhaust flow control for the IVD/IVP and EVD/EVP. An enhanced system may include a variety of intake/exhaust port seals (IPS/EPS), forced induction/discharge (FIN), centrifugal advance (CAD), and/or cooling channel spool (ICS/ECS).

Closing timing of an intake port is changed without using a variable valve timing mechanism. An electric vehicle includes an engine for electricity generation in which closing timing of an intake port maximizes intake air charging efficiency in a specific revolution speed region, a sensor which outputs a signal related to a revolution speed of the engine, a controller which drives the engine at a revolution speed based on the signal of the sensor, a requested electricity generation amount being satisfied at the revolution speed, and a motor which applies a positive or negative torque to the engine. When the engine is driven in a revolution speed region other than the specific revolution speed region, the controller uses the motor to apply a positive or a negative torque to the engine in an intake stroke to change the closing timing of the intake port to increase intake air charging efficiency.

Closing timing of an intake port is changed without using a variable valve timing mechanism. An electric vehicle includes an engine for electricity generation in which closing timing of an intake port maximizes intake air charging efficiency in a specific revolution speed region, a sensor which outputs a signal related to a revolution speed of the engine, a controller which drives the engine at a revolution speed based on the signal of the sensor, a requested electricity generation amount being satisfied at the revolution speed, and a motor which applies a positive or negative torque to the engine. When the engine is driven in a revolution speed region other than the specific revolution speed region, the controller uses the motor to apply a positive or a negative torque to the engine in an intake stroke to change the closing timing of the intake port to increase intake air charging efficiency.

A valve system/method suitable for an internal combustion engine (ICE), compressor pump, vacuum pump, and/or reciprocating mechanical device is disclosed. The system/method is optimized for construction of a two-stroke ICE. The rudimentary system incorporates an intake engine block cover (IEC) and exhaust engine block cover (EEC) that enclose an intake rotary valve cylinder (IVC) and exhaust rotary valve cylinder (EVC) that control intake/exhaust flow through a respective intake rotary valve port (IVP) and an exhaust rotary valve port (EVP) into and out of a combustion cylinder that provides power to a piston and crankshaft. Intake/exhaust multi-staged valves (IMV/EMV) provide intake/exhaust flow control for the IVC/IVP and EVC/EVP. An enhanced system may include a variety of intake/exhaust port seals (IPS/EPS), forced induction/discharge (FIN/FID), centrifugal advance (CAD/ICA/ECA), and/or cooling channel spool (ICS/ECS).

A hydraulic fluid control valve (HFCV) configured to recirculate an exiting hydraulic fluid from a first hydraulic actuation chamber to a second hydraulic actuation chamber is provided. The HFCV includes a spring well that combines a hydraulic fluid received from a hydraulic fluid pressure source with a recirculated hydraulic fluid from the first hydraulic actuation chamber and delivers the combination to the second hydraulic actuation chamber.