Valve drive for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A valve drive for an internal combustion engine may include a cam shaft, at least one cam follower, at least one adjusting device, and at least one control shaft. The cam shaft may include at least one cam group that may include a first cam and a second cam The at least one adjusting device may include a first adjustable engagement element and a second adjustable engagement element. The at least one control shaft may include at least one control cam group that may include a first control cam and a second control cam. The first control cam may include a cam lobe corresponding to the first engagement element and the second control cam may include a cam lobe corresponding to the second engagement element. The at least one control shaft may be rotatable about a longitudinal axis between a starting position and a rotational position.

Claims

1. A valve drive for an internal combustion engine, the valve drive comprising: a cam shaft including at least one cam group mounted to the cam shaft in a rotationally fixed manner, the at least one cam group including a first cam and a second cam axially adjacent to the first cam; at least one cam follower, wherein, in a first position, the at least one cam follower is drivingly connected to the first cam and, in a second position, to the second cam; at least one adjusting device, the at least one adjusting device including a first adjustable engagement element and a second adjustable engagement element; wherein the first engagement element comprises a pin cooperating with a first guide arranged on the cam shaft and the second engagement element comprises a pin cooperating with a second guide arranged on the cam shaft; wherein the first engagement element and the second engagement element are alternately adjustable between an initial position and a switching position; wherein the first engagement element does not contact the first guide when in the initial position and cooperates with the first guide when in the switching position; wherein the second engagement element does not contact the second guide when in the initial position and cooperates with the second guide when in the switching position; at least one control shaft, the at least one control shaft including at least one control cam group, the at least one control cam group including a first control cam mounted to the at least one control shaft and a second control cam mounted to the at least one control shaft, the first control cam including a cam lobe corresponding to the first engagement element and the second control cam including a cam lobe corresponding to the second engagement element; and wherein the at least one control shaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis between a starting position and a rotational position such that in the rotational position the first engagement element adjusts into the switching position via the cam lobe of the first control cam, and the second engagement element adjusts into the switching position via the cam lobe of the second control cam in an alternating manner.

2. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft includes a plurality of control cam groups, and wherein the at least one adjusting device activates via a respective control cam group of the plurality of control cam groups such that a cam profile shifts between at least two different cam profiles.

3. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft includes at least two partial control shafts each including at least one control cam group, and wherein the at least one adjusting device activates via the at least one control cam group such that a cam profile adjusts between at least two different cam profiles.

4. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft includes an inner shaft and a rotationally fixed outer shaft arranged coaxially thereto, the inner shaft rotatably arranged in the outer shaft, and wherein the first control cam and the second control cam are mounted to the inner shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

5. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft includes an inner shaft and an outer shaft arranged coaxially thereto, the inner shaft and the outer shaft rotatable relative to one another, and wherein one of i) the first control cam is mounted to the inner shaft and the second control cam is mounted to the outer shaft and ii) the second control cam is mounted to the inner shaft and the first control cam is mounted to the outer shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

6. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft is a rocker shaft including at least one rocker arm rotationally arranged on the rocker shaft.

7. The valve drive according to claim 1, further comprising a control shaft drive.

8. The valve drive according to claim 7, wherein the control shaft drive is one of a belt drive, a gear drive, and an adjusting drive.

9. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control shaft includes a spring resetting arrangement.

10. The valve drive according to claim 9, wherein the spring resetting arrangement includes at least one of a torsion spring, a helical spring, and a flexible spring.

11. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the first guide and the second guide are arranged on a slide guide of the cam shaft.

12. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the first guide is arranged on a first slide guide of the cam shaft and the second guide is arranged on a second slide guide of the cam shaft.

13. The valve drive according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement element and the second engagement element are structured and arranged to extend radially relative to the cam shaft.

14. An internal combustion engine comprising the valve drive of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In each case schematically,

(2) FIG. 1 shows a partial view of a valve drive according to the invention comprising a control shaft;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view of a control shaft comprising a control cam group;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a view of a control shaft comprising an inner shaft and comprising a rotationally fixed outer shaft;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of a control shaft comprising an inner shaft and an outer shaft, wherein the inner shaft and the outer shaft can be rotated relative to one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a partial view of a valve drive 1 of an internal combustion engine, which is not shown in detail. The valve drive 1 has a cam shaft 2 and a cam follower 3. The cam shaft 2 has a first cam group 4 comprising a first cam 4a and comprising a second cam 4b, as well as a second cam group 5 comprising a first cam 5a and comprising a second cam 5b. The first cam group 4 and the second cam group 5 are mounted to the cam shaft 2 in a rotationally fixed manner A cylinder, which is not shown in detail, can be controlled by means of the first cam group 4 and the second cam group 5, in that for example the first cam group 4 controls an inlet valve of the cylinder, and the second cam group 5 controls an outlet valve of the cylinder.

(7) The cam follower 3 is drivingly connected to the first cam group 4 by means of a first roller 3a and to the second cam group 5 by means of a second roller 3b. In a first position, the rollers 3a and 3b cooperate with the first cams 4a and 5a of the respective cam groups 4 and 5, and in a second position, the rollers 3a and 3b cooperate with the second cams 4b and 5b of the respective cam groups 4 and 5.

(8) To adjust the cam follower 3 into the first position or into the second position, the valve drive 1 has an adjusting device 6, which has a first adjustable engagement element 6a and a second adjustable engagement element 6b. The first engagement element 6a thereby cooperates with a first guide 7c of a first slide guide 7a, which is mounted to the cam shaft 2, and the second engagement element 6b cooperates with a second guide 7d of a second slide guide 7b, which is mounted to the cam shaft 2. The first engagement element 6a and the second engagement element 6b can alternately be adjusted between an initial position and a switching position, whereby there is no contact with the corresponding slide guide 7a or 7b in the initial position, and the respective engagement element 6a or 6b cooperates with the corresponding slide guide 7a or 7b in the switching position.

(9) The valve drive 1 also has a control shaft 9, which can be pivoted about a longitudinal axis 8 and which can be brought from a starting position into a rotational/pivot position. In this exemplary embodiment, the control shaft 9 and a rocker shaft of the valve drive 1 are combined. The control shaft 9 has a control cam group 10, wherein the control cam group 10 has a first control cam 10a, which is mounted to the control shaft 9 in a rotationally fixed manner, and a second control cam 10b, which is mounted to the control shaft 9 in a rotationally fixed manner According to the invention, the first control cam 10a and the second control cam 10b each have a cam lobe 11 for the engagement elements 6a and 6b, and a peripheral area 12. By means of the peripheral area 12, the control cams 10a and 10b are radially mounted to the control shaft 9. An axial mounting to the respective control cams 10a and 10b can thereby take place by means of a connecting pin, for example. In the pivot position, the first control cam 10a can adjust the first engagement element 6a into the switching position by means of the cam lobe 11, and the second control cam 10b can adjust the second engagement element 6b into the switching position by means of the cam lobe 11 in an alternating manner. To switch on or to switch off the individual cylinders, the control shaft 9 is pivoted about a switch-on angle or about a switch-off angle, so that either only the first control cam 10a has contact with the first engagement element 6a and can adjust the latter, or so that only the control cam 10b has contact with the second engagement element 6b and can adjust the latter.

(10) By means of the valve drive 1 according to the invention, a control of corresponding cylinders is realized by simply a pivoting of the control shaft 9 into the pivot position with a switch-on angle or with a switch-off angle, so that a complex motion sequence is not necessary and so that the control times as well as the production and the repair costs can be reduced.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a view of the control shaft 9 comprising the control cam group 10. The control cams 10a and 10b are mounted to the control shaft 9, and the control shaft 9 can be pivoted from a starting position into a pivot position. The first control cam 10a and the second control cam 10b are arranged on the control shaft 9 so as to be rotatable relative to one another, so that the control shaft 9 is pivoted about a switch-on angle to switch on the corresponding cylinder and is pivoted about a switch-off angle to switch off the corresponding cylinder. The switch-on angle and the switch-off angle of the control shaft 9 differ from one another, so that the respective first engagement elements 6a or the respective second engagement elements 6b can be adjusted individually, one after the other or in pairs in the case of a plurality of control cam groups 10 and a plurality of cylinders, which are to be controlled, and the cylinders, which are to be controlled individually, can also be switched on or switched off individually, one after the other or in pairs. By means of an adaptation of the switch-on angles and of the switch-off angles of the individual first control cams 10a and the individual second control cams 10b, the order of the switch-on as well as the switch-on times of the individual cylinders can be changed.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a view of the control shaft 9 comprising an inner shaft 13 and comprising an outer shaft 14. The inner shaft 13 is arranged in the rotationally fixed outer shaft 14 and can be rotated relative to the outer shaft 14. The first control cam 10a and the second control cam 10b can be mounted to the inner shaft 13, for example by means of connecting pins, so that the inner shaft 13 comprising the control cams 10a and 10b, which are mounted to the inner shaft 13, can be pivoted relative to the outer shaft 14 of the control shaft 9. By pivoting the inner shaft 13 into the pivot position, the first control cam 10a can thus adjust the first engagement element 6a, and the second control cam 10b can thus adjust the second engagement element 6b and can switch on or switch off the corresponding cylinder. An oil supply can occur for example by means of a hole in the inner shaft 13.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a view of the control shaft 9 comprising the inner shaft 13 and comprising the outer shaft 14, wherein the inner shaft 13 and the outer shaft 14 can be rotated relative to one another. The first control cam 10a is thereby mounted to the inner shaft 13 and the second control cam 10b to the outer shaft 14 in a rotationally fixed manner. In the alternative, the second control cam 10b can be mounted to the inner shaft 13 and the first control cam 10a can be mounted to the outer shaft 14 in a rotationally fixed manner. In this embodiment of the control shaft 9, the switch-on or switch-off of a plurality of cylinders comprising a control shaft 9 can only occur by means of a pivoting of the inner shaft 13 or of the outer shaft 14, so that more space is available for the individual first control cams 10a and for the individual control cams 10b on the circumference of the inner shaft 13 and of the outer shaft 14. An oil supply can occur for example by means of a hole in the inner shaft 13.

(14) To make it possible to pivot the control shaft 9 about a defined angle, the valve drive 1 can have a control shaft drive, which can be a belt drive or a gear drive or an adjusting drive, for example. The control shaft drive can also have a plurality of individual drives, which can be arranged laterally or centrally on the control shaft 9. A resetting of the control shaft 9 into the starting position can also be attained by means of a resetting arrangement, which has a spring reset comprising a torsion spring, a helical spring or a flexible spring, for example.