Valve actuating device

Abstract

A valve actuating device for variable valve control wherein at least one articulation point between a valve lever and a gas exchange valve, or a force transmission element which acts on the gas exchange valve, is adjustable by way of an adjusting device which includes a piston displaceably mounted in the valve lever, a piston rod which is connected to the piston is connected in an articulated manner at a first articulation point to a first end of a push rod whose second end is connected in an articulated manner at a second articulation point to the gas exchange valve, or the force transmission part which acts on the gas exchange valve, the first articulation point being displaced in the longitudinal direction of the piston rod at least between a first position and a second position.

Claims

1. A valve actuating device for variable valve control of a gas exchange valve in a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine which can be actuated via a camshaft and a valve lever, the valve lever being rotatably mounted around a rotational axis in the cylinder head, wherein at least one articulation point between the valve lever and the gas exchange valve or a force transmission element which acts on the gas exchange valve is adjustable via an adjusting device, wherein the adjusting device comprises a piston which is displaceably mounted in and movable in a longitudinal direction of the valve lever, said piston adjoining at least one pressure chamber which can be filled with an actuating medium, wherein a piston rod which is connected to the piston is rotatably connected to a first end of a push rod at a first articulation point, wherein a second end of the push rod is rotatably connected to the gas exchange valve, or the force transmission element which acts on the gas exchange valve, at a second articulation point, so that the first articulation point can be displaced in a longitudinal direction of the piston rod at least between a first position and a second position, and wherein in the first position the first articulation point is arranged in the rotational axis of the valve lever, the valve lever being rotatably mounted around the rotational axis in the cylinder head.

2. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the first articulation point is arranged in the second position along a longitudinal axis of the gas exchange valve or the force transmission element.

3. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the piston is a double-acting piston, wherein the piston adjoins a first pressure chamber with a first face end and a second pressure chamber with a second face end facing away from the first face end.

4. The valve actuating device according to claim 3, wherein at least one respective pressure channel opens into each pressure chamber.

5. The valve actuating device according to claim 4, including a common slide valve for controlling the pressure chambers.

6. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, including a return spring connected to the valve lever for pressing the valve lever against an actuating cam of the camshaft.

7. The valve actuating device according to claim 6, wherein the actuating cam and the return spring act at different ends on the valve lever.

8. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the valve actuating device comprises one valve lever per gas exchange valve or per gas exchange valve group.

9. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the valve lever comprises a cam follower.

10. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the force transmission element comprises a pressure rod of a valve bridge acting on at least two gas exchange valves.

11. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the first articulation point is arranged in a first end position in the rotational axis of the valve lever.

12. The valve actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the first articulation point is arranged in a second end position along a longitudinal axis of the gas exchange valve or the force transmission element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine with a valve actuating device in accordance with the invention in a sectional view along the line I-I in FIG. 5.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an adjusting gate valve in a sectional view along the line II-II in FIG. 5 in a middle position.

(3) FIG. 3 shows the adjusting gate valve in a first end position.

(4) FIG. 4 shows the adjusting gate valve in a second end position, and

(5) FIG. 5 shows the valve actuating device in a sectional view along the line V-V in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a cylinder head 1 and a valve gear housing 24 with two gas exchange valves 2, 3, which can be actuated via a valve actuating device 4. The gas exchange valves 2, 3 can be intake or exhaust valves. In the embodiment, the two gas exchange valves 2, 3 are actuated by a valve bridge 5 and a pressure rod 6. The valve actuating device 4 comprises a camshaft 7 which is rotatably mounted in the cylinder head 1 and comprises at least one actuating cam 8, which acts on a valve lever 9 formed by a cam follower. The valve lever 9 is rotatably mounted in a rotational axis 10 in the cylinder head 1 or in the valve gear housing 24. The valve lever 9 is pressed against the cam 8 of the camshaft 7 via a return spring 11. In the embodiment, the actuating cam 8 and the return spring 11 act on different ends of the valve lever 9, wherein the actuating cam 8 acts on the contact finger 12 of the valve lever. The illustrated contact between the actuating cam 8 and the valve lever 9 is formed in FIG. 1 as a sliding contact. The contact can also occur via a roller (not shown).

(7) In the valve lever 9, a piston 13 is displaceably mounted in a cylinder 14 formed by the valve lever 9. The piston 13 is connected to a piston rod 15, which is connected on its part in an articulated manner at a first articulation point 16 to a push rod 17. The push rod 17 is connected in an articulated manner at a second articulation point 18 to the pressure rod 6, which acts via the valve bridge 5 on the gas exchange valves 2, 3. As a result of the actuation of the piston 13, a displacement of the first articulation point 16 occurs and thus an influence is made on the lifting movement of the gas exchange valves 2, 3. The actuation of the piston 13 preferably occurs via a hydraulic actuating medium, wherein the piston 13 is formed in the embodiment as a double-acting piston. In this case, a first face end 13a of the piston adjoins a first pressure chamber 19 and a second face end 13b which faces away from the first face end 13a adjoins a second pressure chamber 20. The two pressure chambers 19, 20 can be supplied independently from each other with an actuating medium such as motor oil via the first and second pressure channels P1 and P2. The piston 13 and the piston rod 15 can thus be moved via the oil pressure in the longitudinal direction of the valve lever 9 either in the direction of the contact finger 12 or away therefrom, depending on which of the pressure channels P1, P2 is supplied with a pressure medium. The piston 13 is moved in a reciprocating manner by the oil pressure between the stops consisting of the pins 21, 22.

(8) In the first end position of the piston 13 as shown in FIG. 1, the first articulation point 16 lies precisely in the rotational axis 10 of the valve lever 9. The push rod 17 is connected via the second articulation point 18 to the pressure rod 6. In this position, no lifting movement is transferred to the pressure rod 6. If on the other hand the piston rod 15 is extended in the direction of the contact finger 12 to the second end position, the first articulation point 16 reaches the position 16. The respective position of the second articulation point is designated with reference numeral 18. During further rotation of the actuating cam 8, the cam lift is transferred in a reduced manner to the push rod 17 at the ratio according to the distances. The first articulation point 16 reaches the position 16 from the position 16 by the lift of the cam, and the second articulation point from the position 18 to the position 18. The pressure rod 6 presses the valve bridge 5 and thus the gas exchange valves 2, 3 in FIG. 1 in the downward direction, and the two gas exchange valves 2, 3 are opened. For maximum lift, the first articulation point 16 lies in the second end position in the region of the longitudinal axis 6a of the pressure rod 6.

(9) Each valve group, which consists of two similar gas exchange valves 2, 3, can be installed in a mirrored arrangement in the cylinder 1 and can be actuated via a separate cam follower 109, on which the actuating cam 108 of a separate camshaft 107 acts, wherein the valve actuating devices 4, 104 for the different valve groups, especially the valve levers 9, 109, the camshafts 7, 107, etc., are arranged in a mirrored manner with respect to the central plane la of the cylinder head 1.

(10) Each of the pressure channels P1, P2 comprises several pressure boreholes and grooves which are formed in the cylinder head 1 or the valve gear housing 24, or the valve lever 9. The first pressure channels P1 comprises the first pressure boreholes and the grooves 28, 29, 33, 37, 38, 39, 40, and the second pressure channel P2 comprises the second pressure boreholes and the grooves 30, 31, 34, 41, 42, 43, 44.

(11) The oil supply of the first and second pressure chambers 19, 20 for pressurising the piston 13 occurs via a supply borehole 23 in the cylinder head 1 or in the valve gear housing 24. Each valve group, which consists of the intake or exhaust valves, is controlled via a separate slide valve 25, which comprises a sliding piston 27 which is displaceably arranged in a sliding borehole 26. The actuation of the sliding piston 27, which can occur mechanically, pneumatically, hydraulically or electrically in the known manner, is not an element of the invention. The supply borehole 23 is connected at one point via a connecting borehole 23a to the sliding borehole 26. Depending on its position, the sliding piston 27 moves once into the first borehole 28 which leads into the first distribution and collecting borehole 29, or it moves into the second borehole 30 which leads into the other second distribution and collecting borehole 31. In each bearing bracket 32 of the valve lever 9 there is a respective first borehole 33 which is in connection with the first distribution and collecting line 29, or a second borehole 34 which is in connection with the second distribution and collecting borehole 31. When the sliding piston 27 connects both boreholes 28 and 30 simultaneously, all boreholes of the first and the second pressure channels are under pressure and the piston rod 15 is tightly held. This position is shown in FIG. 2. The piston rod 15 is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the valve lever 9 in all other positions. FIG. 3 shows the second end position of the sliding piston 27 for an extension of the piston rod 15, and FIG. 4 shows the first end position of the sliding piston 27 for a retraction of the piston rod 15. If only one of the boreholes 28, 30 is pressurised, the pressure is relieved in the respective other borehole 30 or 28.

(12) The oil reaches the first bearing hole 35 of the valve lever 9 from the borehole 33. The first bearing pin 36 of the valve lever 9 comprises a circumferential first groove 37, from which the actuating medium reaches the exterior side of the piston 13 in the first pressure chamber 19 via the first boreholes 38, 39 and 40. In this position, the piston rod 15 is extended, and is therefore moved in the direction of the contact fingered 12 to the second end position. The pressure medium on the inner side of the piston 13 in the second pressure chamber 20 reaches the second groove 41 via the second boreholes 44, 43, 42 in the second bearing pin 45 opposite the first bearing pin 36 to the second ball 46 of the valve lever 9. The discharge of oil occurs there via the second borehole 34 to the second distribution and collecting line 31. The slide valve 25 releases the discharge of oil to the cylinder head region via the second borehole 30. As a result, the piston 13 can be moved up to the stop formed by the pin 22 to the second end position by the pressure in the first pressure chamber 19.