Gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine may include a hollow valve stem and a valve disc. The valve disc may include a valve bottom and a hollow valve cone which is connected to an outer edge of said valve bottom. The hollow valve cone may taper with increasing distance from the valve bottom. The valve stem may pass through the hollow valve cone. The valve stem may be fixedly connected on the one hand to the valve bottom and on the other hand to the tapered end of the valve cone. The valve stem may include a first hollow space which is fluidically separated from a second hollow space arranged in the valve disc. The first hollow space and the second hollow space may have a different cooling agent filling level.

Claims

1. A gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a hollow valve stem having a longitudinal axis and a valve disc, the valve disc includes a valve bottom and a hollow valve cone, the valve cone connected to an outer edge of said valve bottom, wherein the hollow valve cone tapers with increasing distance from the valve bottom, and the valve stem passes through the hollow valve cone, wherein the valve stem is fixedly connected at an end face to the valve bottom to define a fluid-tight connection and in a region axially spaced from the end face to the tapered end of the valve cone, wherein the valve stem includes a first hollow space, which is fluidically separated and radially inward from a second hollow space arranged in the valve disc via the fluid-tight connection between the end face of the valve stem and the valve bottom, wherein the first hollow space radially inward of the fluid-tight connection has a higher cooling agent filling level than the second hollow space, thereby causing a shaker effect in the first and second hollow spaces to enhance cooling, and wherein at least one of the valve disc and the valve stem has a nitriding layer.

2. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one hollow space includes a cooling agent filled therein.

3. The gas exchange valve according to claim 2, wherein the cooling agent comprises sodium.

4. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve stem has the nitriding layer.

5. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the nitriding layer is between 1-20 m thick.

6. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve cone includes a wall thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

7. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the first hollow space includes an inner diameter at least of an outer diameter of the valve stem.

8. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the gas exchange valve includes at least one of a 601H-steel, an 800H-steel, a 286-steel and a 602H-steel.

9. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve stem at the connection to the valve bottom has a larger diameter than at the connection to the valve cone.

10. The gas exchange valve according to claim 1, wherein the nitriding layer is a superficial nitrided layer and an underlying material of the valve disc is steel.

11. The gas exchange valve according to claim 7, wherein the valve stem defines a first diameter at the connection with the valve bottom and a second diameter at the connection with the valve cone, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

12. An internal combustion engine, comprising: at least one cylinder and at least one associated gas exchange valve, the gas exchange valve including: a valve disc including a valve bottom and a hollow valve cone coupled to an outer periphery of the valve bottom, the valve cone tapering with increasing distance from the valve bottom to define an opening; a hollow valve stem extending through the opening of the valve cone, the valve stem fixedly coupled to the valve bottom and the valve cone, wherein the valve stem is connected to the valve bottom on an end face adjoining the valve bottom to form a fluid-tight connection, the valve stem defining a first hollow space fluidically separated and radially inward from a second hollow space arranged in the valve disc; wherein the first hollow space radially inward of the fluid-tight connection has a higher cooling agent filling level than the second hollow space; and wherein at least the valve bottom of the valve disc is composed of a steel material, and wherein the valve bottom includes a superficial nitrided layer.

13. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein at least one hollow space includes a cooling agent filled therein.

14. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the valve cone further includes the superficial nitrided layer and the valve stem further includes the superficial nitrided layer.

15. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the superficial nitrided layer has a thickness between 1-20 m.

16. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the valve cone includes a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

17. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the first hollow space includes an inner diameter of at least an outer diameter of the valve stem.

18. The internal combustion engine according to claim 12, wherein the valve stem defines a first diameter at the coupling with the valve bottom and a second diameter at the coupling with the valve cone, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

19. The gas exchange valve according to claim 11, wherein the valve cone includes a wall thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

20. A gas exchange valve for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a valve disc including a valve bottom and a hollow valve cone coupled to an outer periphery of the valve bottom, the valve cone tapering with increasing distance from the valve bottom to define an opening; a hollow valve stem extending through the opening of the valve cone, the valve stem fixedly connected to the valve bottom and the valve cone, wherein the valve stem is connected to the valve bottom on an end face adjoining the valve bottom to form a fluid-tight connection, the valve stem including a first diameter at the connection with the valve bottom and a second diameter at the connection with the valve cone, wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter; wherein the valve stem defines a first hollow space fluidically separated and radially inward from a second hollow space arranged in the valve disc, the first hollow space radially inward of the fluid-tight connection having a higher cooling agent filling level than the second hollow space; and wherein at least the valve bottom includes a superficial nitrided layer having a hardness greater than that of an underlying material of the valve bottom.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) It shows, in each case schematically

(2) FIG. 1 a detail representation through a gas exchange valve according to the invention in the region of a valve disc,

(3) FIG. 2 a view of a gas exchange valve according to the invention with exclusively nitrided valve disc,

(4) FIG. 3 a representation as in FIG. 2, however with completely nitrided gas exchange valve,

(5) FIG. 4a a sectional representation as in FIG. 1, wherein a cooling agent is filled in exclusively in the first hollow space in the valve stem,

(6) FIG. 4b a representation as in FIG. 4a, wherein however a cooling agent is exclusively filled into the second hollow space in the valve disc,

(7) FIG. 4c a representation as in FIG. 1, wherein both the first as well as the second hollow space contain cooling agent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) According to FIGS. 1 and 4, a gas exchange valve 1 according to the invention of the internal combustion engine 2 comprises a hollow valve stem 3 and a valve disc 4. The valve disc 4 comprises a valve bottom 5 and a hollow valve cone 6 which is connected to the outer edge of said valve bottom 5, which hollow valve cone 6 tapers with increasing distance from the valve bottom 5. Here, the valve bottom is assigned in known manner to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine 2. Now, the fact that in the valve stem 3 a first hollow space 7 is provided, which is fluidically separated from a second hollow space 8 arranged in the valve disc 4, is in accordance with the invention. In addition, the first hollow space 7 and the second hollow space 8 have a different cooling agent filling level 9 and 10 respectively. Through the fluidic separation of the two hollow spaces 7 and 8 a so-called shaker effect can be achieved in both hollow spaces 7, 8, which makes possible an optimised heat dissipation from the valve bottom 5 in the direction of the valve cone 6 or of an upper end of the valve stem 3.

(9) A different cooling filling level 9, 10 in this case can also mean that no cooling agent 11 is filled into one of the two hollow spaces 7, 8 and because of this the cooling agent filling level 9, 10 amounts to zero, while in the other hollow space 8, 7 cooling agent 11 is filled in.

(10) Now looking at FIG. 4a it is evident that with this gas exchange valve 1 cooling agent 11 is filled exclusively into the first hollow space 7, wherein the second hollow space 8 does not contain any cooling agent. According to FIG. 4b, a cooling agent 11 is exclusively filled into the second hollow space 8, whereas the first hollow space 7 in the valve stem 3 does not contain any cooling agent 11. According to FIG. 4c the filling level shown according to FIG. 1 is shown, wherein cooling agent 11 is filled into both the first hollow space 7 as well as into the second hollow space 8, with different cooling agent filling level 9, 10.

(11) The cooling agent 11 can for example be sodium or comprise sodium, as a result of which a particularly optimised heat conductance can be achieved.

(12) In order to additionally form the gas exchange valve 1 more wear-resistant, at least the valve disc 4 can be nitrided, i.e. comprise a surface nitration 12, as it is shown according to FIG. 2, wherein it is alternatively also conceivable that the entire gas exchange valve 1 is nitrided, i.e. has such a surface nitration 12. Through the superficial nitriding of the valve disc 4 or additionally of the valve stem 3 the hardness in this surface layer can be significantly increased.

(13) Looking again at FIG. 1 it is evident that a wall thickness a in the region of the valve cone 6 is formed as small as possible, in particular less than 1 mm, as a result of which a particularly lightweight gas exchange valve 1 can be produced. In addition, an inner diameter d.sub.1 of the first hollow space 7 in the valve stem 3 can also amount to two thirds of an outer diameter d.sub.2 of the valve stem 3, as a result of which material and thus weight can likewise be saved.

(14) As material for the gas exchange valve according to the invention 601H-steel, 800H-steel, 286-steel or 602H-steel can be used for example, as a result of which the following advantages can be achieved: high temperature resistance, strength and good weldability.

(15) Finally, looking at the valve stem 3 according to FIGS. 1 and 4 it is evident that said valve stem 3 at its end with which it is connected to the valve bottom 5 has a larger diameter than in its connecting region to the valve cone 4, as a result of which an improved support of the valve bottom 5 is achieved in particular and thus a particularly stable gas exchange valve 1 can be achieved.

(16) Through the gas exchange valve 1 according to the invention it is possible to embody it not only particularly light in weight but additionally with an optimised cooling, which brings with it advantages with respect to the wear and to the operation of the internal combustion engine 2.