Module for a variable-lift valve drive of an internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215088-B2
Application number	US-201917258909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Jul 17, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A preassembled module for a variable-lift valve drive of an internal combustion engine is provided for installation into a cylinder head. The module has a base plate with an electric linear actuator which lies on an upper side of the base plate. A guide plate, which lies on the upper side, has an outer side wall arranged to guide a slide piece. The guide piece extends below the base plate two downwardly pointing actuating fingers. Each respective actuating finger has a contact surface for moving a transverse coupling slide of a switchable rocker arm. The slide piece has a bracket which protrudes over the guide plate with a contact landing arm which runs transversely relative to the electric linear actuator. An actuator-side end of the contact landing arm is in contact with an actuating pin of the electric linear actuator to move the slide piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A preassembled module for a variable-lift valve drive of an internal combustion engine, the preassembled module comprising:
a base plate configured for fastening the preassembled module to the internal combustion engine;
an electric linear actuator arranged above the base plate; and,
a guide plate fixed to an upper side of the base plate, the guide plate including an outer side wall configured to guide a slide piece, the slide piece extending below the base plate and including two downwardly extending actuating fingers, each actuating finger including a free end with a contact surface configured for moving a transverse coupling slide of a corresponding switchable rocker arm;
wherein the slide piece further includes a bracket extending over the guide plate, the bracket extending transversely to an actuating pathway of an actuating pin of the electric linear actuator, the actuating pin configured to be actuated in a first direction by the electric linear actuator; and,
wherein a restoring spring is configured to bias the slide piece in a second direction, opposite the first direction.

2. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein the guide plate further includes a retaining wall extending transversely to the actuating pathway, a rear side of the retaining wall joining the electric linear actuator via a flange piece projecting out from a front side of the retaining wall.

3. The preassembled module of claim 2 , wherein a supporting wall opposite and parallel to the guide plate protrudes from the retaining wall, and wherein the supporting wall, guide plate, and retaining wall are constructed from one piece so as to form a U-shaped profile.

4. The preassembled module of claim 2 , wherein the restoring spring includes at least one helical compression spring, a first end of the at least one helical compression spring acts on a front side of the bracket, and a second end of the at least one helical compression spring acts against a collar arranged at an end of a support stem, the support stem extending from the front side of the retaining wall.

5. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the base plate and the slide piece is formed from sheet steel via stamping and bending.

6. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein the base plate is formed from two longitudinal segments extending towards each another, and a bore is arranged at a free end of each longitudinal segment so as to connect the preassembled module to a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine.

7. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein the slide piece is configured to move within a slot formed between the outer side wall of the guide plate and a retaining plate.

8. The preassembled module of claim 7 , wherein the slide piece further includes a longitudinal slot configured to guide one of: a) a sliding plate extending from the guide plate, orb) at least one sliding pin projecting from the guide plate, the at least one sliding pin slidably engaging a free outer wall of the slide piece via a respective ring head.

9. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein an offset of each actuating finger is seated in a respective pocket of the slide piece.

10. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein each actuating finger is a spring steel component extending below the slide piece, each actuating finger further including a first angled extension arranged parallel to the slide piece such that the free end extends from the first angled extension.

11. The preassembled module of claim 1 , wherein one of the two downwardly extending actuating fingers is configured to extend between a first longitudinal side of a first switchable rocker arm and a second longitudinal side of a second switchable rocker arm.

12. A preassembled module for a variable-lift valve drive of an internal combustion engine, the preassembled module comprising:
a base plate configured for fastening the preassembled module to the internal combustion engine;
a guide plate fixed to an upper side of the base plate; and,
a slide piece configured to be slidably guided along a first pathway defined by: i) an outer wall of the guide plate, and ii) a first longitudinal slot arranged in the slide piece or the guide plate;
wherein the slide piece includes an upper portion extending above the base plate, and a lower portion extending below the base plate, the lower portion including two downwardly extending actuating fingers configured to move together with the slide piece, each actuating finger including a free end with a contact surface configured for moving a transverse coupling slide of a corresponding switchable rocker arm along a second pathway;
wherein an actuator is arranged above the base plate, the actuator including an actuator pin configured to move the slide piece along the first pathway via actuation of the upper portion of the slide piece, the actuator pin configured to move along a third pathway; and,
wherein the first, second, and third pathways are parallel to each other.

13. The preassembled module of claim 12 , wherein the first longitudinal slot is arranged in the slide piece.

14. The preassembled module of claim 12 , further comprising a retaining plate fixed to the guide plate, wherein the retaining plate and the guide plate define a second slot configured to receive and slidably guide the upper portion of the slide piece such that the upper portion extends through the second slot.

15. The preassembled module of claim 12 , further comprising a sliding pin extending through the first longitudinal slot, the sliding pin including a ring head configured to slidably guide the slide piece along the first pathway.

16. The preassembled module of claim 12 , wherein the contact surface of each actuating finger is arranged transversely to the first, second, and third pathways.

17. The preassembled module of claim 12 , further comprising a restoring spring arranged on a support stem, the support stem extending from the guide plate and through the slide piece.

18. The preassembled module of claim 12 , wherein one of the two downwardly extending actuating fingers is configured to extend between a first longitudinal side of a first switchable rocker arm and a second longitudinal side of a second switchable rocker arm.

19. A preassembled module for a variable-lift valve drive of an internal combustion engine, the preassembled module comprising:
a base plate configured for fastening the preassembled module to the internal combustion engine;
a guide plate fixed to an upper side of the base plate; and,
a slide piece configured to be slidably guided along a first pathway defined by: i) an outer wall of the guide plate, and ii) a first longitudinal slot arranged in the slide piece or the guide plate;
wherein the slide piece includes an upper portion extending above the base plate, and a lower portion extending below the base plate, the upper portion including a contact landing arm arranged transversely to the first pathway, and the lower portion including two downwardly extending actuating fingers configured to move together with the slide piece and contact landing arm, each actuating finger including a free end with a contact surface configured for moving a transverse coupling slide of a corresponding switchable rocker arm along a second pathway;
wherein an actuator is arranged above the base plate, the actuator including an actuator pin configured to move the slide piece along the first pathway via actuation of the contact landing arm, the actuator pin configured to mo

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Biermann Andreas
• Noe Benedikt
• Steigerwald Martin
• Pribek Michael
• Himsel Frank

Classifications

• F01L2001/186

  Split rocking arms, e.g. rocker arms having two articulated parts and means for varying the relative position of these parts or for selectively connecting the parts to move in unison · CPC title

• F01L1/22

  automatically, e.g. mechanically · CPC title

• F01L1/18 Primary

  Rocking arms or levers · CPC title

• F01L13/0036

  the valves being driven by two or more cams with different shape, size or timing or a single cam profiled in axial and radial direction · CPC title

• F01L2013/101

  Electromagnets · CPC title