Valve actuation system comprising at least two rocker arms and a one-way coupling mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486274-B2
Application number	US-201916706704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2019
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A valve actuation system comprises at least one main rocker arm operatively connected to a first engine valve, the at least one main rocker arm configured to receive at least main valve actuation motions. A second rocker arm is operatively connected to a second engine valve, the second rocker arm being configured to receive first auxiliary valve actuation motions. The second rocker arm further comprising a hydraulically-controlled first actuator that can selectively couple or decouple the second rocker arm and the second engine valve thereby permitting or preventing conveyance of the first auxiliary valve actuation motions from the second rocker arm to the second engine valve. A one-way coupling mechanism disposed between the at least one main rocker arm and the second rocker arm permits valve actuation motions to be transferred from the at least one main rocker arm to the second rocker arm, but not vice versa.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for actuating at least two engine valves associated with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
at least one main rocker arm operatively connected to a first engine valve of the at least two engine valves to actuate the first engine valve, the at least one main rocker arm configured to receive at least main valve actuation motions from a main valve actuation motion source;
a second rocker arm operatively connected to a second engine valve of the at least two engine valves to actuate the second engine valve, the second rocker arm configured to receive first auxiliary valve actuation motions from a first auxiliary valve actuation motion source, the second rocker arm further comprising a hydraulically-controlled first actuator configured, in a first actuator first state, to couple the second rocker arm and the second engine valve thereby permitting conveyance of the first auxiliary valve actuation motions from the second rocker arm to the second engine valve and, in a first actuator second state, to decouple the second rocker arm and the second engine valve thereby preventing conveyance of the auxiliary valve actuation motions from the second rocker arm to the second engine valve; and
a one-way coupling mechanism disposed between the at least one main rocker arm and the second rocker arm, at motion imparting ends of the at least one main rocker arm and the second rocker arm, such that the main valve actuation motions are transferred from the at least one main rocker arm to the second rocker arm, and the first auxiliary valve actuation motions are not transferred from the second rocker arm to the at least one main rocker arm.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic lash adjuster disposed in a motion imparting end of the at least one main rocker arm.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic lash adjuster disposed in a motion imparting end of the second rocker arm.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is disposed in a motion receiving end of the second rocker arm.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is disposed in a motion imparting end of the second rocker arm.

6. The system of claim 1 , the one-way coupling mechanism comprising:
a first contact surface provided by the at least one main rocker arm; and
a second contact surface provided by the second rocker arm,
wherein the first and second contact surfaces are configured such that the main valve actuation motions cause contact between the first and second contact surfaces, whereas the first auxiliary valve actuation motions do not cause contact between the first and second contact surfaces.

7. The system of claim 6 , the one-way coupling mechanism comprising:
a first extension extending from the at least one main rocker arm toward the second rocker arm and comprising the first contact surface; and
a second extension extending from the second rocker arm toward the at least one main rocker arm and comprising the second contact surface.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first contact surface or the second contact surface comprises an adjustable contact surface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one main rocker arm comprises:
a first rocker arm configured to actuate the first engine valve, wherein the one-way coupling mechanism is disposed between the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm at motion imparting ends of the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm;
a third half-rocker arm configured to receive the main valve actuation motions from the main valve actuation motion source; and
a collapsing mechanism configured, in a first collapsing mechanism state, to couple the third half-rocker arm and the first rocker arm thereby permitting conveyance of the main valve actuation motions from the third half-rocker arm to the first rocker arm and, in a second collapsing mechanism state, to decouple the third half-rocker arm and the first rocker arm thereby preventing conveyance of the main valve actuation motions from the third half-rocker arm to the first and second rocker arm.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the collapsing mechanism is disposed in the third half-rocker arm.

11. The system of claim 10 , the first rocker arm comprising a collapsing mechanism contact surface.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the collapsing mechanism is disposed in the first rocker arm.

13. The system of claim 9 , the collapsing mechanism comprising a locking mechanism.

14. The system of claim 9 , the third half-rocker arm comprising a resilient element contact surface configured to cooperatively engage with a resilient element for biasing the third half-rocker arm into contact with the main valve actuation motion source.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first rocker arm is a half-rocker arm.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a resilient element, disposed between the third half-rocker arm and the first rocker arm to bias the third half-rocker arm into contact with the main valve actuation motion source.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first rocker arm is configured to receive second auxiliary valve actuation motions from a second auxiliary valve actuation motion source.

18. The system of claim 17 , the first rocker arm comprising a hydraulically-controlled second actuator configured, in a second actuator first state, to couple the first rocker arm and the first engine valve thereby permitting conveyance of the second auxiliary valve actuation motions from the first rocker arm to the first engine valve and, in a second actuator second state, to decouple the first rocker arm and the first engine valve thereby preventing conveyance of the second auxiliary valve actuation motions from the first rocker arm to the first engine valve.

Assignees

• Jacobs Vehicle Systems Inc

Inventors

• Mandell John
• Alexandru Matei

Classifications

• F01L1/182

  the rocking arm being pivoted about an individual fulcrum, i.e. not about a common shaft · CPC title

• F01L1/267 Primary

  with means for varying the timing or the lift of the valves · CPC title

• F01L2013/001

  Deactivating cylinders · CPC title

• F01L2305/00

  Valve arrangements comprising rollers · CPC title

• F01L1/2416

  by means of a hydraulic adjusting device attached to an articulated rocker · CPC title