Internal combustion engine valve train adjustment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631523-B2
Application number	US-201314383225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 8, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A device for adjusting a motor vehicle valve train includes at least one camshaft with at least four cam elements arranged in an axially displaceable manner. In each case two of the cam elements that are adjacently situated are formed as a cam element group to be switched together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for adjusting a motor vehicle valve train comprising:
at least one camshaft with at least four cam elements arranged in an axially displaceable manner, wherein a first two adjacently arranged cam elements of the at least four cam elements are formed as a first cam element group and a second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the at least four cam elements are formed as a second cam element group, wherein the device is configured to switch the first two adjacently arranged cam elements of the first cam element group together and configured to switch the second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the second cam element group together, wherein the at least four cam elements are separate, independently formed components, wherein the device is configured to switch the first cam element group independently of the second cam element group such that switching of the second cam element group is uninfluenced by switching of the first cam element group.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first actuator associated with the first cam element group and which couples the first two adjacently arranged cam elements to one another during a switchover operation; and
a second actuator associated with the second cam element group and which couples the second two adjacently arranged cam elements to one another during a switchover operation.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second cam element groups are configured to activate valves of a four-cylinder in-line engine or of one line of an eight-cylinder V engine.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third cam element group, wherein the first, second, and third cam element groups are configured to activate valves of a six-cylinder in-line engine or of one line of a twelve-cylinder V engine.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control or regulation unit configured to operate, in at least one operating state, two cam elements of one of the first and second cam element groups in a different switching position than the two cam elements of another of the first and second cam element groups.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein in at least one operating state,
the control or regulation unit is configured to initially switch a cam element group of the first and second cam element groups whose first cam element is a next one to reach its base circle phase.

7. An internal combustion engine, comprising:
a motor vehicle valve train having at least one camshaft with at least four cam elements arranged in an axially displaceable manner, wherein a first two adjacently arranged cam elements of the at least four cam elements are formed as a first cam element group and a second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the at least four cam elements are formed as a second cam element group, and wherein the at least four cam elements are separate, independently formed components; and
a device configured to switch the first two adjacently arranged cam elements of the first cam element group together and configured to switch the second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the second cam element group together, wherein the device is configured to switch the first cam element group independently of the second cam element group such that switching of the second cam element group is uninfluenced by switching of the first cam element group.

8. The engine of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first actuator associated with the first cam element group and which couples the first two adjacently arranged cam elements to one another during a switchover operation; and
a second actuator associated with the second cam element group and which couples the second two adjacently arranged cam elements to one another during a switchover operation.

9. The engine of claim 7 , wherein the first and second cam element groups are configured to activate valves of a four-cylinder in-line engine or of one line of an eight-cylinder V engine.

10. The engine of claim 7 , further comprising:
a third cam element group, wherein the first, second, and third cam element groups are configured to activate valves of a six-cylinder in-line engine or of one line of a twelve-cylinder V engine.

11. The engine of claim 7 , further comprising:
a control or regulation unit configured to operate, in at least one operating state, two cam elements of one of the first and second cam element groups in a different switching position than the two cam elements of another of the first and second cam element groups.

12. The engine of claim 11 , wherein in at least one operating state, the control or regulation unit is configured to initially switch a cam element group of the first and second cam element groups whose first cam element is a next one to reach its base circle phase.

13. A method, comprising:
forming a first cam element group of a first two adjacently arranged cam elements of at least four cam elements arranged in an axially displaceable manner;
forming a second cam element group of a second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the at least four cam elements;
switching the first two adjacently arranged cam elements of the first cam element group together; and
switching the second two adjacently arranged cam elements of the second cam element group together,
wherein the at least four cam elements are separate, independently formed components, and
wherein the switching of the first cam element group is independent of the switching of the second cam element group such that the switching of the second cam element group is uninfluenced by the switching of the first cam element group.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein in at least one operating state, two cam elements of one of the first and second cam element groups are operated in a different switching position than two cam elements of another of the first and second cam element groups.

Assignees

• Daimler Ag

Inventors

• Eppinger Matthias
• Lehmann Kai
• Maronde Marc
• Neubauer Bernd
• Roemheld Tilmann
• Stolk Thomas
• Von Gaisberg-Helfenberg Alexander

Classifications

• F01L2013/0052

  with cams provided on an axially slidable sleeve · CPC title

• F01L1/34413 Primary

  using composite camshafts, e.g. with cams being able to move relative to the camshaft · CPC title

• F02B75/20

  with cylinders all in one line · CPC title

• F02B75/22

  with cylinders in V, fan, or star arrangement · 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