Patent ID: 7938089
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: F01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A valve actuating mechanism for an engine, said valve actuating mechanism comprising: a cylinder head having a plurality of valves mounted therein for reciprocal movement thereof; a camshaft rotatably mounted in the cylinder head, the camshaft including a first cam and a second cam for selective alternating use in operation of one of the valves; a rocker arm which is supported on a rocker arm shaft which is arranged in parallel with the cam shaft such that the rocker arm is pivotally movable about an axis of the rocker arm shaft and is movable in the axial direction of the rocker arm shaft; wherein the rocker arm is operable to selectively contact one of the respective cams in response to rotational movement of the camshaft, and is configured to be rocked to open or close the valve; the rocker arm being movable to a first operation position at which the rocker arm can be brought into contact with the first cam in the axial direction or to a second operation position at which the rocker arm can be brought into contact with the second cam in the axial direction thus allowing the valve actuating mechanism to selectively use either one of the respective cams for performing opening/closing operation of the valve; the valve actuating mechanism further includes a first rocker arm moving mechanism having a first spring which imparts a biasing force to the rocker arm for moving the rocker arm from the first operation position side to the second operation position side, a second rocker arm moving mechanism having a second spring which imparts a biasing force to the rocker arm for moving the rocker arm from the second operation position side to the first operation position side, and a rocker arm moving restriction mechanism which restricts the movement of the rocker arm in the axial direction until the force is stored in either one of the respective springs; wherein the valve actuating mechanism is configured to store a force in either one of the respective springs such that the rocker arm may be moved to the corresponding operation position using the stored force, and wherein the rocker arm and the rocker arm moving restriction mechanism overlap each other with a predetermined overlapping quantity, as viewed in the axial direction, and are brought into contact with each other in the axial direction.