Patent ID: 6085707
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: F01L

Abstract:
A valve operating system in an internal combustion engine wherein an operational characteristic of an engine valve is changed in accordance with an operational state of the engine, said valve operating system comprising:(a) a power transmitting means including a support shaft having an oil passage therein, an inner wheel supported on said support shaft for rotation about an axis of said support shaft, an outer wheel surrounding said inner wheel, said outer wheel rotating about the axis of said support shaft, and a carrier for carrying a planetary rotor positioned between said inner wheel and said outer wheel, such that said planetary rotor is rotatable about an axis parallel to axes of said inner and outer wheels and said carrier is rotated in operative association with a revolution of said planetary rotor about said inner wheel;(b) a cam shaft;(c) a valve operating cam provided on said cam shaft, wherein one of said inner wheel, said outer wheel and said carrier is operatively connected to said valve operating cam and is rotatable in response to the rotation of said cam shaft, and another of said inner wheel, said outer wheel and said carrier is operatively connected to said engine valve;(d) a rotational amount control means operatively connected to a remaining one of said inner wheel, said outer wheel and said carrier for controlling the amount of rotation of said remaining one in accordance with the operational state of the engine;(e) an oil supply means connected to said oil passage for discharging oil at given pressure; and(f) a hydraulic pressure detecting means between said oil supply means and said oil passage,wherein said support shaft has a first discharge bore formed therein communicating with said oil passage, and said inner wheel or a member integrally movable with the inner wheel has a second discharge bore formed therein communicating with said first discharge bore, such that an area of communication of said second discharge bore with said first discharge bore can be varied, as the amount of relative angular displacement of said inner wheel relative to said support shaft is changed in accordance with a change in lift amount of said engine valve.