Patent ID: 6092497
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: F01L

Abstract:
A valve deactivator assembly for an internal combustion engine of the type having valve means for controlling the flow to and from a combustion chamber, drive means for providing cyclical motion for opening and closing said valve means in timed relationship to the events in said combustion chamber and valve gear means, operative in response to said cyclical motion, to effect cyclical opening and closing of said valve means; said valve gear means including a rocker shaft and a rocker arm assembly mounted to be pivotable about said rocker shaft, in response to said cyclical motion of said drive means; said rocker arm assembly including a drive rocker arm and a driven rocker arm disposed axially adjacent each other, and each being pivotable about said rocker shaft; characterized by:(a) means for transmitting said cyclical motion from said drive means to said drive rocker arm;(b) said driven rocker arm being adapted to transmit said cyclical motion to said valve means;(c) said drive and driven rocker arms cooperating to define a latch chamber;(d) a latch member disposed in said latch chamber and including means biasing said latch member toward a latched position, interconnecting said drive and driven rocker arms for pivotable movement in unison;(e) electromagnetic actuation means disposed adjacent said rocker arms and operable, in response to an electrical input signal to move said latch member toward an unlatched position permitting pivotal movement of said drive rocker arm relative to said driven rocker arm.