VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM

Abstract: A valve operating mechanism for operating a pair of valves (1a, 1b) of an internal combustion engine, includes a camshaft (2) rotatable in synchronism with rotation of the internal combustion engine and having a first low-speed cam (3), a second low-speed cam (4), and a high-speed cam (5) which have different cam profiles, the first and second low-speed cams being disposed one on each side of the high-speed cam, a rocker shaft (6), the first (7), second (8), and third(9) rocker arms rotatably mounted on the rocker shaft and held in sliding contact with the first low-speed cam, the second low-speed cam, and the high-speed cam, respectively, for operating the valves according to the cam profiles of the cams. A selective coupling (21) is operatively disposed in and between the first, second, and third rocker arms for selectively interconnecting the first, second and third rocker arms to allow angular movement thereof in unison and disconnecting the first, second and third rocker arms to allow separate angular movement thereof.

Description: The present invention relates to a valve operating mechanism for an internal combustion engine. Valve operating mechanisms used in internal combustion engines are generally designed to meet requirements for high-speed operation of the engines. More specifically, the valve diameter and valve lift are selected so as not to exert substantial resistance to the flow of an air-fuel mixture which is introduced through a valve into a combustion chamber at a rate suitable for maximum engine power. If an intake valve is actuated at constant valve timing and valve lift throughout a full engine speed range from low to high-speeds, then the speed of flow of an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber varies from engine speed to engine speed since the amount of air-fuel mixture needed varies from engine speed to engine speed. At low engine speeds, the speed of flow of the air-fuel mixture is lowered and the air-fuel mixture is subject to less turbulence in the combustion chamber, resulting in slow combustion therein. Therefore, the combustion efficiency is reduced and so is the fuel economy, and the knocking margin is lowered due to the slow combustion. One solution to the above problems is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication NO. 59(1984)-226216. According to the disclosed arrangement, some of the intake or exhaust valves remain closed when the engine operates at a low-speed, whereas all of the intake or exhaust valves are operated, i.e., alternately opened and closed, during high-speed operation of the engine. Therefore, the valves are controlled differently in low- and high-speed ranges. In the prior valve operating mechanism described above, those intake valves that are not operated in the low-speed range may remain at rest for a long period of time under a certain operating condition. If an intake valve remains at rest for a long time, carbon produced by fuel combustion tends to be deposited between the intake valve and its valve seat, causing the intake valve to stick to the valve seat. When the engine starts to operate in the high-speed range, the intake valve which has been at rest is forcibly separated from the valve seat. This causes the problem of a reduced sealing capability between the intake valve and the valve seat. Furthermore, fuel tends to be accumulated on the intake valve while it is held at rest, with the result that when the intake valve is opened, the air-fuel mixture introduced thereby is excessively enriched by the accumulated fuel. It is known from FR-A-2 510 182 (on which the precharacterising part of claim 1 is based) to provide a valve operating mechanism for operating a single intake valve of an engine, the mechanism comprising two cams with different cam profiles and each engaged by an associated pivotally mounted rocker arm, and coupling means for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting the two rocker arms so that the rocker arms can be interconnected to pivot in unison and disconnected to pivot individually. According to the present invention, there is provided a valve operating mechanism for operating an intake or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a camshaft having at least two cams respectively having a low-speed cam profile and a high-speed cam profile; at least two pivotally mounted rocker arms each held in sliding contact with a respective cam, for operating the intake or the exhaust valve according to the cam profiles of said cams; and coupling means for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting the rocker arms whereby interconnected rocker arms may pivot in unison and disconnected rocker arms may pivot individually, characterised in that the valve operating mechanism is arranged to operate a pair of intake valves or a pair of exhaust valves, there being a first low-speed cam, a second low-speed cam and a high-speed cam disposed on said camshaft for operating the pair of valves, the first and second low-speed cams being disposed one on each side of the high-speed cam, and there being first, second and third pivotally mounted rocker arms in contact with the first low-speed cam, second low-speed cam and high-speed cam respectively. The cam profiles of said low-speed cams may be the same, or they may be different from each other. One of the low-speed cams may have a profile of a base circle of said other low speed cam and said high-speed cam. Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a valve operating mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the view being taken along line I - I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III - III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV - IV of Fig 1, showing the first through third rocker arms disconnected from each other; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectonal view similar to Fig. 4, showing the first through third rocker arms interconnected; Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing a second embodiment; and Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing a third embodiment. Figs. 1 and 2 show a valve operating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. The valve operating mechanism is incorporated in an internal combustion engine including a pair of intake valves 1a, 1b in each engine cylinder for introducing an air-fuel mixture into a combustion chamber defined in an engine body. The valve operating mechanism comprises a camshaft 2 rotatable in synchronism with rotation of the engine at a speed ratio of 1/2 with respect to the speed of rotation of the engine crankshaft. The camshaft 2 has a first low-speed cam 3, a second low-speed cam 4, and a high-speed cam 5 which are integral with the camshaft 2. The valve operating mechanism also has a rocker shaft 6 extending parallel to the camshaft 2, and first through third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 pivotally supported on the rocker shaft 6 and held against the first low-speed cam 3, the second low-speed cam 4, and the high-speed cam 5, respectively, of the camshaft 2. The intake valves 1a, 1b are selectively operated by the first through third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 actuated by the cams 3, 4, 5. The camshaft 2 is rotatably disposed above the engine body. The first low-speed cam 3 on the camshaft 2 is positioned in alignment with the intake valve 1a, and the second low-speed cam 4 on the camshaft 2 is positioned in alignment with the intake valve 1b. The high-speed cam 5 is disposed in a position corresponding to an intermediate position between the intake valves 1a, 1b, as shown in Fig. 2. The first low-speed cam 3 has a cam lobe 3a projecting radially outwardly to a relatively small extent to meet low-speed operation of the engine, and the high speed cam 5 has a cam lobe 5a projecting radially outwardly a greater extent than the cam lobe 3a to meet high-speed operation of the engine, with the cam lobe 5a also having a larger angular extent than the cam lobe 3a. The second low-speed cam 4 has a cam lobe 4a projecting radially outwardly to a relatively small extent to meet low-speed operation of the engine, the cam lobe 4a being smaller than the cam lobe 3a. The rocker shaft 6 is fixed below the camshaft 2. The first and second rocker arms 7, 8 pivotally mounted on the rocker shaft 6 are identical in configuration to each other. The first and second rocker arms 7, 8 have base portions pivotally supported on the rocker shaft 6 in substantial alignment with the intake valves 1a, 1b, as shown in Fig. 2, and have distal ends positioned above the intake valves 1a, 1b, respectively. The first rocker arm 7 has on its upper surface a cam slipper 10 held in sliding contact with the first low-speed cam 3, and the second rocker arm 8 has on its upper surface a cam slipper 11 held in sliding contact with the second low-speed cam 4. Tappet screws 12, 13 are threaded through the distal ends of the first and second rocker arms 7, 8 and have tips engageable respectively with the upper ends of the valve stems of the intake valves 1a, 1b. Flanges 14, 15 are attached to the upper ends of the valve stems of the intake valves 1a, 1b. The intake valves 1a, 1b are normally urged to close the intake ports by compression coil springs 16, 17 disposed under compression around the valve stems between the flanges 14, 15 and the engine body. As shown in Fig. 3, the third rocker arm 9 is pivotally supported on the rocker shaft 6 between the first and second rocker arms 7, 8. The third rocker arm 9 extends radially from the rocker shaft 6 a short distance toward the side of the intake valves 1a, 1b. The third rocker arm 9 has on its upper surface a cam slipper 18 held in sliding engagement with the high-speed cam 5. A bottomed cylindrical lifter 19 is disposed in abutment against a lower surface of the third rocker arm 9. The lifter 19 is normally urged upwardly by a compression spring 20 of relativley weak resiliency interposed between the lifter 19 and the engine body for resiliently biasing the cam slipper 18 of the third rocker arm 9 slidably against the high-speed cam 5. As illustrated in Fig 4, the first, second and third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 have confronting side walls held in mutual sliding contact. A selective coupling 21 is operatively disposed in and between the first through third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 for selectively disconnecting the rocker arms 7, 8, 9 from each other for relative displacement and also for interconnecting the rocker arms 7, 8, 9 so that they may pivot about the rocker shaft 6 in unison. The selective coupling 21 comprises a first piston 22 moveable between a position in which it interconnects the first and third rocker arms 7, 9 and a position in which it disconnects the first and third rocker arms 7, 9 from each other, a second piston 23 movable between a position in which it interconnects the third and second rocker arms 9, 8 and a position in which it disconnects the third and second rocker arms 9, 8 from each other, a further piston in the form of a circular stopper 24 for limiting the movement of the first and second pistons 22, 23, and a coil spring 25 for urging the stopper 24 to move the first and second pistons 22, 23 toward their positions to disconnect the first and third rocker arms 9, 8 from each other. The first rocker arm 7 has a first guide bore 26 opening toward the third rocker arm 9 and extending parallel to the rocker shaft 6. The first rocker arm 7 also has a bore 28, of smaller diameter than guide bore 26, near the closed end of the first guide bore 26, with a step or shoulder 27 being defined between the smaller-diameter bore 28 and the first guide bore 26. The first piston 22 is slidably fitted in the first guide bore 26. The first piston 22 and the closed end of the smaller-diameter bore 28 define therebetween a hydraulic pressure chamber 29. The first rocker arm 7 has a hydraulic passsage 30 therein in communication with the hydraulic pressure chamber 29. The rocker shaft 6 has an axial hydraulic passage 31 coupled to a source (not shown) of hydraulic pressure through a suitable hydraulic pressure control mechanism. The hydraulic passages 30, 31 are held in communication with each other through a hole 32 in a side wall of the rocker shaft 6, irrespective of how the first rocker arm 7 is pivoted about the rocker shaft 6. The first piston 22 has an axial length such that when one end of the first piston 22 abuts against the step 27, the other end thereof is positioned so as to lie flush with the sliding side walls of the first and third rocker arms 7, 9 without projecting from the side wall of the first rocker arm 7 toward the third rocker arm 9. The first piston 22 is normally urged toward the third rocker arm 9 under the resiliency of a coil spring 33 disposed in the hydraulic pressure chamber 29 and acting between the first piston 22 and the closed bottom of the small bore 28. The resilient force of the spring 33 set under compression in the hydraulic pressure chamber 29 is selected to be smaller than that of the spring 25 set in place under compression. The third rocker arm 9 has a guide bore 34 extending between the opposite sides thereof in registration with the first guide bore 26 in the first rocker arm 7. The second piston 23 is slidably fitted in the guide bore 34, the second piston 23 having a length equal to the full length of the guide bore 34. The second piston 23 has an outside diameter equal to that of the first piston 22. The second rocker arm 8 has a guide bore 35 opening toward the third rocker arm 9 in registration with the guide bore 34. The circular stopper 24 is slidably fitted in the guide bore 35. The second rocker arm 8 also has a bore 37 of smaller diameter than bore 35 near the closed end of the guide bore 35, with a step or shoulder 36 defined between the guide bore 35 and the smaller-diameter bore 37 for limiting movement of the circular stopper 24. The second rocker arm 8 also has a through hole 38 of smaller diameter than bore 37 coaxial with the bore 37. A guide rod 39 joined integrally and coaxially to the circular stopper 24 extends through the hole 38. The coil spring 25 is disposed around the guide rod 39 between the stopper 24 and the closed end of the bore 37. Operation of the valve operating mechanism will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. When the engine is to operate in a low speed range, no hydraulic pressure is supplied to the hydraulic pressure chamber 29, and the stopper 24 is forced by the spring 25 toward the third rocker arm 9 until the first piston 22 is moved by the second piston 23 into abutment against the step 27. At this time, the mutually contacting ends of the first and second pistons 22, 23 lie flush with the confronting sliding side surfaces of the first and third rocker arms 7, 9, and the mutually contacting ends of the second piston 23 and the stopper 24 lie flush with the confronting sliding side surfaces of the third and second rocker arms 9, 8, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, the first through third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 may be pivoted independently about the rocker shaft while the first and second pistons 22, 23 and the second piston 23 and the stopper 24 are in sliding contact with each other. When the camshaft 2 is rotated about its own axis with the first through third rocker arms 7, 8, 9 being thus disconnected by the selective coupling 21, the first rocker arm 7 is pivoted by being in sliding contact with the first low-speed cam 3, and the second rocker arm 8 is pivoted in sliding contact with the second low-speed cam 4. Therefore, the intake valves 1a, 1b are caused by the first and second low-speed cams 3, 4 to alternately open and close the respective intake ports. The angular movement of the third rocker arm 9 in sliding contact with the high-speed cam 5 does not affect operation of the intake valves 1a, 1b in any way. During low-speed operation of the engine, therefore, the intake valve 1a alternately opens and closes the intake port at a valve timing and valve lift depending on the profile of the first low-speed cam 3, whereas the intake valve 1b alternately opens and closes the intake port at a valve timing and valve lift depending on the profile of the second low-speed cam 4. Accordingly, the air-fuel mixture flows into the combustion chamber at a rate suitable for the low-speed operation of the engine, resulting in improved fuel economy and prevention of knocking. Since the cam profiles of the first and second low-speed cams 3, 4 are different from each other, the turbulence of the air-fuel mixture as it is supplied into the combustion chamber is increased for better fuel economy. Furthermore, inasmuch as both of the intake valves 1a, 1b are operated, no carbon will be deposited between the intake valves 1a, 1b and their valve seats, and no reduction in the sealing capability between the intake valves 1a, 1b and their valve seats will be encountered. In addition, no fuel wil be accumulated on the intake valves 1a, 1b. For high-speed operation of the engine, the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the hydraulic pressure chamber 29 to move the first piston 22 toward the third rocker arm 9 against the resiliency of the spring 25, thereby displacing the second piston 23 toward the second rocker arm 8. As a result, the first and second pistons 22, 23 are moved until the stopper 24 abuts against the step 36, as illustrated in Fig 5. Consequently, the first and third rocker arms 7, 9 are interconnected by the first piston 22 positioned therebetween, and the third and second rocker arms 9, 8 are interconnected by the second piston 23 positioned therebetween. The first and second rocker arms 7, 8 now pivot in unison with the third rocker arm 9 since the third rocker arm 9 is pivoted to the greatest angular extent since it is in sliding contact with the high-speed cam 5, which projects to a greater extent than cams 3 and 4. The intake valves 1a, 1b alternately open and close the respective intake ports with a valve timing and valve lift according to the cam profile of the high-speed cam 5, so that the engine output power can be increased. Referring now to Fig. 6, a second embodiment is shown wherein the first low-speed cam 3 and the second low-speed cam 4 have the same cam lobe profiles 3b, 4b whereby the valves 1a and 1b are operated in an identical manner during low-speed operation of the engine when the rocker arms are disconnected by the mechanism 21. At high speeds the valves are operated by the high-speed cam 5 in the same manner as the first embodiment. Referring to Fig. 7, a third embodiment is shown wherein the second low-speed cam 4 is circular and of a diameter of the base circle of the cam 4, while the first low-speed cam is of a desired shape for low-speed operation. During low-speed operation the rocker arms 7, 8 and 9 are disconnected to operate independently, as previously described, and therefore valve 1b remains closed, because cam 4 has no cam lobe thereon, while valve 1a opens and closes in response to cam lobe 3a. Again, as with the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 6, at high speed the valves are operated by the high-speed cam 5. In all other respects the embodiments of Figs. 6 and 7 are the same as the embodiment of Figs. 1-5. While the intake valves 1a, 1b are shown as being operated by each of the valve operating mechanisms, exhaust valves may also be operated by the valve operating mechanisms according to the present invention. In such a case, unburned components due to exhaust gas turbulence can be reduced in low-speed operation of the engine, whereas high engine output power and torque can be generated by reducing resistance to the flow of an exhaust gas from the combustion chamber in high-speed operation of the engine. Thus it will be seen that, at least in preferred forms, there is provided a valve operating mechanism for an IC engine, including a camshaft rotatable in synchronism with the rotation of the internal combustion engine and having integral cams for operating a pair of intake or exhaust valves, and rocker arms angularly movably supported on a rocker shaft for opening and closing the intake or exhaust valves in response to rotation of the cams, which operates intake or exhaust valves during low-speed operation of the engine in a manner to solve the aforesaid problems, and is designed to improve fuel economy, prevent knocking, and increase engine output power.

Claims: A valve operating mechanism for operating an intake or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a camshaft (2) having two cams (3,5) respectively having a low-speed cam profile and a high-speed cam profile; two pivotally mounted rocker arms (7,9) each held in sliding contact with a respective cam, for operating the intake or the exhaust valve according to the cam profiles of said cams; and coupling means (21) for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting the rocker arms (7,9) whereby interconnected rocker arms may pivot in unison and disconnected rocker arms may pivot individually, characterised in that the valve operating mechanism is arranged to operate a pair of intake valves (1a,1b) or a pair of exhaust valves, there being a first low-speed cam (3), a second low-speed cam (4) and a high-speed cam (5) disposed on said camshaft (2) for operating the pair of valves, the first and second low-speed cams (3,4) being disposed one on each side of the high-speed cam (5), and there being first, second and third pivotally mounted rocker arms (7,8,9) in contact with the first low-speed cam, second low-speed cam and high-speed cam respectively. A valve operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said low-speed cams have the same cam profiles (3b,4b). A valve operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said low-speed cams have different cam profiles (3a,4a). A valve operating mechanism according to claim 3, wherein one of said low-speed cams has a profile of a base circle of the other said low-speed cam and said high-speed cam. A valve operating mechanism according to any preceding claim, including lifter means (19,20) for normally urging said third rocker arm (9) resiliently into sliding contact with said high-speed cam (5). A valve operating mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein said first and second rocker arms (7,8) have ends (12,13) for operating the pair of intake or exhaust valves. A valve operating mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein said coupling means (21) comprises a selective coupling including a first guide bore (26) defined in said first rocker arm (7), a second guide bore (35) defined in said second rocker arm (8) in registration with said first guide bore, a third guide bore (34) defined in said third rocker arm (9) which is disposed between the first and second rocker arms (7,8), a first piston (22) slidably fitted in said first guide bore (26), a second piston (23) slidably fitted in said third guide bore (34), a spring (25) disposed in said second guide bore (35) for normally urging said first and second pistons (22,23) into said first and third guide bores (26,34), respectively, whereby said rocker arms (7,8,9) are disconnected, and means (29) for applying hydraulic pressure to said first piston (22) to move the first and second pistons (22,23) to respective positions between said first and third guide bores (26,34) and said third and second guide bores (34,35), respectively, against the resiliency of said spring (25) so as to interconnect said rocker arms (7,8,9). A valve operating mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said coupling means (21) comprises guide bores (26,35,34) adapted for mutual registration in each of said rocker arms (7,8,9); a movable piston (22,23,24) in each of said guide bores, said pistons having end surfaces normally aligned with the sides of said rocker arms for relative pivotal movement therebetween; and the mechanism further comprising actuating means (29) operative to move said pistons (22,23,24) for interconnecting said rocker arms (7,8,9). A valve operating mechanism according to claim 9, including means (29) for supplying hydraulic pressure to one of said pistons (22) for actuating said coupling means. A valve operating mechanism according to claim 10, including a rocker shaft (6) mounting said rocker arms (7,8,9) for pivotal movement; a hydraulic supply passage (31) in said rocker shaft; and means (32,30) connecting said hydraulic supply passage to said one piston (22). A valve operating mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the third rocker arm (9) is disposed between the first and second rocker arms (7,8) and contains a piston (23) having an axial length coextensive with the length of the guide bore (34) therein; and the mechanism further comprising spring means (33,25) for normally biasing the pistons (22,24) in the first and second rocker arms (7,8) into end-to-end engagement with the third rocker arm piston (23).

Inventors: AJIKI, YOSHIO, INOUE, KAZUO, KATOH, MASAAKI, NAGAHIRO, KENICHI
Applicants: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1986
Main classification: F01L31
IPC codes: F02D17, F01L1, F02F1, F01L13