Improved direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter

Abstract: An improved direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter (DAHVL) (74) has features including reduced dead oil storage with lower mass and faster filling, improved air venting, internal oil re-circulation and aimed oil supply that combine to reduce the presence of air in the valve-lifter (74). Foam filling and baffle re-configuration are included amongst means for reducing stored oil volume which can also improve the support for a cylinder (83) of the follower (75). Means (94) for venting along the piston (90) and the cylinder (83) of the valve-lifter (74) are shown. The various features combine to limit air intake to the valve-lifter (74) and to more quickly expel air which does enter the valve-lifter (74).

Description: This invention relates to hydraulic valve-lifters (HVL's) for engines and, in more particular embodiments, to direct-acting HVL's of light weight for use in relatively high-speed overhead cam (OHC) automotive engines and the like. HVL's may also be referred to as hydraulic tappets and sometimes are called hydraulic lash-adjusters, and direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifters (DAHVL's) are sometimes called bucket tappets, however these various names are not necessarily of equivalent scope. It is known in the art relating to overhead cam (OHC) internal combustion engines to provide a direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter (DAHVL) that is contacted by a cam and directly actuates one or more valves of the engine (see DE-A-36 23 628). Another such arrangement which has been used in production engines is shown in United States patent 4,745,888 issued May 24, 1988. In this patent disclosure, a camshaft 18 supported in an aluminium camshaft carrier 11 has cams 22, each of which directly engages a DAHVL (tappet 23) that in turn engages the stem 34 of a poppet valve conventionally carried in a cylinder head, not shown, to actuate the valve. Each lifter 23 includes a cup-like follower having a cam-engaging alloy cast iron upper end 24 diffusion-bonded to a cold-formed steel baffle shell including an annular outer wall (skirt 26) and an inwardly-supported central wall 27. The central wall includes a radial supporting baffle and an axial annular cylinder portion in which a hydraulic element assembly (HEA) (hydraulic lash adjuster 28) is reciprocably supported. The HEA is supplied with hydraulic fluid (engine oil) through an annular oil feed chamber 30 which is fed at its lower edge through an opening 32 via an external groove 31. The follower construction is thin-walled to maintain a low reciprocating weight for the lifter 23 as is desirable for operation at higher engine speeds. However, the chamber 30 is filled with a significant volume of oil which increases the reciprocating mass of the lifter in operation. Also, the oil in the chamber 30 may drain from the lifter when the engine is stopped so that, upon starting, the oil supply must again fill the chamber 30 before a dependable feed of oil is again provided to the HEA 28. During this period, the HEA must rely upon an internal oil reservoir for its oil supply. In addition, air may enter the system such as through draining of the chamber 30 when the engine is stopped or foaming of the oil supply during engine operation. This air may enter the HEA through an inlet from the chamber 30, resulting in unwanted tappet noise and/or improper valve actuation for an extended period until the air is removed from the lifter by escape through the clearances apart from or along with the escaping oil. The present invention provides an improved direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter (DAHVL) having various features which individually and/or in combination may provide reduced reciprocating mass with lower oil loss in operation, faster filling of the lifter after draining and more positive discharge of air from the lifter. These results are obtained by providing one or more of the following features: Reduced oil storage volume such as through filling of the annular oil space with foam or other filler; Means directed at the oil inlet passage to aim at and preferentially deliver oil to the inlet of the HEA; Re-circulation means in the HEA to re-circulate oil escaping from its high-pressure chamber to the internal reservoir rather than escaping into the annular outer space; Vent means from the oil chambers such as through the foot or preferably through passage means between the HEA and the follower cylinder supporting it. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a hydraulic valve-lifter in which an annular chamber that forms part of a feed path through a follower to a lash-adjusting hydraulic element assembly (HEA) is filled with a low-density oil-resistant material that displaces the unnecessary or dead volume of oil. The filler reduces the volume which must be filled to provide oil to the HEA and shortens the time to restore normal operation of the system when the lifter is drained. Of course a suitable inlet passage must be provided through the filler This passage is preferably oriented to aim the incoming stream of oil directly at the inlet to the HEA reservoir to promote fast filling thereof. The density of the filler must be not greater than the oil which is displaced in order to avoid increasing the reciprocating mass of the lifter. Preferably it will be significantly lighter or less dense than the oil and thus result in a lower reciprocating mass. An oil-resistant foam is a suggested material for this purpose. Preferably the foam will have adequate stiffness to provide additional support to the cylinder portion of the central wall that supports the HEA. If the strength of the filler is sufficient, it may also be possible to reduce the thickness or otherwise lighten the baffle and/or cylinder of the central wall or to eliminate the baffle and support the cylinder solely by the filler. This may further lighten the lifter. An epoxy resin material is suggested as suitable for such a purpose. Of course any suitable filler material may be used that provides the combination of lightness and strength needed for the particular application. Preferably, a re-circulation orifice in the HEA plunger wall re-circulates oil escaping from the high-pressure chamber to the inner reservoir before it leaves the surrounding piston. This reduces the inflow of make-up oil from the annular space and lessens the volume of air which may enter the HEA through the HEA inlet. Additionally, an internal vent is preferably provided from the annular space in the follower to promote the removal of air from the in-flowing oil. Any suitable vent means may be employed but a preferred embodiment at present comprises a passage formed between the HEA piston and the cylinder carrying it by means such as a flat surface or groove on the exterior of the piston, or a groove in the interior of the cylinder. Such a passage may be straight, spiral or of other suitable form and cross-section to assist in controlling the flow of air and oil through the vent to a desired amount. These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of certain specific embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter (DAHVL) with mass-reducing foam filler and fill-orienting according to the invention; Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view from the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the filler and an inlet passage; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of foam-filled DAHVL according to the invention; Figure 4 is a bottom view of another embodiment of foam-filled DAHVL according to the invention; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of still another foam-filled embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one method of injecting the filler in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of foam-filled DAHVL also including orientation, venting and re-circulation features; Figure 8 is a pictorial view of a lifter piston with a flat surface for venting purposes; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a lower portion of a lifter follower with a straight groove in a cylinder portion thereof for venting purposes; and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a lower portion of a lifter follower with a spiral groove in a cylinder portion thereof for venting purposes. Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings in detail, numeral 10 generally indicates a preferred embodiment of direct-acting hydraulic valve-lifter (DAHVL) according to the invention. Lifter 10 has the general construction of the tappet described in the previously cited U.S. patent 4,745,888 and is adapted to be reciprocably mounted between a cam 11 and a stem 12 of a cylinder poppet valve in an engine 14 in a conventional manner as shown, for example, in the cited U.S. patent. The lifter 10 includes a cup-like follower 15 with an annular skirt-like outer wall 16 having an open bottom end and being closed at the upper end by a cam-engaging head 18. The head 18 may be conventionally formed of alloy cast iron and diffusion-bonded or otherwise connected to the outer wall 16. Integral with the outer wall 16 is a central wall made up of a radial baffle 19 and an axial cylinder 20 extending upwards from and supported by the baffle 19. The cylinder 20 has an inner cylinder surface 22 which is parallel with an axis 23 of reciprocation and is spaced from the head 18 that defines the closed end of the follower 15. Within the cylinder is reciprocably carried a conventional hydraulic element assembly (HEA) 24 including a hollow piston 26 guidingly received and reciprocable in the cylinder surface 22 on the axis 23. The piston 26 includes a closed end 27 facing (downwardly) away from the head 18 that defines the closed end of the follower 15. In the engine, the closed end 27 of the piston engages the stem 12 of an associated valve for opening the valve in response to downward movement of the follower 15 by the cam 11. In the conventional HEA illustrated, a plunger 28 is carried with closely-controlled clearance within the piston 26 and includes an open-topped upper portion defining a reservoir 30. A transverse wall 31 near the bottom of the plunger 28 has a central orifice 32 controlled by a ball check-valve 34 conventionally retained in a cage 35 and biased closed by a light spring 36. A plunger spring 38 extends within a high-pressure chamber 39 defined between the wall 31 of the plunger 28 and the closed end 27 of the piston 26, and serves to bias the piston 26 and plunger 28 apart and to maximize the volume of the chamber 39. A retainer ring 40 in a groove 42 near the top of the piston 26 limits downward travel of the piston so that the spring 38 normally urges the plunger 28 into constant contact with the under-side of the follower head 18. As in the prior construction, the follower 15 has an external annular groove 43 connected with a feed hole 44 through the outer wall 16 for receiving engine oil under pressure from a gallery, not shown, and delivering the pressurized oil into an annular space 46 defined between the cylinder 20, the outer wall 16, the baffle 19 and the head 18. A recess 47 in the underside of the head 18 allows the oil to pass over the open end of the plunger 28 and into the reservoir 30 from which it is fed into the high-pressure chamber 39 to enable the valve-lifter 10 to operate in known manner to take up lash in the valve train between the cam 11 and the valve 12. The portion of the DAHVL 10 so far described does not differ from previously known units in current use in automobile engines and the operation of which is well-known so that a detailed description of their operation is not needed. However, the present invention differs from the prior art units in that the annular space 46 is almost completely filled by a filler 48 which operates to displace the oil that would otherwise fill this space during operation. The filler preferably extends in the follower 15 radially between the outer wall 16 and the cylinder 20 and axially between the head 18 and the baffle 19. A small open annulus 50 is left in the lifter 10 above the upper edges of the cylinder 20 and piston 26 outwards of the plunger 28 to provide clearance for the piston retainer ring 40 and to contain a small volume of oil for delivery through the recess 47 to the reservoir 30. Oil is delivered to the annulus 50 by an inlet passage 51 extending through the filler from the feed hole 44 to the annulus 50. Preferably, the passage 51 is aimed directly at the recess 47 so that the oil is preferentially directed into the reservoir 30 from the oriented inlet passage 51. The filler may be made of any suitable oil-resistant non-absorbent material which can be placed or formed within the space 46. However the filler must have a density no greater than the oil that is replaced thereby in order that the reciprocating mass of the lifter not be increased. The choice of filler material may vary depending upon the strength and density characteristics desired. For example, an epoxy resin filler may be chosen if high strength to support the cylinder 20 is most important. A lightweight foam may be selected if the main purpose is to reduce the reciprocating mass of the lifter by displacing oil with a lighter weight material. The pores of the foam should be closed in order to prevent absorption of oil which would nullify the mass reduction effect. At present, a preferred lightweight foam material which is oil-and temperature-resistant and can provide at least supplemental support to the cylinder 20 when installed is an isocyanurate-modified polyester foam provided by Systeme-Chardonol Division of Cook Composites and Polymers (formerly the Freeman Chemical Company) of Port Washington, Wisconsin, U.S.A. The foam is reportedly made from tradenamed materials with a mix ratio of 100 pbw Chempol R 030-A792-24 resin to 200 pbw Chempol R 030-2416 isocyanate. In Figures 3-5 are illustrated alternative embodiments of DAHVL's incorporating features of the present invention. Like numerals are used for components which are like those of the first or another embodiment. In each case, the only differences are in the construction of the follower and the resulting shapes of the foam or other filler used in the particular lifter. Thus, the HEA 24 and its components are the same in each of the illustrated embodiments. However, it should be understood that other forms of HEA's or pressure-actuated piston devices could be mounted in the follower cylinder to actuate an engine valve directly or through other valve train elements without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. In DAHVL 52 of Figure 3, follower 54 includes a skirt-like outer wall 55 integral with a central wall made up of a baffle 19 and cylinder 20 like those of the first embodiment. A head 56 closing the upper end of the outer wall 55 is made of an alloy steel preferred for some engine applications and formed in a cup shape with downwardly-extending portions joining with and forming part of the the outer wall 55. The resulting annular space 58 is of slightly different configuration but is filled in similar manner with foam or other filler 59 which may be the same materials as in the first embodiment. In Figure 4, the DAHVL 60 illustrated is like Figure 3 except that a baffle 62 portion of the central wall is formed as an open web of any suitable configuration. The baffle positions the cylinder 20 and its support is supplemented by the filler 63 which is injected or otherwise installed in annular space 64 and may extend into the open portions of the web baffle 62. In DAHVL 65 of Figure 5, the baffle is completely omitted and cylinder 66 is solely supported by filler 67 which fills annular space 68 at least down to the lower edge of cylinder 66. In this embodiment, the filler 67 must be sufficiently stiff and strong to maintain the cylinder 66 in its desired position in the follower. Finally, Figure 6 illustrates one possible manner of injecting a foam filler into the pre-machined follower 15 for a DAHVL like that of Figure 1. A hollow rubber plug 70 is first forced into the cylinder 20. The plug 70 has an enlarged head 71 that extends up to the follower head 18 and outwards into the annulus 50 with an air vent 72 extending from the top of the annulus 50 to the hollow centre of the plug 70. Thereafter, the prepared foam materials are injected into the annular space 46 preferably through the feed hole 44 as shown. With the follower body being maintained at a suitable temperature, the foam materials react to form the foam which fills the space 46, any excess being allowed to pass out through the vent 72 after the escaping air. After any required curing time, the rubber plug 70 is removed and the oil inlet passage 51 is formed as by drilling, hot wire melting or any other suitable manner. Thereafter, the HEA 24 may be installed to complete the assembly of the lifter. In another method, the follower is inverted and a pin is placed through the feed hole 44 to form the inlet passage 51. Foam is then injected through a passage in the rubber plug such as 70 or another plug device or through a separate opening formed in the baffle 19. Such an opening could also serve to vent the foam-filled annular space 46. Upon cooling, the foam forms a skin on its surface that helps protect it against abrasion or other deterioration during operation. Obviously, any other suitable manner of making DAHVL's and other lifters according to the invention may also be utilized. For example, a pre-formed insert of filler material may be installed in the follower body before the head and outer wall or skirt portions are assembled together. Also, foam, epoxy resin or other materials may be injected through other openings or admitted in other ways. Various means such as ribs or dimples on the interior of the outer wall 16 or a protrusion outward from the cylinder 20 could be used to prevent rotation or other movement of the foam or other filler material or means if the filler as installed is not otherwise fixed such as by adhesion. Such fixing of the filler is needed to assure that the inlet passage 51 in the filler remains aligned with the follower feed hole 44 so the flow of oil to the annulus 50 is not blocked. Holes or ribs in the baffle or cylinder into which the foam protrudes could act as inspection means for determining the completeness of foam filling of the annular space as well as preventing rotation of the filler material and reducing mass. Figure 4 provides an illustration of such a concept where the filler 63 enters into the spaces between web elements of the baffle 62. Such an embodiment could easily be made by the alternative "inverted follower" method previously described with the spaces providing vents for the escape of air during foam formation. Further embodiments of the invention having additional forms and features are shown in Figures 7-10. In Figure 7, DAHVL 74 has a follower 75 which is a variation of that shown in Figure 3. It differs in that head 76 is integral with a further downwardly-extending portion of an outer wall 78 and is received in a recessed portion 79 of a lower skirt 80 closely above an inwardly and upwardly-extending baffle 82 that terminates in a cylinder 83 in which an HEA 84 is carried. A preferred feature of the invention shown in this embodiment is re-circulation means comprising at least one orifice 86 through a side wall 87 of an HEA plunger 88. More than one orifice may be provided, all being preferably located within an HEA piston 90 during normal operation. An annular groove 91 is preferably provided around the plunger in alignment with the one or more orifices 86 but such a groove could be omitted or could optionally be located longitudinally adjacent the orifice(s) or in the inner wall of the piston near the normal position of the orifice(s) 86. The re-circulation means collects oil escaping from the high-pressure chamber 39 through the close clearances between the side walls of the piston 90 and the plunger 88, and re-circulates the collected oil into the internal reservoir 30 instead of allowing it to escape into the annulus 50. This reduces the loss to the annulus 50 of relatively air-free oil from the high-pressure chamber 39 and correspondingly reduces the need for make-up oil flow to the reservoir 30 from the annulus 50. Another preferred feature of the invention shown in this embodiment is vent means in the form of a vent passage 94 of locally increased clearance between the piston 90 and cylinder 83 and extending axially therebetween to provide a path for air and oil flow from the annulus 50 to below the baffle 82 for return to the engine sump. The vent passage may be formed by providing a shallow flat surface 95 on the outside of the piston 90 as is best shown in Figure 8. Alternatively it could be formed by a straight groove 96 in the inner face of cylinder 83a as shown in Figure 9 or a spiral groove 97 in the cylinder 83b as in Figure 10. The groove may be of any desired cross-sectional shape and of any suitable linear form including straight or spiral and could be on the piston instead of the cylinder. It must, however, be sized to allow a sufficient flow of air or air-containing oil to provide for removal of air in the valve lifter without causing an excessive flow of oil from the annulus 50 such that increased oil pump capacity would be required. If desired, a more conventional vent passage through an orifice in the follower head 76 could be used in place of the novel vent means shown. As yet a further embodiment of the invention, it should be recognized that any of the re-circulation and vent features described could be used with other forms of followers than the foam-filled embodiments described. In particular these features could equally well be provided in assemblies having conventional followers such as that shown in previously mentioned U.S. patent 4,745,888. Such assemblies would, of course, not have the lighter weight advantage provided by the reduction of oil volume in the other embodiments. However made, valve-lifters according to the present invention may have some or all of the following advantages over the currently known lifters: a. The reciprocating mass of the lifter may be reduced by an amount equal to the lower mass of the filler or baffle insert as compared to the oil it displaces from the annular space, such as 46, the amount depending, for example, upon the density of the filler material installed in the lifter; b. The HEA guiding cylinder, such as 20, may be supplementally or even solely supported by the filler depending upon its strength; c. Filling of the plunger reservoir with oil will be more rapid because there is no need to first fill the outer annular space, such as 46; d. If the inlet passage 51 is aimed at the recess 47, this orientation of the inlet passage will provide even quicker "preferential" filling of the reservoir; e. Vent means from the follower oil chambers can increase the rate of air removal from the make-up oil; f. Re-circulation means having an orifice through the plunger can reduce the inflow of make-up oil to the HEA reservoir and thereby minimize the induction of air into the reservoir; g. The combination of vent and re-circulation means, reduced reciprocating oil volume and aiming of the incoming oil flow or any combination of these features together reduce the chance for operation of a DAHVL without full-lash adjustment action. The forms and materials suggested for the follower body are not exclusive of other choices. Ceramic or powder metal as well as other materials may be suitable for the follower as well as cast-iron or steel.

Claims: A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65;74) capable of forming at least a portion of an engine valve train between a cam (11) and a valve (12), said valve-lifter including a cup-like follower (15;54;75) which has a peripheral outer wall (16;55;78) which is parallel with an axis of reciprocation (23) and has a closed end (18) and an open end; a cylinder (20;66;83) spaced within the outer wall (16;55;78) and having a cylindrical surface (22) parallel with the axis (23) and spaced from the closed end (18); hydraulic means (24;84) in the follower (15;54;75) comprising a hollow piston (26;90) closely guided on the cylindrical surface (22) and having a closed end (27) facing away from the closed end (18) of the follower (15;54;75), the closed ends (18,27) of the follower (15;54;75) and the piston (26;90) being adapted respectively for operative association in said valve train with the cam (11) and the valve (12); hydraulic fluid flow means (43,44,47, 50,51) including a passage (51) for admitting hydraulic fluid through a first space (46;58;64) between the cylinder (20;66;83) and the outer wall (16;55;78) to a second space (30) within the piston (26;90) between the closed ends (18,27) of the piston (26;90) and the follower (15;54;75); and a filler means (48;59;63;67) blocking a substantial portion of said first space (46;58;64) against the entry of hydraulic fluid therein, so as to limit the mass of the hydraulic fluid containable in the first space (46;58;64), connected with the cylinder (20;66;83) and extending to the closed end (18) of the follower (15;54;75;99) to provide support to the cylinder (20;66;83), characterised in that said filler means (48;59;63;67) comprises a lightweight oil-resistant foam. A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 1, in which the filler means (48;59;63;67) has a mass lower than that of an equivalent volume of hydraulic fluid occupying the portion of the first space (46;58;64) blocked by said filler means (48;59;63;67). A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 1, in which the filler means (48;59;63;67) comprises an isocyanurate foam. A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 1, in which the fluid-admitting means includes a passage (51) adjacent the filler means (48;59;63;67). A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 4, in which the passage (51) extends through the filler means (48;59;63;67). A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 1, in which the cylinder (66) is separate from the peripheral outer wall of the follower. A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 1, wherein said hollow piston (26;90) receives internally, with close clearance, a plunger (28;88) extending from an open end of the piston (26;90) and defining a reservoir (30) adjacent the closed end (18) of said cup-like follower (15;54;75) and a pressure chamber (39) adjacent the closed end (27) of the piston (26;90) with one-way valve means (34) for admitting hydraulic fluid from the reservoir (30) directly to the pressure chamber (39) and preventing the return flow thereof, the reservoir (30) forming part of a fluid system including said hydraulic fluid flow means (43,44,47,50,51) adjacent the closed end (18) of the follower (15;54;75) for admitting hydraulic fluid to the reservoir (30), the hydraulic fluid flow means (44,50,51) including vent means (94;95;96;97) for providing restricted fluid flow from the fluid system to purge air from the hydraulic fluid, the vent means (94;95;96;97) comprising locally increased clearance between the piston (90) and the cylinder (83), which extends axially for substantially the length of the piston/cylinder interface. A hydraulic valve-lifter (74) according to claim 7, in which the vent means is formed by a flat surface (95) on the outside surface of the piston (90). A hydraulic valve-lifter (74) according to claim 7, in which the vent means is formed by a groove (96;97) in the surface of either the piston (90) or the cylinder (83). A hydraulic valve-lifter (74) according to claim 9, in which the groove (97) is a spiral groove. A hydraulic valve-lifter (10;52;60;65; 74) according to claim 7, in which the hydraulic fluid flow means includes an entry means (47) for the reservoir (30) positioned near to the closed end (18;56;76) of the follower (15;54;75), and the follower (15;54;75) includes a passage (51) which is adapted to receive hydraulic fluid under pressure from an external source and which is spaced from but aimed at the entry means (47) so as to provide oriented preferential delivery of hydraulic fluid to the entry means (47). A hydraulic valve-lifter (74) according to claim 7, in which the hydraulic element assembly (24;84) in the follower (75) contains re-circulation means (86,91) including an orifice (86) through a plunger (88) within the piston (90) for re-circulating to the reservoir (30) hydraulic fluid escaping from a pressure chamber (39) defined between said plunger (88) and said piston (90) through a close clearance between the piston (90) and the plunger (88), thereby limiting make-up fluid flow from the hydraulic fluid flow means (43,44,47,50,51) to the reservoir (30). A hydraulic valve-lifter (74) according to claim 12, in which the hydraulic fluid flow means includes an entry means (47) for the reservoir (30) positioned near to the closed end (76) of the follower (75), and a passage (51) in the follower (75) is adapted to receive hydraulic fluid under pressure from an external source and is spaced from but aimed at the entry means (47) so as to provide oriented preferential delivery of hydraulic fluid to the entry means (47).

Inventors: GOTHAM LUCILLE ALICE ELAINE, HARRIS WAYNE STANLEY, KRIEG JOHN JOSEPH, GOTHAM, LUCILLE ALICE ELAINE, HARRIS, WAYNE STANLEY, KRIEG, JOHN JOSEPH
Applicants: GEN MOTORS CORP, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F01L1
IPC codes: F01L1