Abstract:
The invention is characterized in that the gas exchange valves of a cylinder are displaced in a displacement unit ( 15, 34 ) jointly and independently of the displacement of the displacement devices of the other cylinders. Every displacement unit ( 15, 34 ) is associated with separate actuators for actuating the same. Angle of rotation sensors ( 42, 43 ) are provided to detect the angle or rotation signals of the crankshaft and the camshaft or any other shaft rotating at half the crankshaft speed. These angle of rotation signals are used to derive the common idle phase of all valves of a cylinder to be jointly adjusted, a control unit ( 44 ) effecting the displacement of every displacement unit ( 15, 34 ) during said common idle phase.

Description:
The present application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. 371 based on International Application No. PCT/EP04/02740, filed on Mar. 17, 2004, and further claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 of Germany Patent Application No. 103 12 958.8 filed on Mar. 24, 2003. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for variable actuation of gas exchange valves of internal combustion engines. 
     Such devices are used to control gas exchange valves in such a way as to make it possible to operate reciprocating engines without the throttle valve that would otherwise be necessary. 
     Such a device is disclosed in DE 101 23 186 A1, for example. In this device, a rotating cam first drives a connecting link, which executes a pure oscillating rotary motion and carries a radial cam, which is composed of a rest area and a lift area. The radial cam transfers the lifting curve necessary for actuation of the valve to the roller of a driven element similar to a cam follower which in turn actuates the valve. The desired different valve lifting curves are produced by the fact that the center of rotation of the connecting link is displaced on an arc-shaped path which is concentric to the roller of the driven element when it is in the position that it assumes when the valve is closed. The center of rotation is formed by a roller which is provided on the connecting link and which is supported in a non-positive manner on an arc-shaped track in the housing; this track is also concentric to the roller of the driven element, that is, it forms an equidistant to the path of the center of rotation and is designated as the coulisse. In addition, the roller on the connecting link is supported against a cam disk, whose angular position determines the position of the center of rotation on its arc-shaped path. 
     DE 101 00 173 describes a completely variable valve train which has driving means, for example a cam and, arranged between the driving means and the gas exchange valve, a connecting link, which acts indirectly on the gas exchange valve; the valve stroke can be changed by adjusting an adjustable guide element. 
     Other devices of this type have been disclosed in which the center of rotation of the connecting link driven by the cam is supposed to be adjusted on a circular path (OS 195 32 334 A1; EP 0 717 174 A1; DE 101 64 493). However, the previous publications do not contain any teaching about how to construct the devices to realize such adjustment. 
     However, the prior art device has some disadvantages. All known devices have the common disadvantage that due to manufacturing tolerances the more the valve strokes of the individual cylinders are reduced for the purpose of controlling the load, the greater their differences relative to one another. Moreover, the valve strokes of the gas exchange valves of the same cylinder cannot be changed independently. Completely shutting off the gas exchange valves, that is keeping them closed constantly, and the possibility of turning off a cylinder by completely turning off all intake and/or exhaust valves of individual cylinders, has also not previously been known. Another disadvantage results from the fact that the adjustment of the valve lifting curve occurs during the valve stroke of at least individual gas exchange valves. This requires a high adjusting force, that is, a high adjustment torque with high adjusting power. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to create a device which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and allows additional variability for valve actuation that is entirely mechanical. 
     The displacement of the transmission elements, which causes the change in the valve lifting curve, is performed in separate units for each gas exchange valve or in separate units for several gas exchange valves, each of which is adjacent, and this is done in such a way that these units are adjusted independently of one another, at least some of the time. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the position of the changeable transmission element on the respective adjustment curve preferably is determined by direct or indirect contact with one or more cam disks, which are put on one or more adjusting shafts that are connected in a torsionally rigid manner. In another embodiment, the cam disks are put on an axially displaceable adjusting axle. The adjusting shaft or the adjusting axle can in turn be rotated or displaced through a suitable transmission or a connecting element by an adjusting motor. Of course the adjustment can also be accomplished by hydraulic elements. If the units are guided by a linearly adjustable slide, the adjustment can also be accomplished directly from the adjusting motor through a spindle which has a movement thread. 
     All embodiments also share the fact that the connecting links or their cam rollers have to be held in contact with the cams by special springs. This is immediately seen from the situation at zero lift, when there is cylinder cutout. 
     The inventive device, including an adjusting motor or an adjusting device, can be separately provided for every valve of an engine, so that any combination of valve strokes or opening angles of the individual valves of an engine is possible, including the turning off of individual cylinders. However, as a rule common adjustment of several valves is provided. This applies especially for intake and exhaust valves of a cylinder in multiple-valve engines. For example, two intake valves can be actuated by a cam through a connecting link which has a radial cam for each valve. Since only one connecting link and only one guide of the units are present, both valves are adjusted together and in the same way. However, the inventive device also allows the common connecting link to have two different radial cams on it with the result of two different lifting curves on the two valves, despite the fact that they are adjusted together. This variant makes it possible, especially in the lowest load range, to open only one of the two valves. The special advantage of this possibility is that in the lowest load range it is only necessary to expose very small cross sections which can be more precisely observed, if they are only exposed by one valve. In addition, opening only one of the intake valves makes it possible to produce swirl in the cylinder charge. The inventive device further expands the possibilities for producing different valve lifting curves for two intake or exhaust valves of a cylinder by the fact that two different cams and two connecting links are used with different radial cams. Nevertheless, the two valves can be adjusted together, since the two connecting links can be mounted on a common unit. 
     It is also possible to adjust the displacement of transmission elements which cause a change in the valve lifting curve of a larger number of parallel valves together by an adjusting motor or mechanism, especially when it is mounted on a common unit. 
     Since it is of great significance for the acceptance of variable valve actuation, that is also the inventive device, to keep the adjusting power small, and since it is higher when the device or its slip joints and links are in loaded condition than when they are in the load-free state that is present to a great extent when the valve is closed, the inventive device provides adjustment essentially during the common rest phases of all valves to be adjusted in common. These rest phases are derived from the signals of [sensors on] the crankshaft and the camshaft, and become shorter and shorter the more valves are adjusted together. Thus, the number of valves adjusted together is limited. 
     The common adjustment of the intake and exhaust valves only of one cylinder in every case produces long rest phases that are “friendly” to adjustment. However, it also makes possible individual load control of the individual cylinders with an inventive adjustment strategy that involves controlling the torques of the individual cylinders for each load state of the entire engine. This is essential for engine smoothness, especially in the lower load range, since manufacturing tolerances mean that the valve strokes do not sufficiently coincide. The signals necessary for this adjustment strategy are also supplied by the rotational angle sensor of the crankshaft and assigned to the individual cylinders by the rotational angle sensor of the camshaft. 
     In a variant of the inventive design, the displacement of transmission elements, which causes the change in the valve lifting curve, is implemented by means of a common, rotatable adjusting shaft with cam disks. If the adjustment of all or at lease some of the intake and exhaust valves is largely independent, this offers the possibility of turning off selected valves by means of the continuous adjusting shaft, that is no longer opening them or at least adjusting a smaller valve stroke. To accomplish this, sections of the described cam disks of the adjusting shaft are formed as a rest for the valves that are not turned off. The rest area is a contour which is formed from an arc that is concentric to the center of rotation of the adjusting shaft. Rotation of the adjusting shaft does not change the valve stroke of the displacement units controlled by the cam disks with rest within the active area of the rest, while the valve stroke of the displacement units controlled by the cam disks without rest is changed. This change can be carried out until the valve(s) is/are held completely closed. If all intake valves or/and the exhaust valves of the same cylinder are triggered in this way, the change in load is turned off for selected cylinders. Of course the same function is achieved by using a straight guided draw key with a corresponding cam contour. The rest area is then a contour which is formed from a line parallel to the sliding direction of the draw key. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of drawings of a few sample embodiments. In the associated drawings, 
         FIG. 1  shows the moving parts of the generic device, which are involved in the flow of force from the camshaft to the valve; 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-section using the parts shown in  FIG. 1  with a pendulum support and adjusting shaft; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section through the device with a slide, adjusting shaft, and adjusting motor; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the inventive device with a slide and adjusting shafts in an inline 4 cylinder engine; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic representation of the interaction of the engine management system, the gas pedal, the rotational angle sensor, adjusting motors, and battery and 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic representation of a continuous adjusting shaft and a section through each of two cam disks for positioning a cylinder&#39;s displacement unit. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a camshaft  1 , which has a cam  2 . The cam moves roller  3  at the end of connecting link  4 . Connecting link  4  has a radial cam  5  which is composed of a rest area  5   a  and a lift area  5   b . Connecting link  4  is mounted on a bolt  6  whose axis  7  is guided on an arc-shaped adjustment curve  8 . The center of the arc-shaped adjustment curve  8  is on the axis  9  of the roller  10  of the driven element  11  which is supported through a link  12  in a housing (not shown) and actuates valve  13 . It can clearly be seen that adjustment of axis  7  on the adjustment curve  8  in the direction of arrow  14  has the consequence of reducing the opening angle and stroke of valve  13 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an embodiment in which the bolt  6  or its axis  7  is guided on the arc-shaped adjustment curve  8  by form-fit connection to a pendulum support  15 . Cylinder head-side link  16  of pendulum support  15  or its axis coincides with the axis  9  of roller  10  of driven element  11 . Adjusting shaft  17  holds cam disks  18 , which determine, through tappet  18   a , the position of bolt  6  or its axis  7  on the adjustment curve  8 . Axis  7  is adjusted on adjustment curve  8 , as shown by arrow  14 , by rotation of cam disk  18  or adjusting shaft  17  in the direction arrow  14   a . The described adjustment movement has the consequence of reducing the stroke and opening angle of valve  13 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-section through an embodiment of the invention using a slide  34 , which can be used separately for each valve or each pair of valves. The separate use for individual valves results in the longest possible rest phases or common rest phases, so that it is easy for the adjustment to be done only during the rest phases. Controlling the individual cylinders using the inventive device even requires the separate arrangement. In this embodiment, bolt  6  is guided in a form-fit manner in the housing by slide  34 , so that its axis  7  is guided along adjustment curve  35 , a line. This line is a tangent and only more or less approximates an arc about the axis  9  of roller  10  of the resting driven element  11 . The deviation is exaggerated in  FIG. 3 . Now if the threaded spindle  36  driven by adjusting motor  23  rotates and displaces toothed rack  37  by the amount shown by arrow  38   a , then adjusting shaft  17  and cam disk  18  rotate according to arrow  38   b  and slide  34  along with bolt  6  are displaced by amount  38   c . Because of the deviation of straight adjustment curve  35  from the shape of an arc, play compensation element  31  must be lowered by a certain amount, which is shown by arrow  38   d.    
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the inventive device with a slide  34  which is separate for each pair of valves of a cylinder. In this embodiment, slide  34  guides bolt  6  in a form-fit manner in the valve train housing (not shown), so that its axis  7  is guided along the adjustment curve  35 , a straight line. This line is only more or less approximately an arc about the axis  9  of roller  10  of the resting driven element  11 . Because of the deviation of the straight adjustment curve  35  from the shape of an arc, play compensation element  31  must take up a certain amount. Axis  7  is adjusted on adjustment curve  35  by rotation of cam disk  18  or adjusting shaft  17 . The figure shows that in each cylinder a pair of valves is actuated by means of a cam  2  and a connecting link  4 , which is mounted in a slide  34  on a bolt  6 , whose position in the valve train housing is guided along an adjustment curve  35  in a form-fit manner, and is positioned by means of an adjusting shaft  17  through cam disks  18 . If the adjusting shaft  17  of a cylinder should now rotate, then the position of this cylinder&#39;s slide  34 , and thus the valve lifting curve of both of this cylinder&#39;s valves, is changed. The relationships for the other cylinders do not change. Here it would also be possible, as is shown later in  FIG. 6 , for a common adjusting shaft to position the displacement units of a cylinder group or a cylinder head. 
       FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic representation of the interaction of gas pedal  40 , adjusting motors  23 , rotational angle sensor  42  on the flywheel, and rotational angle sensor  43  on the camshaft with the engine management system  44 . A signal coming from gas pedal  40 , that is from a sensor for its position, is converted by engine management system  44  into a signal to adjusting motors  23  to increase or reduce the valve strokes. After the desired load state is achieved for the entire engine, the engine management system  44  evaluates the signals from the high-resolution rotational angle sensor  42  on the flywheel. They are assigned to the individual cylinders with the help of the low-resolution rotational angle sensors  43  on the camshaft or on another shaft running at half the crankshaft speed. This information is used to send signals to the individual adjusting motors  23  to even out the torque peaks or the crankshaft speed, by correcting the valve strokes of the cylinders with smaller torques upward and correcting those of the cylinders with larger torques downward. In the inventive process an adjustment takes place, with or without compensation, during the common rest phases of the valves operated by an adjusting motor. The engine management system  44  takes their phase positions from sensor  43  of the camshaft. 
       FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic representation of a continuous adjusting shaft  45  of an inline 6-cylinder engine, as well as a section through one of two cam disks for positioning a cylinder&#39;s displacement unit. The adjusting shaft carries cam disks  46 ,  47  for positioning the displacement units for the six cylinders. Each of the cam disks  46  for cylinders # 1 , # 4 , and # 5 , as well as cam disks  47  for cylinders # 2 , # 3 , and # 6  are the same. AA shows a cross section through the cam disks  46 , and BB shows a cross section through cam disks  47 . Sector R of cam disk  47  is formed by an arc  49  that is concentric to the center of rotation  48  of adjusting shaft  45 , while in the corresponding sector of cam disk  46  the adjusting cam curve continuously leads to a smaller distance to the center of rotation  48 . Such a design of cam disks  46  and  47  has the result that when adjusting shaft  45  is rotated about its center of rotation  48 , the displacement units for the valves of cylinders # 1 , # 4 , and # 5  are further displaced in the active area of sector R, while the displacement units for the valves of cylinders # 2 , # 3 , and # 6  remain at rest. In this way, a corresponding design of the valve train can, for example, keep the valves of cylinders # 1 , # 4 , and # 5  constantly closed in the adjacent active area of sector N, while the valves of cylinders # 2 , # 3 , and # 6  still execute a stroke. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           1  Camshaft 
           2  Cam 
           3  Roller 
           4  Connecting link 
           5  Radial cam 
           5   a  Rest area 
           5   b  Lift area 
           6  Bolt 
           7  Axis 
           8  Adjustment curve 
           9  Axis 
           10  Roller 
           11  Driven element 
           12  Link 
           13  Valve 
           14  Arrow 
           14   a  Direction arrow 
           15  Displacement unit 
           16  Link 
           17  Adjusting shaft 
           18  Cam disk 
           18   a  Tappet 
           19  Intake valve 
           20  Exhaust valve 
           21  Sliding block 
           22  Articulated shaft 
           23  Adjusting motor 
           31  Play compensation element 
           34  Slide, displacement unit 
           35  Adjustment curve 
           36  Threaded spindle 
           37  Toothed rack 
           38   a  Arrow 
           38   b  Arrow 
           38   c  Amount 
           38   d  Arrow 
           40  Gas pedal 
           42  Rotational angle sensor 
           43  Rotational angle sensor 
           44  Engine management system, control unit 
           45  Adjusting shaft 
           46  Cam disk 
           47  Cam disk 
           48  Center of rotation 
         # 1  Cylinder 
         # 2  Cylinder 
         # 3  Cylinder 
         # 4  Cylinder 
         # 5  Cylinder 
         # 6  Cylinder 
         R Sector 
         N Sector 
       
    
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Key for Figures 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Batterie 
                 Battery 
               
               
                 Drehwinkelsensor 
                 Rotational angle sensor 
               
               
                 Fahrpedal 
                 Gas pedal 
               
               
                 Figur 
                 Figure 
               
               
                 Kurbelwelle 
                 Crankshaft 
               
               
                 Motormanagement 
                 Engine management system 
               
               
                 Nockenwelle 
                 Camshaft 
               
               
                 Schwungrad mit Drehwinkelsensor 
                 Flywheel with rotational angle sensor 
               
               
                 Verstellmotoren 
                 Adjusting motors