Patent ID: RE44864

Claim:
A switching element for a valve train of an internal combustion engine for switching to different valve lifts, said switching element comprising an outer element having an inner element arranged for axial displacement therein, each of the outer element and the inner element comprising a reception aligned to each other in a relative position, at least one piston being arranged in at least one of the receptions for sliding toward the other of the receptions to couple the inner element to the outer element in said relative position, and a high-position stop for defining said relative position being arranged between the inner element and the outer element, wherein at least one part of the high-position stop is configured as an adjustable, separate piston element , the adjustable, separate element is a piston-like element, a first section of whose outer periphery is fixed in a recess of one of the inner element and the outer element, and a second section of whose outer periphery engages a guide that is made as a slot in the other of the inner element and the outer element and has a length that is at least equal to a relative motion between the inner element and the outer element, one end of the guide forms a further part of the high-position stop, and at least that end of the piston-like element that is situated opposite said one end of the guide comprises a chamfer that bears against a complementary chamfer of the said one end of the guide in the relative position, said piston-like element being axially displaceable in the relative position for establishing an alignment of the receptions of the inner and the outer element having a configuration for entry into a recess of one of the inner element and the outer element, opposite the receptions, to position the at least one piston so that mechanical lash of a predetermined value is provided between the at least one piston and at least one of the receptions .