Patent ID: 6837197

Claim:
A valve control system for an internal combustion engine including a cylinder head, and a poppet valve moveable relative to said cylinder head between open and closed positions; a camshaft having a first cam profile and a second cam profile formed thereon; said valve control system comprising a rocker arm assembly including a first cam follower engageable with said first cam profile and a second cam follower engageable with said second cam profile; said rocker arm assembly defining a valve pad in engagement with a stem tip portion of said poppet valve, and disposed toward a first axial end of said rocker arm assembly, and further defining a first fulcrum surface toward a second axial end of said rocker arm assembly, said first and second axial ends being oppositely disposed about said first and second cam followers; a first lash compensation device operably associated with said cylinder head and including a first plunger in engagement with said first fulcrum surface of said rocker arm assembly; characterized by: (a) said rocker arm assembly defining a second fulcrum surface disposed axially between said first fulcrum surface and said cam followers; (b) a second lash compensation device operably associated with said cylinder head and including a second plunger in engagement with said second fulcrum surface of said rocker arm assembly; (c) each of said first and second lash compensation devices being selectively switchable between a latched condition and an unlatched condition, whereby, when said first lash compensation device is in said latched condition, rotation of said camshaft and engagement of said first cam profile with said first cam follower imparts a first, low valve lift to said poppet valve; and (d) when both of said first and second lash compensation devices are in said unlatched condition, rotation of said camshaft, and engagement of at least one of said cam profiles with the respective one of said cam followers, imparts no valve lift to said poppet valve.