Patent ID: 6886513

Claim:
In a valve mechanism with a variable valve opening cross section, in which the valve mechanism is disposed at an admission opening of an internal combustion engine and has a gas exchange valve, which is acted on by the force of a valve spring and is displaceable axially back and forth inside a guide by a valve control unit, the improvement comprising a sealing slide ( 10 ) disposed coaxially to the gas exchange valve ( 12 ), wherein the variable opening is created between the gas exchange valve ( 12 ) and the sealing slide, the sealing slide ( 10 ) being displaceable axially back and forth by the valve control unit, including a coupling spring ( 24 ) acting on and applying force to the sealing slide ( 10 ), the valve mechanism including means which, when the sealing slide is being axially displaced by the control unit, can stop the motion of the sealing slide at a selected position, so that, as the gas exchange valve ( 12 ) continues to travel after the sealing slide is stopped, the variable valve opening between the gas exchange valve ( 12 ) and the sealing slide ( 10 ) is created.