Patent ID: 7213551

Claim:
A variable valve operating device for mechanically changing the operating characteristic of a valve in relation to the rotation of a camshaft, the variable valve operating device comprising: a drive cam that is installed over the camshaft; a control shaft that is positioned in parallel with the camshaft and capable of changing the rotation position continuously or stepwise; a swing member that is installed over the control shaft and allowed to swing around the control shaft; a swing cam surface that is formed on the swing member, comes into contact with a valve support member, which supports the valve, and presses the valve in a lifting direction; a slide surface that is formed on the swing member so as to face the drive cam; an intermediate member that is positioned between the drive cam and the swing member and comes into contact with both the slide surface and a cam surface of the drive cam; a control member that is installed over the camshaft and allowed to rotate; a support member that is mounted on the control member to support the intermediate member so that the intermediate member can be moved along a predetermined path in relation to the control member; and a rotation interlock mechanism for interlocking the rotation of the control member around the camshaft with the rotation of the control shaft.