Patent ID: 8550047

Claim:
A valve control apparatus for an internal combustion engine for controlling opening and closing operations of an engine valve, the valve control apparatus comprising: a central rocker arm pivotally supported on a rocker shaft, pivoting movement of said central rocker arm imparting linear movement to the engine valve for opening and closing the engine valve; a first adjacent rocker arm pivotally supported on said rocker shaft on a first side of said central rocker arm; a second adjacent rocker arm pivotally supported on said rocker shaft on a second, opposite side of said central rocker arm; a plurality of cams rotatably driven in synchronism with rotation of the engine, said plurality of cams including: a first cam arranged to pivotally move said first adjacent rocker arm about said rocker shaft according to a first cam profile of said first cam, and a second cam arranged to pivotally move said second adjacent rocker arm about said rocker shaft according to a second cam profile of said second cam; a dual synchronizing pin for selectively synchronizing pivoting movement of said central rocker arm to at least one of said first adjacent rocker arm and said second adjacent rocker arm, said dual synchronizing pin having a first state wherein pivotal movement of said first adjacent rocker arm, which corresponds to said first cam, is transferred to said central rocker arm, a second state wherein pivotal movement of said second adjacent rocker arm, which corresponds to said second cam, is transferred to said central rocker arm, and a third state wherein no pivotal movement is transferred from either said first adjacent rocker arm or said second adjacent rocker arm; and a first auxiliary pin operably associated with said first rocker arm and a second auxiliary pin operably associated with said second rocker arm, said dual synchronizing pin being disposed between and axially aligned with said first and second auxiliary pins.