Patent ID: 8544429

Claim:
A valve control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a variable mechanism configured to vary operating states of two intake valves by varying a swing range of a single swing cam, the single swing cam being swingably supported by a shaft, the two intake valves being provided on one cylinder; a primary swing arm configured to: i) receive a swinging force from the single swing cam by coming into contact with the single swing cam, and ii) open and close one of the two intake valves, within a contact range between the single swing cam and the primary swing arm relative to an axial direction of the shaft; a secondary swing arm configured to open and close another of the two intake valves by a swing motion of the secondary swing arm; and a connection changeover mechanism configured to connect the primary swing arm with the secondary swing arm or disconnect the primary swing arm from the secondary swing arm in accordance with an operating state of the internal combustion engine, wherein the connection changeover mechanism is configured to disconnect the primary swing arm from the secondary swing arm to maintain the another of the two intake valves in a non-lifted state, substantially when the variable mechanism controls a swing amount of the primary swing arm within a range below a predetermined amount, the connection changeover mechanism is configured to connect the primary swing arm with the secondary swing arm to open and close both of the two intake valves together, substantially when the variable mechanism controls the swing amount of the primary swing arm within a range greater than or equal to the predetermined amount, and the secondary swing arm includes a stopper portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the secondary swing arm, the stopper portion: i) facing the shaft, ii) being in noncontact with the shaft, while the secondary swing arm is in a position where the another of the two intake valves is in the non-lifted state, and iii) being configured to come into contact with the shaft to prevent the secondary swing arm from swinging toward the shaft beyond a predetermined location, substantially when the secondary swing arm further swings toward the shaft as the another of the two intake valves is in the non-lifted state.