Patent ID: 6848400

Claim:
In a gas exchange valve device ( 10 ) for an internal combustion engine ( 12 ), in particular of a motor vehicle, having a hydraulic apparatus ( 15 ), which includes a fluid circuit ( 38 , 42 , 46 , 54 ) and at least one pressure reservoir ( 62 , 72 ) connected to the fluid circuit ( 38 , 42 , 46 , 54 ) and containing a piston ( 66 , 76 ) prestressed by device ( 68 , 84 ), and also includes a controllable actuating device ( 16 ), and having a gas exchange valve ( 12 ) whose valve element ( 26 ) is acted on by the actuating device ( 16 ), the improvement wherein the pressure reservoir ( 72 ) is disposed so that in an approximately unpressurized state of the pressure reservoir ( 72 ), its piston ( 76 ) at least indirectly locks the valve element ( 26 ) of the gas exchange valve ( 12 ) in an essentially closed position, and that the pressure reservoir is embodied so that in the event of a decrease of the hydraulic pressure in the fluid circuit, the pressure reservoir can supply a sufficient fluid volume so that the actuating device can move the valve element of the gas exchange valve into an essentially closed position.