Patent ID: 6901893

Claim:
A valve deactivator assembly for selectively coupling the reciprocal motion of a cam follower to a valve in an internal combustion engine, comprising: an outer body member defining a longitudinal bore, a groove formed in an inner wall of said longitudinal bore and a transverse bore intersecting said longitudinal bore; an inner body member arranged for axial movement in said longitudinal bore between an extended position and a collapsed position relative to said outer body member; a piston disposed in said transverse bore for radial movement in response to fluid pressure, said piston having an inner end and an outer end exposed to said fluid pressure; a latch support arranged in said longitudinal bore, said latch support being axially moveable and biased toward said inner body member; a latch member disposed in said longitudinal bore intermediate said latch support and said inner body member and having an actuated surface and a shoulder configured to engage said groove; wherein said piston moves radially inwardly in response to fluid pressure of a pre-determined magnitude at said outer end, said piston inner end bearing on said latch member actuated surface to move said latch member from a latched position in which said shoulder is engaged with said groove to an unlatched position in which said shoulder is radially inward of and disengaged from said groove, said latch member in said latched position rigidly supporting said inner body member in said extended position and said latch member in said unlatched position allowing said inner body member, latch member and latch support to move axially into said longitudinal bore past said circumferential groove into said collapsed position.