Patent ID: 8365690

Claim:
A hydraulically operated valve control system for an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder provided with two valves driven with oil coming from a source of oil under pressure, each valve being controlled by a hydraulic actuator fed with oil under pressure through a respective feeding line, the control system comprising a hydraulic flow divider comprising a hydraulically actuated hydraulic valve adapted to distribute the flow of oil coming either from the source or from the feeding lines between the two feeding lines, depending on the ratio of oil flow-rates in the two feeding lines, the hydraulic valve comprising a valve member that is movable in a hydraulic valve body, the hydraulic valve body defining a bore where the valve member is slidably movable and which forms internal volumes where oil under pressure acts on the valve member in order to move it along a longitudinal axis of the bore, the valve member being movable depending on pressure drops created across two throttles, each throttle of the two throttles being disposed in a respective connecting line between the source and one of the feeding lines, each of the internal volumes being fluidically connected to the connecting lines either upstream or downstream of the throttles, the hydraulic valve body defining four internal volumes, two internal volumes being fluidically connected to a first connecting line in fluid connection with a first valve, respectively upstream and downstream of a first throttle located in the first connecting line, whereas the other two internal volumes are fluidically connected to a second connecting line in fluid connection with a second valve, respectively upstream and downstream of a second throttle located in the second connecting line.