Patent ID: 7434553

Claim:
A variable valve mechanism for an engine comprising: a maximum valve lift amount variable mechanism which includes a rocker shaft fixed to the engine and a control shaft provided in the rocker shaft movably in an axial direction, and changes a maximum valve lift amount of an engine valve through an axial displacement of the control shaft; and a variable valve timing mechanism which includes an advance oil passage that connects a work fluid supply source and an advance pressure chamber, and a retardation oil passage that connects the work fluid supply source and a retardation pressure chamber, and changes a valve timing of the engine valve through an adjustment of an amount of a work fluid supplied to the advance pressure chamber and the retardation pressure chamber, wherein: the control shaft is associated with the advance oil passage such that the advance oil passage is held closed by the control shaft when the control shaft is held on a position at which the maximum valve lift amount of the engine valve is equal to or larger than a reference lift amount; and the advance oil passage is associated with the control shaft such that a control shaft operative range is limited to a range between a minimum value of the maximum valve lift amount and a lift amount just before the reference lift amount when an advance angle of the engine valve is equal to or larger than a reference advance angle.