Patent ID: 7040266

Claim:
Actuator for an internal combustion engine valve, comprising: a) a valve actuation device, comprising: i) a primary fluidic actuation chamber: defined in part by an actuation piston and characterized by increasing chamber volume as the actuation piston is urged away from a neutral position, and, having a fluid inlet; ii) a secondary fluidic actuation chamber: defined in part by the actuation piston and characterized by decreasing chamber volume as the actuation piston is urged away from the neutral position, and, having a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet; and, iii) the actuation piston operably attached to a plunger; b) a fluidic actuator control chamber: defined in part by a control piston operably connected to the actuation piston, and characterized by increasing chamber volume as the actuation piston is urged away from the neutral position, and, having a control fluid outlet; and, c) a fluidic control valve, having a plurality of flow states, and, having two fluid inlets and a fluid outlet, comprising: i) a first fluidic valve control chamber, fluidly connected to the control fluid outlet of the actuator control chamber and operable to urge the fluidic control valve away from a third flow state when pressurized fluid is introduced thereto; ii) a second fluidic valve control chamber, operably opposed to the first fluidic valve control chamber, fluidly connected to the first fluid outlet of the secondary fluidic actuation chamber, operable to urge the fluid control valve away from a first flow state when pressurized fluid is introduced thereto, and having a spring operably opposed to the first fluidic valve control chamber; iii) the fluid outlet, fluidly connected to the fluid inlet of the primary fluidic actuation chamber; and, iv) an actuator, operable to control the fluidic control valve to one of the plurality of states.