Patent ID: 6955144

Claim:
A valve control apparatus for an internal combustion engine for controlling opening and closing operations of an engine valve, the valve control apparatus comprising: a cam-type valve actuating mechanism that actuates said engine valve to open and close said engine valve, by a cam which is driven in synchronism with rotation of said engine; an actuator that makes blocking engagement with said engine valve having been opened, to thereby hold said engine valve in an open state; a rocker shaft; an actuating rocker arm pivotally supported on said rocker shaft, for being brought into abutment with said engine valve and being driven by said cam to actuate said engine valve to open and close said engine valve; a holding rocker arm pivotally supported on said rocker shaft, for having said actuator brought into abutment therewith, to hold said engine valve in the open state; operating condition-detecting means for detecting operating conditions of said engine; a switching mechanism for switching an operation mode of said actuator between an active mode in which said actuator makes the blocking engagement with said engine valve and an inactive mode in which said actuator does not make the blocking engagement with said engine valve, wherein said switching mechanism switches the operation mode of said actuator between the active mode and the inactive mode, by switching a state of said actuating rocker arm and said holding rocker arm between a connected state in which said actuating rocker arm and said holding rocker arm are connected to each other, and a disconnected state in which said actuating rocker arm and said holding rocker arm are disconnected from each other; operation mode-determining means for determining the operation mode of said actuator according to the detected operating conditions of said engine; and control means for controlling operation of said actuator to thereby control closing timing of said engine valve; wherein said control means controls operation of said actuator according to the detected operating conditions of said engine and controls operation of said switching mechanism according to the determined operation mode.