Patent ID: 7311072

Claim:
A control unit for operating at least one valve, in particular a gas exchange valve ( 6 ) of an internal combustion engine in which the valve lifting movement of the at least one valve ( 6 ) is variable by superimposing at least two synchronously rotating cam profiles which act on a lift operating element ( 4 ), namely generating a first cam profile ( 1 ) and a second cam profile ( 2 ), and being variable by phase shift between these two cam profiles ( 1 , 2 ), both cam profiles ( 1 , 2 ) have specially shaped areas which, when superimposed, generate at least one additional valve displacement (additional valve displacement curve ZV) are complementary to one of the two cam profiles ( 1 , 2 ) over a full revolution of each of these cam profiles ( 1 , 2 ), whereby at least this at least one additional valve displacement curve (ZV) is variable in shape and assignment to the main valve displacement curve (HV) by phase shift between the two cam profiles ( 1 , 2 ).