# US 11,306,624 B2 · Valve actuation system for engine and valve lifter and rocker arm for same

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- Number: US 11,306,624 B2
- Document ID: US11306624B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/930,886
- Filed: 2020-07-16
- Published: 2022-01-20
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-16
- Assignees: Caterpillar Inc.
- Applicants: Caterpillar Inc.
- Inventors: John Stephen Pipis, Jr.; Selvaganpathi Ganesan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306624B2

## CPC

- F01L 1/146: {Push-rods}
- F01L 1/08: Shape of cams
- F01L 1/181: {Centre pivot rocking arms}
- F01L 1/20: Adjusting or compensating clearance
- F01L 1/26: characterised by the provision of two or more valves operated simultaneously by same transmitting-gear; peculiar to machines or engines with more than two lift-valves per cylinder (with coaxial valves F01L1/28)
- F01L 1/46: Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in preceding subgroups
- F01M 9/10: Lubrication of valve gear or auxiliaries
- F02M 59/027: {Unit-pumps, i.e. single piston and cylinder pump-units, e.g. for cooperating with a camshaft}
- F02M 59/102: {Mechanical drive, e.g. tappets or cams (F02M45/063 takes precedence)}
- F01L 2305/02: Mounting of rollers
- F01L 2820/01: Absolute values
- F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES
- F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF

## Abstract

A valve actuation system for an engine includes a rotatable camshaft, an injector actuation linkage, and a valve actuation linkage. The valve actuation linkage includes a valve lifter, a valve pushrod, and a rocker arm. At least one of a rocker arm center plane defined by the valve rocker arm or a lifter roller center plane defined by the valve lifter is spaced an offset distance from a pushrod axis, providing an increased contact width between an injector roller in the injector actuation linkage and one of a plurality of cam lobes of the camshaft. The valve lifter includes a fork defining a center plane spaced an offset distance from a center axis of the valve lifter. A rocker arm includes a screw bore offset relative to a rocker arm center plane.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A valve actuation system for an engine comprising:
a camshaft including a plurality of cam lobes and being rotatable about a camshaft axis;
an injector actuation linkage including an injector lifter having an injector roller in contact with a first one of the plurality of cam lobes;
a valve actuation linkage including a valve lifter defining a reciprocation axis, a pushrod seat centered on the reciprocation axis, and a lifter roller in contact with a second one of the plurality of cam lobes adjacent to the first one of the plurality of cam lobes;
the valve actuation linkage further including a valve rocker arm structured to couple with an engine valve, and a valve pushrod coupled between the valve lifter and the valve rocker arm and in contact with the pushrod seat;
the valve rocker arm defining a pivot axis and a rocker arm center plane extending through a center point of the pivot axis;
the lifter roller defining a rotation axis and a lifter roller center plane extending through a center point of the rotation axis;
the valve pushrod defining a pushrod axis extending through the valve pushrod, the valve lifter, and the valve rocker arm; and
at least one of the rocker arm center plane or the lifter roller center plane is spaced an offset distance from the pushrod axis, within the respective rocker arm or valve lifter, in a direction parallel to the camshaft axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein:
the at least one of the rocker arm center plane or the lifter roller center plane is spaced the offset distance in an inboard direction or an outboard direction, respectively; and
the injector roller defines a roller width, and the roller width exceeds the offset distance by a factor greater than ten.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 further comprising a second valve actuation linkage that is a mirror image of the first valve actuation linkage and positioned opposite to the first valve actuation linkage relative to the injector actuation linkage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the rocker arm center plane is spaced the offset distance from the pushrod axis in an inboard direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4 wherein:
the valve lifter rocker arm includes a rod end, a valve end, an inboard lateral side and an outboard lateral side extending between the rod end and the valve end, and a pivot pin bore defining the pivot axis;
the valve lifter rocker arm further includes a screw bore formed in the rod end, and an adjustment screw within the screw bore and coupled with the pushrod; and
the screw bore is offset relative to the rocker arm center plane, such that the adjustment screw is supported in the valve lifter rocker arm closer to the outboard lateral side than to the inboard lateral side.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the lifter roller center plane is spaced the offset distance from the pushrod axis in an outboard direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6 wherein:
the valve lifter includes a fork having an inboard leg and an outboard leg, a pin received in the inboard leg and the outboard leg and supporting the lifter roller for rotation, and an oil passage extending through the outboard leg; and
the valve lifter further includes an end section having a pushrod bore formed therein, and a middle section including a step having an inlet to the oil passage formed therein.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the valve lifter further includes an inboard side surface that is planar and formed in part upon each of the middle section and the inboard leg, and an outboard side surface that is planar and formed on the outboard leg and stepped-out relative to the middle section.

### Claim 9

A valve lifter for a valve actuation system in an engine comprising:
an elongate lifter body defining a longitudinal center axis and including an end section having a longitudinally extending pushrod bore formed therein, a pushrod seat centered on the longitudinal center axis within the longitudinally extending pushrod bore, a fork having an inboard leg and an outboard leg, and a middle section transitioning between the end section and the fork;
the inboard leg is spaced from the outboard leg to form a roller pocket, and the inboard leg and the outboard leg forming coaxial pin bores structured to receive a roller pin for supporting a roller in the roller pocket; and
a center plane is defined between the inboard leg and the outboard leg and is spaced an offset distance from the longitudinal center axis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The valve lifter of claim 9 wherein the middle section includes a necked-down section adjacent to the end section, and a transition section adjacent to the fork.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The valve lifter of claim 10 wherein the end section and the transition section define a common cylinder centered on the longitudinally extending center axis, and the outboard leg is located at least partially outside of the common cylinder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The valve lifter of claim 11 wherein an oil passage extends through the valve lifter body from the middle section to the fork.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The valve lifter of claim 12 wherein the valve lifter body further includes a step formed between the necked-down section and the transition section, and the oil passage extends from an inlet port formed in the step to an outlet port.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The valve lifter of claim 13 wherein the outlet port is formed in the outboard leg.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The valve lifter of claim 9 wherein:
the elongate lifter body further includes an inboard side surface that is planar and stepped-in relative to the middle section, and an outboard side surface that is stepped-out relative to the middle section; and
the coaxial pin bores include a first pin bore formed in the inboard leg and opening in the inboard side surface and a second pin bore formed in the outboard leg and opening in the outboard side surface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The valve lifter of claim 15 further comprising a roller pin supported in the fork and a roller positioned upon the roller pin and defining a roller axis of rotation having a center point located in the center plane.

### Claim 17

A rocker arm for a valve actuation system in an engine comprising:
a rocker arm body including a rod end, a valve end, a center section, and each of a first lateral side and a second lateral side extending between the rod end and the valve end;
the rocker arm body further having a pivot pin bore formed in the center section and extending horizontally through the rocker arm body between the first lateral side and the second lateral side and defining a pivot axis;
a rocker arm center plane extends through a center point of the pivot axis and is located equidistant between the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
the valve end further having a first bore formed therein and located symmetrically between the first lateral side and the second lateral side, such that the first bore is bisected by the rocker arm center plane; and
the rod end further having a second bore formed therein and located asymmetrically between the first lateral side and the second lateral side, such that the second bore is offset relative to the rocker arm center plane and located relative closer to the first lateral side than to the second lateral side.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The rocker arm of claim 17 wherein the second bore includes an internally threaded screw bore.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The rocker arm of claim 17 wherein the second bore is intersected by the rocker arm center plane, and defines a center axis that is spaced an offset distance from the rocker arm center plane.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The rocker arm of claim 19 wherein the offset distance is between 2.5 millimeters and 3.5 millimeters.