# US 12,049,835 B2 · Lash adjuster with hydraulic lash assembly and mechanical lash assembly

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- Number: US 12,049,835 B2
- Document ID: US12049835B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/998,405
- Filed: 2021-05-13
- Published: 2023-06-08
- Granted: 2024-07-30
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-14
- Assignees: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
- Applicants: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
- Inventors: Marco Aimo Boot; Matteo Raffaele Costantini; Luigi Lia; Piero Parmeggiani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12049835B2

## CPC

- F01L 1/20: Adjusting or compensating clearance
- F01L 1/205: {by means of shims or the like}
- F01L 1/22: automatically, e.g. mechanically
- F01L 1/2405: {by means of a hydraulic adjusting device located between the cylinder head and rocker arm}
- F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES

## Abstract

A lash adjuster can include a hydraulic lash assembly, a mechanical lash assembly, and a check assembly. The hydraulic lash assembly can include a body, a top plunger, a leak down plunger, and the check assembly between the body and the leak down plunger. The mechanical lash assembly can be between the top plunger and the leak down plunger. The mechanical lash assembly can include a shim abutting the top plunger, a spacer, and a spring pressing against the spacer and the shim to form a gap between the top plunger and the leak down plunger. The lash adjuster can include the spring pressing directly against the spacer and directly or indirectly against the shim.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lash adjuster, comprising:
a hydraulic lash assembly, comprising:
a body;
a top plunger disposed within the body;
a leak down plunger disposed within the body, the leak down plunger being a separate component from the top plunger; and
a check assembly arranged between the body and the leak down plunger; and
a mechanical lash assembly arranged between the top plunger and the leak down plunger, the mechanical lash assembly comprising:
a shim abutting the top plunger;
a spacer disposed within the leak down plunger, the spacer being a separate component from the shim and the leak down plunger; and
a spring biased between the spacer and the shim so as to form a gap between the top plunger and the leak down plunger.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, wherein the spring presses directly against the spacer and directly against the shim.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The lash adjuster of claim 2, wherein the spacer comprises a funnel seated in the leak down plunger.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The lash adjuster of claim 2, wherein the spring is a cup spring configured to flex against the shim.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The lash adjuster of claim 4, further comprising a retaining clip pressed against the leak down plunger, the retaining clip configured to retain the cup spring against the spacer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, wherein the leak down plunger comprises a shouldered bore including a shoulder defining a check assembly seat on a first side of the shoulder and a smooth bore on a second side of the shoulder, and wherein the spacer is seated in the smooth bore.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, wherein the spring presses directly against the spacer and indirectly against the shim.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The lash adjuster of claim 7, wherein the spacer comprises a base pressed against the spring and an extension pressed against the shim.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The lash adjuster of claim 7, wherein the leak down plunger comprises a shouldered bore including a shoulder defining a check assembly seat on a first side of the shoulder and a spring seat in a grooved bore on a second side of the shoulder.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The lash adjuster of claim 9, further comprising a clip arranged in a groove of the grooved bore, wherein the spring biases the spacer against the clip and against the shim.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The lash adjuster of claim 10, wherein the clip is configured to reciprocate in the groove.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The lash adjuster of claim 10, wherein the shim is configured to reciprocate in the leak down plunger, and wherein the clip forms a travel stop for the shim.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, wherein the shim is configured to reciprocate in the leak down plunger.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, wherein the top plunger comprises a travel limit for the shim.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The lash adjuster of claim 1, further comprising a through passage from the top plunger, through the mechanical lash assembly, and to the check assembly.