System facilitating cylinder deactivation and 1.5-stroke engine braking operation in an internal combustion engine

A system for controlling valve motion to facilitate cylinder deactivation operation and 1.5-stroke engine braking operation in an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, each of the at least one cylinder comprising at least one intake valve and corresponding hydraulically-controlled intake deactivator, at least one exhaust valve and corresponding hydraulically-controlled exhaust deactivator and a hydraulically-controlled engine braking actuator, the system comprising:

• a cylinder deactivation controller operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the intake deactivators and the exhaust deactivators for the at least one cylinder;
• an engine braking controller operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the engine braking actuators for the at least one cylinder;
• and
• a braking-dependent deactivator controller disposed between and in fluid communication with the cylinder deactivation controller and the intake deactivators, and in fluid communication with the engine braking controller via a control input of the braking-dependent deactivator controller,
• wherein the braking-dependent deactivator controller, according to hydraulic fluid selectively applied to the control input by the engine braking controller, is configured in a first state to permit hydraulic fluid flow in hydraulic fluid control passages for the intake deactivators when in a non-1.5-stroke engine braking mode, and further configured in a second state to vent the hydraulic fluid control passages for the intake deactivators when in a 1.5-stroke engine braking mode,
• wherein the braking-dependent deactivator controller comprises a spool valve configured to operate in a first position in which fluid communication is provided between the cylinder deactivation controller and the intake deactivators, and further configured to operate in a second position in which the intake deactivators are in fluid communication with a vent passage,
• wherein the vent passage comprises a central bore formed in the spool valve.

A system for controlling valve motion to facilitate cylinder deactivation operation and 1.5-stroke engine braking operation in an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder, each of the at least one cylinder comprising at least one intake valve and corresponding hydraulically-controlled intake deactivator, at least one exhaust valve and corresponding hydraulically-controlled exhaust deactivator and a hydraulically-controlled engine braking actuator, the system comprising:

• a cylinder deactivation controller operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the intake deactivators and the exhaust deactivators for the at least one cylinder;
• an engine braking controller operatively connected to and in fluid communication with the engine braking actuators for the at least one cylinder;
• and
• a braking-dependent deactivator controller disposed between and in fluid communication with the cylinder deactivation controller and the intake deactivators, and in fluid communication with the engine braking controller via a control input of the braking-dependent deactivator controller,
• wherein the braking-dependent deactivator controller, according to hydraulic fluid selectively applied to the control input by the engine braking controller, is configured in a first state to permit hydraulic fluid flow in hydraulic fluid control passages for the intake deactivators when in a non-1.5-stroke engine braking mode, and further configured in a second state to vent the hydraulic fluid control passages for the intake deactivators when in a 1.5-stroke engine braking mode,
• wherein the braking-dependent deactivator controller comprises a spool valve configured to operate in a first position in which fluid communication is provided between the cylinder deactivation controller and the intake deactivators, and further configured to operate in a second position in which the intake deactivators are in fluid communication with a vent passage,
• wherein the spool valve comprises a spool slidably disposed in a spool valve bore, the spool valve bore in fluid communication with the cylinder deactivator controller via a first hydraulic passage and in fluid communication with the intake deactivators via a second hydraulic passage having an offset alignment with the first hydraulic passage, the spool valve bore further in fluid communication with the vent passage,
• wherein the spool, when operated in first position, provides fluid communication between the first and second hydraulic passages while occluding the vent passage and, when operated in the second position, provides fluid communication between the second hydraulic passage and the vent passage while occluding the first hydraulic passage.