Electromechanical valve actuator beginning of stroke damper
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark Hopper, Shawn Swales
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electromechanical valve actuator having a beginning of stroke damper to damp the impact between the armature stem and the valve stem as the valve is opened. The beginning of stroke damper includes an armature stem defining a stem passage and a valve stem including a lash compensator defining a cavity communicating with the stem passage. An oil pocket may be provided within the cavity to absorb the impact of the armature stem before the armature stem contacts the valve stem as the valve is opened. The lash compensator is configured so that the cavity has a discharge rate sufficient to ensure that the cavity completely drains at approximately the time the engine valve reaches the full open position.
Claims27
A beginning of stroke damper for an electromechanical valve actuator comprising:
- an armature stem;
- a valve stem;
- a stem passage defined by one of said armature stem and said valve stem;
- and
- a lash compensator defining a cavity, said cavity communicating with said stem passage.
An electromechanical valve actuator comprising:
- an armature stem defining a stem passage;
- a valve having a valve stem aligned with said armature stem;
- and
- an annular sleeve coupled to one of said armature stem and said valve stem, said annular sleeve and said one stem defining a cavity.
An electromechanical valve actuator comprising:
- a valve having a valve stem including a stem passage and a valve stem opening communicating with said stem passage;
- an armature stem aligned with said valve stem, said armature stem and said valve stem defining a lash gap when said valve is in a closed position.
A method of damping the impact between a valve stem on a valve and an armature stem on an electromechanical valve actuator including the steps of:
- providing a fluid filled cavity between said armature stem and said valve stem;
- and
- reducing the size of said cavity by displacing fluid from said cavity before impacting said valve stem with said armature stem.
A beginning of stroke damper for a lever electromechanical actuator comprising:
- a valve stem having a valve stem opening, a valve exit and a stem passage therebetween;
- a spring assembly having an armature spring retainer and a valve spring retainer coupled to said valve stem;
- a lash compensator coupled to one of said armature spring retainer and said valve spring retainer, said lash compensator and the other of said armature spring retainer and said valve spring retainer defining a cavity therebetween, said cavity in fluid communication with said valve stem passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.