Variable valve actuating device and method
OwnerWilliam E. Ingallsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable valve actuating device and method are disclosed, the device including a rotatable cam having a selectively configured cam face engagable with a worm drive at an outer engaging surface of the cam, the worm drive being configured for both rotary and axial movement, rotary movement imparting rotational motion to the cam face, and axial movement changing relative valve timing. The device preferably includes a plurality of such rotatable cams engagable with different ones of a plurality of worm drives to thus provide selective variation of valve opening and valve closing times independently of one another, with open-valve duration being variable to occur at any point in an overall operating cycle of the system.
Claims29
A variable valve actuating device comprising:
- a cam having an outer circumferential surface and a selectively configured cam face, said surface having engagable structure defined therearound;
- cam follower means connected with the valve, said cam follower means for contacting said cam face;
- and
- drive means engagable with said engagable structure of said surface of said cam and configured for both axial and rotary movement, said drive means for imparting substantially unidirectional rotational movement to said cam face responsive to rotary movement of said drive means and for selective variation of rate of rotation of said cam face relative to rate of rotary movement of said drive means responsive to axial movement of said drive means, whereby rotational movement of said cam face imparts reciprocal movement to said cam follower means and whereby selective axial movement of said drive means changes the relative time at which reciprocation of said cam follower means occurs.
A valve actuating device providing selective control of valve timing and duration in an operating cycle of a system, said valve actuating device comprising:
- a valve opening cam having a cam face;
- a valve closing cam having a cam face and movably mounted adjacent to said valve opening cam so that said cam faces are maintained adjacent to one another;
- drive means engagable with said cams for driving said opening and closing cams and for selective independent adjustment of the timing of valve opening and of valve closing in the operating cycle of the system;
- and
- cam follower means connected with said valve and contacting said cam faces for opening and closing the valve responsive to the relative position of said cam faces.
A valve actuating device providing selective control of valve event timing and duration in an operating cycle of a system, said valve actuating device comprising:
- first and second rotatable means each having a selectively configured face, said faces being positioned adjacent to one another;
- first and second drive means engagable with different ones of said first and second rotatable means for imparting rotational motion to said rotatable means, said drive means being adapted for rotary movement and each of said drive mean being adapted for selective axial movement independently of one another, said rotary movement imparting substantially unidirectional rotational motion to said rotatable means and said selective axial movement for varying at least one of valve event timing and duration in the operating cycle of the system.
- activating means connected with the valve and contacting said faces for opening and closing the valve at independently selected times in the operating cycle of the system responsive to substantially unidirectional rotation of said first and second rotatable means.
A valve actuating method providing selective control of valve timing and duration in an operating cycle of a system, said valve actuating method comprising:
- opening the valve by rotating a first selectively configured cam face;
- closing the valve by rotating a second selectively configured cam face;
- selectively establishing an opening time for the valve in the operating cycle of the system and independently selectively establishing a closing time for the valve in the operating cycle of the system;
- and
- selectively reestablishing any one of said opening time in the operating cycle, said closing time in the operating cycle, and both said opening time and said closing in the operating cycle by changing a selected one of the position of said first cam face relative to said second cam face, the position of said second cam face relative to said first cam face, and the positions of both of said cam faces relative to a selected time in the operating cycle of the system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.