US 5,645,019 A · Electromechanically actuated valve with soft landing and consistent seating force

Abstract

An electromechanically actuated valve (12) for use as an intake or exhaust valve in an internal combustion engine. The valve (12) is actuated by a electromechanical actuator assembly (18) which includes a first electromagnet (22) and a second electromagnet (30). A disk (38) is slidably mounted to the valve (12) in a gap between the first and second electromagnets, with a pair of stops (36, 40) limiting its travel along the valve stem (15). The gap between the stops (36, 40) is large enough to allow for manufacturing tolerances and temperature changes in the assembly, with a secondary spring (56) and spring stop (54) acting to create soft landings, reducing noise and wear concerns. A first spring (48), mounted between the cylinder head (14) and disk (38), and a second spring (50), mounted between the disk (38) and an actuator housing (20), create an oscillatory system which drives most of the valve movement during engine operation, thus reducing power requirements to actuate the valves while increasing the responsiveness of the valves.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An engine valve assembly for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head, the engine valve assembly comprising:

an engine valve having a head portion and a stem portion, adapted to be slidably mounted within the cylinder head;
an actuator housing adapted to be mounted to the cylinder head and surrounding a portion of the valve stem;
a first electromagnet, fixedly mounted relative to the actuator housing and encircling a portion of the valve stem;
a second electromagnet, fixedly mounted relative to the actuator housing and encircling a portion of the valve stem farther from the head of the engine valve than the first electromagnet and spaced from the first electromagnet;
a disk slidably mounted to the engine valve stem and located between the first and second electromagnet;
first biasing means for biasing the disk toward the second electromagnet;
second biasing means for biasing the disk toward the first electromagnet;
stop means for limiting the sliding of the disk along the valve stem toward the engine valve head to a predetermined location on the valve stem;
and
secondary biasing means for biasing the disk toward the stop means.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electromechanically actuated valve with soft landing and consistent seating force

Life of this patent

Electromechanically actuated valve with soft landing and consistent seating force

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18