Hydraulically actuated valve deactivating roller follower

A valve deactivator assembly for an internal combustion engine of the type having valve means for controlling the flow to and from a combustion chamber, drive means for providing cyclical motion for opening and closing said valve means in timed relationship to the events in said combustion chamber and valve gear means operative in response to said cyclical motion to effect cyclical opening and closing of said valve means;

• said valve deactivator assembly comprising part of said valve gear means, and being disposed in series relationship between said drive means and said valve means;
• said valve deactivator assembly being characterized by:
• (a) an outer body member defining a longitudinal axis, and disposed for engagement with said drive means and for said cyclical motion therewith;
• (b) an inner body member disposed within said outer body member and reciprocable relative thereto, said inner body member including means operable to transmit said cyclical motion to the remainder of said valve gear means when said outer and inner body members are in a latched condition, said outer body member being generally cylindrical and hollow, and said inner body member being generally cylindrical and hollow, said outer and said inner body members defining therebetween a generally annular chamber;
• (c) a latch assembly wholly disposed within said inner body member when said outer and inner body members are in an unlatched condition, said latch assembly including a radially moveable latch member and means biasing said latch member toward said latched condition;
• and
• (d) a source of pressurized fluid operably associated with said latch assembly and operable to bias said latch member toward said unlatched condition said outer body member defining a first fluid port adapted for communication with said source of pressurized fluid, said first fluid port being in relatively unrestricted fluid communication with said generally annular chamber.