Variable valve operating system of internal combustion engine

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of one of engine valves including intake and exhaust valves depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the one engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detecting means for detecting current actuated positions of the first and second variable mechanisms;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of one of the first and second variable mechanisms, detected by the position detecting means, for controlling movement of the other variable mechanism within a predetermined range that avoids interference between the engine valve and a piston and interference between the intake and exhaust valves when the one variable mechanism fails.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating conditions;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting current actuated positions of the first and second variable mechanisms;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of one of the first and second variable mechanisms, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the other variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the one variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, and an oscillating cam being oscillatingly supported on a pivot and acting to open and close the engine valve by way of oscillating motion thereof, and a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the drive cam and rotatably linked at the other end to the oscillating cam, and a center of the oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting current actuated positions of the first and second variable mechanisms;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of one of the first and second variable mechanisms, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the other variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the one variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, a link arm rotatably at one end linked to an outer periphery of the drive cam, a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the other end of the link arm, and a center of oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam, an oscillating cam acting to open and close the engine valve, a link member mechanically and rotatably linking the oscillating cam to the other end of the rocker arm and limiting a maximum range of oscillating motion of the oscillating cam within range of the oscillating motion of the rocker arm, and an electric actuator controlling a rotational position of the control cam by rotating the control cam by means of a control shaft responsively to the engine operating condition.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting a current actuated position of the second variable mechanism;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of the second variable mechanism, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the first variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the second variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, and an oscillating cam being oscillatingly supported on a pivot and acting to open and close the engine valve by way of oscillating motion thereof, and a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the drive cam and rotatably linked at the other end to the oscillating cam, and a center of the oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting a current actuated position of the first variable mechanism;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of the first variable mechanism, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the second variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the first variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, and an oscillating cam being oscillatingly supported on a pivot and acting to open and close the engine valve by way of oscillating motion thereof, and a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the drive cam and rotatably linked at the other end to the oscillating cam, and a center of the oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting a current actuated position of the second variable mechanism;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of the second variable mechanism, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the first variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the second variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, a link arm rotatably linked at one end to an outer periphery of the drive cam, a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the other end of the link arm, and a center of oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam, an oscillating cam acting to open and close the engine valve, a link member mechanically and rotatably linking the oscillating cam to the other end of the rocker arm and limiting a maximum range of the oscillating motion of the oscillating cam within range of oscillating motion of the rocker arm, and an electric actuator controlling a rotational position of the control cam by rotating the control cam by means of a control shaft responsively to the engine operating condition.

A variable valve operating system of an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a first variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least a lift characteristic of an engine valve depending on an engine operating condition;
• a second variable mechanism capable of variably controlling at least one of a valve-open and valve-close timing characteristic of the engine valve depending on the engine operating condition;
• a position detection means for detecting a current actuated position of the first variable mechanism;
• and
• a control means being responsive to a failure position of the first variable mechanism, detected by the position detection means, for controlling movement of the second variable mechanism within a predetermined range when the first variable mechanism fails,
• wherein the first variable mechanism comprises a drive shaft having a drive cam formed on an outer periphery thereof, a link arm rotatably linked at one end to an outer periphery of the drive cam, a rocker arm rotatably linked at one end to the other end of the link arm, and a center of oscillating motion of the rocker arm being variably controlled by means of a control cam, an oscillating cam acting to open and close the engine valve, a link member mechanically and rotatably linking the oscillating cam to the other end of the rocker arm and limiting a maximum range of oscillating motion of the oscillating cam within range of the oscillating motion of the rocker arm, and an electric actuator controlling a rotational position of the control cam by rotating the control cam by means of a control shaft responsively to the engine operating condition.