US 6,598,578 B2 · Lubricating structure in internal combustion engine

Abstract

In an internal combustion engine including a rocker shaft holder which comprises a plurality of shaft-supporting sections connected together and disposed at distances in a direction of arrangement of cylinders and which is fixed to a cylinder head, and rocker shafts each of which swingably carries thereon a plurality of rocker arms and which are supported by the shaft-supporting sections, an oil sump is defined in an upper surface of the rocker shaft holder, and lubricating oil passages are provided in the rocker shaft holder to communicate with the oil sump, so that a lubricating oil can be supplied to slide portions of at least some of the rocker arms. Thus, an increase in number of parts can be avoided in the lubrication of the slide portions of at least some rocker arms.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A lubricating structure in an internal combustion engine, comprising a rocker shaft holder which comprises a plurality of shaft-supporting sections connected together and disposed at distances in a direction of arrangement of cylinders and which is fixed to a cylinder head;

and rocker shafts each of which swingably carries thereon a plurality of rocker arms and which are supported by said shaft-supporting sections,
wherein said rocker shaft holder has an oil sump defined on its upper surface, and has lubricating oil passages communicating with said oil sump so that a lubricating oil can be supplied to slide portions of at least some of said rocker arms, and wherein said oil sump is open at its upper surface to the outside.

A lubricating structure in an internal combustion engine comprising rocker shafts each of which swingably carries thereon a plurality of rocker arms and which are supported on a rocker shaft holder fixed to a cylinder head, valve-operating characteristic changing mechanisms provided in said rocker arms and capable of changing the operating characteristic for engine valves by changing the hydraulic pressure, and a hydraulic pressure control valve unit mounted to the cylinder head for controlling the pressure of a working oil supplied to working oil passages defined in said rocker shafts to lead to said valve-operating characteristic changing mechanisms,

wherein said rocker shaft holder has an oil sump defined in its upper surface to enable a drain oil from said hydraulic pressure control valve unit to flow so that a lubricating oil can be supplied to slide portions of at least some of said rocker arms, and wherein said oil sump is open at its upper surface to the outside.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Lubricating structure in internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Lubricating structure in internal combustion engine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14