US 6,668,776 B2Granted

Deactivation roller hydraulic valve lifter

AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.

InventorsNick J. Hendriksma, Mark J. Spath

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Abstract

A deactivation hydraulic valve lifter includes an elongate lifter body having a substantially cylindrical inner wall. The inner wall defines at least one annular pin chamber therein. The lifter body has a first end configured for engaging a cam of an engine. An elongate pin housing includes a substantially cylindrical pin housing wall and pin housing bottom. The pin housing wall includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The pin housing bottom defines a radially directed pin bore therethrough. The pin housing is concentrically disposed within the inner wall of the lifter body such that the outer surface of the pin housing wall is adjacent to at least a portion of the inner wall of the lifter body. A deactivation pin assembly is disposed within the pin bore and includes two pin members. The pin members are biased radially outward relative to each other. A portion of each pin member is disposed within the annular pin chamber to thereby couple the lifter body to the pin housing. The pin members are configured for moving toward each other when the pin chamber is pressurized, thereby retracting the pin members from within the annular pin chamber and decoupling the lifter body from the pin housing.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A deactivation hydraulic valve lifter, comprising:

an elongate lifter body having a substantially cylindrical wall, including an inner wall surface, said wall defining at least one annular pin chamber therein, said lifter body having a first end configured for engaging a cam of an engine;
an elongate pin housing including a pin housing wall and pin housing body portion, said pin housing wall having an outer surface, said pin housing body portion defining a radially directed pin bore therethrough, said pin housing being substantially concentrically disposed within said inner wall surface of said lifter body such that at least a portion of said outer surface of said pin housing wall is adjacent to at least a portion of said wall of said lifter body;
a deactivation pin assembly disposed at least partially within said pin bore, said deactivation pin assembly including two pin members, said pin members biased radially outward relative to each other, at least a portion of each said pin member being disposed within a corresponding one of said at least one annular pin chamber to thereby couple said lifter body to said pin housing, said pin members being configured for moving toward each other when said at least one annular pin chamber is pressurized, thereby retracting said pin members from within a corresponding one of said at least one annular pin chamber and decoupling said lifter body from said pin housing;
an elongate spring tower having a tower wall, said tower wall having a first end and a flanged end, said spring tower being substantially concentrically disposed relative to said pin housing, said first end of said tower wall being coupled to said pin housing, said cylindrical tower wall extending axially a predetermined distance above a top end of said lifter body;
and
a lost motion spring having a first end and a second end, said first end engaging said flanged end of said spring tower, said second end associated with said top end of said lifter body, said lost motion spring being compressed between said top end of said lifter body and said flanged end of said spring tower, said lost motion spring configured for exerting a force in a first axial direction upon said lifter body and in a second axial direction upon said spring tower, said first axial direction being opposite to said second axial direction.

3 more elements

A deactivation hydraulic valve lifter, comprising:

an elongate lifter body having a substantially cylindrical wall, including an inner wall surface, said wall defining at least one annular pin chamber therein, said lifter body having a first end configured for engaging a cam of an engine;
an elongate pin housing including a pin housing wall and pin housing body portion, said pin housing wall having an outer surface, said pin housing body portion defining a radially directed pin bore therethrough, said pin housing being substantially concentrically disposed within said inner wall surface of said lifter body such that at least a portion of said outer surface of said pin housing wall is adjacent to at least a portion of said wall of said lifter body;
a deactivation pin assembly disposed at least partially within said pin bore, said deactivation pin assembly including at least one pin member, said at least one pin member biased radially outward relative to said pin housing, at least a portion of said at least one pin member being disposed within said annular pin chamber to thereby couple said lifter body to said pin housing, said at least one pin member configured for withdrawing from said annular pin chamber when said at least one annular pin chamber is pressurized thereby decoupling said lifter body from said pin housing;
an elongate spring tower having a tower wall, said tower wall having a first end and a flanged end, said spring tower being substantially concentrically disposed relative to said pin housing, said first end of said tower wall being coupled to said pin housing, said cylindrical tower wall extending axially a predetermined distance above a top end of said lifter body;
and
a lost motion spring having a first end and a second end, said first end engaging said flanged end of said spring tower, said second end associated with said top end of said lifter body, said lost motion spring being compressed between said top end of said lifter body and said flanged end of said spring tower, said lost motion spring configured for exerting a force in a first axial direction upon said lifter body and in a second axial direction upon said spring tower, said first axial direction being opposite to said second axial direction.

3 more elements

A deactivation hydraulic valve lifter, comprising:

an elongate lifter body having a substantially cylindrical wall, including an inner wall surface, said wall defining at least one annular pin chamber therein, said lifter body having a first end configured for engaging a cam of an engine;
an elongate pin housing including a pin housing wall and pin housing body portion, said pin housing wall having an outer surface, said pin housing body portion defining a radially directed pin bore therethrough, said pin housing being substantially concentrically disposed within said inner wall surface of said lifter body such that at least a portion of said outer surface of said pin housing wall is adjacent to at least a portion of said wall of said lifter body;
a deactivation pin assembly disposed at least partially within said pin bore, said deactivation pin assembly including at least one pin member, said at least one pin member being substantially square in cross section, said at least one pin member biased radially outward relative to said pin housing, at least a portion of said at least one pin member being disposed within said annular pin chamber to thereby couple said lifter body to said pin housing, said at least one pin member configured for withdrawing from said annular pin chamber when said at least one annular pin chamber is pressurized thereby decoupling said lifter body from said pin housing;
an elongate spring tower having a tower wall, said tower wall having a first end and a flanged end, said spring tower being substantially concentrically disposed relative to said pin housing, said first end of said tower wall being coupled to said pin housing, said cylindrical tower wall extending axially a predetermined distance above a top end of said lifter body;
and
a lost motion spring having a first end and a second end, said first end engaging said flanged end of said spring tower, said second end associated with said top end of said lifter body, said lost motion spring being compressed between said top end of said lifter body and said flanged end of said spring tower, said lost motion spring configured for exerting a force in a first axial direction upon said lifter body and in a second axial direction upon said spring tower, said first axial direction being opposite to said second axial direction.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/341,155Filed 13 Jan 2003 · continuation
Priority: 1 Jul 1999
Published: US 2003/0101953 A15 Jun 2003
Granted: 30 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F01L 1/14
Transmitting gear between valve drive and valve: tappets ; Push rods
F01L 1/146
Tappets ; Push rods: push-rods
F01L 1/24
Automatically, e.g. mechanically: by fluid means, e.g. hydraulically
F01L 13/0005
Modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations: deactivating valves

Family

Application60/141,985Us provisional application · filed 1 Jul 1999
Application09/607,071Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Jun 2000
Application09/693,452Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Oct 2000
US 2003/0101953 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Jun 2003
US 6,513,470 B1Parent of this continuation
Application09/693,452Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,668,776 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.