Back to results
US 6,805,083 B2Granted
Cam cover gasket
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBrian Kaczmarek, Deborah M. Bjorge, Keith David Gosdzinski, Kim Ku, Mark Alan Zagata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBrian Kaczmarek, Deborah M. Bjorge, Keith David Gosdzinski, Kim Ku, Mark Alan Zagata
Estimating the term…
A cam cover gasket 207 is provided which includes a generally compliant first material 210 having an upper surface for contact with a cover 200 and a lower surface for contact with an engine head 2, a generally rigid bracket frame of a second material 222 connected with the first material 210, and a solenoid actuator 232 connected with the second material 222.
A cam cover gasket comprising:
A cam cover gasket comprising:
An engine, comprising:
An internal combustion engine comprising:
A method of assembling a portion of an internal combustion engine comprising:
A cam cover gasket comprising:
A cam cover gasket comprising:
An engine, comprising:
An engine, comprising:
An internal combustion engine comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Casings, e.g. crankcases: camshaft or pushrod housings
Rocking arms or levers: overhead end-pivot rocking arms
Valve-gear or valve arrangements, e.g. lift-valve gear: component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in preceding subgroups
Modifications of valve-gear to facilitate reversing, braking, starting, changing compression ratio, or other specific operations: deactivating valves
Term ended 14 Oct 2022 (estimated)
The field of the present invention is an internal combustion engine having dual operational mode rocker arm assemblies.
Most reciprocating piston internal combustion engines have rocker arms to transmit motion from a rotating cam shaft to a stem of a combustion chamber intake or exhaust poppet valve to open and close the same. Almost universally, the valve is spring-biased shut and the cam, via the rocker arm controls the opening and closing of the valve. One type of rocker arm is the finger follower rocker arm.
In recent times, rocker arm assemblies have been made to selectively deactivate. In one such rocker arm assembly, the rocker arm has an outer body that engages the valve stem and an inner, lost motion arm pivotally mounted on and within the outer body for movement relative to the outer body. The lost motion arm is spring-biased upward against an overhead engine cam center lobe to be pivoted by the same. A latch mechanism with an extendable plunger is positioned within the outer body. The plunger is normally in a position to limit movement of the lost motion arm relative to the outer body so that the cam lobe can pivot the outer body and lost motion arm together as an integral unit to activate the valve stem. Withdrawal of the latch mechanism plunger allows the lost motion arm to freewheel in a lost motion manner without causing partial or full movement of the outer body and valve stem.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a switchable rocker arm assembly utilized with the inventive cam cover gasket of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2—2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3—3 of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate an internal combustion engine 7 according to the present invention. The engine has a head 2. The engine 7 has intake and exhaust rocker arm assemblies 8 and 9. The rocker arm assembly 9 has a forked shaped body 10 which is often referred to as a cradle or outer arm. The body has twin ears 12 (FIG. 2). The ears 12 have a transverse bore 13. The body 10 has a first end 14. The body first end 14 as best shown in FIG. 2 engages with a valve stem 18 via a convex contact surface 15 (only partially shown) to activate a poppet valve 19. The valve stem 18 is biased generally upward by a spring 22 which is captured by a valve stem collar 26. The upward biasing of the valve stem 18 places the valve 19 in a closed position to prevent fluid communication through a port to a combustion chamber 31 of the engine. To open the poppet valve, the body first end 14 will pivot in a generally counter-clockwise direction.
The body 10 has an opposite second end 30. The second end 30 engages with a pivot fulcrum 48. The pivot fulcrum 48 is provided by a plunger portion 52 of a hydraulic lash adjuster 54. The body second end 30 has a spherical socket receiving the plunger 52. The lash adjuster 54 constitutes a stationary fulcrum for pivotal movement of the body 10 of the rocker arm assembly in a manner to be described.
An inner or lost motion arm 44 is pivotally connected to the first end 14 of the body 10. A pin 34 passes through bore 13 and a corresponding bore in the lost motion arm 44. A lever end 42 of the lost motion arm is pivotally connected by the pin 34. The lost motion arm 44 fits in between fork like lobes 64 of the body. The lost motion arm 44 is spring biased arcuately in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1 to have contact with a rotatable cam lobe 66. The cam lobe 66 is rotated by a camshaft 67 that is powered by the engine. To make contact with the cam lobe 66, the lost motion arm 44 has a contact pad 68.