Apparatus for deactivating an engine valve
AssigneeRicardo, Inc.
InventorRussell J. Wakeman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for deactivating an engine valve has an accumulator sleeve slidably retained in an engine block and biased toward a lower chamber in fluid communication with an interior of the sleeve. A follower piston slides in the sleeve in contact with a lobe of a can. An upper piston slides in an upper chamber in contact with a pushrod. A fluid passage connects the lower chamber and the upper chamber. A normally open spool valve in the fluid passage includes a control spool for opening and closing the passage. Another passage connects the lower chamber and one end of the control spool. A spring chamber provides fluid to an opposite end of the control spool through a control valve from a source of pressurized fluid.
Claims20
An apparatus for deactivating an engine valve in an engine component comprising:
- an engine component having a sleeve cavity and an upper chamber formed therein along a common axis, said sleeve cavity and said upper chamber being connected by a fluid flow passage;
- an accumulator sleeve mounted for sliding movement along said axis in said sleeve cavity;
- a follower piston retained in an interior of said sleeve for sliding movement along said axis, said follower piston adapted to be moved in response to contact with a cam;
- an upper piston mounted for sliding movement along said axis in said upper chamber, said upper piston being adapted to activate an engine valve;
- a spool valve disposed in said passage, said spool valve being in a normally open position to permit fluid flow through said passage between said sleeve cavity and said upper chamber;
- and
- means for selectively actuating said spool valve between a closed position preventing fluid flow through said passage and said open position,
- whereby when said sleeve cavity, said passage and said upper chamber are filled with fluid, movement of said follower piston along said axis causes corresponding movement of said upper piston for activating a valve when said spool valve is in said open position and causes opposite movement of said accumulator sleeve and no movement of said upper piston for deactivating the valve when said spool valve is in said closed position.
An apparatus for deactivating an engine valve in an engine component comprising:
- an engine component having a sleeve cavity and an upper chamber formed therein along a common axis, said sleeve cavity and said upper chamber being connected by a fluid flow passage;
- an accumulator sleeve mounted for sliding movement along said axis in said sleeve cavity;
- a follower piston retained in an interior of said sleeve for sliding movement along said axis, said follower piston being in contact with a lobe of a cam;
- an upper piston mounted for sliding movement along said axis in said upper chamber, said upper piston being operably connected to an engine valve;
- a spool valve disposed in said passage, said spool valve being in a normally open position to permit fluid flow through said passage between said sleeve cavity and said upper chamber;
- and
- means for selectively actuating said spool valve between a closed position preventing fluid flow through said passage and said open position,
- whereby when said sleeve cavity, said passage and said upper chamber are filled with fluid, rotation of said cam causes reciprocating movement of said follower piston along said axis and corresponding movement of said upper piston activating said valve when said spool valve is in said open position and causes opposite movement of said accumulator sleeve and no movement of said upper piston deactivating said valve when said spool valve is in said closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.