Roller finger follower assembly for valve deactivation

A roller finger follower rocker arm assembly for variably activating a gas valve in an internal combustion engine having a cam lobe having a central portion flanked by first and second outer portions, comprising:

• a) a follower body having first and second ends, said first end being adapted to engage an hydraulic lash adjuster of said engine, said second end being adapted to engage said gas valve, said body having a first passage formed in said body defining first and second sidewalls, said body having first and second elongated openings formed in said first and second sidewalls, respectively;
• b) a member disposed in said first passage for movement relative to said follower body, said member having a transverse bore;
• c) a shaft disposed in said bore and extending through said first and second elongated openings;
• d) at least one roller disposed on said shaft for rotation relative to said follower body for engaging at least one of said first and second outer portions of said cam lobe;
• and
• e) a latching mechanism disposed in said follower body for selectively latching and delatching said member to said body.

A roller finger follower rocker arm assembly for variably activating a gas valve in an internal combustion engine having a cam lobe having a central portion flanked by first and second eccentric portions, comprising:

• a) a follower body having means for engaging an hydraulic lash adjuster of said engine at a first end of said body and having means for engaging said gas valve at a second end of said body and having a first passage formed in said body defining first and second sidewalls and having first and second elongated openings formed in said first and second sidewalls, respectively;
• b) a reciprocating member slidably disposed in said first passage and having a transverse bore;
• c) a shaft disposed in said bore and extending through said first and second elongated openings;
• d) first and second rollers disposed on said shaft for rotation outside said follower body for engaging said first and second eccentric portions, respectively, of said cam lobe;
• and
• e) a latching mechanism disposed in said follower body for selectively latching said reciprocating member to said body to activate said gas valve in an activation mode and alternatively for delatching said reciprocating member from said body to deactivate said gas valve in a deactivation mode.

A multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine having a cam lobe having a central portion flanked by first and second lateral eccentric portions, the engine comprising a roller finger follower rocker arm assembly for variably activating a gas valve in the engine, wherein the rocker arm assembly includes

• a follower body having means for engaging a hydraulic lash adjuster of said engine at a first end of said body and having means for engaging said gas valve at a second end of said body and having a first passage formed in said body defining first and second sidewalls and having first and second elongated openings formed in said first and second sidewalls, respectively,
• a reciprocating member slidably disposed in said first passage and having a transverse bore,
• a shaft disposed in said bore and extending through said first and second elongated openings,
• first and second rollers disposed on said shaft for rotation outside said follower body for engaging said first and second lateral eccentric portions, respectively, of said cam lobe, and
• a latching mechanism disposed in said follower body for selectively latching said reciprocating member to said body to activate said gas valve in an activation mode and alternatively for delatching said reciprocating member from said body to deactivate said gas valve in a deactivation mode.