Valve drive apparatus and supercharger having the same

A valve drive apparatus installed to a supercharger that includes a first valve, which is rotatable about an axis of a first valve shaft, and a second valve, which is rotatable about an axis of a second valve shaft, the valve drive apparatus being configured to drive the first valve and the second valve, the valve drive apparatus comprising:

• an actuator that includes an output shaft, which is movable in an axial direction of the output shaft;
• a shaft portion;
• a first member that is placed along an axis of the shaft portion and includes a first contact part and a first engaging part;
• a second member that is placed along the axis of the shaft portion and includes a second contact part and a second engaging part, wherein the second contact part is contactable with the first contact part;
• a first valve lever that includes a first valve lever shaft, which is rotatable integrally with the first valve shaft, wherein an axis of the first valve lever shaft is parallel to the axis of the first valve shaft and is placed at a location that is spaced from the axis of the first valve shaft by a first predetermined distance;
• a second valve lever that includes a second valve lever shaft, which is rotatable integrally with the second valve shaft, wherein an axis of the second valve lever shaft is parallel to the axis of the second valve shaft and is placed at a location that is spaced from the axis of the second valve shaft by a second predetermined distance;
• a first rod that is rotatably connected to the first valve lever shaft at one end part of the first rod and is connected to the shaft portion or the first member at another end part of the first rod, which is opposite from the one end part of the first rod;
• a second rod that is rotatably connected to the second valve lever shaft at one end part of the second rod and is connected to the second member at another end part of the second rod, which is opposite from the one end part of the second rod;
• an urging device that is placed between the first engaging part and the second engaging part and urges the first member and the second member to urge the first contact part and the second contact part toward each other;
• and
• a gap forming portion, which is formed in and projects from one of the first contact part and the second contact part toward the other one of the first contact part and the second contact part and forms a predetermined gap between the first contact part and the second contact part when the gap forming portion contacts the other one of the first contact part and the second contact part, wherein an amount of projection of the gap forming portion from the one of the first contact part and the second contact part is variable.