Claims
- 1. A rotary valve device comprising:
- a plurality of gas passages;
- a plurality of rotary valves arranged in said gas passages and aligned in a straight line, each of said rotary valves having a valve shaft;
- a plurality of arms fixed onto said valve shafts, each of said arms having a tip;
- an actuator for controlling the opening operation of said rotary valves; and
- link means interconnecting said actuator to the tips of said arms and comprising a linearly movable straight portion, which extends straight along said straight line and is connected to said actuator, and a plurality of outwardly bending portions which have a resiliency and obliquely outwardly extending from said straight portion, each of said bending portions having an outer end connected to the tip of a corresponding arm
- said arms comprising a first arm group and a second arm group which transversely and alternately extend in opposite directions with respect to said straight portion, said bending portions comprising a first group and a second group which transversely and alternately extend in opposite directions with respect to said straight portion.
- 2. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein said straight portion is formed by a rigid rod, and said bending portions are formed by plate springs.
- 3. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein said straight portion and said bending portions are formed by plate springs.
- 4. A rotary valve device according to claim 3, wherein one of said plate springs is provided for each rotary valve and has said straight portion and said bending portion, said plate springs having the same shape, said straight portions of the adjacent plate springs being interconnected.
- 5. A rotary valve device according to claim 3, wherein one of said plate springs is provided for each rotary valve and comprises a long plate spring and at least one short plate spring which is shorter than said long plate spring, said long plate spring having said straight portion and said bending portion, said short spring having only said bending portion connected to said straight portion of said long plate spring.
- 6. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein said bending portions extend along said straight portion in the same direction.
- 7. A rotary valve device according to claim 6, wherein each of said bending portions is independently fixed onto said straight portion by fixing means.
- 8. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein said first group and said second group of said being portions extend along said straight portion in opposite directions, said bending portions of the adjacent first group and second group being fixed onto said straight portion by common fixing means.
- 9. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms has a pin formed on the tip of the arm, and each of said bending portions has a resilient hollow cylindrical portion formed on the outer end of the bending portion and fitted onto said pin.
- 10. A rotary valve device according to claim 9, wherein said pin has a spherical head, and said hollow cylindrical portion has a spherically-shaped circumferential inner wall for receiving said spherical head therein.
- 11. A rotary valve device according to claim 9, wherein said pin has a spherical head, and said hollow cylindrical portion is fitted onto said spherical head via a cap made of plastic.
- 12. A rotary valve device according to claim 11, wherein said cap has an axially extending slot and a spherical recess for receiving said spherical head therein.
- 13. A rotary valve device according to claim 9, wherein said pin has a reduced diameter end portion, and said hollow cylindrical portion is fitted onto said reduced diameter end portion via a hollow cylindrical sleeve.
- 14. A rotary valve device according to claim 1, wherein said gas passages are intake passages of an internal combustion engine.
- 15. A rotary valve device according to claim 14, wherein said actuator is actuated in response to an engine speed for closing said rotary valves when the engine speed is lower than a predetermined speed and for opening said rotary valves when the engine speed is higher than the predetermined speed.
- 16. A rotary valve device according to claim 14, wherein said actuator is actuated in response to the level of vacuum in said intake passages for closing said rotary valves when the level of vacuum is greater than a predetermined level and for opening said rotary valves when the level of vacuum is smaller than the predetermined level.
- 17. A rotary valve device according to claim 14, wherein said valve shafts of said rotary valves are arranged eccentrically with respect to central axes of said intake passages.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 649,607, filed Sept. 12, 1984, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1277094 |
Oct 1961 |
FRX |
2266064 |
Mar 1974 |
FRX |
350268 |
Jan 1961 |
CHX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
649607 |
Sep 1984 |
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