The drawings show a finger lever 1 of a valve train of an internal combustion engine. The finger lever 1 comprises side walls 2, 3 that are connected to each other by a crossbeam 4. As viewed in cross-section, the finger lever 1 thus has a U-profile. The finger lever 1 is made preferably of sheet steel by a shaping method.
The crossbeam 4 comprises at one end 6, on an underside 5, a support for at least one gas exchange valve 7. At a further end 8, the crossbeam 4 comprises a concave cavity 9 in which, in the installed state, a head 10 of a support element 11 is mounted. The finger lever 1 is connected to the support element 11 by a clip 12 that guarantees a free movement of the finger lever 1 in its direction of pivot on the head 10.
The clip 12 is made, for instance, of thin-walled sheet steel and is supported through a central section 13 on the underside 5 of the crossbeam 4 in the region of the further end 8 thereof. The central section 13 comprises an opening 14 that is aligned to the cavity 9. The head 10 of the support element 11 is clipped on behind the opening 14 that, as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the finger lever 1, has an oval shape.
A tab-like extension 16, 17 of the clip 12 engages around the outer surface 18, 19 of each side wall 2, 3. Advantageously, these extensions 16, 17 bear directly against the outer surfaces 18, 19 of the side walls 2, 3. Ends 20, 21 of the extensions 16, 17 are snapped onto upper surfaces 22, 23 of the side walls 2, 3 to engage over at least a larger part of a width of the side walls 2, 3. To facilitate their assembly, at least one of the extensions 16, 17 comprises, starting from its end 20, 21 extending on the upper surface, an outwardly bent-over portion. In this way, for example during manual assembly, the clip 12 can be simply widened and snapped onto the respective upper surface 22, 23.
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It goes without saying that combinations of the aforesaid fixing measures will also occur in this context to a person skilled in the art.
Due to the fact that, with the help of the clip 12, a very simple connection is realized between the finger lever 1 and the support element 11, which may also be designed to operate hydraulically, a fully pre-assembled unit can be delivered to the engine manufacturer and be installed by him in the internal combustion engine without further assembly work. Further, an excellent safety device to prevent a canting of the finger lever 1 on the head 10 of the support element 11 is realized. This connection is preferably intended to be maintained over the entire operating life of the internal combustion engine.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102 49 560.2 | Oct 2002 | DE | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP03/11343 | Oct 2003 | US |
Child | 10532779 | US |