The instant disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for actuating one or more engine valves in an internal combustion engine. More particularly, the instant disclosure relates to systems and methods for varying the operational relationship between a motion source, such as a cam, and one or more engine valves. Such systems and methods may include a rocker arm in the form of a finger follower, which provides for selectively switching between lobes on a cam and/or for operating as lost motion devices in an engine valve train.
Internal combustion engines are utilized ubiquitously in many applications and industries, including transportation and trucking. Valve actuation systems for use in internal combustion engines are well known in the art. Such systems typically include one or more intervening components that convey valve actuation motions from a valve actuation motion source (e.g., a cam) to one or more engine valves, the intervening components constituting a valve train. These valve actuation systems may primarily facilitate a positive power mode of operation in which the engine cylinders generate power from combustion processes. The intake and exhaust valve actuation motions associated with the standard combustion cycle are typically referred to as “main event” motions. Known engine valve actuation systems may provide for modified main event valve motion, such as early or late intake valve closing. In addition to main event motions, known engine valve actuation systems may facilitate auxiliary valve actuation motions or events that allow an internal combustion engine to operate in other modes, or in variations of positive power generation mode (e.g., exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), early exhaust valve opening (EEVO), etc.) or engine braking in which the internal combustion engine is operated in an unfueled state, essentially as an air compressor, to develop retarding power to assist in slowing down the vehicle.
In many engine systems, the valve train may comprise a finger follower, which is essentially a lever pivoting at one end with the other end of the lever contacting the load, i.e., the engine valves. The finger follower typically comprises a motion receiving component, disposed between the ends of the lever, to receive the valve actuation motions from a motion source (such as a cam), which motions are then conveyed to the engine valves via the load end of the lever.
Known variations of the finger follower components described above include so-called “switching” finger followers, an example of which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,546,822, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. As shown in
Switching finger followers are most often found in light duty automotive applications. However, they have not been applied in heavy and medium duty diesel or natural gas engines partially because of the highly loaded events and failures due to partially engaged switching mechanisms. Failures are known to occur even in light duty applications due to the same partial engagement problem at much lower loads. With reference to the example in
Another disadvantage of prior art switching finger followers is that their use typically necessitates controls for precise timing in order to prevent partial engagement of their actuating or locking components. This may necessitate added cost and complexity, especially in multiple cylinder engine environments. For example, in such environments, it may be necessary to provide designated control solenoids for each switching finger follower in order to eliminate the potential for control circuit transients (i.e., lag in a hydraulic circuit) and to ensure precise timing of actuating components relative to the finger follower motion.
Switching finger followers may have application to lost motion valve actuation systems. In such systems, the switching finger follower may switch between a first position, in which the full valve motion from a motion source, such as a cam, is conveyed to the engine valves, and a second position, in which only part of the full valve motion is conveyed to the engine valves. An example of a single-source, lost motion lift profile as described herein may be found in
It would therefore be advantageous to provide systems and methods that address the aforementioned shortcoming and others in the prior art.
Responsive to the foregoing challenges in the prior art, the instant disclosure provides various embodiments of a switching finger follower system with improved operating characteristics and improved performance and durability.
The above-mentioned difficulties with prior switching finger followers may be overcome based on various embodiments disclosed herein. The advances in the art described herein are particularly advantageous in that they eliminate the potential for partial engagement of finger follower switching mechanism actuating components. A related advantage is the elimination of variations in the locked or supported positions of the motion receiving component on the switching finger follower. The switching finger follower configurations have consistent contact geometries between cooperating parts and positively defined switching mechanism positions and thus positively defined positions of the finger follower lever and thus the motion receiving component relative to the body. This leads to more accurate and dependable operation and control of valve motion.
Additionally, because the switching finger follower configurations disclosed herein are not sensitive to partial engagement, activation of the switching mechanism, they may be utilized at lower cost and complexity in multiple cylinder engine environments. The improved switching mechanism and actuator therefore eliminate the need for precise timing by control components. For example, in the case of hydraulically actuated switching mechanisms under the control of solenoids, the disclosed embodiments may eliminate the need for a designated, controlled solenoid for each switching mechanism. Rather, the disclosed advances make it feasible for a single solenoid to activate switching mechanisms for multiple cylinders, thereby simplifying the overall system and reducing costs.
Further still, the embodiments described herein are applicable to and may be used to improve single-source lost motion systems where a single valve actuation motion source (such as a cam) provides one or more lower lift events where some (or all) lift is lost, and one or more higher lift events where more (or all) lift from the cam lobe is conveyed to the engine valves. Further still, the embodiments described herein are applicable to and may be used to improve lost-motion valve actuation systems in which valve motion is entirely lost, as may be required in systems that utilize cylinder deactivation.
The embodiments described herein may be particularly advantageous in achieving alternative valve motions, such as braking late intake valve closing (LIVC), early exhaust valve opening (EEVO), internal exhaust gas recirculation (IEGR) etc.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a finger follower system for use in an internal combustion engine valvetrain comprising: a follower body having a pivot end and a motion transmitting end; a lever adapted to pivot relative to the follower body; a motion receiving component having a motion receiving surface disposed between the follower body pivot end and the follower body motion transmitting end; and an adjustable support assembly including a movable latch for providing selective support to the lever, the adjustable support assembly adapted to maintain the latch in a first latch position and a second latch position relative to the follower body. According to a further aspect, the adjustable support assembly is further adapted to allow the latch to move to the first position when the latch is not in the second position. In some applications, the adjustable support assembly may be further adapted to support the lever in two defined positions, providing engagement between the lever and the latch when the latch is in the first latch position and when the latch is in the second latch position. In other applications where the finger follower may facilitate complete loss of motion source motion, such as in cylinder deactivation applications, the adjustable support assembly may be adapted to provide for engagement between the latch and lever when the latch is in a first latch position, and to permit the lever to pivot free of the latch (i.e., no engagement between the latch and lever) when the latch is in a second latch position.
In one implementation, a finger follower with an adjustable support assembly may include an adjustable latch or lever engaging member adapted to move within the follower body to support the finger follower lever in at least one position. The lever engaging member or latch may cooperate with an actuating piston, which may extend through a transverse bore in the lever engaging member. The piston may have first and second support surfaces which may provide for two respective positively defined positions for the lever engaging member. In some applications, these two positions may correspond to positively defined support positions for the finger follower lever. In other applications, only one of the latch positions may support the lever, and the other position of the latch may correspond to the lever being free to pivot to a (lower) position in which it is not engaged with the latch. The adjustable support assembly structure is adapted to avoid application of load forces to the actuating components when the lever engages the latch in a position other than the precisely defined positions defined by the adjustable support assembly, thus avoiding damage to the actuating components and/or lever due to partial engagement.
In one implementation, the finger follower may include a lever engaging member or latch supported for movement relative to the finger follower body and having a substantially planar lever engaging member surface or latch surface extending at an angle to a latch movement direction for engaging an arcuate surface on the lever. The finger follower lever may be provided with an arcuate surface adapted to be engaged by the planar lever engaging surface on the lever engaging member. The lever engaging member surface and lever surface are thus adapted to maintain a substantially similar contact geometry when the lever and lever engaging member surface are engaged. In addition to eliminating potential for partial engagement, these aspects provide for improved durability and operation.
According to another implementation, the finger follower assembly may be applied in single motion source lost motion engine valvetrain environments. In some applications, the adjustable support assembly may support the finger follower lever in at least two positions, at least one of which may be a lost motion position. In other applications, the adjustable support assembly may support the finger follower lever in at least one position, and in another position, permit the finger follower lever to pivot freely such that no motion source motion is conveyed to the engine valves (as maybe the case in cylinder deactivation applications). A biasing assembly may comprise at least one resilient element disposed between at least one spring support on the follower body and at least one spring support on the lever. A travel limiter on the body may limit upward movement of the lever. One or more precisely defined lever support positions may be implemented by the interaction of the lever engaging member and actuating piston to provide for full or partial conveyance (or full or partial loss) of valve motion through the lost motion finger follower.
According to another implementation, a finger follower may be provided with an eccentric pivot mount that may provide for adjustment of the position of the finger follower lever relative to the follower body.
The various finger follower assembly embodiments described herein may be incorporated into valve actuation systems. In one embodiment, a valve actuation system may comprise a first valve actuation motion source operative connected to the motion receiving component of the finger follower assembly, which first valve actuation motion source is configured to provide main event valve actuation motions, auxiliary valve actuation motions or combinations thereof. The first valve actuation motion source may be embodied by a dedicated cam assembly or a lost motion cam. Such auxiliary valve actuation motions may be additive auxiliary valve actuation motions such as engine braking valve actuation motions, internal exhaust gas recirculation valve actuation motions or combinations thereof, or main event modifying auxiliary valve actuation motions such as late intake valve closing (LIVC) valve actuation motions, early exhaust valve opening (EEVO) valve actuation motions, early intake valve closing (EIVC) valve actuation motions or combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the first valve actuation motions source may be embodied by a dedicated cam assembly or a lost motion cam. Further still, in some embodiments, the valve actuation system may further comprise a second valve actuation motion source and the follower body of the finger follower assembly may comprise a pair of arms having the lever disposed therebetween, where lateral motion receiving components are disposed on respective ones of the pair of arms. In this embodiment, the second valve actuation motion source is configured to provide valve actuation motions to the lateral motion receiving components, which valve actuation motions may comprise main event valve actuation motions or zero-lift valve actuation motions.
Other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill from the detailed description that follows and the above aspects should not be viewed as exhaustive or limiting. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are intended to provide examples of the inventive aspects of this disclosure and should in no way be construed as limiting or restrictive of the scope defined in the appended claims.
The above and other attendant advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements throughout. It will be understood that the description and embodiments are intended as illustrative examples according to aspects of the disclosure and are not intended to be limiting to the scope of invention, which is set forth in the claims appended hereto. In the following descriptions of the figures, all illustrations pertain to features that are examples according to aspects of the instant disclosure, unless otherwise noted.
As used herein, phrases substantially similar to “at least one of A, B or C” are intended to be interpreted in the disjunctive, i.e., to require A or B or C or any combination thereof unless stated or implied by context otherwise.
Body 400 may further support a lever 450 having a fastened end 452, that may be mounted to pivotably cooperate with the follower body 400, and extending in the longitudinal direction to a free end 460. The fastened end of lever 450 may be fastened to the lever pivot pin 412 secured to arms 402, 404 of the body 400.
Lever 450 may have a shape that is complementary to the recess or pocket 406 in the body 400, thereby providing for a nested positioning within the body 400 and an overall compact finger follower configuration. Lever 450 may be formed as a precision, unitary stamped metal (i.e., steel) component having a generally concave shape with a bottom wall 454 and an integral outer wall 456 extending from the bottom wall 454. A central portion of lever 450 may support and house a motion receiving component, cooperatively associated with the lever. The motion receiving component may be a central roller follower 440 supported on a shaft 442 affixed to the lever 450. Alternatively, the motion receiving component cooperatively associated with the lever may be a contact surface directly on or attached to the lever and adapted to directly engage the motion source or a valve train component cooperating with the motion source. A recess or cutout 458 may be formed in bottom wall 454 to accommodate the central roller follower 440. Free end 460 of the lever may have an arcuate or otherwise curved lever end wall 461 having an arcuate or otherwise curved end surface 462, for selectively engaging an adjustable support assembly 500 integrated into the body 400, as will be described. End wall 461 may extend to and be contoured to have a smooth transition with the bottom wall 454. Lever end wall 461 may extend between a reduced lateral dimension between the opposing portions of outer wall 456, which may provide added stability and strength as well as reduce the potential for deformation of the end wall 461 during operation.
As will be recognized, central roller follower 440 may be configured to selectively receive valve actuation motions from a complementarily configured valve actuation motion source. Referring, for example, to the engine environment described above with respect to
Referring additionally to
Adjustable support assembly 500 may include lever engaging member or latch 510 and an actuating piston 530 cooperatively associated therewith. Lever engaging member or latch 510 may be disposed in longitudinal bore 422, which includes a cylindrical guiding surface 423 for supporting and facilitating sliding movement of the lever engaging member or latch 510. Lever engaging member or latch 510 may have a generally cylindrical shape including an outer cylindrical surface 512 and a substantially planar lever engaging surface 514, which may extend at an angle to the axis of lever engaging member or latch 510. A transverse actuating piston receiving bore 516 may extend through the lever engaging member or latch 510 for receiving and cooperating with the actuating piston 530. Moreover, lever engaging member or latch 510 may be provided with chamfered surfaces 518 (
Actuating piston 530 may include a first support surface 532 adapted to engage and support the lever engaging member or latch 510 in a first position within longitudinal bore 422, which first position may correspond to an unlocked, or lower or retracted position of the lever 450 and central follower 440 relative to body 400. First support surface 532 may be a cylindrical surface having a first diameter. Actuating piston 530 may also include a second support surface 534 adapted to engage and support the lever engaging member or latch 510 in a second position within longitudinal bore 422, which second position may correspond to a locked, or raised, or deployed position of the lever 450 and central follower 440 relative to body 400. Second support surface may be a cylindrical surface having a second diameter, greater than the first diameter of first support surface and substantially corresponding to the diameter of the transverse bore 424 of body 400 and substantially corresponding to the diameter of transverse actuating piston receiving bore 516. Disposed between the first support surface 532 and second support surface 534 may be a transition surface 536 on the actuating piston 530, which transition surface 536 may have a generally tapered or conical shape adapted to provide for smooth transition of the lever engaging member from the first support position to the second position during a locking movement of the actuating piston. Transition surface 536 may also facilitate the reversion of the actuating piston to an unlocked position if actuating piston may be in an intermediate position between a fully retracted or fully deployed position within transverse bore 424, as will be explained in more detail below.
Operation of the adjustable support assembly 500 will now be described.
As shown in
With additional reference to
According to an aspect of the disclosure, the adjustable support assembly 500 provides advantages in distributing the load applied by the lever 450 (illustrated by the heavy black arrow in
Still further, the unique interaction between the support surfaces of piston 530 and the lever engaging member or latch 510 provide for two positively defined switched support positions for the lever 450, which positions, and thus the corresponding motions of the actuated valves, may be very precisely controlled. Moreover, because the forces involved in the interaction of the piston 530 with the lever engaging member 530 are reduced, durability and consistency in performance are enhanced. A further related advantage of the example adjustable support assemblies according to aspects of the disclosure eliminate the potential for excessive contact stresses during intermediate engagement positions between the lever engaging member 530 and lever 450. Such intermediate positions would be positions that are not either the first or second engagement positions as described above. As will be recognized, when the piston 530 is in the retracted position, there is only one position in which the lever engaging member 530 can possibly be supported. If the lever engaging member is not in the first retracted position, no reactive force from the piston surface 532 is provided. Thus, in the event the lever engaging member 530 might remain in the second position or fail retract fully into the longitudinal bore 422 after piston 530 retracts, no reactive force will be provided when the load of the motion source is transmitted to the lever 450 until the lever engaging member 530 is in the first position. In this manner, the system avoids the application of load forces when the actuating components are not in either the first or second positions. Stated another way, the lever support assembly 500 is adapted to provide supporting force to the lever only in a first position or a second position. That is, if the piston 1530 is in the first position and the lever engaging member 1510 is in a position where it is not engaging the piston, the system permits the lever engaging member 1510 to “float” within the longitudinal bore 422 and no reactive force is provided by the piston on the lever engaging member until it properly seats against the piston 1530. The adjustable support assembly is thus adapted to allow the lever to move to the first position when the lever is not in the first position or the second position. This arrangement eliminates damage to the supporting components and provides for dependable and durable operation of the switching finger follower.
One modification may include the addition of a biasing assembly cooperating with the body 1400 and lever 1450 and adapted to bias the lever 1450 towards a raised or deployed position away from the body 1400. The body 1400 may include a pair of laterally extending spring retaining flanges 1402 and 1404. Respective resilient elements (e.g., coil springs) 1422 and 1424 are retained between the flanges and thus bias the lever 1450 and central roller follower 1440 in a direction towards the motion source (i.e., upward in
Another modification is that a travel limiter 1425 may be disposed on a pivot end 1430 of the body 1400 and be formed integrally therewith to limit rotation of the lever 1450 away from the body 1400 by engaging an upper surface 1463 of the lever end wall 1461. While the travel stop 1425 is illustrated as an integral component of the body 1400, it will be appreciated that the travel stop 1425 could be implemented as a separate component attached to the body 1400 or coupled thereto via another component. Moreover, travel stop 1425 may be provided with adjustable features, such as an adjustment screw threaded through the illustrated limiter and secured with a retaining nut to allow adjustment of the upper limit of travel of the lever 1450.
As known in the art, when a hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA) is incorporated into a single-source lost motion valve train, it is necessary to prevent expansion of the HLA during those operating states in which valve actuation motion is being lost, i.e., to prevent the HLA from taking up lash space purposely provided to selective lose valve actuation motions. In the illustrated embodiments, this is achieved by operation of the resilient elements 1422 and 1424 that are chosen such that the force exerted by these elements on the lever 1450 will be greater than force exhibited by an associated HLA when it attempts to expand to take up any available lash. In this manner, the resilient elements 1422, 1424 cause a sufficient load to be applied to the HLA to prevent undesired expansion thereof. On the other hand, uncontrolled application of the force provided by the resilient elements 1422 and 1424 to the HLA could cause undue compression or bleed-down of the HLA. Thus, the travel limiter stop 1425 may limit travel of the lever 1450 and, consequently, the force applied by the resilient elements 1422, 1424 to any accompanying HLA. The distance of travel of the lever 1450 permitted by the travel stop 1425 is preferably controlled so that when the HLA is operating to take up lash space in the valvetrain when the lever 1450 is against the travel stop 1425, the travel of the lost motion is equal to the valve lift events that are lost. For example, if the travel stop 1425 allows excessive stroke of the lever 1450, the lost motion operating state will lose excessive motion and the comparatively high-lift valve events (e.g., main events) will have excessive lash, resulting in undesirable lower valve lift and higher valve seating velocities. Conversely, if the travel stop 1425 allows inadequate stroke of the lever 1450, an insufficient amount of lash space will be established during lost motion operation and some of the valve actuation motion intended to be lost will nevertheless be conveyed by the finger follower to the engine valve. This can lead to undesirable consequences such as changed valve lifts and durations, or possibly add unwanted lift events when they are not desired. In embodiments in which the travel stop 1425 is attached to the body 1400 (rather than formed integrally therewith), the travel stop 1425 may be adjustable such the stroke of the lever 1450 can be precisely controlled.
Yet another modification, compared to the embodiment described above relative to
In lost motion applications, the adjustable support assembly 1500, in similar fashion to the operations described above with regard to
Referring to
Referring additionally to
In addition to the precisely controlled positions of the lever 1450 relative to the finger follower body 1400 described above, and the resultant precise control of lost motion capabilities provided by the finger follower system, the configuration describe above also provides the advantage of eliminating intermediate positioning of the lever 1450 and thus intermediate conveyance of valve motion. As described above in detail with regard to the operation of the adjustable support assembly 500 in the embodiment of
As will be recognized, various geometrical variations in the shapes of interacting surfaces of the lever engaging member or latch 510, actuating piston 530, lever end surface 462 and other surfaces described herein may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, lever engaging member or latch 510 may be provided with a curved or arcuate surface and lever 450 provided with a flat surface. Moreover, while described as cylindrical shaped elements, piston and lever engaging member may be provided with square or rectangular or other cross-sectional shapes.
For further example, while the lever engaging member 530 has been illustrated ad described as operating under the control of mechanical interaction with the piston 530, which is in turn hydraulically controlled, it is appreciated that other configurations for controlling the lever engaging member may be employed. For example, the lever engaging member 530 may be biased into its unlocked or off state by a resilient element, and a hydraulic passage may be connected to the bore in which the lever engaging member 530 resides such that application of hydraulic fluid to the passage causes extension of the lever engaging member 530 into its locked or on state while a locked volume of hydraulic fluid within the sliding member's bore maintains the lever engaging member 530 in its extended position. As another example, while the lever contact surface 462 has been illustrated as having an arcuate shape, this is not a requirement and other surface configurations, e.g., angled, semicircular, etc., may be equally employed. Further still, it will be appreciated that the configuration of the body 400 and lever 450 could be reversed, i.e., that a central body is provided with an outer, movable arm, which movable arm can be placed in an unlocked/off or locked/on state using one or more similarly configured sliding members as described above.
Examples of embodiments of valve actuation systems incorporating finger follower assemblies as described herein are further illustrated with reference to
As described above, main event valve actuation motions are valve actuations typically applied to intake and/or exhaust valves during the combustion of fuel for generation of positive power output by one or more cylinders of an internal combustion engine. As further described above, auxiliary valve actuation motions are valve actuation motions that that allow one or more cylinders of an internal combustion engine to operate in other, non-positive power generation modes of operation, or in variations of positive power generation mode. Auxiliary valve actuation motions my be further categorized as additive auxiliary valve actuation motions or main event modifying auxiliary valve actuation motions. Additive auxiliary valve actuation motions are valve actuation motions that are made in addition to main event valve actuation motions and that do not otherwise modify a lift profile of such main event valve actuation motions. Non-limiting examples of such additive auxiliary valve actuation motions include engine braking (e.g., compression-release) valve actuation motions or internal exhaust gas recirculation (IEGR) valve actuation motions. On the other hand, main event modifying auxiliary valve actuation motions are valve actuation motions that result in some modification of a lift profile that would otherwise occur during a main event valve actuation motion. Non-limiting examples of such main event modifying valve actuation motions include late intake valve closing (LIVC) valve actuation motions, early exhaust valve opening (EEVO) valve actuation motions or early intake valve closing (EIVC) valve actuation motions. In the case of LIVC and EEVO, such auxiliary motions may be included with a standard main event valve actuation motions only on demand, i.e., where the main event valve actuation motions are the default valve actuation motions. On the other hand, EIVC operation may be achieved where the main event valve actuation motion is a narrowed (i.e., early closing) version of a standard main event valve actuation motion, such that incorporation of the EIVC auxiliary valve actuation motions modify the narrowed main event by extending its closing timing.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, valve actuation motion sources may be implemented in a variety of forms provided that they provide the required valve actuation motions.
With reference to
In a variation of the embodiment illustrated in
With reference to
As before, it is understood that the finger follower assembly 2102 may also be operated such that all valve actuation motions (from both the first and second valve actuation motion sources 1904, 1906) are lost thereby facilitating, for example, cylinder deactivation operation of a given cylinder.
Although the present implementations have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
The instant application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 16/706,226, filed on Dec. 6, 2019 and titled FINGER FOLLOWER FOR LOBE SWITCHING AND SINGLE SOURCE LOST MOTION, which prior application further claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/776,450, filed on Dec. 6, 2018 and titled SWITCHING FINGER FOLLOWER and to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/776,453, filed on Dec. 6, 2018 and titled SWITCHING FINGER FOLLOWER FOR SINGLE-SOURCE LOST MOTION. The subject matter of all of these prior applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16706226 | Dec 2019 | US |
Child | 17305637 | US |