This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2017 205 538.3, filed on Mar. 31, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The invention relates to a valve drive for an internal combustion engine as well as to an internal combustion engine comprising such a valve drive.
With the help of an adjustable, common valve drive, which can comprise two cams with a different cam stroke, it is possible to operate the cylinder of an internal combustion engine in two different operating modes. If only a single cam is used instead of two cams with a different stroke and if base circle without cam stroke is used—instead of a second cam—the cylinder can be turned off with the help of the valve drive. In such a turned-off state, a cam follower, which is coupled to a gas exchange valve of the cylinder, does not cooperate with the single cam, but with said base circle, so that the gas exchange valve is not controlled.
Such a valve drive is known for example from DE 199 45 340 A1.
To switch between the two operating modes, a cam follower is adjusted between two axial positions in the case of a common valve drive. In the case of common valve drives, the adjustment occurs with the help of two actuators. A first actuator for adjusting the valve drive from a first axial position into a second axial position is used thereby. A further, second actuator is used to adjust the cam follower from the second axial position back into the first axial position. In the case of such common valve drives, it proves to be disadvantageous that they are constructed comparatively extensively due to the use of two actuators, which is associated with high production costs.
It is an object of the present invention to show new ways when developing valve drives. In particular, a valve drive, which is characterized by reduced production costs and a reduced need for installation space, is to be created.
This object is solved by means of the subject matter of the independent claim(s). Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claim(s).
It is thus the basic idea of the invention to equip a valve drive with only a single actuator, which can be used to adjust the cam follower from a first into a second axial position as well as vice versa, thus back from the second into the first axial position. According to the invention, such an actuator is part of an adjusting device, which comprises two engagement elements and two sliding guides. A first engagement element and a corresponding first sliding guide serve to adjust the cam follower from the first into the second position. A second engagement element and a corresponding second sliding guide serve to adjust the cam follower from the second position into the first axial position. Both engagement elements are controlled by the common actuator, for the purpose of which the actuator can optionally be brought into operative connection with the first or second engagement element.
The provision of two separate actuators, as is typical in the case of common valve drives, can thus be forgone in the case of the valve drive proposed here. This leads to significant cost advantages in the production of the valve drive.
A valve drive according to the invention for an internal combustion engine comprises a cam shaft, on which a first cam and, axially adjacent, a second cam are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner. The valve drive also comprises a cam follower, which can be axially adjusted between a first position and a second position by means of an adjusting device. In the first position, the cam follower is drivingly connected to the first cam and to the second cam in the second position. The adjusting device comprises an adjustable first engagement element, which can cooperate with a first sliding guide, which is provided on the cam shaft, for adjusting the cam follower from the first into the second position. The adjusting device further comprises an adjustable second engagement element, which can cooperate with a second sliding guide, which is provided on the cam shaft, for adjusting the cam follower from the second into the first position. The first engagement element and the second engagement element can in each case be adjusted between a switching position, in which the respective engagement element cooperates with the corresponding sliding guide, and an inactive position, in which this cooperation is eliminated.
In the switching position, the first engagement element preferably engages with the first sliding guide and is arranged at a distance to the sliding guide in the inactive position. The same preferably applies mutatis mutandis for the second engagement element.
According to the invention, the adjusting device comprises a joint actuator for optionally adjusting the first or second engagement element into the switching position. In other words, the valve drive according to the invention needs only a single actuator to adjust the cam follower between the first and the second axial position.
According to a preferred embodiment, the actuator can be axially adjusted between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, wherein the actuator is able to cooperate with the first engagement element in the first actuator position and with the second engagement element in the second actuator position. In this embodiment, the actuator is thus realized in such a way that it cooperates with the two engagement elements. Said actuator can thus activate an adjustment of the cam follower from the first into the second axial position—with the help of the first engagement element. The same actuator can likewise also activate an adjustment of the cam follower from the second position into the first position—with the help of the second engagement element. Particularly preferably, the actuator can also be embodied so as to be adjustable into at least one intermediate position between the first and the second actuator position, in which the actuator neither cooperates with the first nor with the second engagement element. The at least one intermediate position is typically adjusted when no adjustment of the cam follower from the first into the second axial position or vice versa is to occur. The actuator is thus inactive in this case.
Particularly advantageously, the actuator and the cam follower can be adjusted along a joint axial direction. Only particularly little installation space is thus required for the valve drive in the directions perpendicular to said axial direction, i.e. the valve drive is of a particularly compact construction in this variation.
In an advantageous further development, the actuator comprises an actuator housing, in which an actuator element is accommodated in a partial and axially adjustable manner. In this embodiment, the actuator element has a first axial element section for cooperating with the first engagement element and a second axial element section for cooperating with the second engagement element. The first element section thereby protrudes from the actuator housing at least in the first actuator position, and the second element section at least in the second actuator position for cooperating with the corresponding engagement element. An actuator comprising the above-mentioned characteristics is set up with a particularly simple construction and can thus be realized in a cost-efficient manner.
Particularly preferably, the first element section is a first axial end section of the actuator element and the second element section is a second axial end section of the actuator element, which is located axially opposite the first axial end section. This allows for a cooperation of the actuator element with two different engagement elements, even if they are arranged axially at a distance to one another—as are the two corresponding sliding guides—which is frequently the case in valve drives for technical reasons.
According to another preferred embodiment, an accommodation, which extends axially and in which the actuator element, which is preferably embodied as switch rod, is accommodated in an axially adjustable manner, is embodied in the actuator housing. The actuator element can be realized in a permanently mechanically stable manner, while nonetheless being capable of being displaced relative to the actuator housing in this way.
Advantageously, the accommodation can comprise two passage openings, which are arranged on opposite axial front sides of the actuator housing. The actuator element or the switch rod, respectively, hereby engages through the two passage openings, so that the actuator element or the switch rod, respectively, protrudes axially from the actuator housing with the two axial end sections, as required for cooperating with the engagement elements.
In a further advantageous further development, the actuator element, which is preferably embodied as switch rod, in each case has a ramp in the first and second axial end section or in each case tapers axially away from the actuator housing in the first and second end section. Both measures facilitate the adjustment of the respective engagement element from the inactive position into the switching position by means of mechanical contact with the corresponding ramp-like or tapering axial end section, respectively.
In another advantageous further development, the actuator is embodied as electromagnetic actuator. Such an actuator, which is based on magnetic interaction, allows for a particularly accurate adjustment of the actuator element during the operation of the valve drive. In this further development, the electromechanical actuator comprises a field coil, which is stationarily arranged in the actuator housing and to which power can be supplied, for creating a magnetic field. Provision is further made on the actuator element for a magnetic body of a magnetic material for cooperating with the magnetic field of the field coil. In an alternative variation, the field coil can be arranged on the actuator element and the magnetic body on the actuator housing.
According to a further preferred embodiment, a pretensioning element, preferably a resilient element, which pretensions the actuator element towards the first or second actuator position by generating a pretensioning force, is arranged in the actuator housing. In the case of a failure of the field coil, such a pretensioning element ensures that the actuator is independently adjusted into the first or second actuator position, respectively. A fail-safe function is realized in the actuator in this way.
In an advantageous further development, a magnetic element, which, by means of magnetic interaction with the magnetic body, permanently generates a magnetic force, which is opposite to the pretensioning force and which is smaller than the pretensioning force, is arranged in the actuator housing. Compared to embodiments without such a magnetic element, the field coil thus only needs to generate a magnetic field with reduced field strength, so that the power supply can be reduced as well.
Further important features and advantages of the invention follow from the subclaims, from the drawings, and from the corresponding figure description by means of the drawings.
It goes without saying that the above-mentioned features and the features, which will be described below, cannot only be used in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without leaving the scope of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail in the description below.
In each case schematically
The adjusting device 4 further comprises an adjustable first engagement element 6a, which cooperates with a first sliding guide 7a, which is provided on the cam shaft 2, for axially adjusting the cam follower 3 from the first into the second position. The adjusting device 4 likewise comprises an adjustable second engagement element 6b, which cooperates with a second sliding guide 7b, which is provided on the cam shaft 2, for adjusting the cam follower 3 from the second into the first position.
Both of the two engagement elements 6a, 6b are arranged on the roller bolt 30 of the cam follower 3. The first engagement element 6a as well as the second engagement element 6b can in each case be adjusted between a switching position, in which the engagement element 6a, 6b cooperates with the corresponding sliding guide 7a, 7b, and an inactive position, in which this cooperation is eliminated. In the example scenario, the two engagement elements 6a, 6b can be adjusted along an adjusting direction V perpendicular to the axial direction A for this purpose (see arrow P2). In the switching position, the respective engagement element 6a, 6b engages with the corresponding sliding guide 7a, 7b. In the inactive position, the respective engagement element 6a, 6b is arranged at a distance to the corresponding sliding guide 7a, 7b. In addition, the adjusting device 4 comprises a joint actuator 8 for selectively adjusting the first or second engagement element 6a, 6b from the inactive position into the switching position.
According to
The adjusting of the cam follower 3 from the first position shown in
The adjusting of the cam follower 3 from the non-illustrated second position into the first position occurs as follows: The actuator element 10 or the switch rod 13, respectively, is adjusted into the second actuator position (not shown). When the actuator 8 is adjusted in the second actuator position, the cam follower 3 is pushed with the engagement element 6b against the second axial end section 12b or the second element section 11b, respectively, of the actuator element 10 as a result of the lifting movement generated by the cam shaft 2 and is adjusted into the switching position in this way, in which the second engagement element 6b engages with the second sliding guide 7b. The second sliding guide 7b is thereby embodied in such a way that the cam follower 3 is adjusted into the first position by the engagement element 6b by means of the rotation of the cam shaft 2 with the second sliding guide 7b.
According to
As is shown in the schematic illustration of the actuator 8 in
As can also be seen in
By providing power to the field coil 20, the actuator element 10 or the switch rod 13, respectively, is moved into the first actuator position shown in
In addition, a magnetic element 23 of a magnetic material, which permanently generates a magnetic force FM opposite to the pretensioning force Fv as a result of magnetic interaction with the magnetic body 21, can be arranged in the actuator housing 9. The magnetic element 23 can for example be a permanent magnet or can consist of a ferromagnetic material. The magnetic element 23 and the magnetic body 21 are matched to one another and are arranged in the actuator housing 9 in such a way that the magnetic element 23 and the magnetic body 21 attract magnetically. The magnetic element 23, in cooperation with the magnetic body 21, thus supports a movement of the actuator element 10 into the first actuator position. The magnetic force FM generated by the magnetic element 23 is thereby smaller than the pretensioning force Fv. The magnetic field generated by the field coil 20 can thus be reduced to overcome the pretensioning force Fv, which is generated by the pretensioning element 22, so that the power supply to the field coil 20 can be reduced as well.
The actuator 8 can optionally be equipped with an additional field coil 24, which is only suggested roughly schematically in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2017 205 538 | Mar 2017 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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10329963 | Altherr | Jun 2019 | B2 |
20110126786 | Kidooka et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
19945340 | Mar 2001 | DE |
102011076726 | May 2012 | DE |
202015009047 | Aug 2016 | DE |
2013-253482 | Dec 2013 | JP |
2003083269 | Oct 2003 | WO |
Entry |
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Rempke, Volker, et al., Mechanische Bauelemente Und Baugruppen, Veb Verlag Technik Berlin. |
English abstract for DE-202015009047. |
English abstract for DE-19945340. |
English abstract for DE-102011076726. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180283226 A1 | Oct 2018 | US |