The present invention relates to a valve stem seal that is intended to seal off a valve stem in an internal combustion engine against a cylinder head, wherein the valve stem seal is further combined with a valve rotating device that rotates the valve by a small angle about its longitudinal axis on each actuation.
Valve stem seals are used on the one hand to prevent oil passing through the gap between the valve stem and the valve guide into the intake duct or the exhaust duct of the engine and being burnt there, resulting in oil being wasted and exhaust limit values being adversely affected. Valve stem seals are also intended to prevent combustion gases passing via the exhaust duct and the gap between the valve stem and the valve guide into the cylinder head, where they contaminate the oil or increase a pressure in the oil circuit.
Valve stem seals per se are already known from various applications. Valve stem seals are used to protect the intake duct and the exhaust duct in the cylinder head from the ingress of oil into the intake tract and exhaust tract and to protect the oil circuit from contamination from the intake tract and exhaust tract. Usually, flaps are provided here, which are attached to the valve guides and press a seal against a valve stem. The most important object consists in preventing oil in the cylinder head from passing into the engine or combustion chamber in upright engines.
Likewise known are valve rotating devices, which are based on a combination of balls, springs and sloping planes and are preferably arranged at an upper end of a valve. Valve rotating devices with a spring design are likewise known. These are usually combinations of a disc spring with multiple rolling elements that roll on sloping planes and rotate the valve a little about the stem axis of the valve stem when the valve opens, so that the valve disc is rotated by a few degrees relative to the valve seat on every opening, as a result of which one-sided wear of the valve seat and the valve disc is prevented. The conventional valve rotating device is usually attached at the top in the region of the valve
spring disc. Further types of valve rotating devices are known in the form of Rotocoil™ or else Rotocap™ valve rotating devices.
The present invention is based on the object of improving a component, which was previously intended only for a single problem, to the extent that multiple partial problems can be solved simultaneously with said component.
The present invention makes it possible to combine previously separate components in one unit and thus to reduce outlay on storage, handling and installation in internal combustion engines. The manufacturing outlay will be below the combined manufacturing outlay for the individual parts. An increased integration of the components can be achieved here, which additionally allows savings in materials and resources.
A valve rotating device having a valve stem seal is provided. The valve rotating device comprises a cylinder head rest, which is intended to bear against or lie on a cylinder head. The valve rotating device further comprises a spring rest, which is intended to bear against at least one valve spring and support it in the direction of the cylinder head during operation. The valve rotating device is designed to rotate the spring rest relative to the cylinder head rest during operation, in particular when the valve is actuated, in particular when the valve opens. The rotation of the at least one valve spring on a base causes this rotation to be transmitted to a valve stem end via a spring disc bearing against the top of the spring. When the valve opens, the valve is rotated about the valve stem, because the valve disc lifts off from the valve seat of the cylinder head and is no longer blocked in the rotation direction by a force fit. The valve rotating device is characterized in that a valve stem seal is attached to the cylinder head rest of the valve rotating device and is designed to bear against a valve stem and seal same during rotational and axial movements of the valve and valve stem.
In the basic design, the valve rotating device is only provided with a seal on the valve stem but not with a seal opposite a valve guide or the cylinder head. The sealing effect in this case is achieved simply by a certain viscosity of the engine oil between the cylinder head rest and the cylinder head in combination with the spring force of the valve spring pressing the cylinder head rest onto the cylinder head. In this case, a static sealing effect can also be achieved without a separate seal as long as the gap dimensions, surface quality and the pressing force from the valve spring are sufficient.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the valve rotating device, it comprises another seal, which is designed to seal off the cylinder head rest in the axial direction; this seal can also be referred to as a cylinder head rest seal. In this case, an axial seal can be provided, which seals an underside of the cylinder head rest against the cylinder head. In this case, the entire underside of the cylinder head rest can be provided with a thin elastomer layer or an elastomer coating, for example. A relatively small pressing force can be used to achieve a sufficient sealing effect without the need for a particularly complicated sealing geometry or a particularly elaborate sealing lip. It is likewise possible to introduce or inlay a seal acting in the axial direction in a corresponding depression or groove in an underside of the cylinder head rest, with which a higher surface pressure and a compression limit of the seal can be achieved easily.
A special form of this seal can be designed as a seal that is effective in the axial direction and acts in the axial direction against an end face of a valve stem guide. This embodiment has the advantage that the valve stem seal and the seal acting on the end face of the valve stem guide or the valve stem guide end face seal can be formed integrally. Furthermore, this embodiment allows a very small sealing space to be produced, as a result of which the space between the valve stem seal and the valve stem guide end face seal can be kept very small so that a counterpressure builds up very rapidly in this space, so that a fluid flows upwards between the valve stem and the valve stem guide from an exhaust duct or an intake duct. This is a simple and compact embodiment of the present invention, which seals off the gap both from the valve stem and from the cylinder head. In this case, the force of the valve spring helps to achieve a sufficient sealing effect, while a desired defined compression of the seal can be achieved via a distance from a contact face.
In an additional exemplary embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, it further comprises a seal designed to seal off the cylinder head rest against a lateral face of a valve stem guide. The seal can also be referred to as a valve stem guide lateral face seal. Here, the seal is designed as a radial seal, which in addition to this can be designed to center the cylinder head rest in relation to the valve stem guide. The layout makes it possible to achieve a desired compression of the seal very easily. This embodiment can also be combined with the valve stem guide end face seal.
An additional embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal also comprises a seal designed to seal off the cylinder head rest radially to the outside. This outer radial seal can be used when depressions are provided in the cylinder head for bearing against the valve springs or the valve rotating devices. This embodiment has the advantage that the seal can center the cylinder head rest very easily relative to the valve stem even with relatively small dimensions. It is likewise possible to implement this embodiment by means of an O-ring, which is inserted into a corresponding groove in an outer face of the valve rotating device or the cylinder head rest of the valve rotating device.
In another exemplary embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, the rotating device comprises at least one disc spring, rolling elements and springs and at least one rolling or sliding bearing. These components are conventionally provided in valve rotating devices. The rolling elements are usually arranged on a sloping plane and can roll against a spring rest and rotate it further by an angle range on actuation. It is also possible for rolling elements that only execute a tilting movement to be provided.
In a further embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, a spring rest face of the spring rest is provided with an anti-rotation means for the valve spring. Preferably, an associated valve spring disc for fastening to the valve stem end is likewise provided with an anti-rotation means for the valve spring. This can ensure that the rotation produced by the valve rotating device is also actually transmitted to the valve. In this embodiment, a situation can be excluded in which the valve spring slips relative to the spring rest or the valve disc and only the spring rest or the valve spring but not the valve itself is rotated.
The above-described embodiments relate to a valve rotating device that is arranged between the cylinder head and the valve spring. In the following, embodiments that are arranged between the valve spring and a valve stem end are mainly described. In this case, the designations valve spring disc and valve stem fastening are used instead of spring rest and cylinder head rest.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a valve rotating device having a valve stem seal is provided wherein a valve rotating device is provided with a spring rest or a spring disc and a valve stem fastening. The valve stem fastening is designed to be fastened to a valve stem end during operation, for example with collets, wherein this connection is intended to be frictional or force-fitting, preferably even form-fitting, in the circumferential direction. The valve rotating device is designed to rotate the valve stem fastening relative to the spring disc during operation. The valve rotating device is provided on the valve stem fastening of the valve rotating device with a valve stem seal, which is designed to form a seal against a valve stem. In this embodiment, only the valve stem fastening is intended to be sealed off against a valve stem. In the basic design, for example, the connection between the valve stem fastening and the valve stem can thus be improved. The valve stem seal can in this case be designed as a static seal, since no movements are supposed to occur between the valve stem fastening and the valve stem.
In a further embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, it further comprises a seal designed to seal off the valve stem fastening against a lateral face of a valve stem guide. This seal can also be referred to below as a valve stem guide seal. In this case, the seal is designed as a radial seal, which allows displacement both in the axial direction and in the circumferential direction. The movement of the valve stem fastening relative to the cylinder head must in this case be absorbed by the valve stem guide seal. The valve stem guide seal can be designed in contrast as a radial inner seal or as a radial outer seal.
In the embodiment as a radial inner seal, the valve stem guide seal encloses the valve stem guide from the outside and slides up and down against this outer face. This can require a type of bushing or a tube attachment on the valve stem fastening. In this case, the length and the shape of the valve stem guides of the engine should be adapted to this type of sealing.
In the embodiment as a radial outer seal, the valve stem guide seal should act on a lengthened tube attachment on the valve stem guide and seal the latter inwards. However, this embodiment requires the use of adapted valve stem guides that have a circular cylindrical outer face in the region of the sealing but has the advantage that the seal can be designed to lie closer to a valve axis, since the valve stem guides can be formed with a smaller wall thickness in the region of the seal.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a valve rotating device having a valve stem seal is provided, wherein a valve rotating device is provided with a spring rest or a spring disc and a valve stem fastening. The valve stem fastening is designed to be fastened to a valve stem end during operation, for example with collets, wherein this connection is intended to be frictional or force-fitting, preferably even form-fitting. The valve rotating device is designed to rotate the valve stem fastening relative to the spring disc during operation. The valve rotating device is provided on the spring disc with a valve stem seal, which is designed to form a seal against a valve stem. In this embodiment, only the spring rest is intended to be sealed against a valve stem. In the basic design, for example, the connection between the spring rest and the valve stem can thus be improved. The valve stem seal is used here substantially as a radial shaft seal, which must absorb rotational movements and small axial movements. In this case, the valve stem seal seals off the rotational movements of the valve. The valve stem seal must likewise be able to absorb the axial part of the working stroke of the valve rotating device but not of the entire valve. Here, the valve stem seal can easily be arranged so as to displace in the axial direction in order to allow a seal relative to radial movements between the spring rest and the valve stem.
In a further embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, it further comprises a seal designed to seal off the spring rest against a lateral face of a valve stem guide. This seal can also be referred to below as a valve stem guide seal. In this case, the seal is designed as a radial seal, which must allow displacement in the axial direction only. In this case, the movement of the spring rest relative to the cylinder head must be absorbed by the valve stem guide seal, which corresponds substantially to the entire valve stroke. The valve stem guide seal can be designed as a radial inner seal or as a radial outer seal, wherein the radial seal that bears against the outer face of the valve guide is preferred.
In the embodiment as a radial inner seal, the valve stem guide seal encloses the valve stem guide from the outside and slides up and down against this outer face. This can require a type of bushing or a tube attachment on the valve stem fastening.
In the embodiment as a radial outer seal, the valve stem guide seal should act on a widened tube attachment on the valve stem guide and seal the latter inwards. However, this embodiment requires the use of adapted valve stem guides but has the advantage that the seal can be designed to lie closer to a valve axis.
This embodiment allows the two seal components to be separated so that a simple radial shaft seal can be combined with an axial movement seal.
In an additional embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, the valve stem seal is provided with at least one spring that presses the valve stem seal radially inwards against a valve stem in order to improve the sealing effect of the valve stem seal. This spring can also be referred to as a valve stem seal spring and can be designed for example as a tubular spring. By means of the tubular spring, a constant sealing effect can be achieved largely independently of a current operating temperature. The valve stem seal spring can be manufactured from a metal such as steel, with which a radial force largely independent of the operating temperature can be generated even in cases in which an elastomer or a rubber material would exhibit a temperature-induced decrease in strength. In an additional embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, the valve stem seal is provided with at least one spring that presses the valve guide seal radially inwards against a lateral face of a valve guide in order to improve the sealing effect of the valve stem seal. This spring can also be referred to as a valve guide seal spring and can be designed as a tubular spring. By means of the tubular spring, a constant sealing effect can be achieved largely independently of a current operating temperature. The valve stem seal spring can be manufactured from a metal such as steel, with which a radial force largely independent of the operating temperature can be generated even in cases in which an elastomer or a rubber material would exhibit a temperature-induced decrease in strength.
In a further embodiment of the valve rotating device with valve stem seal, a spring rest face of the spring rest or that of the spring disc is provided with an anti-rotation means for the valve spring. Preferably, an associated valve spring disc for fastening to the valve stem end or a corresponding rest face of the valve spring on the cylinder head is likewise provided with an anti-rotation means. This can ensure that the rotation produced by the valve rotating device is also actually transmitted to the valve. In this embodiment, a situation can be excluded in which the valve spring slips relative to the spring rest or the valve disc and only the spring rest or the valve spring but not the valve itself is rotated.
The present invention is illustrated below using schematic diagrams, which are not to scale, of different exemplary embodiments.
In the FIGURES, only the sectional plane itself is shown for all elements with the exception of the sloping planes and the valve spring, as a result of which a clearer view of the rotationally symmetrical components is achieved.
The same or similar reference signs are used both in the FIGURES and in the description to refer to the same or similar components or elements. Therefore, to keep the description concise, not all the elements in all the FIGURES are described individually if their function has already been described in a previous figure.
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The invention can be practiced otherwise than described in the above embodiments which are specific examples which are descriptive rather than limiting in nature. The invention is defined in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102021106307.8 | Mar 2021 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/081803 | 11/16/2021 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2022/194407 | 9/22/2022 | WO | A |
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20240141810 A1 | May 2024 | US |