V-shaped internal combustion engine

Details V-shaped internal combustion engine V-shaped internal combustion engine

1999-11-19

2001-09-18

Denion, Thomas (Department: 3748)

Internal-combustion engines

Poppet valve operating mechanism

With means for varying timing

C123S090120, C123S090160, C123S090170, C251S030010, C251S033000, C137S119030, C137S119040

Reexamination Certificate

active

06289859

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure of a V-shaped internal combustion engine comprising a hydraulic pressure control device with respect to the disposition of a hydraulic pressure control valve.
In addition, the present invention also relates to a spool valve body structure comprising a hydraulic pressure controlling spool valve, and more particularly to a spool valve body structure adapted to be mounted on an internal combustion engine which comprises a hydraulic pressure controlling spool valve for controlling the supply of oil introduced under a predetermined hydraulic pressure to required portions via a spool valve.
In the case of a V-shaped internal combustion engine in which banks of cylinders are V-shaped relative to each other, it is the common practice to utilize a space between the V-shaped banks of cylinders for disposition of an intake manifold.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-71315 discloses a V-shaped internal combustion engine comprising a variable valve timing control device in which a hydraulic pressure control valve is provided on a cylinder block.
The hydraulic pressure control device in the disclosed patent is disposed substantially at the center of a cylinder block in a direction of a crankshaft between the V-shaped banks of cylinders in such a manner as to protrude therefrom, and an intake manifold is disposed above the hydraulic pressure control valve.
Therefore, the intake manifold has to be disposed so as to avoid any interference with the hydraulic pressure control valve disposed between the V-shaped banks of cylinders, and this results in an increase in the height of the intake manifold by a distance which the hydraulic pressure control valve protrudes from the cylinder block, leading to the enlargement of the internal combustion engine.
In addition, the hydraulic pressure control valve resides between the V-shaped banks of cylinders and is covered with the intake manifold thereabove, this making it difficult to service the hydraulic pressure control valve for maintenance.
On the other hand, an example of conventional spool valve body structures is shown in
FIG. 11
which has formed therein a spool valve chamber in which a spool valve is slidably received and an oil introduction chamber communicating with the spool valve chamber via a communication passage. This spool valve body
131
is mounted at an end of a cylinder block in a direction of a crankshaft which block is located between banks of cylinders of a V-shaped internal combustion engine which are laid out in a V-shaped fashion or V-shaped and provided in a valve mechanism for opening and closing intake valves and exhaust valves of the internal combustion engine for use in a hydraulic pressure control device for controlling hydraulic pressures for a variable valve timing switching mechanism for varying actuation timings and lift distances of the valves in response to running conditions of the internal combustion engine (for instance the revolutions of the internal combustion engine).
In this conventional spool valve body structure, the spool valve chamber
132
is formed downwardly from an upper surface of the spool valve body
131
as a bottomed hole having a uniformly circular cross-section. In addition the oil introduction passage
133
is formed upwardly from a lower surface of the spool valve body
131
as a bottomed hole having an axis which is parallel with an axis of the spool valve chamber
132
and a circular cross-section. When mounting the spool valve body on the internal combustion engine, the oil introduction passage
131
is connected to a main gallery formed in the cylinder block of the engine, and oil sent under pressure by an oil pump is supplied into this oil introduction passage
133
. Furthermore, a controlling hydraulic pressure passage
134
open to the oil introduction passage
133
is formed downwardly from the upper surface of the spool valve body
131
.
On the other hand, three vertically spaced-away lateral holes
161
,
162
,
163
are formed as a hole as cast in a side
131
b
of the spool valve body
131
. The depth of the upper and middle lateral holes
161
,
162
reaches a portion slightly beyond the spool valve changer
132
. Of these two holes the upper lateral hole
161
constitutes a relief opening for relieving oil in order to relieve a high pressure supplied to the variable valve timing switching mechanism. The middle lateral hole
162
constitutes a working hydraulic pressure supply opening
162
for actuating the variable valve timing switching mechanism. Furthermore, the working hydraulic pressure supply opening
162
and the controlling hydraulic pressure passage
134
are caused to communicate with each other via a first orifice
131
a.
The depth of the lower lateral hole
163
reaches a portion slightly beyond the oil introduction passage
133
, and this lower lateral hole
163
is intended to constitute a communication passage
164
for establishing a communication between the spool valve chamber
132
and the oil introduction passage
133
, an open portion thereof being closed with a plug.
The spool valve
136
is slidably received in the spool valve chamber
132
. This spool valve
136
has three lands; an upper land
136
b;
a middle land
136
c;
and a lower land
136
d,
and formed in the spool valve chamber
132
are a first annular chamber
132
a
partitioned by the upper land
136
b
and the middle land
136
c
and a second annular chamber
132
b
partitioned by the middle land
136
c
and the lower land
136
d.
A hole
136
e
is formed in the spool valve
136
which is open at a lower end and has a ceiling portion at an upper end thereof. This hole
136
e
has a stepped portion such that a portion corresponding to the lower land
136
d
constitutes a large-diameter portion and the remaining portion constitutes a small-diameter portion. A spring
137
is provided in the large-diameter portion of the hole
136
e
between the bottom of the spool valve chamber
132
and the stepped portion for biassing the spool valve upwardly. In addition, a second orifice
136
a
is formed in the ceiling portion which is open to the upper surface of the spool valve
136
. Furthermore, the first annular chamber
132
a
is caused to communicate with the hole
136
e
via a communication passage
136
f.
When a high hydraulic pressure is not applied to the upper surface of the spool valve
136
, the spool valve
136
is situated at an upper position shown in
FIG. 11-B
by virtue of the biassing force of the spring
137
, and therefore the communication passage
164
is closed by the lower land
136
b,
the first orifice
131
a
is caused to communicate with the second annular chamber
132
b,
the relief opening
161
is caused to communicate with the first and second annular chambers
132
a,
132
b,
and the working hydraulic pressure supply opening
162
is caused to communicate with the second annular chamber
132
b.
On the other hand, when a high hydraulic pressure is applied to the upper surface of the spool valve
136
, the spool valve is moved to a lower position against the biassing force of the spring
137
, and in this state, the communication passage
164
and first orifice
131
a
are caused to communicate with the second annular chamber
132
b,
the relief opening
161
is caused to communicate only with the first annular chamber
132
a,
and the working hydraulic pressure supply opening
162
is caused to communicate with the second annular chamber
132
b.
An electromagnetic valve body
150
is mounted on the upper surface of the spool valve body
131
. Formed in this electromagnetic valve body
150
are an inlet passage
152
communicating with the controlling hydraulic pressure passage
134
and an outlet passage
153
communicating with the open end of the spool valve chamber
132
of the spool valve body
131
for supplying hydraulic pressures for application to the upper surface of the spool valve
136
. When excited, a valve body
154
of the electromagnetic valve
151
is construc

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