Internal-combustion engines – Poppet valve operating mechanism – Electrical system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-02-13
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3748)
Internal-combustion engines
Poppet valve operating mechanism
Electrical system
C123S090330
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186100
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electromechanically actuated valves for an internal combustion engine, and more specifically relates to intake and exhaust valve assemblies used in the internal combustion engine.
b) Description of the Related Art
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. Heisei 9-256825 published on Sep. 30, 1997 exemplifies previously proposed intake and exhaust valve assemblies for an internal combustion engine.
In the previously proposed intake and exhaust valve assemblies, an armature integrally linked to each valve axle portion of the corresponding one of the intake and exhaust valves is operated by a cooperation operation of a pair of electromagnets, one electromagnet being energized to direct the valve axle portion in a valve open direction and the other electromagnet being energized to direct the valve axle portion in a valve close direction and both electromagnets being disposed in an actuator housing so as to be faced against upper and lower planes of the armature, respectively, and a pair of spring members, one spring member biasing the valve axle portion of the corresponding one of the intake and exhaust valves in the valve close direction. Consequently, each of the intake and exhaust valve can be opened or closed according to either electromagnetic force exerted by the one or the other of the pair of electromagnets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
During an engine stop state in which the pair of electromagnets are de-energized (viz. no power supply is received by both of the pair of electromagnets), each of the intake and exhaust valves is open in an intermediate lift state. Hence, it is necessary to initialize each valve assembly (viz., initialization operation) in such a manner that the pair of electromagnets are alternatingly energized or de-energized for each of the intake and exhaust valves to be opened once or to be closed once when the engine is started.
An engine oil is supplied in a mist form as a lubricating oil in each valve assembly. However, if a viscosity of the engine oil stuck to a slide portion of each movable member of the corresponding valve assemblies indicate high during a cold engine start, a friction on the slide portion of each movable member in the corresponding one of the valve assemblies is so high that a power consumption of a vehicular battery becomes increased.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved valve assembly for an internal combustion engine which can raise the temperature of the engine oil for lubrication supplied to the slide portion of each movable member of the valve assembly prior to the initialization operation of the valve assembly when the engine is started during a cold condition (so-called, during an engine cold start) so as to enable the reduction of the viscosity of the engine oil, thus the friction during the initialization operation being reduced and the power consumption of the vehicular battery being saved.
The above-described object can be achieved by providing an engine valve assembly for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head, the engine valve assembly comprising: an engine valve having a valve head portion and a valve axle portion, the valve axle being slidably mounted within the cylinder head; an armature having an armature axle portion linked to the valve axle portion of the engine valve; an actuator housing assembled onto the cylinder head; an electromagnetic actuator disposed within the actuator housing and having a pair of first and second electromagnets, each of the first and second electromagnets being vertically extended with respect to an axis direction of the armature axle portion and being contacted on the actuator housing; and a pair of first and second spring members, the first spring member biasing the engine valve toward a valve open direction and the second spring member biasing the engine valve toward a valve closure direction so that the engine valve is open and closed according to a cooperation of forces exerted by the pair of first and second electromagnets and the pair of first and second spring members, the actuator housing taking an engine oil structure having at least one oil passage through which an engine oil external to the valve assembly is supplied to the actuator housing and at least one oil outlet hole through which the engine oil in the oil passage is caused to flow onto a slidable portion of movable members of the valve assembly of the valve axle portion of the engine valve and the armature and taking an oil heating structure, the oil heating structure being enabled to heat the oil within the oil passage due to a heat transfer action thereof by means of a simultaneous power supply to the pair of first and second electromagnets before an initialization operation of the valve assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5611303 (1997-03-01), Izuo
patent: 5645019 (1997-07-01), Liang et al.
patent: 5720242 (1998-02-01), Izuo
patent: 5730091 (1998-03-01), Diehl et al.
patent: 5832883 (1998-11-01), Bae
patent: 9-256825 (1997-09-01), None
Foley & Lardner
Lo Weilun
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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