Internal-combustion engines – Poppet valve operating mechanism – With means for varying timing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2004-05-11
Denion, Thomas (Department: 3748)
Internal-combustion engines
Poppet valve operating mechanism
With means for varying timing
C123S090390, C123S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732686
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a valve opening mechanism which is distinct from conventional valve opening mechanisms in that it is constituted so as to be capable of opening an engine valve with suitable timing by the means of a rocker arm.
BACKGROUND ART
The compression pressure release type of engine braking, which is constituted so that it releases pressure within a combustion chamber that has been raised by the movement of pistons through the opening of an exhaust valve in the proximity of top dead center compression, and magnifies engine braking power by diminishing the energy that drives the pistons downward in an expansion stroke, is generally known.
FIGS. 1 through 3
 represent examples of the conventional compression pressure release type of engine braking. In 
FIG. 1
, the number 
1
 identifies the cylinder, 
2
 the combustion chamber, 
3
 the piston, 
4
 the exhaust valve, and 
5
 the exhaust port, respectively, and they are configured so that the base extremity is thrown upward by a push rod 
6
 and both exhaust values 
4
 are pushed downward and opened through the use of the cross head by the tip of an inclining exhaust rocker arm 
7
, and exhaust gas is scavenged from the combustion chamber 
2
 toward the exhaust port 
5
.
Then, when both exhaust values 
4
 are pushed downward and opened through the use of the cross head 
8
 by the tip of the above-mentioned exhaust rocker arm 
7
, the tip of the above-mentioned exhaust rocker arm 
7
 pushes downward on the master piston 
12
 provided in the upper portion of the housing 
11
, a separate slave piston 
14
 in the upper part of the housing 
11
 is driven downward by the generation of pressure in the oil line 
13
 which protrudes into the interior of the above-mentioned housing 
11
 and, through the use of an actuator pin 
15
 installed on one side of the cross head 
8
, an exhaust valve 
4
 on one side is positioned so that it can be pushed downward independently by the said slave piston 
14
.
Namely, through the action of the master piston 
12
 in a separate cylinder 
1
 that constitutes an exhaust stroke, a cross linkage coinciding with the stroke timing is established by the oil line 
13
 between the slave piston 
14
 of the cylinder 
1
 and the master piston 
12
 such that the slave piston 
14
 in the cylinder 
1
 which is in proximity to top dead center compression is driven, and it is designed in such a way that operating oil 
18
 (engine oil) is supplied through the use of a solenoid valve 
16
 and a control valve 
17
, which constitutes a means of supplying operating oil that switches back and forth between the sustaining and release of oil pressure in the said oil line 
13
.
At this point, the solenoid valve 
16
 effects the supply of operating oil 
18
 by means of a control signal 
20
 from a control device 
19
, and the control valve 
17
 functions as a check valve so that oil pressure in the above-mentioned oil line 
13
 is sustained when the solenoid valve 
16
 is in a open state, and also serves to release oil pressure in the above-mentioned oil line 
13
 when the solenoid valve 
16
 is in a closed state.
Namely, it is constituted so that, with the solenoid valve 
16
, the supply of operating oil 
18
 is effected by the plate 
22
 and pin 
23
 pushing downward on the ball 
24
 when the coil 
21
 is in energized state, and the supply of operating oil 
18
 is blocked by the ball 
24
 being pushed upward by the spring 
25
 when the coil is in an unenergized state, and also so that, through the use of the control valve 
17
, the spool 
26
 is pushed upward by oil pressure when the solenoid valve 
16
 is in an open state and the transport of operating oil 
18
 is effected only in the direction of the above-mentioned oil line 
13
 due to a ball 
27
 provided inside the said spool 
26
, and oil pressure is released toward the relief outlet 
29
 by the spool 
26
 being pushed downward by the spring 
28
 when the solenoid valve 
16
 is in a closed state.
FIG. 2
 illustrates a design configuration for multiple cylinders exemplified in the case of a tandem 6-cylinder engine. Only Cylinder #
1
 (
1
), Cylinder #
2
 (
1
), and Cylinder #
3
 (
1
) are depicted, and they are constituted such that the opening action of the exhaust valve 
4
 in proximity to top dead center compression in Cylinder #
1
 (
1
) is taken by the exhaust push rod 
6
 of Cylinder #
3
 (
1
), the opening action of the exhaust valve 
4
 in proximity to top dead center compression in Cylinder #
2
 (
1
) is taken by the exhaust push rod 
6
 of Cylinder #
1
 (
1
), the opening action of the exhaust valve 
4
 in proximity to top dead center compression in Cylinder #
3
 (
1
) is taken by the exhaust push rod 
6
 of Cylinder #
2
 (
1
). More specifically, they are arranged so that the exhaust valve 
4
 on one side can be opened in proximity to top dead center compression by driving the slave piston 
14
 of each cylinder with the use of the oil line 
13
 by means of the action of the master piston 
12
 using the exhaust rocker arm 
7
 (not shown in 
FIG. 2
) on the basis of the exhaust push rod 
6
 of each cylinder.
Furthermore, as 
9
 in the diagram is an inlet push rod and 
10
 is an intake valve, it is needless to say that the said intake valve 
10
 is opened by means of an intake rocker arm (not shown) which is moved at an angle by the inlet push rod 
9
 during an intake stroke.
Therefore, as the control valve 
17
 functions as a check valve and closes the oil line 
13
 if the solenoid valve 
16
 is opened by a control signal 
20
 from the control device 
19
, in the event that Cylinder #
1
 (
1
), Cylinder #
2
 (
1
), and Cylinder #
3
 (
1
), respectively, reach proximity to the pressure top dead center with a different timing, as is indicated in Diagram 
3
, the master piston 
12
 is pushed downward by the exhaust rocker arm 
7
 with an upward thrust of the exhaust push rod 
6
 for the purpose of opening an exhaust valve 
4
 in a separate cylinder during an exhaust stroke, thus creating pressure in the oil line 
13
. Since the slave piston 
14
 of the cylinder 
1
 in proximity to the pressure top dead center is driven and an exhaust valve 
4
 on one side is opened, compressed air from the combustion chamber 
2
 escapes into the exhaust port 
5
 and the creation of capacity to push the piston 
3
 downward during the next expansion stroke is lost, thus making it possible to take effective advantage of the braking capacity achieved in the compression stroke.
Moreover, in 
FIG. 3
 (identical for FIG. 
9
 and 
FIG. 11
, to be referenced later), the vertical axis represents lift (lifting range) and the horizontal axis represents the angle of rotation of the camshaft in Cylinder #
1
, while the “&Dgr;” figures in the diagram indicate top dead center compression in each cylinder, the curves in the solid lines indicate lift in the exhaust valve 
4
 in each cylinder, and the curves in the dotted lines indicate the lift in the intake valve 
10
 (in Cylinder #
1
, for example, a 0°~180° angle of rotation of the camshaft constitutes a explosive stroke,180°~360° an exhaust stroke, 360°~540° an intake stroke, and 540°~720° a compression stroke, while the phases are shifted with top dead center compression as the origin.)
If the solenoid valve 
16
 is closed by a control signal 
20
 from the control device 
19
, oil pressure in the oil line 
13
 is released by the control valve 
17
, and as pressure is not generated inside the oil line 
13
, the slave piston 
14
 ceases to be driven and the exhaust valve 
4
 is opened by normal valve opening operation only during an exhaust stroke and no longer is opened in proximity to top dead center compression.
In implementing the use of this compression pressure release form of engine braking, especially in the case of an OHV type engine as illustrated in 
FIG. 1
, the actuator pin 
15
 is through mounted on the side of the cross head 
8
, facing in a vertical direction, and is configured in such a way that only an exhaust valve 
4
 on one side is opened b
Maeda Yoshihide
Meistrick Zdenek
Torisaka Hisaki
Collier Shannon Scott PLLC
Corrigan Jaime
Denion Thomas
Diesel Engine Retarders, Inc.
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