DE102020123950A1 - Rocker arm device and actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a rocker arm device (1), comprising a switchable rocker arm (2) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, with a primary lever (3) and a secondary lever (4) pivotably mounted on this. Between the primary lever (3) and the secondary lever (4) there is a locking mechanism (16) which can be actuated by an actuating element (15) and which, in a first switching state, couples the secondary lever (4) to the primary lever (3) so that they have a common Execute movement, and the secondary lever (4) decoupled from the primary lever (3) in a second switching state, so that the gas exchange valve (7) is not actuated. The locking mechanism (16) is designed in such a way that its direction of actuation is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the switchable rocker arm (2). An actuator (17) is provided for actuating the actuating element (15) for locking and unlocking the locking mechanism (16), the actuator (17) having an actuator drive (20) and an actuator (21) and the actuator (17 ) is designed in such a way that the actuator drive (20) can be arranged above the camshaft (14), while the rocker arm (2) arranged below the camshaft (14) can be switched between a coupled state and a decoupled state of the locking mechanism by means of the actuator (21). (16) is switchable.

Description

The invention relates to a rocker arm device according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and an actuator for actuating a locking mechanism of a switchable rocker arm according to the preamble of patent claim 6.

In the DE 10 2017 101 792 A1 describes a variable valve train of an internal combustion piston engine with at least one functionally identical gas exchange valve per cylinder, the valve lift of which is specified by at least one primary cam and one secondary cam of a camshaft and can be selectively transmitted to at least one assigned gas exchange valve by means of a switchable rocker arm, which has a primary lever and a secondary lever , wherein the respective primary lever is supported with its one end on an associated support element mounted on the housing side and with its other end on the valve stem of the associated gas exchange valve. In addition, the primary lever is in pick-off contact between its two ends with an associated primary cam, while the secondary lever is pivotably mounted on the primary lever, is in pick-off contact with a secondary cam, and can be coupled to the primary lever by means of a coupling element that can be adjusted by an actuating device. The coupling elements of the switchable rocker arms are each designed as a coupling bolt that is guided in an axially movable manner in a transverse bore of the primary lever and can be displaced by means of a shift bolt that is axially movable in a transverse bore of the secondary lever, against the restoring force of a spring element, into an opposite coupling bore of the secondary lever. Each shift pin protrudes from the secondary lever with its axially outer end. The axially outer end of the shift bolt is connected to a rod-shaped connecting element, which in turn is coupled to a shift rod in an adjusting connection. Furthermore, the shift rod is arranged above the respective rocker arm parallel to the associated camshaft, and the shift rod can be longitudinally displaced by means of a linear actuator against the restoring force of a spring element from a rest position into a shift position.

Switchable valve trains of internal combustion piston engines are known in different designs. For example, valve trains of individual cylinders or groups of cylinders of a combustion piston engine can be deactivated by switching off the transmittable valve lift and thus, in conjunction with switching off the fuel injection for the cylinders concerned, the fuel consumption as well as the CO2 and pollutant emissions of the combustion piston engine in partial load operation can be reduced. On the other hand, the time stroke curves that can be transmitted by valve trains of intake and/or exhaust valves of a combustion piston engine can be changed by a stroke switch and thus adapted to the current operating state of the combustion piston engine depending on operating parameters such as engine speed and engine load, whereby the engine power and torque increased and the specific fuel consumption of the internal combustion piston engine can be reduced.
In switchable valve drives, two components of a switchable stroke transmission element that can be displaced or rotated relative to one another are usually provided, one component of which is in adjusting connection with the associated cam of a camshaft and the other component with the valve stem of the associated gas exchange valve. Both components can be coupled to one another or decoupled via a coupling element, which is usually designed as a coupling bolt. In the coupled state, the valve lift of the associated cam is transferred to the gas exchange valve in question, but not in the decoupled state, so that the gas exchange valve then remains closed. The coupling bolt is usually guided in an axially movable manner in a bore of one component and can be displaced into a coupling bore of the other component. The coupling bolt is held in a rest position by means of a spring element and is moved into an actuated position by the application of an actuating force against the restoring force of the spring element and is held there. In the case of valve drives that can be switched off, the rest position of the coupling pin usually corresponds to the coupled state of the components of the stroke transmission element, and the actuating position to the decoupled state of the components. The stroke transmission elements that can be switched off can be cup tappets, roller tappets, rocker arms, rocker arms or supporting elements that can be switched off. In the case of switchable valve drives, at least two components of a switchable stroke transmission element that can be displaced or rotated relative to one another are provided, of which one component is coupled to an associated primary cam of a camshaft with a specific valve lift and to the valve stem of the associated gas exchange valve, and the other component is coupled to an associated The secondary cam of the camshaft is in control connection with a larger valve lift or with an additional lift. Both components can be coupled to one another or decoupled via a coupling element, which is usually designed as a coupling bolt. In the decoupled state, the valve lift of the primary cam is transferred to the relevant gas exchange valve; in the coupled state, on the other hand, the valve lift of the secondary cam is transferred to the gas exchange valve. Here, too, the coupling bolt is usually axially movable in one Bore out of a component and slidable in a coupling bore of the other component. The coupling bolt is held in a rest position by means of a spring element and is moved into an actuated position by the application of an actuating force against the restoring force of the spring element and is held there. In the case of switchable valve drives, the rest position of the coupling bolt usually corresponds to the decoupled state of the components of the stroke transmission element and the actuated position to the coupled state of the components. Such switchable stroke transmission elements are, for example, switchable bucket tappets, switchable rocker arms or switchable rocker arms.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rocker arm device with an alternative actuating mechanism for actuating the locking mechanism for coupling and decoupling the primary and secondary levers of the rocker arm.

This object is achieved by a rocker arm device having the features of patent claim 1 and by an actuator for actuating the locking mechanism of a switchable rocker arm having the features of patent claim 6.

A rocker arm device according to the invention comprises a switchable rocker arm for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, with a primary lever and a secondary lever pivotably mounted on or in the latter, with a contact surface for a gas exchange valve on a first axial end section of the primary lever and a pivot mount on a second axial end section of the primary lever are designed for a support element. The first axial end section of the primary lever and a first end section of the secondary lever are mounted on a common pivot axis. The secondary lever has a secondary lever roller (cam roller) mounted rotatably in the secondary lever for rolling on a first cam section of a camshaft. Furthermore, a locking mechanism that can be actuated via an actuating element is arranged between the primary lever and the secondary lever, which in a first switching state couples the secondary lever to the primary lever so that they carry out a joint (pivoting) movement, and which in a second switching state separates the secondary lever from the primary lever decoupled, so that when the secondary lever is actuated by the camshaft, the primary lever does not follow the movement of the secondary lever and the gas exchange valve is not actuated. The locking mechanism is designed in such a way that its direction of actuation is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the switchable rocker arm. An actuator for actuating the actuating element for locking and unlocking the locking mechanism is provided, the actuator having an actuator drive and an actuator and the actuator being designed in such a way that the actuator drive can be arranged above the camshaft, while the switchable rocker arm arranged below the camshaft can be switched between a coupled state and a decoupled state of the locking mechanism by means of the actuator.
This achieves the advantage that a particularly advantageous arrangement of the actuator drive is made possible, so that a space-saving construction of the actuating mechanism for a switchable rocker arm within the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine is made possible.

An actuator according to the invention for actuating a locking mechanism of a switchable rocker arm for actuating a gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle comprises an actuator drive and an actuator, which can be actuated by means of the actuator drive and thus the locking mechanism between a coupled operating state in which a primary lever with a secondary lever of the switchable Rocker arm is coupled and a decoupled operating state in which this coupling is canceled, can be switched. For this purpose, the actuator is designed in such a way that the actuator drive can be arranged above the camshaft, while the switchable rocker arm arranged below the camshaft can be switched between the coupled state and the decoupled state of the locking mechanism by means of the actuator. This makes it possible to provide an actuator which, with regard to the installation space available within the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, takes up significantly less space than conventional solutions.
With regard to the structural design of the locking mechanism, reference is made at this point to the unpublished EN 10 2020 120 100.1 referenced and their entire disclosure content included in the disclosure content of this application.

First, the individual elements of the claimed subject matter of the invention are explained in the order in which they are mentioned in the set of claims, and particularly preferred configurations of the subject matter of the invention are described below.

A rocker arm or rocker arm is usually a cast solid part or made of metal formed sheet metal body formed. The rocker arm is part of a rocker arm arrangement, which in turn is part of a valve train of an internal combustion engine. The rocker arm is pivoted about an axis on a stationary bearing assembly. The bearing point within the rocker arm body lies between two opposite free ends of the rocker arm, with one end of the rocker arm being connected to a valve stem of an intake or exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine and the other end of the rocker arm being connected to a valve drive, such as a push rod driven by a cam , works together.
A rocker arm (also known as a rocker arm) is a lever used in internal combustion engines to transfer cam movements from the camshaft to the intake or exhaust valves.
The rocker arm is a one-sided lever. It is pivoted on one side and rests on the valve on the other end. In contrast to the arrangement with the rocker arm, the camshaft is above the rocker arm. The camshaft actuates the rocker arm from above without any intermediate links. Variants with ball-bearing roller pick-up are also common. A roller rocker arm has a mounted roller in the camshaft engagement area. This roller reduces friction in the valve train by around 30%. Typically, the valve spring pushes the rocker arm back to its original position as soon as the camshaft has continued to rotate. Some designs have a separate return spring to return the rocker arm to its original position.
The forces acting on the rocker arm are lower compared to the rocker arm drive. Another advantage is the simple implementation of valve clearance compensation. To compensate for the valve clearance, the pivot point is adjusted vertically. The compensating elements are not among the moving masses here, the rocker arm is only supported on them. Rocker arms are usually made of sheet metal or cast steel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the rocker arm device according to the invention, it can be advantageous for the actuator drive to be designed as an electromagnetic drive, in particular as a lifting magnet.
It can thus be achieved in an advantageous manner that a particularly cost- and space-optimized possibility for an actuator drive is provided.

It can also be advantageous for the actuator to be designed as a sheet metal strip, the sheet metal strip having a first sheet metal strip section and a second sheet metal strip section arranged essentially at right angles to the first sheet metal strip section. The first sheet metal strip section is pivotally connected at its free axial end via a bearing point relative to the actuator, and the second sheet metal strip section is designed accordingly at its free axial end to actuate the actuating element of the locking mechanism.
The advantage of this configuration is that a particularly cost-optimized and space-saving design was found for an actuator of an actuator for actuating a locking mechanism of a switchable rocker arm.

In a further development of the invention, it can also be preferred that the actuator can be fastened to the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, in particular to the fastening points of a camshaft bearing, via a fastening flange.

Thus, in particular, it can be achieved that a cost-optimized solution for fixing the actuator to already existing fixing points within the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine is made possible with simple means.

Furthermore, it can be advantageous that the fastening flange has a bearing point for the pivotable fastening of the actuator.
The effect made possible by this embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is that a cost-effective and functionally optimized solution for connecting the actuator in terms of leverage during actuation could be found.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be preferred that the fastening flange has an end stop for limiting the actuating travel of the actuator.
According to this combination of features, the advantage can be realized that a construction for an end stop of the actuator has been found that is cost-optimized and easy to implement with regard to integration.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be advantageous that the fastening flange in the region of the bearing point for the pivotable fastening of the actuator has a restoring spring, in particular designed as a torsion spring, which, triggered by the actuator drive, applies a spring force to the actuator against an actuating direction.
This design has the advantage that a solution that saves installation space and is simple in terms of assembly is provided for a reset mechanism of the actuator.

In connection with the actuator according to the invention for solving the object on which the invention is based, it can also be advantageous that the actuator drive is designed as an electromagnetic drive, in particular as a lifting magnet.
This achieves the advantage that a space-optimized and cost-effective solution for an actuator drive is provided.

In a further development of the invention, it can also be preferred that the actuator of the actuator is designed as a metal strip, the metal strip having a first metal strip section and a second metal strip section arranged essentially at right angles to the first metal strip section, and the first metal strip section at its free end axial end is pivotally connected relative to the actuator, and wherein the second sheet metal strip portion is formed at its free axial end to actuate the actuating element of the locking mechanism.
It can thus be achieved in an advantageous manner that a cost-effective and space-optimized solution for an actuator was found, so that an optimized arrangement of the actuator drive is made possible outside of the cylinder head.

Furthermore, it can be advantageous for the actuator to have a fastening flange for fastening to the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, in particular to fastening points of a camshaft bearing.
The advantage of this configuration is that an assembly-optimized solution for connecting the actuator within the internal combustion engine is provided.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it may be preferable for the fastening flange to have a bearing point for the pivotable fastening of the actuator, with a return spring, in particular designed as a torsion spring, advantageously being arranged in the region of the bearing point, via which the actuator can be driven counter to the direction of actuation by the actuator drive is acted upon by a spring force.
In this way, it can be achieved that by integrating the bearing point and end stop in the fastening flange of the actuator, a solution can be found that is structurally simple to produce and easy to assemble.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to figures without restricting the general inventive idea. The figures are only of a schematic nature and serve exclusively for understanding the invention. The same elements are provided with the same reference numbers. The different features of the various exemplary embodiments can also be freely combined with one another within what is technically feasible.

• 1 einen schaltbaren Schlepphebel mit in Längserstreckungsrichtung des Schlepphebels zu betätigendem Verriegelungsmechanismus,
• 2 eine Schlepphebelvorrichtung gemäß der Erfindung in einer Perspektivansicht in schematischer Darstellung,
• 3 die Schlepphebelvorrichtung gemäß 2 in einem Axialschnitt in einer Ebene senkrecht zur Längsachse der Nockenwelle in einem nicht betätigten und gekoppelten Zustand (oben) und in einem betätigten und entkoppelten Zustand (unten) in schematischer Darstellung,
• 4 den erfindungsgemäßen Aktuator in zwei unterschiedlichen Perspektivansichten,
• 5 den Aktuator gemäß 4 in einem Axialschnitt in einer Schnittebene in der Achse seines Betätiger-Pins - links, im nicht betätigten Zustand, und rechts, im betätigten Zustand.

Show it:

• 1 a switchable rocker arm with a locking mechanism to be actuated in the longitudinal direction of the rocker arm,
• 2 a rocker arm device according to the invention in a perspective view in a schematic representation,
• 3 the rocker arm device according to 2 in an axial section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the camshaft in a non-actuated and coupled state (above) and in an actuated and decoupled state (below) in a schematic representation,
• 4 the actuator according to the invention in two different perspective views,
• 5 according to the actuator 4 in an axial section in a section plane in the axis of its actuator pin - on the left, in the non-actuated state, and on the right, in the actuated state.

1 shows a switchable rocker arm 2 of a rocker arm device 1 with a locking mechanism 16 to be actuated in the longitudinal direction of extension of the rocker arm 2. The rocker arm device 1 shown comprises a switchable rocker arm 2 for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, with a primary lever 3 (so-called outer lever) and one that can be pivoted on or in it stored arranged secondary lever 4 (so-called. Inner lever). A contact surface 6 for a gas exchange valve 7 is formed on a first axial end section 5 of the primary lever 3 and a pivot mount 9 for a support element 10 is formed on a second axial end section 8 of the primary lever 3 . The first axial end section 5 of the primary lever 3 and a first end section 11 of the secondary lever 4 are mounted on a pivot axis 12 formed by a bolt. The secondary lever 4 has a cam roller or secondary lever roller 13, which is rotatably mounted in the secondary lever 4, for rolling on a first cam section of a camshaft 14, not shown here. Between the primary lever 3 and the secondary lever 4 there is a locking mechanism 16 that can be actuated by an actuating element 15, which in a first switching state couples the secondary lever 4 to the primary lever 3 so that they move together, and which in a second switching state locks the secondary lever 4 decoupled from the primary lever 3, so that when the secondary lever 4 is actuated by the cam shaft 14 of the primary lever 3 does not follow the movement of the secondary lever 4 and the gas exchange valve 7 is not actuated. The locking mechanism 16 is designed in such a way that its direction of actuation is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the switchable rocker arm 2 . The locking mechanism can be switched over between a coupled switching state and a non-coupled switching state via an actuator 17 (not shown) via the actuating element 15 embodied as an actuating pin.

2 shows a rocker arm device 1 in a perspective view in a schematic representation. The rocker arm device 1 shown comprises a switchable rocker arm 2 for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, with a primary lever 3 and a secondary lever 4 pivotably mounted thereon. A contact surface 6 for a gas exchange valve 7 is formed on a first axial end section 5 of the primary lever 3 and A pivot mount 9 for a support element 10 is formed in a second axial end section 8 of the primary lever 3 . The first axial end section 5 of the primary lever 3 and a first end section 11 of the secondary lever 4 are on a common pivot axis 12 formed by a bolt. The secondary lever 4 has a secondary lever roller 13 mounted rotatably in it for rolling on a first cam section of a camshaft 14. Between the primary lever 3 and the secondary lever 4 there is a locking mechanism 16 that can be actuated by an actuating element 15, which in a first switching state couples the secondary lever 4 to the primary lever 3 so that they move together, and which in a second switching state locks the secondary lever 4 decoupled from the primary lever 3, so that when the secondary lever 4 is actuated by the camshaft 14, the primary lever 3 does not follow the movement of the secondary lever 4 and the gas exchange valve 7 is not actuated. The locking mechanism 16 is designed in such a way that its direction of actuation is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the switchable rocker arm 2 . To actuate locking mechanism 16, an actuator 17 is provided, which has an actuator drive 20 designed as a lifting magnet, an actuator 21 designed as a sheet metal strip element and driven by actuator 20 for interacting with actuating element 15 of locking mechanism 16, and a fastening flange 22 for fastening to the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine .

3 shows the rocker arm device 1 according to FIG 2 in an axial section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the camshaft 14 in a non-actuated and coupled state (top) and in an actuated and decoupled state (bottom) in a schematic representation. It is easy to see here how the actuator 17 with its actuator drive 20 is arranged above the camshaft 14 outside the cylinder head in the area of the cylinder head cover (not shown), while the actuator 21 of the actuator 17 protrudes with an angled metal strip section into the area of the cylinder head below the camshaft 14 to actuate the actuating element 15 of the locking mechanism and to switch the locking mechanism 16, respectively. It is also easy to see here that the actuator 21 designed as a sheet metal strip has a first sheet metal strip section and a second sheet metal strip section arranged essentially at a right angle to the first sheet metal strip section, the first sheet metal strip section being pivotable at its free axial end and in its direction of extension essentially perpendicular to the direction of actuation of the actuator pin of the lifting magnet is connected opposite the actuator 21, and the second metal strip section is designed at its free axial end to actuate the actuator element 15 of the locking mechanism 16.

It is often due to the environmental conditions (e.g. design of the cylinder head) that lateral actuation of the locking mechanism 16 is difficult or impossible. This can be avoided with the switchable rocker arm 2 and an actuation in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the rocker arm 2 (as shown). A significant advantage of the actuator 17 (also referred to as an actuator module) is its great flexibility and variability. Due to the arrangement above the camshaft 14 in connection with the actuator 21 designed as a long leaf spring, another aspect of the module comes into play, namely the simple bridging of the parting plane between the cylinder head and cylinder head cover during assembly. If, for example, the actuator and actuator have to be installed in the cylinder head cover, but the switchable rocker arm is located in the lower part, i.e. in the cylinder head, this can lead to considerable problems when assembling the cylinder head and cylinder head cover. In this case, the cylinder head cover, including the sensitive leaf springs that protrude beyond the parting line, would have to be "threaded" into a conventional actuator in the form of a push rod with leaf springs for transverse actuation of the locking mechanism, so that the leaf springs are positioned to the side of the rocker arm, but not through them Collision with e.g. the camshaft bearing.
Since the cylinder head cover is often closed, it is not clear to the fitter whether he is installing the components undamaged and whether the system is actually working afterwards. With the description here Bene actuator 17 (actuator module) can solve the problem described. In the already installed cylinder head, the switchable rocker arm 2 can be positioned on the gas exchange valve 7 and the support element 10 and the cylinder head cover can then be put on. The cylinder head cover can be designed in such a way that the actuator 17 is attached later (simply "threading" in by the mechanic) and the fastening flange 22 of the actuator 17 seals the cylinder head cover at the top. The mounting flange 22 can be adjusted accordingly depending on the environment, design and requirements and is preferably designed as a stamped and bent sheet metal part. The bearing points of the camshaft 14 are suitable as attachment points (see also 2 ).
Another advantage is that one cylinder can be switched with one module. This goes hand in hand with very fast switching times, since each cylinder can be controlled independently of one another.

4 shows the actuator 17 according to the invention in two different perspective views. The actuator drive 20 shown is designed as an electromagnetic drive in the form of a lifting magnet. The actuator 22 moved by the lifting magnet is designed as a sheet metal strip, the sheet metal strip being fork-shaped in the contact area with the actuating element 15 of the locking mechanism 16 in order to simultaneously actuate the actuating elements 15 of two locking mechanisms of two adjacent rocker arms 2 . It is also easy to see how the restoring spring in the form of a torsion spring is connected to an axis held by the mounting flange 22 and forming the bearing point 25 for the actuator 22, and how an end stop 24 is formed at a distance from this in the plane of the mounting flange 22, which is also an axis held by the mounting flange 22 is formed. The actuator 21 designed as a sheet metal strip is angled downwards by about 90° in the area of the end stop. The bearing point 25 and the end stop are arranged and integrated into the fastening flange 22 in such a way that the first sheet metal strip section of the actuator 21 (running essentially horizontally) guided between them is acted upon approximately in the middle by the actuating pin of the lifting magnet.

5 shows the actuator 17 according to FIG 4 in an axial section in a section plane in the axis of its actuator pin - on the left, in the non-actuated state, and on the right, in the actuated state. The design of the bearing point 25 formed in the fastening flange 22 and the end stop 24 integrated in the fastening flange 22 can again be clearly seen here. Furthermore, the schematic structure of the actuator drive 20 configured as a lifting magnet and the sheet metal strip section interacting with the actuator pin of the actuator drive 20 and the shape of the second sheet metal strip section that actuates the locking mechanism 16 can be seen. In this case, the second sheet metal strip section is designed to be slightly angled inwards out of the plane of its longitudinal extent in the direction of rocker arm 2 .

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. The foregoing description is therefore not to be considered as limiting but as illustrative. The following patent claims are to be understood in such a way that a mentioned feature is present in at least one embodiment of the invention. This does not exclude the presence of other features. If the patent claims and the above description define 'first' and 'second' feature, this designation serves to distinguish between two similar features without establishing a ranking.

Reference List

1

rocker arm device

2

switchable drag lever

3

primary lever

4

secondary lever

5

first axial end section (primary lever)

6

contact surface

7

gas exchange valve

8th

second axial end section (primary lever)

9

swivel mount

10

support element

11

first end section (secondary lever)

12

pivot axis

13

Secondary lever roller/cam roller

14

camshaft

15

actuator (locking mechanism)

16

locking mechanism

17

actuator

20

actuator drive

21

actuator

22

mounting flange

23

camshaft bearings

24

end stop

25

bearing point (actuator)

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 102017101792 A1 [0002]
• DE 102020120100 [0007]

Claims (10)

Rocker arm device (1), comprising a switchable rocker arm (2) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, with a primary lever (3) and with a secondary lever (4) pivotably mounted thereon, wherein on a first axial end section (5) of the primary lever (3 ) a contact surface (6) for a gas exchange valve (7) and a pivot mount (9) for a support element (10) on a second axial end section (8) of the primary lever (3), the first axial end section (5) of the primary lever (3) and a first end section (11) of the secondary lever (4) are mounted on a common pivot axis (12), and the secondary lever (4) has a secondary lever roller (13) rotatably mounted in the secondary lever (4) for rolling on a first Cam section of a camshaft (14), and wherein between the primary lever (3) and the secondary lever (4) a via an actuating element (15) operable locking mechanism (16) is arranged which in a first switching state couples the secondary lever (4) to the primary lever (3) so that they move together, and which in a second switching state decouples the secondary lever (4) from the primary lever (3) so that when actuated of the secondary lever (4) by the camshaft (14), the primary lever (3) does not follow the movement of the secondary lever (4) and the gas exchange valve (7) is not actuated, and wherein the locking mechanism (16) is designed in such a way that its direction of actuation is in Direction of the longitudinal axis of the switchable rocker arm (2) is aligned, and wherein an actuator (17) for actuating the actuating element (15) for locking or unlocking the locking mechanism (16) is provided, characterized in that the actuator (17) has a Actuator drive (20) and an actuator (21), wherein the actuator (17) is designed such that the actuator drive (20) above the camshaft (14) can be arranged, wa While the switchable rocker arm (2) arranged below the camshaft (14) can be switched between a coupled state and a decoupled state of the locking mechanism (16) by means of the actuator (21). Toggle lever device (1) after claim 1 , characterized in that the actuator drive (20) is designed as an electromagnetic drive, in particular as a lifting magnet. Rocker arm device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (21) is designed as a metal strip, the metal strip having a first metal strip section and a second metal strip section arranged essentially at right angles to the first metal strip section, and the first metal strip section is connected at its free axial end so that it can pivot relative to the actuator (21), and wherein the second metal strip section is designed at its free axial end to actuate the actuating element (15) of the locking mechanism (16). Rocker arm device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (17) has a fastening flange (22) via which it can be fastened to the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, in particular to the fastening points of a camshaft bearing (23), the fastening flange ( 22) has a bearing point (25) for the pivotable attachment of the actuator (21) and/or the attachment flange (22) has an end stop (24) for limiting the actuating travel of the actuator (21). Rocker arm device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening flange (22) in the region of the bearing point (25) for the pivotable fastening of the actuator (21) has a restoring spring, in particular designed as a torsion spring, which holds the actuator (21) against a Actuating direction of the actuator drive (20) subjected to a spring force. Actuator (17) for actuating a locking mechanism (16) of a switchable rocker arm (2) for actuating a gas exchange valve (7) of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, with an actuator drive (20) and an actuator (21) which, by means of the actuator drive (20), can be actuated and thus the locking mechanism (16) between a coupled operating state, in which a primary lever (3) is coupled to a secondary lever (4) of the switchable rocker arm (2), so that both carry out a common movement, and a decoupled operating state, in which this coupling is canceled and no joint movement takes place, can be switched, characterized in that the actuator (17) is designed in such a way that the actuator drive (20) can be arranged above the camshaft (14), while the one below the camshaft (14) arranged switchable rocker arms (2) by means of the actuator (21) between the coupled state and the decoupled state d of the locking mechanism (16) can be switched. Actuator (17) after claim 6 , characterized in that the actuator drive (20) is designed as an electromagnetic drive, in particular as a lifting magnet. Actuator (17) according to one of Claims 6 or 7 , characterized in that the actuator (21) is designed as a sheet metal strip, the sheet metal strip having a first sheet metal strip section and a second sheet metal strip section arranged essentially at right angles to the first sheet metal strip section, and the first sheet metal strip section at its free axial end via a bearing point ( 25) is designed to be pivotable relative to the actuator (21), and wherein the second metal strip section is designed to actuate the actuating element (15) of the locking mechanism (16) at its free axial end. Actuator (17) according to any of the previous ones Claims 6 - 8th , characterized in that the actuator (17) has a fastening flange (22) for fastening to the cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, in particular to fastening points of a camshaft bearing (23). Actuator (17) according to any of the previous ones Claims 6 - 9 , characterized in that the fastening flange (22) - has a bearing point (25) for the pivotable fastening of the actuator (21), wherein advantageously in the region of the bearing point (25) a restoring spring designed in particular as a torsion spring is arranged, via which the actuator ( 21) has a spring force applied to it by the actuator drive (20) counter to the direction of actuation, and/or - has an end stop (24) for limiting the actuation travel of the actuator (21).

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