JP2007278079A - Variable valve train of internal combustion engine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make compatible an increase in assemblability with a reduction in hammering noise due to gap in a variable valve train of an internal combustion engine. <P>SOLUTION: In this variable valve train of an internal combustion engine, a slider 43 is axially driven when a control shaft 32 is operated since the operation of the control shaft 32 is transmitted to the slider 43 through a connector pin 44 and a bush 46. The peripheral groove of the slider 43 is so formed that the shape thereof at the portion present at at least the symmetrical positions in the radial direction is asymmetrical. The wide side L of the cross sectional area of the peripheral groove is a portion to which the bush 46 and the connector pine 44 are assembled. The narrow side S of the cross sectional area of the peripheral groove is a portion where the bush 46 is operated through the connector pin 44. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a variable valve mechanism that continuously changes the valve characteristics of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine.

  As a variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine (engine), the valve characteristics such as the operating angle and lift amount of the engine valve (at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve) are continuously changed according to the operating state of the engine. The technology that enables it is known. An example of such a variable valve mechanism is a cylindrical rocker shaft that is fixed to the cylinder head of the engine and provided in parallel with the camshaft of the engine valve, and is movable in the axial direction within the rocker shaft. Some have a control shaft provided and a plurality of variable valve lift mechanisms provided on the rocker shaft (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  A variable valve lift mechanism is provided for each cylinder of the engine, and a slider gear that can move in conjunction with the control shaft, an input arm that is driven by the cam of the camshaft, and an output that lifts the engine valve. And an arm. The input arm and the output arm are provided on the slider gear, and are disposed between support portions that support the rocker shaft (control shaft) in a state in which the input arm and the output arm are not movable in the axial direction.

  A shaft insertion hole into which the control shaft is inserted is formed in the slider gear. The slider gear is formed with an input side helical spline that meshes with the input arm and an output side helical spline that meshes with the output arm. The direction of the twist of the teeth of the input side helical spline and the direction of the twist of the teeth of the output side helical spline are formed in opposite directions. On the other hand, a helical spline that meshes with the input-side helical spline of the slider gear is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the input arm, and similarly, a helical spline that meshes with the output-side helical spline of the slider gear. Splines are formed.

In the variable valve mechanism of the internal combustion engine configured as described above, when the torque of the camshaft is transmitted to the input arm, the input arm is swung, and the engine valve is lifted by the output arm that swings integrally with the input arm. It has become so. Then, the operating angle and lift amount of the engine valve are changed as follows. That is, when the slider gear is moved in the axial direction in conjunction with the movement of the control shaft in the axial direction, the relative positions of the slider gear, the input arm, and the output arm in the axial direction change. As a result, the input arm and the output arm on the slider gear are relatively rotated, the relative phase difference between the two is changed, and the operating angle and lift amount of the engine valve are continuously changed.
JP 2001-263015 A

  By the way, in the variable valve mechanism of the internal combustion engine as described above, the slider gear is moved in conjunction with the movement of the control shaft in the axial direction. At this time, the control shaft is moved via the connect pin and the bush. The movement may be configured to be transmitted to the slider gear. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  A circumferential groove 103d is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole 103c of the slider gear 103 into which the control shaft 102 is inserted, and a bush 106 is disposed in the circumferential groove 103d. The bush 106 is connected to the control shaft 102 via the connect pin 104. Specifically, the connection of the bush 106 to the control shaft 102 is performed by inserting the connect pin 104 into the pin insertion hole 106 a formed in the bush 106 and the pin insertion hole 102 a formed in the control shaft 102. It has been broken. The connect pin 104 is also inserted into the long hole 101a of the rocker shaft 101.

  In such a conventional case, gaps (clearances) A and B are formed in the axial direction of the slider gear 103 between the circumferential groove 103 d and the bush 106, and are orthogonal to the axial direction of the slider gear 103. A gap C is formed in the direction. These gaps A to C are formed in the slider gear 103 so as to facilitate assembly when the connect pin 104 and the bush 106 are assembled together with the rocker shaft 101 and the control shaft 102.

  However, these gaps A to C are the factors that cause the following problems at the same time. That is, since the gaps A and B are provided, the bush 106 collides with the side wall of the circumferential groove 103d, and a hitting sound is generated by the collision.

  Further, since the gap C is provided, the bush 106 is easy to move toward the bottom wall of the circumferential groove 103d (upward in FIG. 13). As a result, the stability of the operation is impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and in a variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine in which the operation of a control shaft is transmitted to a slider via a connect pin and a bush, It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to achieve both improvement and reduction of the hitting sound caused by the gap.

  In the present invention, means for solving the above-described problems are configured as follows.

  That is, the present invention includes a control shaft that is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction, and a variable valve lift mechanism that is disposed on the control shaft. A slider in which a hole is formed, an input arm that engages with a helical spline formed on the outer peripheral surface of the slider and receives force from the camshaft, and a helical that engages with the input arm on the outer peripheral surface of the slider An output arm that engages with a helical spline formed in a direction different from the spline and lifts the engine valve of the internal combustion engine is provided, and a circumferential groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole of the slider, A bush is disposed in the circumferential groove, and a pin insertion hole formed in the bush and a through formed in the control shaft. When the connect pin is inserted into the bush, the bush is connected to the control shaft via the connect pin, and the operation of the control shaft is transmitted to the slider via the connect pin and the bush. In the variable valve mechanism of the internal combustion engine that is driven in the axial direction in conjunction with the slider, the circumferential groove of the slider is formed in an asymmetric shape at least at a position that is symmetrical with respect to the radial direction. The side where the cross-sectional area of the groove is wide is the part where the bush and the connect pin are assembled, and the side where the cross-sectional area of the peripheral groove is narrow is the part where the bush is actuated via the connect pin. .

  In such a variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine, when the torque of the camshaft is transmitted to the input arm, the input arm is swung, and the engine valve is lifted by the output arm that swings integrally with the input arm. The Further, the operating angle and lift amount of the engine valve are changed as follows. That is, when the control shaft is moved in the axial direction, the operation is transmitted to the slider via the connect pin and the bush, and the slider is moved in the axial direction. By the movement of the slider, the relative position in the axial direction of the slider, the input arm, and the output arm changes. As a result, the input arm and the output arm on the slider rotate relative to each other, the relative phase difference between them changes, and the operating angle and lift amount of the engine valve change continuously.

  And according to said structure, the side where the cross-sectional area of a circumferential groove is wide is made into the site | part which assembles | assembles a bush or a connect pin, and the side where the cross-sectional area of circumferential groove is narrow is made into the site | part which operates a bush via a connect pin As a result, the assembly is facilitated, and the cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is narrowed to operate on the side where the gap between the circumferential groove and the bush is made as small as possible, thereby reducing the hitting sound caused by the gap.

  As a specific shape of the circumferential groove of the slider that forms the main part in the variable valve mechanism of the internal combustion engine of the present invention, for example, the width direction that is the axial direction of the slider is wide on the wide side of the circumferential groove. Examples include those formed, and those formed so that the side of the circumferential groove having a large cross-sectional area is long in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the slider.

  According to the present invention, the side where the cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is wide is the part where the bush and the connect pin are assembled, and the side where the cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is narrow is the part where the bush is operated via the connect pin, As well as facilitating assembly, the cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is narrowed and the gap between the circumferential groove and the bushing is operated as small as possible to reduce the hitting sound caused by the gap. It is possible to improve the reliability by preventing the occurrence of an unstable state at the time of operation due to the reduction of the allowance between the connect pin and the bush.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, an example in which the variable valve mechanism of the present invention is applied to an engine (internal combustion engine) mounted on a vehicle will be described. In the following example, a case where the variable valve mechanism is applied to an intake valve will be described. However, the present invention can be applied to the exhaust valve in the same manner as the intake valve.

  First, a schematic configuration of the engine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  The engine 10 of this example is an in-line four-cylinder gasoline engine mounted on a vehicle, and includes a cylinder block 11 having four cylinders (cylinders: # 1 to # 4) 12 and a cylinder mounted on the cylinder block 11. And a head 14. A piston 13 is accommodated in each cylinder 12 in a state where the piston 13 can reciprocate. The piston 13 is connected to the crankshaft 34 via a connecting rod, and the reciprocating motion of the piston 13 is converted into the rotational motion of the crankshaft 34 by the connecting rod.

  The cylinder head 14 of the engine 10 is provided with a pair of intake ports 17 and exhaust ports 18 communicating with the combustion chambers 15 for each cylinder 12. In the combustion chamber 15, a spark plug 16 is arranged for each cylinder 12.

  An intake valve 21 that opens and closes each intake port 17 and an exhaust valve 22 that opens and closes each exhaust port 18 are disposed in the cylinder head 14. Each intake valve 21 is provided with a valve spring 21a, and each intake valve 21 is urged in a direction to close the intake port 17 by the elastic force of the valve spring 21a. Similarly, each exhaust valve 22 is provided with a valve spring 22a.

  Above the intake valve 21, an intake camshaft 23 having one intake cam 23a for each cylinder 12 is disposed. The intake camshaft 23 is rotatably supported by a plurality of support walls 25. The support wall 25 includes a cam housing that is provided integrally with the cylinder head 14 and a cam cap that is detachably attached to the cam housing by bolt fastening or the like.

  Further, an exhaust camshaft 24 having one exhaust cam 24 a for each cylinder 12 is disposed above the exhaust valve 22. The exhaust camshaft 24 is rotatably supported by a plurality of support walls 26. The support wall 26 includes a cam housing that is provided integrally with the cylinder head 14 and a cam cap that is detachably attached to the cam housing by bolt fastening or the like.

  The intake camshaft 23 and the exhaust camshaft 24 are drivingly connected to a crankshaft 34 via a timing chain 35 and the like. The rotation of the crankshaft 34 is transmitted to the intake camshaft 23 and the exhaust camshaft 24 through the timing chain 35 and the like, and the intake valve 21 and the exhaust valve 22 reciprocate by the rotation of the camshafts 23 and 24, respectively. .

  A rocker arm 27 having a roller 27a is swingably disposed between the upper end portion of the intake valve 21 and the intake cam 23a and between the upper end portion of the exhaust valve 22 and the exhaust cam 24a. Further, hydraulic lash adjusters 28 are arranged near the upper ends of the intake valve 21 and the exhaust valve 22, respectively. A compression reaction force of the valve spring 21a (22a) and a pushing force of the lash adjuster 28 are transmitted to the rocker arm 27. Thereby, the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27 is biased substantially upward. In this example, the roller 27a is in direct contact with each exhaust cam 24a, but indirectly with each intake cam 23a via a variable valve mechanism 30 described below. Are in contact. A rocker arm that does not include a roller may be used.

  In the engine 10 as described above, the variable valve mechanism 30 is provided in the vicinity of the intake camshaft 23. Hereinafter, the configuration of the variable valve mechanism 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 indicates a direction away from the actuator 33, and an arrow R indicates a direction approaching the actuator 33.

  The variable valve mechanism 30 is a mechanism for continuously changing the operating angle and lift amount (maximum lift amount) of the intake valve 21, and is arranged between the intake cam 23 a of the intake cam shaft 23 and the rocker arm 27. It is installed. The rocker arm 27 has one end supported by the lash adjuster 28 and the other end in contact with the tappet 21 b at the upper end of the intake valve 21.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the operating angle of the intake valve 21 is an angle range from the valve opening timing IVO to the valve closing timing IVC of the intake valve 21 (expressed by a crank angle in FIG. 10). . The lift amount (maximum lift amount) is the amount of movement of the intake valve 21 when the intake valve 21 is moved (lifted) to the lowest position within the movable range when the valve is opened. These operating angles and lift amounts are changed in synchronization with each other by the variable valve mechanism 30. For example, the lift amount decreases as the operating angle decreases. Further, as the operating angle decreases, the valve opening timing IVO and the valve closing timing IVC of the intake valve 21 approach each other, the valve opening period is shortened, and the intake air amount per cylinder is decreased.

  The variable valve mechanism 30 includes a rocker shaft 31, a control shaft 32, an actuator 33, and a variable valve lift mechanism 40.

  The rocker shaft 31 is a cylindrical member extending along a direction parallel to the intake camshaft 23 (cylinder arrangement direction, F / R direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 3), and a plurality of support members provided on the cylinder head 14. It is attached to the wall 25 in a state where movement in the axial direction and the circumferential direction is restricted. The direction in which the rocker shaft 31 extends is referred to as the “axial direction”.

  The rocker shaft 31 is formed with a long hole (through hole) 31 a extending in the axial direction at a location sandwiched between adjacent support walls 25, 25. A connect pin 44 described later is inserted through the long hole 31a. Further, the rocker shaft 31 is formed with an insertion hole (through hole) 31b for inserting the connect pin 44 from the outside around the central axis on the opposite side of the long hole 31a (FIG. 7). In the assembled state, the insertion hole 31b is provided at a position where the position in the axial direction is different from the through hole 32a of the control shaft 32, as shown in FIG.

  The control shaft 32 is inserted into the rocker shaft 31 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The control shaft 32 is advanced and retracted in the axial direction (F direction or R direction) by the actuator 33. The control shaft 32 is formed with a through hole 32a that penetrates the inside of the control shaft 32 in the radial direction. A connect pin 44 described later is inserted into the through hole 32a.

  The number of variable valve lift mechanisms 40 is the same as the number of cylinders, and is externally mounted on the rocker shaft 31 so as to correspond to each cylinder 12. Each variable valve lift mechanism 40 includes a slider gear 43 that can move in conjunction with the control shaft 32, an input arm (cam hitting member) 41 that is driven by the intake cam 23 a of the intake cam shaft 23, and the intake valve 21. And an output arm (valve striking member) 42 for lifting. The input arm 41 and the output arm 42 are provided on the slider gear 43 and are disposed between a pair of support walls 25 and 25 that support the rocker shaft 31 (control shaft 32) in a state in which the input arm 41 and the output arm 42 cannot move in the axial direction. . A plate-like shim 45 for adjusting the initial relative position of the input arm 41 and the output arm 42 in the axial direction with respect to the slider gear 43 is interposed between the output arm 42 and the support wall 25.

  The input arm 41 includes a cylindrical housing 41a. A helical spline 41b that meshes with an input-side helical spline 43a of a slider gear 43, which will be described later, is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 41a. A pair of support pieces 41c and 41c projecting radially outward are provided on the outer periphery of the housing 41a, and a roller 41e is disposed between the pair of support pieces 41c and 41c. The roller 41e is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 41d parallel to the rocker shaft 31.

  A pair of output arms 42 and 42 are disposed on both sides in the axial direction of the input arm 41. Each output arm 42 includes a cylindrical housing 42a. A helical spline 42b that meshes with the output-side helical spline 43b of the slider gear 43 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 42a. Further, a nose 42c is provided on the outer periphery of the housing 42a so as to protrude outward in the radial direction. The nose 42c is processed into a substantially triangular shape, and a cam surface 42d whose one side is curved in a concave shape.

  A slider gear 43 is disposed in an internal space defined by the input arm 41 and the two output arms 42 and 42. The slider gear 43 is externally mounted on the rocker shaft 31 so as to be movable in the axial direction in conjunction with the control shaft 32.

  The slider gear 43 is processed into a substantially cylindrical shape having a shaft insertion hole 43c at the center. An input-side helical spline 43 a that engages with the helical spline 41 b of the input arm 41 is machined in the central portion of the slider gear 43 in the axial direction. Further, output-side helical splines 43b that mesh with the helical splines 42b of the output arm 42 are respectively machined at both ends of the slider gear 43 in the axial direction. The output side helical spline 43b has a smaller outer diameter than the input side helical spline 43a. Further, the input side helical spline 43a and the output side helical spline 43b are processed so that the directions of twisting of teeth are opposite to each other.

  A circumferential groove 43 d extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the axial center of the inner wall of the slider gear 43. Further, the circumferential groove 43d communicates with the outside of the slider gear 43 through a through hole 43e (FIG. 8).

  The roller 41e of the input arm 41 is always pressed against the intake cam 23a by the elastic force of the lost motion spring 29 disposed in the cylinder head 14 in a compressed state. On the other hand, the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27 is pressed against the base circular portion of the housing 42a of the output arm 42 or the cam surface 42d of the nose 42c by the valve spring 21a of the intake valve 21. As a result, the input arm 41 is swung by the rotation of the intake cam 23 a, and the intake valve 21 is lifted via the rocker arm 27 by the output arm 42 that swings integrally with the input arm 41. .

  Next, how the slider gear 43 is coupled to the rocker shaft 31 and the control shaft 32 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In order to connect the slider gear 43 outside the rocker shaft 31 to the control shaft 32 in the rocker shaft 31 so that power can be transmitted, a bush 46 having an arcuate longitudinal section is disposed in the circumferential groove 43d of the slider gear 43. Has been. A pin insertion hole (through hole) 46a is formed in the bush 46 at the middle in the circumferential direction.

  The bushing 46 is connected to the control shaft 32 via the connection pin 44. Specifically, the distal end portion 44 a of the connect pin 44 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 46 a of the bush 46, and the end portion 44 b of the connect pin 44 is inserted into the through hole 32 a of the control shaft 32. Further, an intermediate portion 44 c of the connect pin 44 is inserted into the long hole 31 a of the rocker shaft 31. The movement of the connect pin 44 in the insertion direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7) is restricted by the restriction protrusion 46 b of the bush 46. Further, the connection pin 44 is restricted from moving in the direction opposite to the insertion direction by the inner wall of the rocker shaft 31.

  The connection pin 44 and the bush 46 are assembled as follows. First, the bush 46 is inserted into the circumferential groove 43 d from the shaft insertion hole 43 c of the slider gear 43. Then, the rocker shaft 31 with the control shaft 32 inserted is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 43 c of the slider gear 43. Next, the connect pin 44 is inserted into the circumferential groove 43 d from the through hole 43 e of the slider gear 43. At this time, in the state where the through hole 43e of the slider gear 43, the insertion hole 31b of the rocker shaft 31, the through hole 32a of the control shaft 32, and the pin insertion hole 46a of the bush 46 are aligned, the connect pin 44 is inserted from the through hole 43 e side of the slider gear 43. Then, the connect pin 44 is inserted until the end 44e is pulled out of the insertion hole 31b of the rocker shaft 31. Thereafter, the rocker shaft 31 is moved in the axial direction until the insertion hole 31b moves to the position shown in FIG. 7, so that the connect pin 44 does not fall into the insertion hole 31b.

  The slider gear 43 assembled as described above operates as follows.

  The control shaft 32 is movable in the axial direction with respect to the rocker shaft 31 within the range of the axial length of the long hole 31 a of the rocker shaft 31. Further, since the slider gear 43 is fixed in the axial position with respect to the control shaft 32 by the engagement of the circumferential groove 43d and the bush 46, when the control shaft 32 is moved in the axial direction by driving the actuator 33. The operation is transmitted to the slider gear 43 through the connect pin 44 and the bush 46. As a result, the slider gear 43 moves in the axial direction in conjunction with the control shaft 32. In addition, since the bush 46 is movable in the circumferential direction in the circumferential groove 43d of the slider gear 43, the slider gear 43 is rotatable with respect to the control shaft 32 within the range. Thus, when the control shaft 32 is moved in the axial direction, the slider gear 43 rotates with respect to the control shaft 32 while moving in the axial direction.

  When the torque of the intake camshaft 23 is transmitted to the input arm 41, the torque is transmitted from the input arm 41 to the output arm 42 via the slider gear 43. At this time, the slider gear 43 is connected to the rocker shaft. Oscillates around 31 (control shaft 32).

  In such a variable valve lift mechanism 40, the input side helical spline 43a of the slider gear 43 and the helical spline 41b of the input arm 41 are supported by being engaged with each other. Similarly, the output-side helical spline 43b of the slider gear 43 and the helical spline 42b of the output arm 42 are engaged with each other and supported.

  Therefore, by moving the slider gear 43 in the axial direction by moving the control shaft 32 forward and backward, the relative position in the axial direction between the slider gear 43 and the input arm 41 and the output arms 42 and 42 is changed. 41 and the output arm 42 are given torsional forces opposite to each other. As a result, the input arm 41 and the output arm 42 rotate relative to each other, and the relative phase difference between the input arm 41 (roller 41e) and the output arm 42 (nose 42c) is changed.

  As described above, when the relative phase difference between the roller 41e of the input arm 41 and the nose 42c of the output arm 42 is changed, the operating angle and the lift amount of the intake valve 21 are changed. When the relative phase difference is the smallest (when the roller 41e and the nose 42c are closest to each other in the circumferential direction of the variable valve lift mechanism 40), the operating angle and the lift amount of the intake valve 21 are the smallest. Conversely, when the relative phase difference is the largest (when the roller 41e and the nose 42c are in the most separated state in the circumferential direction of the variable valve lift mechanism 40), the working angle and the lift amount of the intake valve 21 are the largest. .

  In the variable valve mechanism 30 of this example, the slider gear 43 for each cylinder 12 is arranged on a common control shaft 32, so that the control shaft 32 can be moved forward and backward in the axial direction. Thus, the operating angles and lift amounts of the intake valves 21 of all the cylinders 12 are changed simultaneously.

  Next, the operation of the variable valve mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the operation of the variable valve mechanism 30 when the control shaft 32 is moved in the direction away from the actuator 33 (the direction of arrow F in FIG. 3) will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, when the base circle portion of the intake cam 23a is in contact with the roller 41e of the input arm 41, the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27 is in contact with the base circle portion of the housing 42a of the output arm 42. In contact. Therefore, the intake valve 21 is maintained in a state where the lift amount is “0” (a state where the intake port 17 of the engine 10 is closed).

  When the roller 41e of the input arm 41 is pushed down by the lift portion of the intake cam 23a along with the clockwise rotation of the intake cam shaft 23, the input arm 41 is counterclockwise with respect to the rocker shaft 31 (see FIG. 11 (a) arrow direction). As a result, the output arm 42 and the slider gear 43 swing together.

  As a result, the cam surface 42d formed on the nose 42c of the output arm 42 contacts the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27, and the roller 27a is pushed down by the pressing of the cam surface 42d.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, when the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27 is pressed by the cam surface 42d, the rocker arm 27 swings around the contact portion with the lash adjuster 28, and the intake valve 21 opens. Is done.

  As described above, when the control shaft 32 moves to the maximum in the direction away from the actuator 33, the relative phase difference between the roller 41 e of the input arm 41 and the nose 42 c of the output arm 42 around the axis of the rocker shaft 31. Is the maximum.

  Thereby, when the intake cam 23a pushes down the roller 41e to the maximum extent, the rocking amount (rocking range) of the rocker arm 27 becomes the largest, and the intake valve 21 is opened and closed with the maximum operating angle and lift amount.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the operation of the variable valve mechanism 30 when the control shaft 32 is moved in the direction (arrow R direction in FIG. 3) that is as close as possible to the actuator 33 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the base circle portion of the intake cam 23a is in contact with the roller 41e of the input arm 41, the contact position between the output arm 42 and the roller 27a is maximized from the cam surface 42d. Is far away. When the roller 41e of the input arm 41 is pushed down by the lift portion of the intake cam 23a due to the rotation of the intake cam shaft 23, the input arm 41 and the output arm 42 rotate together.

  However, in this case, since the contact position between the output arm 42 and the roller 27a is farthest from the cam surface 42d, the output arm 42 until the pressing of the roller 27a of the rocker arm 27 by the cam surface 42d is started. The amount of rotation is larger than that shown in FIG. Further, when the roller 41e of the input arm 41 is pushed down by the lift portion of the intake cam 23a, the range of the cam surface 42d that comes into contact with the roller 27a is reduced to only a part of the base end side of the nose 42c. For this reason, the rocking | fluctuation amount (swinging range) of the rocker arm 27 according to depression of the roller 41e by the lift part of the intake cam 23a becomes small.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the rocking amount of the rocker arm 27 is small, the intake valve 21 is opened with a smaller lift amount.

  Further, when the control shaft 32 moves to the maximum in the direction approaching the actuator 33, the relative phase difference between the roller 41e and the nose 42c around the axis of the rocker shaft 31 is minimized.

  Thereby, when the intake cam 23a pushes down the roller 41e to the maximum, the displacement amount of the roller 27a becomes the smallest, and the intake valve 21 is opened and closed with the minimum operating angle and the maximum lift amount. FIG. 12 shows a case where the maximum lift amount of the intake valve 21 is “0”. Therefore, even when the intake cam 23a pushes down the roller 41e to the maximum, as shown in FIG. The lift amount of the intake valve 21 is maintained at “0”. However, the minimum maximum lift amount of the intake valve 21 is not limited to “0”, and may be, for example, Lmin as indicated by an imaginary line in FIG.

  As described above, in the variable valve mechanism 30, when the control shaft 32 is moved in the axial direction, the operation is transmitted to the slider gear 43 via the connect pin 44 and the bush 46, and the slider gear 43 is moved in the axial direction. Moved to. By the movement of the slider gear 43, in each variable valve lift mechanism 40, the relative position in the axial direction of the slider gear 43, the input arm 41, and the output arms 42, 42 changes. As a result, the input arm 41 and the output arm 42 on the slider gear 43 are rotated relative to each other, the relative phase difference between them is changed, and the operating angle and the lift amount of the intake valve 21 are continuously changed. ing.

  Incidentally, the circumferential groove 43d of the slider gear 43, which is the main part of the present invention, is formed as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the circumferential groove 43 d has different widths d 1 and d 2 in the axial direction of the slider gear 43 and is orthogonal to the axial direction of the slider gear 43 in the shape of at least a symmetrical position with respect to the radial direction. It is formed in an asymmetric shape due to the difference in the lengths e1 and e2 in the radial direction.

  Specifically, the widths d1 and d2 have a relationship of d1> d2, and the radial lengths e1 and e2 have a relationship of e1> e2.

  And the site | part which has width d1, and the site | part which has length e1 are the wide cross-sectional areas (L) of the circumferential groove 43d, and the wide cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove 43d is the bush 46 or the connection pin 44 side. In addition to the part to be assembled, the side (S) having the narrow cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove 43d is a part for operating the bush 46 via the connect pin 44.

  That is, when assembling the connect pin 44 and the bushing 46 described above, after using the wide side of the circumferential groove 43d, the bushing 46 and the like are reversed from the position of the circumferential groove 43d, and the circumferential groove 43d. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the bush 46 and the like are arranged.

In this way, the connecting pin 44 and the bushing 46 can be assembled with a margin while ensuring good assembling by utilizing the side with the wide sectional area of the circumferential groove 43d. On the other hand, at the time of operation, the gaps A to C shown in FIG. 13 can be arranged as small as possible, so that the hitting sound caused by the gaps A and B can be reduced and the connect pin caused by the gap C can be reduced. It is possible to improve the reliability by preventing the occurrence of an unstable state at the time of operation due to the reduction of the allowance between 44 and the bush 46. That is, it is possible to achieve both improvement in assembling property and reduction in sound hitting due to the gap. Note that the above-described embodiment is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Without being limited thereto, various design changes can be made within the range.

  For example, the circumferential groove 43d does not necessarily have to have both relations in which the width is d1> d2 and the length is e1> e2, and if any one of the relations is provided, the above-described effects corresponding thereto are provided. Can be played individually.

It is sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the variable valve mechanism of the engine to which this invention is applied. It is a top view which shows the cylinder head of an engine. It is a perspective view which shows the input arm, output arm, etc. of a variable valve mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the slider gear, input arm, output arm, etc. of a variable valve mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the slider gear, rocker shaft, control shaft, etc. of a variable valve mechanism. It is a horizontal fracture perspective view showing a slider gear, an input arm, an output arm, etc. of a variable valve mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the assembly | attachment of the slider gear of a variable valve mechanism, a rocker shaft, a control shaft, a bush, and a connect pin. It is sectional drawing along the XX line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the specific shape of the circumferential groove of a slider gear. It is a figure which shows the working angle and lift amount of an intake valve which are changed by the variable valve mechanism. It is a side view used for explanation of operation of a variable valve mechanism when the relative phase difference between an input arm and an output arm is maximized. It is a side view used for explanation of operation of a variable valve mechanism when the relative phase difference between an input arm and an output arm is minimized. It is sectional drawing which shows the assembly | attachment of the slider gear of the conventional variable valve mechanism, a rocker shaft, a control shaft, a bush, and a connect pin.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Engine 30 Variable valve mechanism 32 Control shaft 32a Through hole 40 Variable valve lift mechanism 41 Input arm 42 Output arm 43 Slider gear 43c Shaft insertion hole 43d Circumferential groove 44 Connect pin 46 Bush 46a Pin insertion hole

Claims (3)

A control shaft that is movable in the axial direction;
A variable valve lift mechanism disposed on the control shaft,
The variable valve lift mechanism includes a slider having a shaft insertion hole into which a control shaft is inserted, an input arm that engages with a helical spline formed on the outer peripheral surface of the slider and receives a force from the camshaft. The slider has an outer peripheral surface provided with an output arm that engages a helical spline formed in a direction different from the helical spline engaged with the input arm and lifts the engine valve of the internal combustion engine.
A circumferential groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole of the slider, and a bush is disposed in the circumferential groove.
By inserting the connect pin into the pin insertion hole formed in the bush and the through hole formed in the control shaft, the bush is connected to the control shaft via the connect pin,
In the variable valve mechanism of the internal combustion engine in which the operation of the control shaft is transmitted to the slider via the connect pin and the bush, so that the slider is driven in the axial direction in conjunction with the control shaft.
The circumferential groove of the slider is formed in an asymmetric shape at least in a symmetrical position with respect to the radial direction, and the wide cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is a part where the bush and the connect pin are assembled. A variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine, characterized in that the narrow side of the cross-sectional area is a part for operating a bush or the like via a connect pin.   2. The variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the side having a larger cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is formed to have a wide width in the axial direction of the slider.   2. The variable valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein a side having a larger cross-sectional area of the circumferential groove is formed so that a length in a radial direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the slider is long.

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