Fluidic exhaust valve opening system for an engine compression brake

Claim 2

A braking system for a fuel injected internal combustion engine having at least one piston reciprocatively mounted within a cylinder for cyclical successive compression and expansion strokes and an exhaust valve operable against variable closing bias to exhaust gas from the cylinder in variable timed relationship to the piston strokes to operate the engine in either a power mode or a braking mode and having a fuel injector train mechanically actuated near the end of each compression stroke of the piston to inject fuel into the cylinder when the engine is operated in the power mode, said braking system comprising: a. fluid pressurizing means mechanically linked with the fuel injector train for pressurizing a non-compressible fluid in response to the mechanical actuation of the fuel injector train whenever the engine is operated in the braking mode; b. actuating means fluidically linked to said pressurizing means and mechanically linked to the exhaust valve for opening the exhaust valve whenever the level of pressurization of the non-compressible fluid is sufficient to overcome all forces biasing the exhaust valve to a closed position; and c. valve opening delay means for preventing the opening of the exhaust valve upon pressurization of the non-compressible fluid whenever the variable closing bias on the exhaust valve exceeds a predetermined limit and for maintaining the exhaust valve closed until the variable closing bias again falls below the pre-determined limit, thereby preventing fluid pressure buildup above a pre-determined magnitude which would tend to damage the fuel injector train.

Claim 3

A braking system as defined in claim 1, further including a fluid circuit interconnecting said fluid pressurizing means and said actuating menas, said valve opening delay means including a fluid pressure control valve connected with said fluid circuit for venting fluid from said fluid circuit whenever the pressure within said fluid circuit reaches a predetermined level which would cause said actuating means to overcome a closing bias on the exhaust valve exceeding said predetermined limit, thereby preventing said actuating means for opening the exhaust valve unless the closing bias is below the predetermined upper limit.

Claim 4

A braking system as defined in claim 2, wherein said predetermined level is at least 4900 pounds per square inch but not more than 5100 pounds per square inch.

Claim 5

A braking system as defined in claim 2, further including fluid circuit charging means for selectively charging said fluid circuit with non-compressible fluid to cause the engine to operate in the braking mode and for selectively venting said fluid circuit to prevent opening of the exhaust valve by said actuating means, said fluid circuit charging means including a source of fluid at a pressure substantially less than said predetermined level.

Claim 6

A braking system as defined in claim 4, wherein said fluid circuit charging means further includes fluid circuit control means for responding to an operator control signal to cause said selective charging and venting of said fluid circuit, said fluid circuit control means including a dual function slide valve movable between a charging position in which non-compressible fluid may flow into said fluid circuit from said source of non-compressible fluid and a venting position in which fluid from said source of non-compressible fluid is blocked from flow into said fluid circuit and the non-compressible fluid within said fluid circuit is vented to a fluid sump at a pressure below which the exhaust valve can not be opened by said actuating means.

Claim 7

A braking system as defined in claim 5, wherein said dual function slide valve is spring biased toward said venting position and further wherein said fluid circuit control means further includes a solenoid operated three way valve movable between a first position in which fluid from said source of non-compressible fluid is provided to one end of said dual function slide valve to bias said dual function slide valve against said spring bias toward said charging position and a second position in which non-compressible fluid is vented from said one end of said slide valve to cause said slide valve to move to said venting position.

Claim 8

A braking system as defined in claim 2, wherein said fluid pressure control valve includes: (a) a housing containing inlet and outlet ports communicating with said internal cavity, said inlet port and said outlet port being fluidically connected with said fluid circuit and a fluid sump, respectively, said internal cavity having a side wall sloping toward said inlet port to form an internal cavity having an increasing cross-sectional area from said inlet port to said outlet port; and (b) a valve member movable between a closed position in which fluid is prevented from flowing from said inlet port to said outlet port and open position in which fluid may flow from said inlet port to said outlet port, and a biasing means for biasing said valve member toward said closed position with a force which is sufficient to prevent movement of said valve member toward said open position until the fluid pressure within said fluid circuit reaches said predetermined level.

Claim 9

A braking system as defined in claim 7, wherein said outlet port is positioned within said housing to open into said internal cavity through said sloping wall.

Claim 10

A braking system as defined in claim 7, wherein said inlet port is positioned at one end of said internal cavity and said outlet port is positioned adjacent an opposite end of said internal cavity.

Claim 11

A braking system as defined in claim 7, wherein said valve member is a ball and said baising means is a spring having a predetermined compressive force to hold said valve member in said closed until the fluid pressure within said fluid circuit reaches said predetermined level.

Claim 12

A braking system for an internal combustion engine having at least one piston reciprocatively mounted within a cylinder for cyclical successive compression and expansion strokes and an exhaust valve operable against variable closng bias to exhaust gas from the cylinder in variable timed relationship to the piston strokes to operate the engine in either a power mode or a braking mode and having an engine component displaceable in timed relationship with the reciprocating piston, said braking system comprising (a) engine operating means cyclically actuated for providing mechanical displacement of the engine component during spaced timed intervals near the end of the compression stroke of the reciprocating piston and for providing a source of actuating energy up to a predetermined maximum amount without causing damage or excessive wear to the engine; (b) fluid pressurizing means mechanically linked with said engine operating means for using said actuating energy of said engine operating means to pressurize a non-compressible fluid in response to the mechanical displacement of said engine operating means whenever the engine is operated in the braking mode; (c) actuating means fluidically linked to the exhaust valve for opening the exhaust valve whenever the level of pressurization of the non-compressible fluid is sufficient to overcome all forces biasing the exhaust valve to a closed position; and (d) valve opening delay menas for preventing the opening of the exhaust valve upon pressurization of the non-compressible fluid whenever the variable closing bias on the exhaust valve causes said actuating energy used by said fluid pressurizing means to reach said predetermined maximum amount and for maintaining the exhaust valve closed until the variable closing bias again falls below the predetermined limit, thereby preventing the actuating energy used by said pressurizing means from exceeding said predetermined maximum amount.

Claim 13

A braking system for an internal combustion engine having at least one piston reciprocatively mounted within a cylinder for cyclical successive compression and expansion strokes and an exhaust valve operable against variable closng bias to exhaust gas from the cylinder in variable timed relationship to the piston strokes to operate the engine in either a power mode or a braking mode and having an engine component displaceable in timed relationship with the reciprocating piston, said braking system comprising (a) engine operating means cyclically actuated for providing mechanical displacement of the engine component during spaced timed intervals near the end of the compression stroke of the reciprocating piston and for providing a source of actuating energy up to a predetermined maximum amount without causing damage or excessive wear to the engine; (b) fluid pressurizing means mechanically linked with said engine operating means for using said actuating energy of said engine operating means to pressurize a non-compressible fluid in response to the mechanical displacement of said engine operating means whenever the engine is operated in the braking mode; (c) actuating means fluidically linked to the exhaust valve for opening the exhaust valve whenever the level of pressurization of the non-compressible fluid is sufficient to overcome all forces biasing the exhaust valve to a closed position; and (d) valve opening delay menas for preventing the opening of the exhaust valve upon pressurization of the non-compressible fluid whenever the variable closing bias on the exhaust valve causes said actuating energy used by said fluid pressurizing means to reach said predetermined maximum amount and for maintaining the exhaust valve closed until the variable closing bias again falls below the predetermined limit, thereby preventing the actuating energy used by said pressurizing means from exceeding said predetermined maximum amount.

Claim 14

A braking system as defined in claim 11, wherein said engine operating means includes a fuel injector valve train associated with the reciprocating piston and said engine component is the rocker arm of said fuel injector valve train.

Claim 15

A braking system as defined in claim 2, wherein said fluid pressure control valve has a displacement capability in excess of 0.10 in 3 when operating at 17 strokes per second.