Variable cylinder device for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

A variable cylinder device for internal combustion engines comprising: a valve lift mechanism having a rocker arm which causes an intake or exhaust valves to operate in response to a rotary movement of a cam-shaft, a lash adjuster of oil-supplying type connected to said valve lift mechanism and coupled to said rocker arm so as to define a first rocking point of said rocker arm, said lash adjuster including a plunger slidably disposed within an adjuster body so as to define a reservoir and a pressure chamber, and a check ball positioned between said reservoir and said pressure chamber to allow only the flow of fluid from said reservoir into said pressure chamber, said rocker arm having one end which is brought in contact with a cam-surface of said cam-shaft and the other end which is securely connected to a valve stem of said intake or exhaust valve to thereby define the second rocking point, and a solenoid valve having a valve stem which is actuated in accordance with input signals from the engine to thereby push said check valve into a position wherein a passage between said reservoir and said pressure chamber is opened, whereby the rocking point of said rocker arm is shifted from the first rocking point to the second rocking point so as to maintain the closed position of said intake or exhaust valve.