Control apparatus for intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine

Claim 2

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising, four intake passages in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; four exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for operating less than all said exhaust valves to a full open position through a complete exhaust cycle in response to an operating condition of the engine determined by means detecting both the position of a throttle valve in the air intake of the engine and engine speed said opening and closing means including disabling means for maintaining two of said exhaust valves in a closed position, and means for actuating the disabling means upon decrease in speed of the engine below a predetermined level.

Claim 3

The internal combustion engine of claim 1 including a valve spring for each said intake and exhaust valve, positioned and arranged for biasing said valves into a closed position; and valve actuating means having rotary cam lobes for operating said intake and exhaust valves and of said cam lobes, each said rocker arm having a fulcrum, a slidable member having a pivotal means engaging and positioning said fulcrum in response to hydraulic pressure, said valve actuating means having a means for reducing said hydraulic pressure to permit movement of said member by said rocker arm instead of causing movement of said one exhaust valve against the force of its said closing spring.

Claim 4

The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the fulcrum is pivoted to said member at a location between the ends of said rocker arm.

Claim 5

The internal combustion engine of claim 1 wherein said means for opening and closing said intake valves and exhaust valves includes a rocker arm for each exhaust valve, and each rocker arm having one end engaging a cam lobe, another end engaging an exhaust valve and a portion between said ends engaging a fulcrum.

Claim 6

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: at least one intake passage in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening anc closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for modifying the operation of the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to open at least one exhaust valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of exhaust valves for the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operation output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 7

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: at least one intake passage in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening anc closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for modifying the operation of the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to open at least one exhaust valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of exhaust valves for the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operation output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 8

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: at least one intake passage in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for operating the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to decrease the effective opening from the plurality of exhaust passages to the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operation output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 9

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: at least one intake passage in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for operating the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to decrease the effective opening from the plurality of exhaust passages to the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operation output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 10

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: a plurality of intake passages in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for modifying the operation of the plurality of intake valves to open at least one intake valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of intake valves for the cylinder through a complete intake cycle and for modifying the operation of the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to open at least one exhaust valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of exhaust valves for the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operating output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 11

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: a plurality of intake passages in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for modifying the operation of the plurality of intake valves to open at least one intake valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of intake valves for the cylinder through a complete intake cycle and for modifying the operation of the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to open at least one exhaust valve but fully open less than all of the plurality of exhaust valves for the cylinder through a complete exhaust cycle during an engine fueling condition in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operating output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 12

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: a plurality of intake passages in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder to an effective opening; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder to an effective opening; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for operating the plurality of intake valves to decrease the effective opening from the intake passages to the cylinder through a complete intake cycle and for operating the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to decrease the effective opening from the exhaust passages to the cylinder during an engine fueling condition through a complete exhaust cycle in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operating output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 13

An internal combustion engine having a cylinder and a piston slidable in the cylinder, comprising: a plurality of intake passages in communication with the cylinder, each said intake passage having an intake valve for controlling communication with the cylinder to an effective opening; a plurality of exhaust passages in communication with the cylinder, each said exhaust passage having an exhaust valve for controlling communication with the cylinder to an effective opening; and means for opening and closing said intake and exhaust valves, said means including means for operating the plurality of intake valves to decrease the effective opening from the intake passages to the cylinder through a complete intake cycle and for operating the plurality of exhaust valves (i) to decrease the effective opening from the exhaust passages to the cylinder during an engine fueling condition through a complete exhaust cycle in response to an operating condition of the engine and (ii) to close all of the exhaust valves during the intake, compression and combustion cycles, all for improving the operating output characteristics of the engine.

Claim 14

The internal combustion engine of claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 including means for detecting the rate of flow of intake air in the intake passages communicating with the cylinder for determining said operating condition of the engine.

Claim 15

The internal combustion engine of claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 including means for detecting the position of a throttle valve controlling the rate of flow of intake air in the intake passages communicating with the cylinder for determining said operating condition of the engine.

Claim 16

The internal combustion engine of claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 including means for detecting the speed of the engine for determining said operating condition of the engine.

Claim 17

The internal combustion engine of claim 5, 6, 7 or 8 including means for detecting the speed of the engine and means for detecting the position of a throttle valve controlling the rate of flow of intake air in the intake passages communicating with the cylinder for determining said operating condition of the engine.