Valve-actuating mechanism

Claim 1

A valve actuating mechanism for an internal combustion engine including: at least two valves per cylinder; a camshaft (4) including first cams (3), and second cams (8) having a different cam profile than said first cams; first rocker arms (5), each of which engages a first cam and one of said valves; second rocker arms (7) located between adjacent first rocker arms, each of which engages a second cam; said first and second rocker arms having a common pivot axis and including bores (9, 10) that extend parallel to said common pivot axis, said bores being aligned with each other when said valves are closed; an electromagnetically actuable coupling device (11) for coupling said first rocker arms to said second rocker arms in a first speed range and for uncoupling said first rocker arms from said second rocker arms in a second speed range; said coupling device including a rotatable switching shaft (11) that extends through all of said bores (9, 10) and is mounted in said bores (10) of said second rocker arms; said shaft including cutouts (12) in the region of said bores (9) of said first rocker arms, said bores (9) of said first rocker arms including a downwardly projecting opening (13); an electromagnet (21) and a spring (28) for rotating said switching shaft (11) between a first position in which said shaft passes from said bores (9) in said first rocker arms through said downwardly projecting openings (13), and a second position in which said switching shaft couples said first rocker arms to said second rocker arms.