Freely rotatable hydraulic pivot element

Abstract

The freely rotatable hydraulic pivot element for an internal combustion engine has four oil inlets which are in fluid communication with the lash adjusting element inside the pivot element and in fluid communication with the oil gallery by using four more equally spaced oil inlets in the outer housing of the cylinder head while still in fluid communication therein. The use of four or more oil inlets are in the same radial plane of the outside cylindrical housing of the pivot element.

1 . A freely rotatable hydraulic pivot element for an internal combustion engine wherein the element is mounted in a bore of the engine to provide lash adjustment to a valve train of the engine and a first oil gallery for providing hydraulic fluid to the element which is in fluid communication with the bore of the engine, the element comprising:
 an outer cylindrical housing freely rotatable in the bore of the engine, said housing having a blind bore therein;   hydraulic piston member mounted in said blind bore for lash adjustment of the valve train, said piston member including a piston head for contact with a finger follower of said valve train, said piston head extending through the open end of said blind bore;   four or more first oil inlets in said outer housing, said first oil inlets in fluid communication with said hydraulic piston parts in said blind bore, each of said first oil inlets bisecting the same radial plane, and said first oil inlets positioned radially around said outer housing such that as the element freely rotates in said bore, at least one of said first oil inlets is in fluid communication with said first oil gallery.   
   
   
       2 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the first oil inlets are spaced at equal radial distances around said outer housing. 
   
   
       3 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein each of said first oil inlets is circular and the center of each circle of each of the inlets in the same radial plane. 
   
   
       4 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has four or more oil outlets for hydraulic fluid to leave said element. 
   
   
       5 . The element of  claim 1 , wherein the bore has a second oil gallery positioned on a different radial plane than the first oil gallery, said element further comprising
 a coupling mechanism positioned in said blind bore below said hydraulic piston member to couple and uncouple the piston head from the housing;   a lost motion spring positioned in said blind bore below said mechanism;   four or more second oil inlets in said housing, said second oil inlets in fluid communication with said coupling mechanism and for fluid communication with the second oil gallery, each of said second oil inlets bisecting the same radial plane, and said second oil inlets positioned radially around said housing such that as the element freely rotates in said bore, at lest one of the second oil inlets are in fluid communication with said second oil gallery.