Internal combustion piston engine with an adjustable inflating element

Abstract

An internal combustion piston engine based on a four-stroke process, having a crankcase in which at least one cylinder/piston assembly is arranged, the piston being guided by a connecting rod connected to a crankshaft. At least one cylinder head ( 1 ) closes the cylinder, each of whose intake and exhaust channels are controlled by at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve ( 2, 2 a ). The intake and exhaust valves are actuable by a finger lever or a rocker arm driven by a camshaft ( 12 ) through intake and exhaust cams. The finger levers or rocker arms are guided on at least one axle ( 10 ). At least one additional cam is provided in the region of the base circle of the outlet cam for an additional opening of the at least one exhaust valve ( 2, 2 a ), and a control element is installed between the finger lever or rocker arm and the exhaust valve or valves ( 2, 2 a ), which control element can be connected to a pressure oil source and has a variable length, so that the additional cam is active during a compression relief operation and inactive during a pure engine operation. The control element is configured as an inflating element ( 8 ) and is operatively connected through a working piston ( 7 ), with interposition of a spacer, to a bridge ( 4 ) associated to a plurality of exhaust valves ( 2, 2 a ), or is operatively connected to a valve stem of an exhaust valve.

1 . An internal combustion piston engine based on a four-stroke process, comprising a crankcase in which at least one cylinder/piston assembly is arranged, the piston being guided by a connecting rod connected to a crankshaft, further comprising at least one cylinder head for closing the cylinder, intake and exhaust channels for each of the cylinders are controlled by at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve, said intake and exhaust valves being actuable by a finger lever or a rocker arm driven by a camshaft through intake and exhaust cams, the finger levers or rocker arms being guided on at least one axle, at least one additional cam in a region of a base circle of the exhaust cam for an additional opening of the at least one exhaust valve, and a control element is installed between the finger lever or rocker arm and the at least one exhaust valve, the control element is connectable to a pressurized oil source and has a length that is variable, so that the additional cam is active during a compression relief operation and inactive during a pure engine operation, the control element is configured as an inflating element and is operatively connected through a working piston, with interposition of a spacer, to a bridge associated with a plurality of the exhaust valves, or is operatively connected to a valve stem of the exhaust valve. 
     
     
         2 . An internal combustion piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein a valve lash is adjusted by using spacers configured with graded heights. 
     
     
         3 . An internal combustion piston engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the spacers are configured as ball sockets which are operatively connected to a ball head of the working piston. 
     
     
         4 . An internal combustion piston engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the inflating element comprises components of a hydraulic valve lash adjusting element including a working piston, a housing, a resetting spring, a piston and a non-return valve on the piston, and that a control piston is additionally provided and loaded on one side by a spring and on another side by pressure oil, wherein the control piston can be operatively connected to the valve body of the non-return valve in an opening direction.