Variably operated valve apparatus for internal combustion engine, start system for internal combustion engine, and start control apparatus for internal combustion engine

Abstract

A variably operated valve apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine comprises: a variable valve actuator configured to variably adjust at least a closure timing of an intake valve; and a mechanically stabilizing section configured to mechanically stabilize the closure timing of the intake valve at a position more retardation angle side than a most retardation angle position which is a limit of a control range of the stop position of the piston at the time of the stop of the engine. In addition, in start system and start control apparatus for the internal combustion engine, crank position control means controls a stop position of a piston at a position more advance angle side than the closure timing of the intake valve, at a time of stop of the engine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variably operated valve apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine being configured for a stop position of a piston to be controlled at a position passed through a bottom dead center at a time of a stop of the engine, the variably operated valve apparatus comprising:
 a variable valve actuator configured to variably adjust at least a closure timing of an intake valve; and   a mechanically stabilizing section configured to mechanically stabilize the closure timing of the intake valve at a position more retardation angle side than a most retardation angle position which is a limit of a control range of the stop position of the piston at the time of the stop of the engine.   
     
     
         2 . A start system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a variably valve operated apparatus configured to variably control at least a closure timing of an intake valve and, at a time of a stop of the engine, to stop the closure timing of the intake valve at a constant position more retardation angle side than a bottom dead center; and   crank position control means for controlling a stop position of a piston at a position more advance angle side than the closure timing of the intake valve, at a time of the stop of the engine.   
     
     
         3 . A start control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a variably operated valve apparatus configured to variably control at least a closure timing of an intake valve; and   crank position control means for controlling stop positions of a crankshaft and a piston at a time of a stop of the engine, wherein, at the time of the stop of the engine, the variably operated valve apparatus controls the closure timing of the intake valve at a constant position more retardation angle side than a bottom dead center and the crank position control means controls the stop position of the piston at a position more advance angle side than the closure timing of the intake valve.   
     
     
         4 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanically stabilizing section comprises biasing means and a closure state of the intake valve is mechanically stabilized according to a basing force of the biasing means. 
     
     
         5 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a movable member is contacted on a stopper to mechanically stabilize the closure state of the intake valve. 
     
     
         6 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the variably operated valve apparatus is configured to variably control the closure timing of the intake valve by enlarging a working angle of the intake valve and, at the time of the stop of the engine, is configured to mechanically stabilize the closure state of the intake valve at a maximum working angle. 
     
     
         7 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the variably operated valve apparatus includes: a first variable mechanism configured to variably control only a lift phase of the intake valve; and a second variable mechanism configured to variably control a working angle of the intake valve and wherein the first variable s mechanism mechanically stabilizes the lift phase of the intake valve at a most retardation angle position. 
     
     
         8 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the variably operated valve apparatus further comprises an exhaust valve variable mechanism configured to variably control an open timing of an exhaust valve and wherein the exhaust valve variable mechanism, at the time of the stop of the engine, stabilizes the open timing of the exhaust valve at a retardation angle side. 
     
     
         9 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the closure timing of the intake valve is stabilized at a top dead center side, at the time of the stop of the engine, passing the bottom dead center. 
     
     
         10 . The variably operated valve apparatus for use in the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the variably operated valve apparatus is applied to the internal combustion engine which is configured to be automatically stopped irrespective of an operation of an ignition switch. 
     
     
         11 . The start system for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the start system is applied to the internal combustion engine which is a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of one cylinder having a crank angle of 180° different from another of the remaining cylinders. 
     
     
         12 . The start system for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the start system comprises: cylinder discriminating means for discriminating one of the cylinders which is in an expansion stroke at the time of the stop of the engine; fuel injection means for injecting fuel into an inside of each of the cylinders; and fuel igniting means for igniting fuel within each of the cylinders and wherein fuel is injected by means of the fuel injection means into the one of the cylinders which is in the expansion stroke discriminated to be in the expansion stroke by means of the cylinder discriminating means and the engine is started in response to the ignition of fuel by means of the fuel ignition means. 
     
     
         13 . The start system for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the crank position control means controls the position of the piston of one of a plurality of cylinders of the engine toward the bottom dead center side and the variably operated valve apparatus controls the closure timing of the intake valve toward the top dead center side. 
     
     
         14 . The start system for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control by the crank position control means is releasably modified in a case where the closure timing of the intake valve is separated from a constant position at the retardation angle side by a predetermined angle before the stop of the engine. 
     
     
         15 . The start system for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the start system is applied to the internal combustion engine which is configured to be automatically stopped irrespective of an operation of an ignition switch. 
     
     
         16 . The start control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the crank position control means controls the position of the piston toward the bottom dead center. 
     
     
         17 . The start control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the control of the crank position control means is releasably modified in a case where the closure timing of the intake valve is separated from a constant position at the retardation angle side by a predetermined angle immediately before the stop of the engine. 
     
     
         18 . The start control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the start control apparatus is applied to the internal combustion engine which is configured to be automatically stopped irrespective of an operation of an ignition switch.