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EP-4051883-B1 - ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLIES

EP4051883B1EP 4051883 B1EP4051883 B1EP 4051883B1EP-4051883-B1

Inventors

  • VAN WINGERDEN, Mark
  • STRONG, Andrew, T.
  • SPOOR, Anthony, L.
  • SHEREN, James, R.
  • REHM, BRENT, L.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20201030

Claims (13)

  1. A rocker arm assembly (1, 2), comprising: a main rocker arm (100), comprising: a main body (101) configured to rotate around a rocker shaft (50); a valve end (102) extending from the main body (101); a reaction end (103) extending from the main body (101); a latch bore (104) between the main body and the valve end (102); and a bias pin (105) extending from the main body (101); and a latch assembly (400) configured to selectively rotate in the latch bore (104), the latch assembly, comprising: a first latch end (401) extending out of the latch bore (104) on a first side of the main rocker arm (100), the first latch end (401) comprising a switch plate (410) configured to receive actuation force on a first side (411) and to receive bias force from the bias pin on a second side (412); and a second latch end (402) in the latch bore (104) on a second side of the main rocker arm (100), the second latch end comprising a first latch seat (421) and a second latch seat (422); the rocker arm assembly further comprises: a secondary rocker arm (200), comprising: a center body (201) configured to rotate around the rocker shaft (50); a follower end (203) extending from the center body (201), the follower end configured to follow a rotating cam (31); the rocker arm assembly being characterized in that the secondary rocker arm further comprises: a latch extension (204) comprising a latch bar (244) extending from the center body (201); wherein the latch bar (244) selectively abuts the first latch seat (421) or the second latch seat (422) when the latch assembly selectively rotates.
  2. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 1, further comprising a latching arm (300), comprising: a movable body (301) around the rocker shaft (50); and a latching finger (302) extending from the movable body (301).
  3. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 2, comprising the switch plate (410) configured to receive the actuation force from the latching finger (302).
  4. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 1, wherein the first latch seat (421) comprises an exterior latch ledge on the second latch end (402), and wherein the second latch seat (422) comprises a recess in the second latch end.
  5. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 2, wherein the latching arm (300) comprises an actuation fitting (308) extending from the movable body (301).
  6. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 5, further comprising an actuator (80) linked to the actuation fitting (308), the actuator configured with the actuation fitting to rotate the movable body (301) around the rocker shaft (50) and thereby selectively slide the latching finger (302) against the switch plate (410).
  7. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 1, further comprising: a reaction bar (60); and a reaction spring (71) biased against the reaction bar (60) and the reaction end (103).
  8. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 7, further comprising a follower spring (72) biased against the reaction bar (60) and the follower end (203).
  9. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 8, wherein the follower spring (72) biases the latch bar (244) away from the first latch seat (421) and the second latch seat (422), and wherein the rotating cam (31) is configured to selectively bias the latch bar (244) towards the latch assembly (400).
  10. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 1, further comprising: a reaction bar (60); and a follower spring /72) biased against the reaction bar (60) and the follower end (203).
  11. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 10, wherein the follower spring (72) biases the latch bar (244) away from the latch assembly (400).
  12. The rocker arm assembly (1; 2) of claim 10, wherein the rotating cam (31) is configured to selectively bias the latch bar (244) towards the latch assembly (400).
  13. The rocker arm assembly (2) of claim 1, further comprising an added motion assembly (90) adjacent the valve end (102).

Description

Field This application provides rocker arm assemblies. A main rocker arm can house a latch assembly. Additionally, a latching arm can control the latch assembly and thereby control the extent to which a secondary rocker arm acts on the main rocker arm. Background Variable valve actuation (VVA) remains a desired customer configuration. Numerous rocker arm assemblies exist in the art, but packaging constraints, actuation timing, material costs, among others, continue to be drivers in the design and development of rocker arm assemblies. In US 5 513 602 A there is disclosed a rocker arm assembly as it is defined in the precharacterizing portion of claim 1. SUMMARY The devices disclosed herein overcome the above disadvantages and improve the art by way of various rocker arm assemblies for variable valve actuation. The present invention is a rocker arm assembly as it is defined in claim 1. The rocker arm assembly comprises a main rocker arm and a latch assembly. The main rocker arm comprises a main body configured to rotate around a rocker shaft, a valve end extending from the main body, a reaction end extending from the main body, a latch bore between the main body and the valve end, and a bias pin extending from the main body. The latch assembly is configured to selectively rotate in the latch bore. The latch assembly comprises a first latch end extending out of the latch bore on a first side of the main rocker arm. The first latch end comprises a switch plate configured to receive actuation force on a first side and to receive bias force from the bias pin on a second side. The latch assembly comprises a second latch end in the latch bore on a second side of the main rocker arm. The second latch end comprises a first latch seat and a second latch seat. The rocker arm assembly additionally comprises a secondary rocker arm which comprises a center body configured to rotate around the rocker shaft, a follower end extending from the center body, and a latch extension comprising a latch bar extending from the center body. The follower end is configured to follow a rotating cam. The latch bar selectively abuts the first latch seat or the second latch seat when the latch assembly selectively rotates. The rocker arm assembly can additionally comprise a latching arm. A movable body can rotate around the rocker shaft. A latching finger can extend from the movable body. The latching arm can comprise an actuation fitting extending from the movable body. The rocker arm assembly can then further comprise an actuator linked to the actuation fitting. The actuator can be configured with the actuation fitting to rotate the movable body around the rocker shaft and thereby selectively slide the latching finger against the switch plate. In additional alternatives, the switch plate can be configured to receive the actuation force from the latching finger to selectively rotate the latch assembly. The first latch seat can comprise an exterior latch ledge on the second latch end, and the second latch seat can comprise a recess in the second latch end. The rocker arm assembly can further comprise, or a valvetrain in which the rocker arm assembly is installed can additionally comprise, a reaction bar. A reaction spring can biased against the reaction bar and the reaction end. A follower spring can be biased against the reaction bar and the follower end. The follower spring can bias the latch bar away from the first latch seat and the second latch seat. Yet, the rotating cam can be configured to selectively bias the latch bar towards the latch assembly. The rocker arm assemblies herein can further optionally comprise an added motion assembly adjacent the valve end. Additional objects and advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. The objects and advantages will also be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figures 1 & 2 are views of a first rocker arm assembly.Figures 3 & 4 are views of a latch assembly configured in a latch bore of a main rocker arm relative to a latch extension of a secondary rocker arm.Figure 5 is an alternative view of the first rocker arm assembly.Figures 6 & 7 are views of a second rocker arm assembly. DETAIL ED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to the examples which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. A rocker arm assembly 1, 2 can comprise a main rocker arm 100. The main rocker arm 100 can comprise a main body 101 configured to rotate around a rocker shaft 50 as by a central bore through the main body. A valve end 102 extends from the main body 101. Valve end 102 can actuate against a valve or a valve bridge. An optional valve end capsule as