A valve operating mechanism for an internal combustion engine

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a self-operating mechanism for a 4-cycle internal combustion engine comprising more than two intake valves (14) and a plurality of exhaust valves (15), specifically to a 5-valve engine. In order to provide sufficient space for the cooling jacket (31) on the exhaust side of the cylinder head and/or increasing the valve lift of the exhaust valves without increasing the total height of the engine, the valve spring retainers (21) of the exhaust valves (15) together with the upper ends of the associated exhaust valve springs (23) are accomodated inside the exhaust valve lifters (19), respectively, while the valve spring retainers (20) of the intake valves (14) are disposed adjacent to a lower end of the associated intake valve lifters (18).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve operating mechanism for a 4-cycle internal combustion engine comprising more than 2 intake valves and a plurality of exhaust valves, specifically to a 5 valve engine. More specifically the present invention is directed to an improvement of the valve operating structure in order to assure sufficient space to be provided for the cooling jacket on the exhaust side of the cylinder head and/or increasing the valve lift of the exhaust valves without increasing the total height of the engine.

[0002] Nowadays, 5 valve engines comprising 3 intake valves and 2 exhaust valves per cylinder head have been increasingly used in order to improve the charging efficiency and, consequently, the performance of the engine. On the other hand, difficulties arise in distributing such an increasing number of intake and exhaust valves above the combustion chamber of each cylinder of such an engine. For the design of the cylinder head of such an engine care should be taken to keep the height of the enginen as low as possible but ensuring a sufficient cooling capacity of the cooling jacket arrangement extending through the cylinder head. In view of the valve operating mechanism for such an engine each intake or exhaust valve comprises a valve lifter at the upper end of the valve stem of each of said valves pushed by the lobes of an associated camshaft and a prebiasing valve spring is installed between a valve retainer secured on the upper portion of each valve stem and a valve spring seat which is provided on an internal wall portion of the cylinder head for each of the intake and exhaust valves.

[0003] Engines, such as a 5 valve engine, comprising a larger number of intake valves than of exhaust valves for each cylinder frequently use exhaust valves which, due to their lower number with respect to the intake valves, are designed to be larger in diameter to assure the necessary cross-sections of the exhaust passageways. Accordingly, the mass of such an exhaust valve exceeds those of the intake valve, and exhaust valves heavier than intake valves have been employed in many cases. Moreover, the valve lift of the exhaust valves has been set to be larger than those of the intake valves. In view of the afore-noted conditions the prebiasing valve spring for the exhaust valve requires a larger diameter and a greater spring constant in order to urge the heavier exhaust valve into its closing position without any malfunction and the length of the valve spring needs to be larger than those of the intake valve springs enabling the valve lift of the exhaust valves to be increased. Said increased length adds to considerably increase the total height of the engine.

[0004] In any case it is desirable to reduce the height of the engine as far as possible. In view of the afore-mentioned requirements a restraint engine height requires the valve spring seat of the exhaust valve to be lowered to maintain the necessary valve lift. However, a lowered valve spring seat normally consumes some space required for the cooling arrangement of the cylinder head, specifically for the cooling jacket at the exhaust side close to the exhaust gas discharge passageway. Thus, lowering the position of the valve spring seat on the exhaust side results in a smaller cooling jacket at that area and reduced cooling efficiency. Otherwise, the valve lift of the exhaust valve would be insufficient.

[0005] Moreover, on the intake valve side the increased number thereof results in a very narrow space being only available in between the adjacent intake valves and the distance between them becomes considerably small which leads to problems in assuring the space for accomodating the valve lifters of the intake valves.

[0006] Apart from the afore-noted problems, specifically for V-type engines the camshaft drive mechanism including an intermediate gear, intermediate sprocket or intermediate pulley (depending on the type of transmission being used for driving the camshaft from the crankshaft) should not unnecessarily restrict the space inside of the V-bank for disposing and servicing auxilliaries disposed therein. Accordingly, components of said camshaft drive transmission or casings thereof should not protrude into said space between the two banks of a V-type internal combustion engine.

[0007] Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide the valve operating mechanism which allows to restrain the total height of the engine with respect to the exhaust valves and to eliminate difficulties in disposing the valve lifters for the intake valves, simultaneously ensuring a high cooling efficiency by assuring or enlarging an appropriate space for the cooling jacket on the exhaust side of the cylinder head and to guarantee a sufficient valve lift of the exhaust valves.

[0008] Moreover, the present invention aims to avoid components of the camshaft drive train or the housing thereof to protrude inwardly from a cylinder bank of the engine in order to increase the serviceability thereof and to facilitate auxiliaries to be accomodated.

[0009] In order to perform the afore-noted objective the present invention provides the valve operating mechanism for a 4-cycle internal combustion engine comprising more than two intake valves, preferably three intake valves and a plurality of exhaust valves, preferably two exhaust valves, said valve operating mechanism is characterized in that the valve spring retainers of the intake valves are disposed adjacent to a lower end of the associated intake valve lifters in order to retain the associated intake valve spring at the lower end of each intake valve lifter, whereas the valve spring retainers of the exhaust valves, together with the associated upper end of the exhaust valve springs, is accomodated inside the exhaust valve lifter.

[0010] Moreover, according to another aspect of the present invention an intermediate chain wheel, such as the intermediate gear, intermediate sprocket or intermediate pulley of the camshaft drive arrangement disposed to transmit the rotation of driving movement from the crankshaft to each of the camshafts via cam gears, cam sprockets or cam pulleys fixed to the intake and exhaust camshafts, respectively, is disposed between the crankshaft and said camshafts such that its position is laterally offset from a centre plane containing the axis of the cylinder of one row of cylinders towards the exhaust side of the cylinder head as seen in the crankshaft direction, i.e. said intermediate gear, sprocket or pulley is displaced laterally to the outside in order to avoid the case or the like for accomodating said transmission element to protrude into the inner space within the V-bank of an engine of that type or to increase the lateral dimensions of the engine block perpendicularly to the crankshaft axis. Similarly, the axis of the exhaust side camshafts is remoter from side plane than the axis of the camshaft at the intake side of the cylinder head.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the outer diameters of the valve springs of the intake valves are set to substantially correspond to the outer diameter of the associated intake valve lifters resulting in that the upper end of each intake valve urging spring is positioned substantially close to the lower end of the related intake valve lifter avoiding any further radial space exceeding that determined by the diameter of the intake valve springs to be required. In the meaning of this prescription setting of the outer diameters of the intake valve spring and the intake valve lifter to be substantially equal to each other covers both setting both diameters to sizes with which both members will interfere with each other and to set both diameters to sizes wherein in a press fit engagement leafs no gap sufficient for relative movements between the top end of the valve spring and the valve lifter, in case where the valve biasing spring is designed to be inserted protectingly into the intake valve lifter retained by the associated valve spring retainer.

[0012] Accordingly, the valve operating mechanism in compliance with the present invention comprises a so-called double-stack structure for the intake valve side in which the upper end of the prebiasing valve spring for each intake valve is positioned adjacent to the lower end of the associated valve lifter. At the exhaust side a so-called bucket structure is employed for the exhaust valves in which the upper end portion of the exhaust valve spring is respectively inserted into the exhaust valve lifter. Consequently, the intake valve lifters, preferably three lifters per cylinder, can be disposed without any difficulties in view of their close neighbourhood whereas the total height of the engine can be restrained due to the compacted exhaust valve structure.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the first invention leaving a distance between a camshaft and the associated spring seat on the exhaust side smaller than the corresponding distance on the intake side enables the distance between each exhaust opening and the associated spring seat to be increased by disposing the spring seat on the exhaust side at a higher level, enabling the cooling jacket on the exhaust side to be enlarged to provide improved cooling efficiency while the total height of the engine can be restrained.

[0014] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention setting the distance between the intake and exhaust camshafts and each of the spring seats for the intake and exhaust valves equal to each other employing the so-called double-stack structure (intake side) and a bucket structure (exhaust side) the length of the valve spring for each of the exhaust valves can be designed relatively longer resulting in an increased valve lift and improving the exhaust efficiency despite the number of the exhaust valves being lower than the number of the intake valves, and the total height of the engine can be limited.

[0015] By means of the lateral offset of an intermediate chain wheel (camshaft drive gear, or sprocket or pulley of a drive train) the space within a V-bank of such a type of engine can be enlarged and spaces for disposing and servicing the auxiliaries is sufficiently obtained. In the latter case the cam operating mechanism according to the present invention may include those through gear trains, timing belts or timing chains. Therefore, the camshaft drive wheel is fixed to the exhaust and intake camshaft, respectively, also includes a cam gear, a cam sprocket or a cam pulley depending on the type of the transmission selected. Correspondingly, the intermediate chain wheel transmitting the rotational movement of the crankshaft to the camshafts can be designed from an intermediate gear, an intermediate sprocket or an intermediate pulley adapted to the type of the drive train. Preferably, the intermediate chain wheel is disposed laterally offset from a centre plane, containing the axes of the cylinders of one cylinder row and the crankshaft axis, toward the exhaust side. Similarly, the distance of the axis of the exhaust camshaft is larger than the distance of the axis of the intake camshaft from said plane. In this way obstruction of the inner V-space between the cylinder banks of a V-type engine by casing portion can be prevented and receiving as well as accomodating auxiliaries such as an alternator, can be facilitated.

[0016] Further, the methods for driving the camshaft with the intermediate chain wheel include one in which the intermediate gear is in mesh with both the intake and exhaust cam gears, one in which the intermediate sprocket is connected with both or one of the intake and exhaust cam sprockets through a chain, one in which the intermediate pulley is connected with both or one of intake and exhaust cam pulleys through a belt and various other ones.

[0017] Other preferred embodiments of the present invention are laid down in the further subclaims.

[0018] In the following, the present inventionn is explained in greater datail referring to an embodiment thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figure 1 is a diagrmatic front view of a 4-cycle V-type engine according to an embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional front view of the right side cylinder head portion of the engine shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper head of the cylinder head of the engine,

Figure 4 is a front view of the engine similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment of the present invention, and

Figure 5 is a front view of an engine similar to those of Figures 1 and 4 with a different type of camshaft drive system.

[0019] In the following a V-type four-cycle internal combustion engine comprising five valves for each cylinder, specifically the cylinder head portion thereof to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, is explained referring to the accompanying drawings. In the following the basic structure of the engine is explained referring to Figure 1.

[0020] In Figure 1, showing schematically front view of the engine 1, a cylinder block 2 is shown connected to a crankcase 3 at its lower end face and comprising a pair of left and right clyinder heads 4 having head covers 5 stuck and fastened on its upper face. The cylinder block 2 defines a plurality of cylinders or liners 6 arranged in V-shape as seen in the crankshaft direction shown in Figure 1. A piston is inserted in each cylinder 6 and is connected through a connecting rod 8 with the crankshaft 9 as usual.

[0021] The cylinder head 4 of each clyinder bank of the V-type engine is of a bisectional structure composed of an upper head 11 and a lower head 10, respectively. The lower head 10 defines combustion cavities 12 which, in turn, form a combustion chamber for each cylinder 6 defined by the front face of the respective piston 7 slidably received therein.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2 the combustion cavity 12 of the respective cylinder 6 comprises three intake openings 12a, 12b and 12c as well as two exhaust openings 12d and 12e arranged along the periphery of the combustion cavity 12 whereas its centre portion is formed with an inserting hole 12i adapted to accommodate a usual ignition plug therein. The exhaust openings 12d and 12e are lead out to the outside wall 10b of the cylinder head 4 extending along the side periphery of the V-shaped cylinder bank by means of exhaust passages 13d and 13e. The intake openings 12a, 12b and 12c are lead out to a wall 10a of the cylinder head 4 located at the inner side of the V-shaped cylinder bank by means of intake passages 13a, 13b and 13c which joint with one another through an extension portion 11c extending through and upward of the upper head 11. The junction area 13f is shaped to be elliptical with its major diameter oriented in parallel to the crankshaft axis. A mounting hole 11d for receiving a fuel injection valve 30 is provided to extend through a portion of the central intake passage 13b. A slide valve 39 for opening and closing the junction portion 13f is disposed in the extension portion 11c of the intake passages and an air horn 40 is connected to that extension portion 11c. In order to prevent dust or the like from entering into the air horn 40 a cover 41 is provided.

[0023] As indicated in Figure 2 a coolant jacket for circulating cooling water from the cylinder block through the cylinder head is shown to be provided in the lower head 10. The cooling water jacket and internal structure of the cylinder head is designed to cover the combustion cavity 12. This cooling water jacket is composed of a water jacket 31a at the intake side ranging from the portion of the intake passages 13a, 13b and 13c to the side of the inside wall 10a of the lower head 10 another cooling jacket 31b disposed at the exhaust side ranging from the portion of the exhaust passages 13d and 13e to the outer side wall 10b of the lower head 10, and of a central cooling jacket 31c substantially extending between the intake passages 13a, 13b, 13c and the exhaust passgages 13d and 13e. The design and disposal of the different sections 31a, 31b, 31c of the water jacket arrangement are clearly shown in Figure 2.

[0024] Communicating holes 31a are drilled to communicate the upper portions of both the central cooling jackt 31c and the intake valve cooling jacket 31a and extend laterally offset from the intake meassages 13a and 13c, respecively. According to this structure the cooling water of the coolant circuit flows from the cooling water jacket of the cylinder block 2 (not shown) into the cooling jacet 31b at the exhaust side of the cylinder head 4, and subsequentially it flows through the central jacket 31c and into the cooling jacket 31a disposed at the intake side of the cylinder head 4. From the intake side jacket 31a the water is circulated to be discharged through the train outlet 31d. At the begining of each coolant circulation any air present at the top portion of the central jacket 31c is discharged to the cooling jacket 31a at the intake side through said communicating holes 31e.

[0025] The intake and exhaust valves 14, 15 each comprising valve stems 14b, 15b with valve plates 14a, 15a at their lower end portion adapted to open or close the intake openings 12a, 12b, 12c and exhaust 12d and 12e, respectively. The upper end portion of the valve stems 14b, 15b of the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15 is disposed in guide holes 11a, 11b, defined in the upper head 11. These guide holes 11a and 11b as shown in greater detail in Figure 3 are formed in a unitary structure respectively establishing a radially connected double structure (exhaust side) or triple structure, (intake side). Accordingly, the diameters of said guide holes 11a, 11b are sufficiently large to eliminate any boundary wall portion between adjacent guide holes 11a, 11b at the intake or exhaust sides. Moreover, cast intake and exhaust inserts 16, 17 form liners for said guide holes 11a, 11b as a reinforcement structure, preferably made of a material different from the material of the cylinder head to provide increased strength of said inserts 16, 17. In this way said intake and exhaust inserts 16 and 17 form slide holes to slidably receive intake and exhaust lifters 18, 19, respectively which are of a bottomed cylinder shape wherein the upper end of each valve stem 14b, 15b is engaged with the respective inside bottom portion of the intake and exhaust lifters 18, 19 through a pad, respectivelly. Near to the upper end of each valve stem 14b and 15b is installed a spring retainer 20, 21 adapted to retain the urging springs 22, 23 of the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15, respectively. Both valve urging springs 22 and 23 of the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15, respectively, are of a concentric double structure and extend between the retainers 20 and 21 and the associated valve seats 12g and 12h, formed on the lower head 10 of the cylinder head 4, respectively. By means of said valve springs 22 and 23 the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15 are kept urged in a direction for closing the intake and exhaust openings. The intake valves 14 and the exhaust valves 15 of each row of the V-type engine are operated by an intake camshaft 24 and an exhaust camshaft 25, respectively, which establish rotating contact with each intake lifter 18 and each exhaust lifer 19. Bearing portions, formed on the upper head 11 and cam caps fastened through bolts form bearings for both camshafts 24, 25. The intake valve 14 and exhaust valve 15 are moved downwardly by pushing down the intake lifter 18 and exhaust lifter 19 through the related cam lobes of the camshafts 24 and 25, respectively.

[0026] As indicated in Figure 2, the outer diameter of the valve spring 22 of the intake valve is set to substantially correspond to the outer diameter of the associated intake lifter 18 and that of the valve spring retainer 20, the position of which is set such that it is disposed adjacent to the lower end of the intake valve lifter 18 so that the upper end of the intake valve spring 22 is positioned substantially at the lower end of the intake lifter 18. The spring seat 12g of the intake valve spring 22 is provided at a correspondingly appropriate position of the internal structure of the lower head 10 of the cylinder head 4. Due to the afore-mentioned arrangement the valve operating mechanism at the intake valve side comprises a structure wherein the valve spring 22 of the intake valve 14 exhibits a double-stacked arrangement on the intake lifter 18.

[0027] In this way an enlargement of the diameter of the intake lifter 18 of each of the intake valves 14 can be avoided and, therefore, the intake lifters 18 can be disposed within the available space closely adjacent to one another without any problems.

[0028] Moreover, as similarly apparent from Figure 2, the outer diameter of the valve spring 23 of each of the exhaust valves 15 and the corresponding outer diameter of the associated valve spring retainer 21 are set to be somewhat smaller than the inner diameter of the exhaust lifter 17 which, as the intake lifter 18 is of a downwardly opening bottomed cylindrical structure. Further, the height positions of the valve spring retainer 21 of the exhaust valve 15 and the spring seat 12h provided on an internal wall of the lower head 10 of the cylinder head 4 are set such that an upper end portion of the valve spring 23 prebiasing the respective exhaust valve 14 in its closing position projects into the exhaust lifter 17. Accordingly, the valve operating system at the exhaust camshaft side is of a so-called bucket structure in which the upper portion of the valve spring 23 of the exhaust valve is covered by the related exhaust lifter 19 forming a reception space for the upper end of the valve spring 23.

[0029] As is apparent from Figure 2, the distance L2 from the axis of the exhaust camshaft 25 to the spring seat 12h of the exhaust valve spring 23 is set to be smaller than the distance from the intake camshaft 24 to the associated valve seat 12G of the intake but of springs 22. Consequently, the distance L2' between the exhaust valve spring seat 12h and the valve seat is said to be larger than the corresponding distance L' on the intake side while the distance of each axis of the intake and exhaust camshafts 24, 25 to the associated valve seat equals to one another.

[0030] Due to this dimensional layout it is possible to design the exhaust side cooling jacket 31b larger while simultaneously keeping the total height of the engine within reasonable limits. Accordingly, the cooling efficiency can be improved as the cooling jacket at the exhaust side of the cylinder head can be enlarged to have a greater cooling capacity than conventionally.

[0031] Moreover, in this embodiment of the present invention the number of the intake valves 14 (three) exceeds those of the exhaust valves 15 (two) leading to an increased diameter of the exhaust valve (15) in order to assure the necessary cross section of the exhaust opening area. Moreover, also the valve lift of the exhaust valves 15 is said to be larger than those of intake valves 14. In view of this dimensional aspect (leading to an increased weight of the exhaust valves compared with the intake valves) stronger exhaust valve springs 23 have to be used implying a greater spring constant and a greater length of the exhaust valve spring 23 compared with the intake valve spring 22. According to the present invention the fear of a higher position of the exhaust camshaft 25 and, consequently, a greater total engine height in result of the structure of disposing the exhaust lifter 19 and the exhaust valve spring 23 is overcome by the upper valve spring receipt structure for the exhaust valve 15. Also the alternative, can be avoided namely to conventionally restrain an increased height of the engine by lowering the valve seats of the exhaust valves in order to provide sufficient space to accommodate the stronger valve springs, which would lead to the detrimental consequence of an insufficient cooling efficiency for the exhaust side of the cylinder head as the seize of the water cooling jacket 31b at the exhaust side would be diminished. A relatively high portion of the valve seat 12h for the exhaust valve spring 23 can be assured by means of employing a so-called bucket structure for the exhaust valve side for enabling the distance L2 between the axis of the exhaust camshaft 25 and the associated valve spring seat 12h of the exhaust valves 15 to be reduced but the distance L2' on the exhaust side between the exhaust opening 12e, 12d and the valve spring seat 12h to be increased, meeting the objectives of low engine height and unaffected cooling efficiency.

[0032] At the intake side, preferably the valve spring retainer 20 is disposed close to the lower rim portion of the associated valve lifter 18 in order to keep the necessary diameter of the three closely neighboured valve lifters 18 for the three intake valves 14 in this embodiment to be as low as possible enabling the intake lifters 18 to be disposed without any difficulties providing sufficient space for the insert 16 in the cylinder head without weakening the intrevening area between the bores lined by said insert 16. Specifically, when the cylinder head is made from a light metal alloy, such as aluminium alloy, this problem becomes important.

[0033] Also the distance L1 between the axis of the intake cam shift 24 and the associated intake valve spring seat 12g can exceed the corresponding distance L2 on the exhaust side, such a design facilitating the disposal of the intake valve springs 22 is not obligatory but both distances L1 and L2 on the intake and exhaust sides could also be equal to each other. In the latter case the length of the valve springs 23 for the exhaust valve 15 can be further increased and the cooling capabilities of the exhaust side cooling jacket 31b can be improved by increasing the size thereof.

[0034] As is apparent from the embodiment of Figures 1-3, as so far explained, the cooling jacket formed in the clyinder head 4 comprises two side jackets 31a, 31b at the intake and exhaust sides of the lower head 10 of the cylinder head 4 as well as central cooling jacket 31c. Moreover, according to one embodiment wherein the distance L2' at the exhaust side exceeds the distance side L1' at the intake side, the exhaust spring seat 12h formed by an integral wall portion of the lower head 10 of cylinder head 4 is more remote from a lower surface 10a of the cylinder head 4 meeting with the clyinder block 2. Thus a greater volume can be assured for the cooling jacket 31b on the exhaust side of the clyinder side 4. Depending on the further design of the cylinder head the volume of the exhaust side cooling jacket 31b may even exceed that of the intake side cooling jacket 31a. Nevertheless, the axis of rotation of intake and exhaust camshafts 24, 25 lie at approximately the same distance above the lower surface 10c of the cylyinder head 4.

[0035] In view of the problems of disposing a plurality of intake valves (or exhaust valves) closely neighboured to one another in order to increase the charging efficiency of the engine, for example by using three intake valves (and two exhaust valves) or a further increased number of intake or exhaust valves it is specifically important that the bearing structure for reciprocatingly supporting the valves (comprising lifters 18, 19 at the upper ends of the valve stems of the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15) include inserts or liners 16, 17, received preferably as integral structure in an opening of the cylinder head, said inserts 16, 17 for receiprocatingly supporting the associated lifters 18, 19 of the intake and exhaust valves 14, 15 not only comprising a plurality of bores engaged by the associated lifters of the intake or exhaust valves 14, 15 but they are also made of a material different from those of the cast cylinder head 4. In this way a very strong and reinforced supporting structure is obtained for the valve lifters 18, 19 and multiple valves can be employed on the intake or exhaust side without facing problems of assuring a sufficient strength of the material between adjacent valve lifters at the intake or exhaust side. In this way an improved cylinder head arrangement can be obtained facilitating the use of multiple lifters positioned close to each other, but supported by a strengthened reception structure.

[0036] Finally, pointing to Figures 4 and 5 another preferred feature of the valve operating mechanism of the present invention is explained aiming to avoid the inner space in between the V-bank to be obstructed by the housing of the cylinder head for each row of cylinders. More specifically as indicated in Figures 4 and 5 which show a front view of a V-type 4-cycle engine similar to those of Figure 1, it is indicated that the distance A of an axis 24a of the intake camshaft 24 from a centre plane C containing the axis of the cylinders of the clyinder bank as well as the axis of a crankshaft 9, is said to be smaller than the distance B of the axis 25a of the exhaust camshaft 25 from said plane (c). Similarly, an intermediate chain wheel of the camshaft drive system, such as the intermediate gear 35 adapted to a mesh with a pair of cam gears 24b, 25b affixed to the respective intake and exhaust camshafts 24, 25 is rotatably supported through the cylinder head laterally offset by an amount D from said centre plane C in order to avoid housing portions of the cylinder head to protrude into the V-space adapted to dispose auxiliaries, such as an alternator 54 therein. In this way a compacted engine structure can be obtained wherein the intake camshaft is disposed inwardly close to the V-space of the engine while the exhaust camshaft 25 is disposed along the outside of the cylinder head 4 oppositely with respect to the centre plane C.

[0037] While in the embodiment according to Figure 4 the valve drive system comprises a gear drive arrangement to drive both the intake and exhaust cam gears 24b, 25b from the intermediate gear 35 disposed on an intermediate gear shaft 35a, which in turn, is driven from another gear wheel drive structure including a crankshaft output gear. Of course the valve operating mechanism and the camshaft drive chain may also not only include gear trains but can also be performed by timing belts or timing chains providing associated transmission elements such as cam sprockets or cam pulleys on the camshafts and using an intermediate sprocket or an intermediate pulley instead of the intermediate gear 35.

[0038] The embodiment according to Figure 5 with respect to the asymmetric disposal of camshafts 24, 25 at both side centre plane C as well as in view of the corresponding offset in the amount D of the intermediate pulley 42 corresponds to those of the preceding embodiment of Figure 4. In case of Figure 5 timing belts or timing chains are being used to drive the camshaft 24, 25 via respective cam sprockets or cam pulleys 24b, 25b from the intermediate sprocket or pulley 42b establishing a camshaft drive train connected via the intermediate shaft 35a with another drive train driven from the crankshaft 9 in a conventional manner.

[0039] By means of the afore-mentioned structure the accomodating space within the V-shape of the engine for servicing or disposing auxiliaries such as the alternator 54, can be assured contributing to also limit the engine height.

Claims

1. A valve operating mechanism for a 4-cycle internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder head supporting more than two intake valves and a plurality of exhaust valves, a pair of intake and exhaust camshafts engaging intake and exhaust valve lifters which are disposed at the end of the valve stems of the intake and exhaust valves and valve springs for biasing the intake and exhaust valves towards their valve closing positions, said valve springs extending between spring seats of the intake and exhaust valves provided at the cylinder head and the associated intake and exhaust valve spring retainers fixed to the intake and exhaust valve stems, respectively, characterized in that the valve spring retainers (20) of the intake valves (14) are disposed adjacent to a lower end of the associated intake valve lifters (18) to retain the intake valve springs (22) at the lower end of the intake valve lifters (18), respectively whereas the valve spring retainers (19) of the exhaust valves (15) together with the upper end of the associated exhaust valve springs (23) are accomodated inside the exhaust valve lifters (19) respectively.

2. A valve operating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the exhaust valves (15) have a diameter larger than that of the intake valves (14), that the valve lifters (18, 19) of the intake and exhaust valves (14, 15) form downwardly opening bottomed cylinders and that the bottomed cylindrical valve lifters (19) of the exhaust valves (15) have a diameter larger than that of the bottomed cylindrical valve lifters (18) of the intake valves (14).

3. A valve operating mechanism as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, the outer diameters of the intake valve spring (22) and the associated intake valve lifter (18) substantaially correspond to each other.

4. A valve operating mechanism as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1-3, characterized in that, the distance (L2) between the axis of the exhaust valve actuating camshaft (25) and the spring seats (12L) formed at a lower head (10) of the cylinder head (4) is said to be smaller or equal than the distance (L1) between the axis of the intake valve actuating camshaft (24) and the spring seats (12g) of the intake valves (14).

5. A valve operating mechanism, as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1-4, characterized in that the cylinder head (4) comprising a cooling jacket (31a, 31b, 31c) for receiving a liquid coolant, preferably including cooling jackets (31a, 31b) at the intake and exhaust side of the cylinder head and a central cooling jacket (31c), and a spring seat defining wall portion to establish valve seats (12g, 12h) for the valve springs (22, 23) of the intake and exhaust valves (14, 15), said spring seats (12g, 12h) being substantially formed above the cooling jacket (31a, 31b, 31c), wherein a distance between a spring seat (12h) of the exhaust valve spring (23) from a lower surface (10a) of the clylinder head (4), mating the upper side of the cylinder block (2) is greater than the distance between the spring seat (12g) of the intake valve springs from said lower surface (10a), enabling the volume of the cooling jacket (31b) at the exhaust side of the cylinder head (4) to exceed the volume of the the cooling jacket (31a) at the intake side of the cylinder head (4).

6. A valve operating mechanism as explained in at least one of the preceding claims 1-5, characterized in that, the length of the valve stems of the intake and exhaust valves (24, 25) is substantially equal to each other.

7. A valve operating mechanism as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims 1-6, characterized in that, the axis of rotation of the intake and exhaust camshaft (24, 25) are disposed to be spaced at approximately the same distance from the lower surface (10a) of the cylinder head (4), disposing the intake and exhaust camshafts (24, 25) at approximately the same height with respect to the cylinder block (2).

8. A valve operating mechanism for a 4-cycle internal combustion engine comprising more than two intake valves and a plurality of exhaust valves actuated by a pair of intake and exhaust camshafts rotatably supported by a cylinder head of the engine, said intake camshaft being rotatable about a first axis and said exhaust camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, both axes extending in parallel to each other, both camshafts being driven from a common intermediate shaft joined on said cylinder head for rotation about a third axis, particularly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, the distance (B) of the second axis (25a) of the exhaust camshaft (25) from a parallel centre plane (C) containing the axes of the cylinders as well as a crank shaft axis, is set to be larger than a distance (A) of the axis (24a) of the intake camshaft (24) from said plane (C), and that said third axis (35b) by a corresponding amount (D) of the intermediate shaft (35a) is laterally offset from said plane (C) towards the exhaust side of the cylinder head (4).

9. A valve operating mechanism as claimed in claim 8, characterized by a pair of cylinder banks disposed in a V-shape wherein the intake camshaft (24) is disposed facing to the V-space between both cylinder banks whereas the exhaust camshaft (25) is disposed along the outside of the cylinder head (4) facing outwardly.

Drawing