(19)
(11) EP 1 143 120 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
24.10.2001 Bulletin 2001/43

(43) Date of publication A2:
10.10.2001 Bulletin 2001/41

(21) Application number: 01302059.9

(22) Date of filing: 06.03.2001
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: F01L 13/00, F01L 1/24
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 08.03.2000 US 521054

(71) Applicant: EATON CORPORATION
Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2584 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Hampton, Keith
    Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 (US)
  • Madden, Richard Lee
    Marshall, Michigan 49068 (US)

(74) Representative: Burke, Steven David et al
R.G.C. Jenkins & Co. 26 Caxton Street
London SW1H 0RJ
London SW1H 0RJ (GB)

   


(54) Valve deactivator assembly for internal combustion engine


(57) A valve deactivator assembly (43) including a rocker arm (33) having a pivot location (39) about which the rocker arm (33) normally pivots in response to rotation of the cam shaft (25). The valve deactivator assembly includes an HLA (hydraulic lash adjuster) (41) which serves as the pivot point for the rocker arm. The HLA includes a body (49) and a plunger assembly (53), including a plunger portion (67) having an engagement portion (69) surrounding the plunger portion (67) and in engagement with the pivot portion (39) of the rocker arm. A latch mechanism (79-91) is operable to either latch the engagement portion (69) to the plunger portion, for operation in a normal mode, or unlatch the engagement portion, for operation in a deactivated mode. Thus, the latch mechanism of the present invention does not add to the overall size of the main part of the HLA, or of the bore (45) in the cylinder head (11) in which the HLA is located.






Search report