The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 22, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 15, 2005
Donald Haefner, Troy, MI (US);
Donald Haefner, Troy, MI (US);
Schaeffler KG, Herzogenaurach, DE;
Abstract
A switchable cam follower () is proposed which serves to transmit a cam stroke in a variable manner from a cam to valve timing mechanism elements of an internal combustion engine. The cam follower () comprises substantially a cylindrical inner part () and a cylindrical outer part () which can be displaced into one another in the direction of their longitudinal axes and can be locked and unlocked in a relative position by means of coupling means () which are preferably actuated by pressure-modulated hydraulic medium, and also comprises at least one spring means () which is arranged between the inner part () and the outer part (). The inner part () has a run-on surface () for the cam at one end side () and is radially guided in an inner wall () of the outer part () by way of an outer circumferential surface (). The outer part () has an outer cylindrical circumferential surface (), by way of which the cam follower () is guided in a housing hole of the internal combustion engine in a longitudinally movable manner, and an outer end face () facing away from the cam, as a contact face for valve timing mechanism elements which are operatively connected to the cam follower (). Here, the outer circumferential surface () of the outer part () is to have substantially identical diameters in the region of the end face () which faces the valve timing mechanism element and in the region of an opening () which is oriented toward the inner part (). At the same time, the spring means () is to be arranged within the outer part ().