Hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by proportional solenoid valve, engine and control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of engine valve control and discloses a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve, an engine, and a control method. The mechanism comprises a camshaft, a valve, a piston assembly, a proportional solenoid valve, and a tappet. The camshaft drives the tappet to move, the tappet pushes engine oil, the oil pushes the piston assembly, and thus pushes the valve. The proportional solenoid valve is mounted on a housing and located between a high-pressure oil circuit and an accumulator, and is used to control the amount of engine oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit to the accumulator. An oil drain hole is provided on the tappet, and an accumulator oil circuit, a tappet oil drain circuit, and a tappet oil drain ring groove are provided on the housing. Whether the oil drain hole and the tappet oil drain ring groove are connected is controlled by the movement of the tappet, and whether the tappet oil drain circuit is connected to the accumulator oil circuit is controlled by the proportional solenoid valve. The present invention adjusts the oil drain volume by adjusting the flow area of the proportional solenoid valve oil drain hole, thereby controlling the valve opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of engine valve control, and in particular to a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism for controlling a proportional solenoid valve on an engine, an engine, and a control method. Background Art

[0002] Existing engine hydraulic variable valve mechanisms generally have three control methods: the first uses a high-speed on-off solenoid valve, the second uses a motor and mechanical rotary valve, and the third uses an on-off solenoid valve and a spool valve. The first high-speed on-off solenoid valve control structure has a high operating frequency, requiring at least one on-off cycle, placing high demands on the reliability and control precision of the high-speed on-off solenoid valve. For details, see the diesel engine hydraulic variable valve mechanism disclosed in patent CN20814806U. The second mechanical rotary valve and motor structure has complex structure, requires a synchronous transmission mechanism, has multiple matching clearances, is prone to oil leakage, and is costly. For details, see the engine hydraulic variable valve control mechanism disclosed in patent CN214944476U. The third on-off solenoid valve and spool valve control structure has the disadvantage of only enabling segmented control, not continuous variable control. For details, see the engine hydraulic variable valve mechanism and operating method disclosed in patent CN116557100B. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art and to provide a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism. This mechanism uses a proportional solenoid valve for continuously variable control. The proportional solenoid valve controls the release amount of engine oil continuously and proportionally according to the input electrical signal according to the working conditions, thereby achieving continuously variable valve opening.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] In the first aspect, the present invention provides a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve, comprising a camshaft, a valve, a piston assembly, a housing, a proportional solenoid valve, and a tappet; the camshaft drives the tappet to move, the tappet pushes the engine oil, the engine oil pushes the piston assembly and then pushes the valve to move, the proportional solenoid valve is mounted on the housing, the proportional solenoid valve is located between the high-pressure oil circuit and the accumulator, and is used to control the amount of engine oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit to the accumulator, an oil drain hole is provided on the tappet, an accumulator oil circuit, a tappet oil drain circuit, and a tappet oil drain ring groove are provided on the housing, the connectivity between the oil drain hole and the tappet oil drain ring groove is controlled by the tappet movement, and the connectivity between the tappet oil drain circuit and the accumulator oil circuit is controlled by the proportional solenoid valve.

[0006] As a further technical solution, the proportional solenoid valve includes a push rod, an armature, a sliding valve, an oil drain ring groove, a return spring, and a spring seat; the top of the sliding valve is the push rod, the bottom of the sliding valve is the return spring, the return spring is fixed by a spring seat, the armature controls the movement of the push rod, and an oil drain ring groove is provided on the sliding valve.

[0007] As a further technical solution, the oil drain ring groove is used to connect the tappet oil drain oil circuit with the accumulator oil circuit.

[0008] As a further technical solution, the oil path to the accumulator is connected to the accumulator.

[0009] As a further technical solution, a groove is provided at the bottom of the sliding valve, and one end of the return spring is embedded in the groove.

[0010] As a further technical solution, a guide seat is provided in the housing, and a through hole is provided on the guide seat to guide the movement of the slide valve and the push rod.

[0011] As a further technical solution, the cross-sectional shape of the tappet oil drain passage is circular, triangular or rectangular.

[0012] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an engine, wherein the engine is provided with a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve.

[0013] In a third aspect, based on the hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional solenoid valve, the present invention further provides a control method for the hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional solenoid valve, which is specifically as follows:

[0014] Driven by the camshaft, the tappet moves upward. When the tappet oil drain hole is connected with the tappet oil drain ring groove, the engine oil is released along the tappet oil drain oil path through the oil drain ring groove on the slide valve to the accumulator oil path. During this process, the proportional solenoid valve is energized, and the armature drives the push rod to overcome the force of the slide valve return spring and push the slide valve downward. The oil drain ring groove on the slide valve connects the tappet oil drain oil path with the accumulator oil path. The high-pressure oil is released into the accumulator. The valve lift is controlled by controlling the size of the flow area formed by the drain oil ring groove on the slide valve and the tappet oil drain oil path.

[0015] As a further technical solution, the up and down movement stroke of the slide valve on the proportional valve is controlled by controlling the power supply to the armature, thereby controlling the flow area of the oil leakage; the larger the flow area, the greater the amount of high-pressure oil released to the accumulator oil circuit, and the smaller the valve lift, until the flow area is equivalent to the tappet oil leakage hole, and the regulation effect stops.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0017] The present invention uses a proportional solenoid valve to control the amount of oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit, thereby controlling the valve opening. This significantly differs from conventional solutions using high-speed on-off valves and motor-and-mechanical rotary valves in terms of control principle. Specifically, while high-speed on-off valves do not require switching every cycle and instead control the valve opening by controlling the oil leakage phase, the present invention maintains the oil leakage phase constant and adjusts the oil leakage volume by adjusting the flow area of the proportional solenoid valve's oil leakage hole to control the valve opening. This significantly reduces the requirements for the solenoid valve's responsiveness and reliability. Compared to motor-and-mechanical rotary valves, which do not require a synchronous transmission mechanism, the structure is significantly simplified, significantly reducing costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the proportional solenoid valve;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the oil circuit when the proportional solenoid valve is powered off;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the oil circuit when the proportional solenoid valve is energized;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of proportional solenoid valve controlling valve lift;

[0022] Figure 5 It is a tappet oil drain passage with a triangular cross section;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a tappet oil drain passage with a circular cross section;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a tappet oil drain passage with a rectangular cross section;

[0025] In the figure: 1. Camshaft; 2. Valve; 3. Piston assembly; 4. Housing; 5. Proportional solenoid valve; 6. Tappet; 7. Accumulator; 41. Accumulator oil passage; 42. Tappet oil drain passage; 43. Tappet oil drain ring groove; 51. Push rod; 52. Armature; 53. Sliding valve; 54. Sliding valve oil drain ring groove; 55. Return spring; 56. Spring seat; 61. Tappet oil drain hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and is intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the present invention, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "include" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or their combinations;

[0028] As described in the background technology section, the three control methods of the existing engine hydraulic variable valve mechanisms in the prior art have various problems. In order to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, this embodiment provides a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional valve. A proportional solenoid valve is used to control the amount of oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit to control the valve opening. The control principle is very different from that of traditional solutions such as high-speed switching valves and motors plus mechanical rotary valves. Specifically, compared to high-speed switching valves, the valve opening is controlled by controlling the oil leakage phase instead of switching each cycle. Instead, the oil leakage phase remains unchanged and the oil leakage amount is adjusted by the flow area of the proportional solenoid valve oil hole to control the valve opening. The responsiveness and reliability requirements of the solenoid valve are greatly reduced. Compared to motors plus mechanical rotary valves, no synchronous transmission mechanism is required, the structure is greatly simplified, and the cost is significantly reduced.

[0029] The hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional valve disclosed in this embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0030] In order to solve the problems existing in the existing variable valve mechanism, such as Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment discloses a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional valve, including a camshaft 1, a valve 2, a piston component 3, a housing 4, a proportional solenoid valve 5, and a tappet 6; the camshaft 1 drives the tappet 6 to move, the tappet 6 pushes the engine oil, the engine oil pushes the piston component 3 and then pushes the valve 2 to move, a tappet oil drain hole 61 is provided on the tappet 6, and an accumulator oil passage 41, a tappet oil drain passage 42, and a tappet oil drain ring groove 43 are provided on the housing 4; the accumulator oil passage 41 is mainly for achieving communication with the accumulator 7, and the tappet oil drain passage 42 and the tappet oil drain ring groove 43 achieve oil drainage of the tappet 6; at the end of the lift of the tappet 6, a part of the engine oil is released from the high-pressure oil circuit, and the lift of the valve 2 will be reduced. By controlling the release speed of this part of the engine oil by the proportional solenoid valve 5, different valve 2 openings can be obtained. Specifically, the proportional solenoid valve 5 achieves the purpose of controlling the valve lift by controlling the release amount of high-pressure oil; as shown Figure 1As shown, a proportional solenoid valve 5 is mounted on the housing 4 and located between the high-pressure oil circuit and the accumulator 7. It controls the amount of oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit to the accumulator 7. Compared to a high-speed on-off valve, the proportional solenoid valve 5 in this embodiment does not require switching during each cycle. Instead, the oil leakage phase remains constant, and the oil leakage volume is adjusted by adjusting the flow area of the oil leakage hole in the proportional solenoid valve 5 to control the opening of the valve 2. This significantly reduces the requirements for the solenoid valve's responsiveness and reliability. Compared to a motor-and-mechanical rotary valve, it does not require a synchronous transmission mechanism, resulting in a significantly simpler structure and significantly reduced costs.

[0031] The main part of the above device is the housing 4, the pressure-building mechanism is the tappet 6, the actuator is the piston component 3, and the control part is the proportional solenoid valve 5; further, as Figure 2 As shown, the proportional solenoid valve 5 includes a push rod 51, an armature 52, a slide valve 53, a slide valve oil drain ring groove 54, a return spring 55, and a spring seat 56; the top of the slide valve 53 is the push rod 51, and the bottom of the slide valve 53 is the return spring 55. The return spring 55 is fixed by a spring seat 56. The push rod 51 controls the movement of the push rod 51 by controlling whether the armature 52 is energized. When the armature 52 is energized, the armature 52 drives the push rod 51, overcomes the force of the return spring 55, and pushes the slide valve 53 downward; when the armature 52 is not energized, the elastic force of the return spring 55 drives the push rod 51 upward.

[0032] Furthermore, a groove is provided at the bottom of the sliding valve 53 , one end of the return spring 55 is embedded in the groove, and the other end is provided on the spring seat 56 , and the movement of the return spring 55 is guided by providing the groove and the spring seat 56 .

[0033] Furthermore, a guide seat is provided in the housing 4 , and a through hole is provided on the guide seat to guide the movement of the slide valve 53 and the push rod 51 to prevent the slide valve 53 and the push rod 51 from deviating during the movement.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the proportional solenoid valve 5 is in a non-energized state. At this time, the slide valve 53 cuts off the tappet oil drain circuit 42 and the accumulator oil circuit 41. At this time, the return spring 55 plays a role, generating an upward force on the slide valve 53. The position of the slide valve oil drain ring groove 54 is staggered with the accumulator oil circuit 41 and the tappet oil drain circuit 42. Therefore, the slide valve 53 cuts off the tappet oil drain circuit 42 and the accumulator oil circuit 41.

[0035] like Figure 3As shown, when the proportional solenoid valve 5 is energized, the armature 52 drives the push rod 51 according to the input electrical signal, overcoming the force of the return spring 55 and pushing the slide valve 53 downward. When the slide valve 53 moves downward to a certain position, the slide valve oil drain ring groove 54 on the slide valve 53 connects the tappet oil drain oil passage 42 with the accumulator oil passage 41. Moreover, during the downward movement of the slide valve 53, the connection area between the slide valve oil drain ring groove 54 and the tappet oil drain oil passage 42 and the accumulator oil passage 41 continuously changes, thereby causing the magnitude of the valve 2 lift to change. The specific principle is as follows:

[0036] like Figure 4 As shown, this is a schematic diagram of the proportional solenoid valve 5 controlling the lift of the valve 2. When the valve is partially opened, the change points of all lift curves start from point A. The position of A is determined by the position of the tappet oil drain hole 61 on the tappet 6. When the tappet oil drain hole 61 is connected with the tappet oil drain ring groove 43, and the sliding valve 53 connects the tappet oil drain oil circuit 42 with the accumulator oil circuit 41, the high-pressure oil is released to the accumulator oil circuit, and the lift curve changes at point A. The size of the change in the lift of the valve 2 is related to the flow area formed by the slide valve oil drain ring groove 54 on the slide valve 53 and the tappet oil drain oil circuit 42. The larger the flow area, the greater the amount of high-pressure oil released to the accumulator oil circuit, and the smaller the lift of the valve 2, until the flow area is equivalent to the tappet oil drain hole 61, and the regulating effect stops.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be noted that the cross-sectional shape of the tappet oil drain passage 42 in this embodiment is not necessarily circular, and can be set to a triangle, rectangle or other shape according to the control characteristics. Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 7 As shown; these shapes can be machined using electrical discharge methods.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, the proportional solenoid valve 5 is arranged on one side of the pressure-building mechanism tappet 6. There is a tappet oil drain hole 61 on the tappet 6. The tappet 6 moves upward under the drive of the camshaft 1. When the tappet oil drain hole 61 is connected with the tappet oil drain ring groove 43, the engine oil is released along the tappet oil drain oil path 42 through the slide valve oil drain ring groove 54 on the slide valve 53 to the accumulator oil path 41.

[0039] In this embodiment, the sliding valve 53 on the proportional valve moves up and down to control the flow area of the oil leakage, thereby controlling the oil leakage speed and oil leakage amount, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the opening of the valve 2.

[0040] Furthermore, the proportional solenoid valve 5 in this embodiment is not limited to a normally closed valve when the power is off. Any proportional solenoid valve 5 is within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the regulating function of the proportional solenoid valve 5 is lost, the valve can maintain operation at the maximum opening state, and will not affect the normal operation of the engine.

[0042] Furthermore, based on the above-mentioned hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional solenoid valve 5, this embodiment also provides a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional solenoid valve 5, which is specifically as follows:

[0043] Driven by the camshaft 1, the tappet 6 moves upward. When the tappet oil drain hole 61 is connected with the tappet oil drain ring groove 43, the engine oil is released along the tappet oil drain oil path 42 through the oil drain ring groove on the slide valve 53 to the accumulator oil path 41. During this process, the proportional solenoid valve 5 is energized, the armature 52 drives the push rod 51, overcomes the force of the return spring 55, and pushes the slide valve 53 to move downward. The oil drain ring groove on the slide valve 53 connects the tappet oil drain oil path 42 with the accumulator oil path 41. The high-pressure oil is released into the accumulator 7. The lift of the valve 2 is controlled by controlling the size of the flow area formed by the oil drain ring groove on the slide valve 53 and the tappet oil drain oil path 42.

[0044] As a further technical solution, the up and down movement stroke of the slide valve 53 on the proportional valve is controlled by controlling the power supply of the armature 52, thereby controlling the flow area of the oil leakage; the larger the flow area, the greater the amount of high-pressure oil released to the accumulator oil circuit, and the smaller the lift of the valve 2, until the flow area is equivalent to the tappet oil leakage hole 61, and the regulation effect stops.

[0045] This embodiment uses a proportional solenoid valve 5 to control the amount of oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit, thereby controlling the valve 2 opening. This significantly differs from conventional solutions using high-speed on-off valves and motor-and-mechanical rotary valves in terms of control principle. Specifically, unlike high-speed on-off valves, which do not require switching every cycle and instead control the opening by controlling the oil leakage phase, the present invention maintains the oil leakage phase constant and adjusts the oil leakage volume through the flow area of the proportional solenoid valve 5 to control the valve 2 opening. This significantly reduces the requirements for the solenoid valve's responsiveness and reliability. Compared to motor-and-mechanical rotary valves, which do not require a synchronous transmission mechanism, the structure is greatly simplified, significantly reducing costs.

[0046] Furthermore, this embodiment provides an engine comprising the aforementioned hydraulic continuously variable valvetrain controlled by a proportional solenoid valve. Because this engine is equipped with the aforementioned hydraulic continuously variable valvetrain controlled by a proportional solenoid valve, it also possesses all of the aforementioned advantages. In some embodiments, the engine provided by the present invention can be used in various vehicles.

[0047] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydraulic continuously variable valvetrain controlled by a proportional solenoid valve, comprising a camshaft, valves, piston components, a housing, a proportional solenoid valve, and a tappet; the camshaft drives the tappet, which pushes oil, which pushes the piston component and thus the valve, characterized by: The proportional solenoid valve is mounted on the housing and is located between the high-pressure oil circuit and the accumulator, and is used to control the amount of oil released from the high-pressure oil circuit to the accumulator. An oil drain hole is provided on the tappet, and an accumulator oil circuit, a tappet oil drain circuit, and a tappet oil drain ring groove are provided on the housing. Whether the oil drain hole is connected to the tappet oil drain ring groove is controlled by the movement of the tappet, and whether the tappet oil drain circuit is connected to the accumulator oil circuit is controlled by the proportional solenoid valve. The proportional solenoid valve includes a push rod, an armature, a slide valve, an oil drain ring groove, a return spring, and a spring seat; the top of the slide valve is the push rod, the bottom of the slide valve is the return spring, the return spring is fixed by a spring seat, the armature controls the movement of the push rod, and the slide valve is provided with an oil drain ring groove; the oil drain ring groove is used to connect the tappet oil drain circuit with the accumulator oil circuit; The valve lift is controlled by controlling the flow area formed by the drain oil ring groove on the slide valve and the tappet drain oil passage.

2. The hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The oil path to the accumulator is communicated with the accumulator.

3. The hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is provided at the bottom of the slide valve, and one end of the return spring is embedded in the groove.

4. The hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A guide seat is provided in the shell body, and a through hole is provided on the guide seat to guide the movement of the slide valve and the push rod.

5. The hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the tappet oil drain passage is circular, triangular or rectangular.

6. An engine, characterized in that: The engine is provided with a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by the proportional solenoid valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The control method of a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: as follows: Driven by the camshaft, the tappet moves upward. When the tappet oil drain hole is connected with the tappet oil drain ring groove, the engine oil is released along the tappet oil drain oil path through the oil drain ring groove on the slide valve to the accumulator oil path. During this process, the proportional solenoid valve is energized, and the armature drives the push rod to overcome the force of the slide valve return spring and push the slide valve downward. The oil drain ring groove on the slide valve connects the tappet oil drain oil path with the accumulator oil path. The high-pressure oil is released into the accumulator. The valve lift is controlled by controlling the size of the flow area formed by the drain oil ring groove on the slide valve and the tappet oil drain oil path.

8. The control method of a hydraulic continuously variable valve mechanism controlled by a proportional solenoid valve as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: By controlling the amount of electricity flowing through the armature, the up and down movement of the slide valve on the proportional valve is controlled, thereby controlling the flow area of the oil leakage; the larger the flow area, the greater the amount of high-pressure oil released into the accumulator oil circuit, and the smaller the valve lift, until the flow area is equivalent to the tappet oil leakage hole, and the regulation effect stops.

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