초록 ▼

A hydraulic control system includes an oil control valve to control oil flow within a valvetrain. The control valve varies the flow rate to actuate an engine component from a first position to a second position based upon fluid pressure from the control valve. Varying the flow rate through the contr

A hydraulic control system includes an oil control valve to control oil flow within a valvetrain. The control valve varies the flow rate to actuate an engine component from a first position to a second position based upon fluid pressure from the control valve. Varying the flow rate through the control valve includes increasing the flow rate through the control valve to increase the pressure to a first level to actuate the engine component to the first position. After the engine component is actuated, the flow rate through the control valve is maintained at a level sufficient to maintain the engine component in the first position. To actuate the engine component to the second position the flow rate through the control valve is then decreased. The fluid flow rate through the control valve is then maintained at a level sufficient to maintain the engine component in the second position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A hydraulic control system for a valve train comprising: an oil reservoir;an oil pump fluidly connected to the oil reservoir;at least one engine component in fluid communication with the oil pump and the oil reservoir;an oil control valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir and the oil

1. A hydraulic control system for a valve train comprising: an oil reservoir;an oil pump fluidly connected to the oil reservoir;at least one engine component in fluid communication with the oil pump and the oil reservoir;an oil control valve in fluid communication with the oil reservoir and the oil pump;wherein the oil enters the oil control valve prior to the at least one engine component; andwherein the oil control valve includes: a housing defining a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber;a wall of the housing located between the first and the second chamber;wherein the wall defines an orifice to form a valve seat;a diaphragm mounted to the housing and forming a second wall between the second chamber and the third chamber;a valve member mounted on the diaphragm, wherein the valve member extends through the orifice and is moveable relative to the valve seat based upon a change in fluid pressures within at least one of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber;a solenoid valve to selectively fluidly connect the first chamber to the third chamber; andwherein the solenoid valve fluidly connects the third chamber to the fluid reservoir when the first chamber is fluidly disconnected from the third chamber. 2. The hydraulic control system of claim 1, wherein the valve member is in a first position relative to the valve seat when the solenoid valve fluidly connects the first chamber to the third chamber and in a second position relative to the valve seat when the solenoid valve fluidly disconnects the first chamber from the third chamber. 3. The hydraulic control system of claim 2, wherein the fluid within the first chamber is at a first pressure and fluid within the second chamber is at a second pressure; wherein the second pressure is lower that the first pressure; and wherein the pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber biases the valve member in a first direction toward the valve seat. 4. The hydraulic control system of claim 3, wherein the oil control valve further comprises a spring located within the third chamber to bias the valve member in a second direction away from the valve seat. 5. The hydraulic control system of claim 3, wherein the second pressure is at a first level when the solenoid valve fluidly connects the first chamber to the third chamber and at a second level, lower than the first level, when the solenoid valve fluidly disconnects the first chamber from the third chamber. 6. The hydraulic control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one engine component includes one of a lash adjuster, a valve lifter, and a rocker arm. 7. The hydraulic control system of claim 1, wherein the valve member includes a poppet configured to fluidly seal against the valve seat. 8. The hydraulic control system of claim 1, wherein the engine component is directly coupled with the second chamber, the oil reservoir is directly coupled with the first chamber, and wherein the oil from the oil reservoir is configured to flow through the first chamber prior to flowing through the second chamber. 9. An oil control valve comprising: a housing defining a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber;a wall of the housing located between the first and the second chamber, wherein the wall defines an orifice;a diaphragm mounted to the housing and forming a wall between the second chamber and the third chamber;a valve member mounted on the diaphragm, wherein the valve member extends through the orifice and is moveable relative to the orifice based upon a change in pressures within at least one of the first chamber, the second chamber, and the third chamber;a solenoid valve fluidly connected to the first chamber and the third chamber; andwherein the solenoid valve fluidly connects the third chamber to an exhaust gallery when the first chamber is fluidly disconnected from the third chamber. 10. The oil control valve of claim 9, wherein the wall defines an angled edge at the orifice, and wherein the angled edge forms a valve seat for the valve member. 11. The oil control valve of claim 10, wherein the valve member is in a first position relative to the valve seat when the solenoid valve fluidly connects the first chamber to the third chamber and in a second position relative to the valve seat when the solenoid valve fluidly disconnects the first chamber from the third chamber. 12. The oil control valve of claim 10, wherein fluid within the first chamber is at a first pressure and fluid within the second chamber is at a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is lower that the first pressure and the pressure differential between the first chamber and the second chamber biases the valve member in a first direction toward the valve seat. 13. The oil control valve of claim 12, wherein the oil control valve further comprises a spring located within the third chamber to bias the valve member in a second direction away from the valve seat. 14. The oil control valve of claim 12, wherein the second pressure is at a first level when the solenoid valve fluidly connects the first chamber to the third chamber and at a second level, lower than the first level, when the solenoid valve fluidly disconnects the first chamber from the third chamber. 15. The oil control valve of claim 10, wherein the valve member includes a poppet configured to fluidly seal against the valve seat. 16. The oil control valve of claim 9, wherein the valve member is connected to the housing with a damper. 17. The oil control valve of claim 9, wherein the second chamber is configured to be fluidly coupled with an engine component. 18. A method of controlling oil flow within a valve train comprising: pumping fluid from a fluid reservoir to a control valve;varying the flow rate through the control valve such that fluid enters the control valve at a first pressure and flows from the control valve at a second pressure;directing fluid from the control valve to at least one engine component of the valve train, wherein the at least one engine component is fluidly actuated from a first position to a second position based upon the second pressure; andwherein varying the flow rate through the control valve includes; increasing the flow rate through the control valve to increase the second pressure to a first level to actuate the at least one engine component to the first position;maintaining the flow rate through the control valve such that the second pressure is at a second level which is less than the first level and sufficient to maintain the at least one engine component in the first position;decreasing the flow rate through the control valve to decrease the second pressure to a third level to actuate the at least one engine component to the second position; andmaintaining the flow rate through the control valve such that the second pressure is at a fourth level which is less than the second level but greater than the third level and sufficient to maintain the at least one engine component in the second position.directing fluid within the control valve from a first chamber at the first pressure to a second chamber at the second pressure by moving a valve member relative to a valve seat located between the first and the second chamber;activating a solenoid valve to fluidly connect the first chamber to a third chamber to move the valve member in a first direction away from the valve seat to increase the second pressure to the first level and then maintain the second pressure at the second level; anddeactivating the solenoid valve to fluidly disconnect the first chamber from the third chamber to decrease the second pressure to the third level and then maintain the second pressure at the fourth level, wherein deactivating the solenoid valve further fluidly connects the third chamber to the fluid reservoir. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising damping vibrations of the valve member resulting from the changes in pressure between the first chamber and the second chamber. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein maintaining the flow rate through the control valve such that the second pressure is at a second level to maintain the at least one engine component in the first position further includes maintaining a normally engaged lash actuator in a disengaged position; and wherein maintaining the flow rate through the control valve such that the second pressure is at a fourth level to maintain the at least one engine component in the second position further comprises maintaining the normally engaged lash actuator in an engaged position.