Method for controlling an electromagnetic valve drive by changing the current direction when supplying the electromagnets with current

• US 6,655,328 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FEV Motorentechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: FEV Motorentechnik GmbH
• Inventors: Kather, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Ching
• Application Number:
  US10/254,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 123/90.1, 123/90.11, 123/90.15, 251/129.01, 251/129.02, 251/129.15, 251/129.16, 251/129.18
• US Class Current: 123/90.11
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/4086 Soft landing, e.g. applying braking current; Levitation of armature close to core surface
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2800/00 Methods of operation using a variable valve timing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means

Abstract

A method for controlling an electromagnetic actuator for actuating a cylinder valve (6) in a piston-type internal-combustion engine, with the valve having two electromagnets (1, 2) that are spaced from one another, and an armature (5) that is connected to the cylinder valve (6) to be actuated and is guided back and forth, counter to the force of a restoring spring (7, 8), between the facing magnet pole faces of the electromagnets, and with the coils (10, 11) of the electromagnets alternately being acted upon with a direct current via a control device (9) at predetermined intervals. When the piston-type internal-combustion engine is operated under a higher load, the flow direction of the current through the coils (10, 11) of the two electromagnets (1, 2) is preset by the control device (9) so that the magnetic flux (arrows 14, 15) alternately effected in the armature (5) by the two coils (10, 11) remains unidirectional. For low-load operation (idling mode) of the engine, the magnetic flux is altered by the repolarization of the flow direction of the current through one of the coils (10, 11), so that the magnetic flux effected in the armature (5) alternately flows in opposite directions (arrows 14.1, 15.1) when the coils are supplied with current.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electromagnetic actuator for actuating a cylinder valve in a piston-type internal-combustion engine, with the valve having two electromagnets that are spaced from one another, and an armature that is connected to the cylinder valve to be actuated and is guided back and forth, counter to the force of at least one restoring spring, between facing magnet pole faces of the two electromagnets, and a control device for controlling the current supplied to the coils of the electromagnets;

said method comprising;

via the control device

alternately supplying the coils of the electromagnets with a direct current at predetermined intervals;

determining whether the piston-type internal-combustion engine is operated under a high load or under low-load operation; and

,

controlling the flow direction of the current through the coils of the two electromagnets so that

(a) for high-load operation, the magnetic flux alternately effected in the armature by the respective currents in the two coils is unidirectional, and

(b) for low-load operation (idling mode), the magnetic flux alternately effected in the armature by the respective currents in the two coils flows in opposite directions due to repolarization of the flow direction of the current through one of the two coils.