Switchable component for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

A switchable component, which has a housing with a bore and an inner element held in the bore with a head that projects above a rim of the housing. The housing and the inner element are loaded away from each other by a lost-motion spring. At least one coupling piston sits in an opening of the inner element. Sections of the coupling piston are moveable over a ring surface to a carrier surface of the housing. A retaining ring packet has a circular arc-shaped outer surface that lies in a ring groove of the bore of the housing. A ring face of the inner element sits against the underside of the retaining ring packet in the extended state defining relative position. The retaining ring packet, starting from at least one of the surfaces of the retaining ring packet has recesses for forming tab-like sections lying circumferentially between the recesses.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A switchable component for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a housing having a bore;   an inner element, which has a cutout and an annular face, held in the bore of the housing having a head projecting beyond an edge of the housing;   a lost motion spring, which is braced in the bore of the housing between the housing and the inner element forcing the housing and the inner element axially away from one another;   at least one coupling piston seated in the cutout of the inner element and axially is moveable beyond an annular surface between the inner element and the housing and in sections, contacting a driver surface of the housing; and   a locking ring or a locking ring pack having an inner shell and a circular-arc-shaped outer shell resting in an annular groove of the bore of the housing, and against an underside of the locking ring or the locking ring pack of, the inner element, in a deployed state, bears against the locking ring or the locking ring pack with the annular face such that a relative position is defined,   wherein the locking ring or the locking ring pack, proceeding from a surface of at least one of the outer shell or the inner shell, has recesses which form lobe-like sections situated circumferentially in between the outer shell and the inner shell.   
     
     
         10 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the locking ring or the locking ring pack has envelope circles and between the envelope circles, a ring is formed which two or more annular lugs formed with a substantially constant width. 
     
     
         11 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the locking ring or the locking ring pack has envelope circles and between the envelope circles, a ring which has annular lugs and a greatest width in a section situated opposite the annular lugs with a width that decreases, as viewed from the section in a circumferential direction toward the annular lugs, at an inner envelope circle. 
     
     
         12 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a coupling play is set between the locking ring or the locking ring pack and the inner ring by the locking ring or the locking ring pack. 
     
     
         13 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein when only one locking ring is used, the locking ring can have an assortment of thicknesses. 
     
     
         14 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein when the locking ring pack, which has two or more locking rings with lower locking rings and uppermost locking rings, is used, the lower locking rings have a of uniform thickness and the uppermost locking rings can have an assortment of thicknesses. 
     
     
         15 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the inner shell of the locking ring or the locking ring pack has a bowstring-shaped flattening, which projects radially inward and the inner element has a longitudinal flattening on an outer shell surface which interacts with the bowstring-shaped flattening of the inner shell. 
     
     
         16 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the housing has an aperture with face wall and the locking ring or the locking ring pack has annular lugs which are seated and bent radially outwards in the aperture of the housing and bear with water sides against the walls of the aperture such that the inner element is prevented from rotating relative to the housing. 
     
     
         17 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the annular groove in the bore of the housing is located in a region near the edge of the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the recesses, in conjunction with the lobe-like sections, generate a wave-like, tooth-like or box-like profile. 
     
     
         19 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a flat or a cylindrical counterpart surface formed on an underside of the coupling piston, which is complementary to the driver surface. 
     
     
         20 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cutout is a radial bore in which two coupling pistons are situated diametrically opposite one another. 
     
     
         21 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a flat or a cylindrical counterpart surface formed on an underside of the coupling piston, which is complementary to the driver surface. 
     
     
         22 . The component as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the driver surface of the housing is a window, a bore, an annular groove, or an annular groove segment.