Roller finger follower with swivelable valve pallet

Abstract

A finger follower having an inner and outer body and a torsional lost motion spring acting between the bodies is provided. A roller cam follower is connected to the inner body. The inner body is switchable from a fixed state, in which it moves with the outer body to transfer a cam lift to a valve stem, to a released state, in which the inner body can move relative to the outer body so that the cam lift is not transferred to the valve stem. A separate valve pallet that acts on the valve stem is press fit or otherwise rotationally fixed on a pivot pin connecting the inner and outer bodies.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A switchable roller finger follower comprising:
 an outer elongated body having a valve stem end, a lash adjuster end and two outer elongated body side walls;   a first inner cavity in said outer elongated body;   an inner elongated body positioned in said first inner cavity and having a first end pivotally attached to said outer elongated body at said valve stem end via a pin, a second end adjacent said lash adjuster end of said outer elongated body, and two inner elongated body sidewalls;   a lost motion spring located between the inner and outer elongated bodies;   a latching mechanism used to lock the inner elongated body in a fixed position relative to the outer elongated body; and   a valve stem pallet located between the two outer elongated body side walls and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the pivot pin.   
     
     
         2 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one rotation limiter that limits a pivoting movement between the valve stem pallet and the outer elongated body. 
     
     
         3 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , wherein the valve stem pallet includes a sidewalls with a cross member defined therebetween, the cross member includes a convex surface adapted to contact a valve stem. 
     
     
         4 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 3 , wherein the sidewalls extend past the convex surface to define guides adapted to maintain a valve stem in position. 
     
     
         5 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , wherein the valve stem pallet includes a cylindrical casing and an intermediate cross member adapted to contact a valve stem. 
     
     
         6 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , wherein the valve stem pallet is a formed sheet metal part having bent-up flanges with holes that are connected to the pivot pin, with a base extending between the flanges, and side members bent around along an underside of the base in an area beneath the flanges that are adapted to maintain a valve stem in position. 
     
     
         7 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot pin includes a head that is fixed to the outer elongated body to at least limit a pivoting movement of the pivot pin relative to the outer elongated body. 
     
     
         8 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , wherein guides extend from the outer or inner elongated bodies on either side of the valve stem pallet that are adapted to capture an end of the valve stem. 
     
     
         9 . The switchable roller finger follower of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one rotation limiter that limits a pivoting movement between the valve stem pallet and the outer elongated body, the at least one rotation limiter is formed on the outer elongated body at the valve stem end as an inwardly directed flange having a shape adapted to limit a pivoting movement of the valve stem pallet via contact with an adjacent edge of the valve stem pallet. 
     
     
         10 . A valve stem pallet for a finger follower having a valve stem end, a lash adjuster end and two outer elongated side walls, the valve stem pallet comprising:
 a body having sidewalls with a cross member defined therebetween, the cross member includes a convex surface adapted to contact a valve stem; and   at least one opening defined through the sidewalls for a pivotal connection to the outer elongated side walls of the finger follower at the valve stem end.