Rocker arm for valve control apparatus

Abstract

To provide a rocker arm for a valve control apparatus of an automobile engine, which enables downsizing of the valve control apparatus and provides improved fuel economy of the engine. The rocker arm is provided with: a top plate; at least one upright wall section; a cam slide section, formed on top of the top plate, in contact with a cam mounted on a camshaft; a supporting member for rockably supporting the rocker arm about the rocking center of the supporting member; and a pad face, formed at the other end of the rocker arm, in contact with a valve system. Said at least one upright wall section has a smaller width than the top plate, and extends from the top plate at a substantially right angle.

1 . A rocker arm for a valve control apparatus comprising a top plate and at least one upright wall section, characterized in that:
 said top plate is:
 provided on top thereof with a cam slide section in contact with a cam of a camshaft; 
 supported at one end thereof by a supporting member rockably about the rocking center of the supporting member; and 
 is provided at the other end thereof with a pad face in contact with a valve system, and 
   
       said at least one upright wall section has a smaller width than the top plate, and extends from the top plate at a substantially right angle. 
     
     
         2 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of the cam slide section and pad face of the rocker arm has a surface-treated face having a reduced frictional coefficient. 
     
     
         3 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , wherein the top plate has at least one hole formed in a region except for the cam slide section of the top plate. 
     
     
         4 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , comprising at least one hole in the upright wall section. 
     
     
         5 . The rocker arm according to  claim 4 , wherein the hole formed in the upright wall section is formed on the rocking trajectory of the cam slide section rocking about the rocking center. 
     
     
         6 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , wherein the cam slide section has oil grooves. 
     
     
         7 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the cam slide section and the pad face has a convex transverse cross section. 
     
     
         8 . The rocker arm according to  claim 1 , wherein the upright wall section has a pair of inner walls each spaced apart from the periphery of the valve stem by a distance in the range from 0.1 mm to 1 mm.