Variable valve actuating apparatus for internal combustion engine

1. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of the engine; and

a controller configured:

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with a crank angle position of the engine before a start of the engine, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic before an end of a cranking operation of the engine;

wherein the controller is configured to set the target valve operating characteristic to retard an intake valve closing timing after a bottom dead center when the crank angle position before the start of the engine is such that a piston position in a cylinder on an intake stroke or a compression stroke is at or near the bottom dead center.

2. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of the engine; and

a controller configured:

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with a crank angle position of the engine before a start of the engine, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic before an end of a cranking operation of the engine;

wherein the controller is configured to set the target valve operating characteristic in accordance with an engine operating condition including the crank angle position before the start of the engine, and to deliver the changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism before a cranking operation or at an initial stage of the cranking operation.

3. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of an engine valve of the engine;

a crank angle sensing device to sense an actual crank angle of a crank shaft of the engine; and

a controller configured:

to set a target crank angle position in accordance with an engine operating condition including the actual crank angle sensed by the crank angle sensing device,

to perform a crank angle adjusting operation to rotate the crank shaft to the target crank angle position,

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with the actual crank angle controlled by the crank angle adjusting operation and sensed again by the crank angle sensing device, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic;

wherein the controller is configured to set the target crank angle position so as to advance a piston position in a cylinder on an intake or compression stroke, by a predetermined amount, before a bottom dead center, and to set the target valve operating characteristic of the engine valve which is an intake valve of the engine so as to advance an intake valve closing timing before the crank angle controlled by the crank angle adjusting operation.

4. The variable valve actuating apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:

the valve actuating mechanism is arranged to vary the actual valve operating characteristic which is an intake valve operation angle; and

the controller is configured to set the target valve operating characteristic to advance an intake valve closing timing on an advance side of the bottom dead center by decreasing the intake valve operation angle.

5. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of an engine valve of the engine;

a crank angle sensing device to sense an actual crank angle of a crank shaft of the engine; and

a controller configured:

to set a target crank angle position in accordance with an engine operating condition including the actual crank angle sensed by the crank angle sensing device,

to perform a crank angle adjusting operation to rotate the crank shaft to the target crank angle position,

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with the actual crank angle controlled by the crank angle adjusting operation and sensed again by the crank angle sensing device, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic;

wherein the controller is configured to set the target valve operating characteristic in accordance with the actual crank angle before a start of the engine only when the crank angle adjusting operation fails.

6. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of an engine valve of the engine;

a crank angle sensing device to sense an actual crank angle of a crank shaft of the engine; and

a controller configured:

to set a target crank angle position in accordance with an engine operating condition including the actual crank angle sensed by the crank angle sensing device,

to perforin a crank angle adjusting operation to rotate the crank shaft to the target crank angle position,

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with the actual crank angle controlled by the crank angle adjusting operation and sensed again by the crank angle sensing device, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic;

wherein the valve actuating mechanism includes an electric actuator configured to vary the actual valve operating characteristic, and the controller is configured to deliver the changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic before a cranking operation, and to start the cranking operation after a peak of current supplied to the electric actuator is reached.

7. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a valve actuating mechanism to vary an actual valve operating characteristic of an engine valve in each of a plurality of cylinders of the engine; and

a controller

to ascertain a crank angle of the engine before a start of the engine,

to identify a cylinder having a lower piston position near a bottom dead center on an intake or compression stroke in accordance with the crank angle,

to set a target valve operating characteristic in accordance with the piston position in the cylinder having the lower piston position, and

to deliver a changeover control signal to the valve actuating mechanism to control the actual valve operating characteristic to the target valve operating characteristic before an end of a cranking operation of the engine.

8. The variable valve actuating apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to set the target valve operating characteristics for the cylinders other than the cylinder having the lower piston position so that the target valve operating characteristics for the cylinders other the cylinder having the lower piston position are identical to the target valve operating characteristic of the cylinder having the lower piston position.