An internal combustion engine comprising: a camshaft which actuates an element; a main shaft which drives said camshaft; and a variable phase coupling for transmission of an alternating torque between said main shaft and said camshaft where the parts in operation are subjected to alternating resistant and driving torques including a cylinder to which one of said shafts is connected; a piston to which the other one of said shafts is connected and which is disposed relative to said cylinder such that at least two antagonistic chambers are provided in said cylinder and such that a relative and single position between said piston and said cylinder corresponds to an angular phase difference value between said shafts, said chambers having a substantially constant total volume and being filled with a hydraulic liquid which is practically incompressible at normal pressures of operation of the coupling; two communications circuits of substantially constant volume which interconnect said chambers and which allow fluid communication between said chambers only in respective opposite directions; and a distributing means for bringing into fluid communication said chambers through one or the other of said communication circuits while preventing fluid communication through the other of said communication circuits and for blocking fluid communication between said chambers, selectively, such that the phase difference between said shafts is selectively increased, decreased, or maintained constant. view more

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cylinder and said piston undergo relative movements of rotation.

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said communication circuits include respective check valves therein, and further including a mounting means for mounting said communication circuits in said radial vane of said piston and for mounting said distributing means in said cylinder. view more

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 4 and further including an actuating means for actuating said distributing means in response to at least one parameter of operation of the engine.

An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 17 wherein said parameter of operation is dependent on the phase difference, and further including a closed loop control means for said actuating means for maintaining the parameter of operation of the engine in an operating range of the engine. view more

In an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, at least one camshaft, the at least one camshaft being position variable relative to the crankshaft and being subject to torque reversals, the method comprising: providing oppositely acting first and second hydraulic means for varying the position of the at least one camshaft; varying the position of the at least one camshaft relative to the crankshaft by transferring hydraulic fluid from one of the first and second hydraulic means to the other of the first and second hydraulic means; and actuating the first and second hydraulic means for varying the position of the at least one camshaft relative to the crankshaft in reaction to torque reversals in the at least one camshaft. view more

The method of claim 22 wherein the first and second hydraulic means are first and second oppositely acting hydraulic cylinders, and wherein the transferring of hydraulic fluid from one of the first and second hydraulic means to the others of the first and second hydraulic means is accomplished by providing valve means for selectively permitting flow out of one or another of the first and second hydraulic means into an inlet line leading to the other of the first and second hydraulic means, and further by providing check valve means in the inlet line for permitting hydraulic fluid to flow therethrough only into the other of the first and second hydraulic means. view more

In an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, at least one camshaft, and an engine control unit for controlling the operation of the engine, the at least one camshaft being position variable relative to the crankshaft and being subject to torque reversals, the method of varying the position of the at least one camshaft relative to the crankshaft comprising: actuating, in response to a control signal from the engine control unit, the means for varying the position of the at least one camshaft in reaction to torque reversals in the at least one camshaft, and wherein the step of actuating is performed by: providing oppositely acting first and second hydraulic means for varying the position of the at least one camshaft; and transferring hydraulic fluid from one of the first and second hydraulic means to the other of the first and second hydraulic means when permitted by a control signal from the engine control unit. view more

The method according to claim 24 wherein the first and second hydraulic means are first and second oppositely acting hydraulic cylinders, and wherein the transferring of hydraulic fluid from one of the first and second hydraulic means to the others of the first and second hydraulic means is accomplished by providing a valve for selectively permitting flow out of one or another of the first and second hydraulic means into an inlet line leading to the other of the first and second hydraulic means, and further by providing check valve means in the inlet line for permitting hydraulic fluid to flow therethrough only into the other of the first and second hydraulic means. view more

The method according to claim 4 wherein the varying of the position of the housing relative to the camshaft further comprises: simultaneously transferring hydraulic fluid out of the other of the first portion and the second portion of the recess (p.8, lines 1-27; p.9, lines 1-27; p.10, lines 1-2). view more

An internal combustion engine comprising: a crankshaft, said crankshaft being rotatable about an axis, a camshaft, said camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, said camshaft being subject to torque reversals during the rotation thereof; a vane having at least one lobe, said vane being attached to said camshaft, being rotatable with said camshaft and being non-oscillatable with respect to said camshaft; a housing, said housing being rotatable with said camshaft and being oscillatable with respect to said camshaft, said housing having at least one recess, said at least one recess defining a fluid receiving chamber and receiving therein said at least one lobe, said at least one lobe being oscillatable within said at least one recess; rotary movement transmitting means for transmitting rotary movement from the crankshaft to the housing; and flow control means for varying the position of the housing relative to the camshaft by controlling fluid flow to and from the housing recess to thereby permit the vane lobe oscillation in the housing recess chamber and operable to be reactive to torque reversals in the camshaft for varying the position of the housing relative to the camshaft. view more

An engine according to claim 9 wherein said control means further comprises means (19, 25) for simultaneously transferring hydraulic fluid out of the other of said first portion and said second portion (p.8, lines 1-27; p.9, lines 1-27; p.10; lines 2-22). view more

An internal combustion engine comprising: a crankshaft, said crankshaft being rotatable about an axis; a camshaft, said camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, said camshaft being subject to torque reversals during the rotation thereof, a vane having first and second circumferentially spaced apart lobes, said vane being attached to said camshaft, being rotatable with said camshaft and being non-oscillatable with respect to said camshaft; a housing, said housing being rotatable with said camshaft and being oscillatable with respect to said camshaft, said housing having first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses, each of said first and second recesses defining a fluid receiving chamber and receiving an associated one of said first and second lobes, and permitting oscillating movement of said associated one of said first and second lobes therein; rotary movement transmitting means for transmitting rotary movement from the crankshaft to the housing; and flow control means for varying the position of the housing relative to the camshaft by controlling fluid flow to and from the housing recess to thereby permit the vane lobe oscillation in the housing recess chamber and operable to be reactive to torque reversals in the camshaft for varying the position of the housing relative to the camshaft. view more

An engine according to claim 12 wherein said means reactive to torque reversals comprises control means (18-25) for permitting the housing to move in a first direction relative to the camshaft in reaction to a torque pulse in the camshaft in a first direction and for preventing the housing from moving in a second direction relative to the camshaft in reaction to a torque pulse in the camshaft in a second direction. view more

An engine according to claim 13 wherein each of said first (17a) and second (17b) lobes respectively divides each of said first and second recesses (13a, 14b; 14a, 13b) into a first portion (13a, 13b) and a second portion (14a, 14b), and wherein said control means comprises means (18, 25, 47, 48) for transferring hydraulic fluid into one of said first portion and said second portion of each of said first and second recesses, each of said one of said first portion and said second portion of said each of said first and second recesses being capable of sustaining hydraulic pressure (p.6, lines 11-21; p.7, lines 21-25; p.12, line 21; p.13, lines 18-25; p.22, lines 4-6). view more

An engine according to claim 14 wherein said control means comprises means (19, 25, 47, 48) for simultaneously transferring hydraulic fluid out of the other of said first portion and second portion of said each of said first and second recesses.

An internal combustion engine comprising: a first torque transmitting shaft serving as an engine crankshaft, said crankshaft being rotatable about an axis; a second torque transmitting shaft serving as an engine valve-actuating camshaft, said camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, said camshaft being subject to torque reversals during the rotation thereof; a vane, said vane having at least one lobe, said vane being attached to one of said shafts, being rotatable with said one shaft and being non-oscillatable with respect to said one shaft; a housing, said housing being rotatable with said one shaft and being oscillatable with respect to said one shaft, said housing having at least one recess, said at least one recess defining a fluid receiving chamber and receiving therein said at least one lobe, said at least one lobe being oscillatable within said at least one recess; rotary movement transmitting means for transmitting rotary movement between the other one of said shafts and the housing; and flow control means for varying the position of the housing relative to the camshaft by controlling fluid flow to and from the housing recess to thereby permit the vane lobe oscillation in the housing recess chamber and operable to be reactive to torque reversals in the camshaft for varying the position of the housing relative to the one shaft by permitting the housing to move in a first direction relative to the one shaft in reaction to a torque pulse in the camshaft in a first direction and for preventing the housing from moving in a second direction relative to the one shaft in reaction to a torque pulse in the camshaft in a second direction. view more

In an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, at least one camshaft, the at least one camshaft being position variable relative to the crankshaft and being subject to torque reversals, the method comprising: providing first and second hydraulic cylinders operable by hydraulic fluid therein operably interconnected for varying the position of the at least one camshaft, providing first and second piston members respectively movable in said first and second cylinder and respectively subdividing each of said first and second cylinders into first and second oppositely acting cylinder subchambers complementary in volume to each other as determined by the position of each said piston member in the associated said cylinder, permanently operably mechanically interconnecting said piston members to operate in use in unison to transmit forces exerted by the hydraulic fluid on said piston members, and vice versa; varying the position of the at least one camshaft relative to the crankshaft by transferring hydraulic fluid from each one of the first and second hydraulic cylinder subchambers to each of the other of the first and second hydraulic cylinder subchambers; continuously hydraulically interconnecting said first subchambers with one another and continuously hydraulically interconnecting said second subchambers with one another; and actuating the first and second hydraulic cylinders for varying the position of the at least one camshaft relative to the crankshaft in reaction to torque reversals in the at least one camshaft. view more