VALVE TIMING CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100050966A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishida, Yuki, Kawai, Yoshihiro, Kobayashi, Masaki, Ozawa, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,091,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/90.170
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/3442 using hydraulic chambers with variable volume to transmit the rotating force
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34459 Locking in multiple positions
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34463 Locking position intermediate between most retarded and most advanced positions
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34466 with multiple locking devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34469 Lock movement parallel to camshaft axis
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34473 Lock movement perpendicular to camshaft axis
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2800/03 Stopping; Stalling

Abstract

A valve timing control device includes a driving side rotational member, a driven side rotational member, a fluid pressure chamber, a parting portion dividing the fluid pressure chamber into an advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber, a restriction member, a restriction recessed portion for restricting a displacement of a relative rotational phase within a range between a most advanced angle phase or a most retarded angle phase and a predetermined phase when the restriction member is inserted into the restriction recessed portion, and a restriction cancellation passage, wherein a communication between the accommodation portion and one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the cancellation passage is interrupted at least when the restriction member contacts one of end portions of the restriction recessed portion, and the restriction member is restricted so as not to move over the other one of the end portions.

Claims

1. A valve timing control device comprising:

a driving side rotational member synchronously rotatable with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine;

a driven side rotational member arranged coaxially with the driving side rotational member and synchronously rotatable with a camshaft that controls opening and closing operations of a valve of the internal combustion engine;

a fluid pressure chamber defined by the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member;

a parting portion provided at at least one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member in order to divide the fluid pressure chamber into an advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber;

a restriction member accommodated within an accommodation portion, which is formed at one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member and being insertable into and retractable from the other one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member;

a restriction recessed portion formed in an elongated groove shape at the other one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member so that the restriction member is insertable thereinto and restricting a displacement of a relative rotational phase of the driven side rotational member relative to the driving side rotational member in a range between one of a most advanced angle phase and a most retarded angle phase on the one hand and a predetermined phase between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase on the other when the restriction member is inserted into the restriction recessed portion; and

a restriction cancellation passage for connecting one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber and the accommodation portion in response to a rotatable movement of the driven side rotational member relative to the driving side rotational member so that the accommodation portion becomes in communication with the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber and for canceling a restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion, wherein

a communication between the accommodation portion and the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the cancellation passage is interrupted at least when the restriction member contacts one of first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion in a rotational direction of the other one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, and

the restriction member is restricted so as not to move over the other one of the first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion, positioned so as to correspond to the predetermined phase, to be disengaged from the restriction recessed portion.

2. The valve timing control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication between the accommodation portion and the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the cancellation passage is interrupted when the restriction member approaches the one of the first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion.

3. The valve timing control device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction cancellation passage includes a first passage, which is formed on the other one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member so as to be connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, and a second passage, which is formed on the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member on which the accommodation portion is formed so as to be connected to the accommodation portion and so as to connect the first passage and the accommodation portion in order to establish a communication therebetween in response to the rotatable movement of the driven side rotational member relative to the driving side rotational member.

4. The valve timing control device according to claim 2, wherein the restriction cancellation passage includes a first passage, which is formed on the other one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member so as to be connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, and a second passage, which is formed on the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member on which the accommodation portion is formed so as to be connected to the accommodation portion and so as to connect the first passage and the accommodation portion in order to establish a communication therebetween in response to the rotatable movement of the driven side rotational member relative to the driving side rotational member.

5. The valve timing control device according to claim 3 further comprising a retaining passage, which differs from the second passage and which is formed at the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, on which the accommodation portion is formed, so as to connect the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber on the one hand and the accommodation portion on the other in order to establish a communication therebetween, wherein the retaining passage retains the restriction member to be retracted from the restriction recessed portion while the restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled.

6. The valve timing control device according to claim 4 further comprising a retaining passage, which differs from the second passage and which is formed at the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, on which the accommodation portion is formed, so as to connect the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber on the one hand and the accommodation portion on the other in order to establish a communication therebetween, wherein the retaining passage retains the restriction member to be retracted from the restriction recessed portion while the restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled.

7. The valve timing control device according to claim 5, wherein the restriction member includes a stepped portion so that a diameter of the restriction member increases in a retracting direction via the stepped portion, the second passage connects the first passage and a clearance formed between the accommodation portion and the stepped portion of the restriction member so that the first passage becomes in communication with the clearance, and wherein the retaining passage connects the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber on the one hand and the clearance on the other in order to establish a communication therebetween.

8. The valve timing control device according to claim 6, wherein the restriction member includes a stepped portion so that a diameter of the restriction member increases in a retracting direction via the stepped portion, the second passage connects the first passage and a clearance formed between the accommodation portion and the stepped portion of the restriction member so that the first passage becomes in communication with the clearance, and wherein the retaining passage connects the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber on the one hand and the clearance on the other in order to establish a communication therebetween.

9. The valve timing control device according to claim 5, wherein the communication between the first passage and the accommodation portion via the second passage is interrupted and the first passage is connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, which differs from the other one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber for displacing the relative rotational phase towards the predetermined phase from the most advanced angle phase or the most retarded angle phase, when the restriction portion approaches to the one of the first and second end portions, which is an opposite end portion from the end portion positioned so as to correspond to the predetermined phase.

10. The valve timing control device according to claim 6, wherein the communication between the first passage and the accommodation portion via the second passage is interrupted and the first passage is connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, which differs from the other one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber for displacing the relative rotational phase towards the predetermined phase from the most advanced angle phase or the most retarded angle phase, when the restriction portion approaches to the one of the first and second end portions, which is an opposite end portion from the end portion positioned so as to correspond to the predetermined phase.

11. The valve timing control device according to claim 9, wherein the retaining passage includes a first retaining passage and a second retaining passage, the first retaining passage connects one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber with the accommodation portion, the second retaining passage differs from the second passage and is formed on the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, on which the accommodation portion is formed, so as to connect the other one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber with the accommodation portion while the restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled and the second retaining passage retains a state where the restriction between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled.

12. The valve timing control device according to claim 10, wherein the retaining passage includes a first retaining passage and a second retaining passage, the first retaining passage connects one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber with the accommodation portion, the second retaining passage differs from the second passage and is formed on the one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, on which the accommodation portion is formed, so as to connect the other one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber with the accommodation portion while the restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled and the second retaining passage retains a state where the restriction between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion is cancelled.

13. The valve timing control device according to claim 11, wherein the restriction member includes a plurality of stepped portions so that the diameter of the restriction member increases in the retracting direction via the plurality of stepped portions, the second passage connects the first passage and a first clearance formed between the accommodation portion and one of the plurality of stepped portions in order to establish a communication therebetween, the first retaining passage connects a second clearance formed between the accommodation portion and one of the plurality of stepped portions with the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, the second retaining passage connects a third clearance formed between the accommodation portion and another one of the plurality of stepped portions with the other one of advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, and wherein at least the second clearance and the third clearance are separately formed at different positions between the restriction member and the accommodation portion.

14. The valve timing control device according to claim 12, wherein the restriction member includes a plurality of stepped portions so that the diameter of the restriction member increases in the retracting direction via the plurality of stepped portions, the second passage connects the first passage and a first clearance formed between the accommodation portion and one of the plurality of stepped portions in order to establish a communication therebetween, the first retaining passage connects a second clearance formed between the accommodation portion and one of the plurality of stepped portions with the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, the second retaining passage connects a third clearance formed between the accommodation portion and another one of the plurality of stepped portions with the other one of advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, and wherein at least the second clearance and the third clearance are separately formed at different positions between the restriction member and the accommodation portion.

15. The valve timing control device according to claim 7, wherein the communication between the first passage and the accommodation portion via the second passage is interrupted and the first passage is connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber for displacing the relative rotational phase towards the predetermined phase from the most advanced angle phase or the most retarded angle phase when the restriction member approaches the other one of the first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion positioned so as to correspond to the predetermined phase.

16. The valve timing control device according to claim 8, wherein the communication between the first passage and the accommodation portion via the second passage is interrupted and the first passage is connected to the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber for displacing the relative rotational phase towards the predetermined phase from the most advanced angle phase or the most retarded angle phase when the restriction member approaches the other one of the first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion positioned so as to correspond to the predetermined phase.

17. The valve timing control device according to claim 15, wherein the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber to which the first passage is connected is the same as the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber to which the retaining passage is connected.

18. The valve timing control device according to claim 16, wherein the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber to which the first passage is connected is the same as the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber to which the retaining passage is connected.

19. The valve timing control device according to any one of claim 1, wherein the restriction member includes a leak passage for opening the clearance formed between the restriction member and the accommodation portion to an atmosphere when the displacement of the relative rotational phase is restricted.

20. A valve timing control device comprising:

an outer rotor synchronously rotatable with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine;

an inner rotor arranged coaxially with the outer rotor and synchronously rotatable with a camshaft that controls opening and closing operations of a valve of the internal combustion engine;

a fluid pressure chamber defined by the outer rotor and the inner rotor;

a parting portion provided at at least one of the outer rotor and the inner rotor so as to divide the fluid pressure chamber into an advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber;

a restriction member accommodated within an accommodation portion, which is formed at one of the outer rotor and the inner rotor and being insertable into and retractable from the other one of the outer rotor and the inner rotor;

a restriction recessed portion formed in an elongated groove shape at the other one of the outer rotor and the inner rotor so that the restriction member is insertable thereinto and restricting a displacement of a relative rotational phase of the inner rotor relative to the outer rotor in a range between one of a most advanced angle phase and a most retarded angle phase on the one hand and a predetermined phase between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase on the other when the restriction member is inserted into the restriction recessed portion; and

a restriction cancellation passage for connecting one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber with the accommodation portion in response to a rotatable movement of the inner rotor relative to the outer rotor so that the accommodation portion becomes in communication with the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber and for canceling a restriction generated between the restriction member and the restriction recessed portion, wherein

a communication between the accommodation portion and the one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber via the cancellation passage is interrupted at least when the restriction member contacts one of first and second end portions of the restriction recessed portion in a rotational direction of the other one of the outer rotor and the inner rotor, and

a range of the relative rotational phase of the inner rotor relative to the outer rotor to be displaced is restricted to a range between the one of the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase on the one hand and the predetermined phase between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase on the other.