Valve timing control apparatus

• US 8,991,346 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kinouchi, Soichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Denion, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNSTEIN, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/097,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140150742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 123/90.17
• US Class Current: 123/90.17
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 1/3442 using hydraulic chambers with variable volume to transmit the rotating force
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34426 Oil control valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34433 Location oil control valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2001/34446 Fluid accumulators for the feeding circuit

Abstract

A hydraulic pressure control valve is received in a center hole of a vane rotor that is rotatable relative to a housing. A first tubular portion and a second tubular portion are fitted with each other to form an oil accumulation chamber. The oil accumulation chamber accumulates at least one of oil outputted from a gap between the housing and the vane rotor, and oil discharged from an oil passage communicated with the advancing chamber or the retarding chamber.

Claims

1. A valve timing control apparatus that controls opening timing and closing timing of one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, which is opened and closed by a driven-side shaft of the internal combustion engine, through changing of a rotational phase between a driving-side shaft of the internal combustion engine and the driven-side shaft, the valve timing control apparatus comprising:

a housing that is rotatable integrally with the driving-side shaft;

a vane rotor that is rotatable relative to the housing according to a hydraulic pressure of an advancing chamber formed in the housing and a hydraulic pressure of a retarding chamber formed in the housing, wherein the vane rotor is fixed to the driven-side shaft;

a hydraulic pressure control valve that includes;

a sleeve that is received in a center hole of the vane rotor, which extends in a direction of a rotational axis of the vane rotor; and

a spool that is received in an inside of the sleeve and is configured to reciprocate along the sleeve, wherein the hydraulic pressure control valve changes a hydraulic pressure, which is supplied to or is discharged from the advancing chamber, and a hydraulic pressure, which is supplied to or is discharged from the retarding chamber, through movement of the spool;

a solenoid that includes;

a solenoid main body that is opposed to the housing; and

a press pin that projects from the solenoid main body and is configured to press the spool of the hydraulic pressure control valve, wherein the solenoid controls the changing of the hydraulic pressures at the hydraulic pressure control valve;

a first tubular portion that extends from the housing toward the solenoid; and

a second tubular portion that extends from the solenoid main body or an installation member, to which the solenoid main body is installed, toward the housing and is fitted to the first tubular portion, wherein the second tubular portion cooperates with the first tubular portion to form an oil accumulation chamber that is configured to accumulate at least one of;

oil outputted from a gap between the housing and the vane rotor; and

oil discharged from an oil passage communicated with the advancing chamber or the retarding chamber.

2. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first tubular portion includes a first guiding part that is configured into a cylindrical tubular form and slidably contacts the second tubular portion;

the second tubular portion includes a second guiding part that is configured into a cylindrical tubular form and slidably contacts the first tubular portion; and

the first guiding part and the second guiding part slidably contact with each other to substantially place a rotational axis of the housing and a central axis of the press pin along a common axis.

3. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second guiding part slidably contacts one of a radially outer side section and a radially inner side section of the first guiding part.

4. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a seal member, which is configured into an annular form, is placed between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion to limit leakage of oil from the oil accumulation chamber.

5. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the solenoid main body and the second tubular portion are integrally formed.

6. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between the solenoid main body and an inner peripheral wall of an installation hole of the installation member to enable adjustment of alignment between a rotational axis of the housing and a central axis of the press pin.

7. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic pressure control valve includes a communication passage that communicates between the oil accumulation chamber and an oil discharge passage that is formed in the driven-side shaft.

8. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vane rotor includes a second communication passage that communicates between the oil accumulation chamber and a second oil discharge passage, which is formed in an engine head of the internal combustion engine fluid-tightly fitted to the housing.

9. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the oil, which is discharged from the advancing chamber, and the oil, which is discharged from the retarding chamber, are conducted to an oil discharge passage, which is formed in the driven-side shaft, through a port of the sleeve, a groove and hole portion of the spool and an inside passage of the spool without passing through the oil accumulation chamber.