Actuator of link mechanism for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480402-B2
Application number	US-201615748265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

Provided is an actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine, in which a speed reducer is sufficiently lubricated. The actuator includes an oil passage formed in a control shaft for changing the posture of a control link and configured to feed lubricant oil to the speed reducer; and an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer in one end side located on the speed reducer side, and which is in communication with the oil passage in the other end side. An inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an outer diameter of one end side of the oil passage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a control shaft configured to rotate to change a posture of the link mechanism of the internal combustion engine;
a speed reducer configured to reduce a rotation rate of an electric motor and transmit the reduced rotation rate to the control shaft;
an oil passage formed inside the control shaft; and
an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer at one end side located on a side of the speed reducer, and which is in communication with the oil passage at another end side of the open portion,
wherein an inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an inner diameter of one end side of the oil passage,
wherein the control shaft includes a flange on one end side, which is connected to the speed reducer, and
wherein a length of the open portion from the one end side of the open portion to the another end side of the open portion in a rotation axis direction of the control shaft is greater than a thickness of the flange.

2. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the speed reducer includes a ring-like output member which is connected to the flange of the control shaft, and
wherein the output member has an inner periphery provided with a gear engagement portion.

3. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the speed reducer is a wave gear-type speed reducer, and
wherein the speed reducer comprises a wave generator which is connected to an output shaft of the electric motor and includes a ball bearing inside, and a flexible gear disposed between the wave generator and the output member.

4. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the link mechanism for the internal combustion engine is a variable compression ratio mechanism of the internal combustion engine, which is configured to vary stroke characteristics of a piston using a double-link piston crank mechanism.

5. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control shaft is integrally formed by forging, and the open portion is formed when the control shaft is formed by forging.

6. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface having a shape of a cone, and the inner diameter of the open portion increases from the another end side of the open portion toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft.

7. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6 ,
wherein the oil passage opens to a bottom of the another end side of the open portion.

8. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control shaft is supported against a housing of the actuator by two bearings, and lubricant oil is fed into the oil passage from outside the control shaft at a position of one of the two bearings, which is located farther from the speed reducer than the other of the two bearings.

9. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 8 ,
wherein the open portion includes a guide configured to guide the lubricant oil to an inner periphery side of the open portion and to a position further outside than an inner diameter of the oil passage.

10. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface that is formed into a columnar shape.

11. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface which is formed such that an inner diameter increases in a step-like pattern from the another end side toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft.

12. The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface which is formed such that an inner diameter increases from the another end side toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft, and
wherein the oil passage opens between the another end portion and one end portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft in the inner peripheral surface of the open portion.

13. An actuator of a variable compression ratio mechanism of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a control shaft configured to rotate to vary characteristics of the variable compression ratio mechanism of the internal combustion engine;
a speed reducer configured to reduce and transmit a rotation rate of an electric motor to the control shaft;
an oil passage formed inside the control shaft; and
an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer at one end side located on a side of the speed reducer, and which is in communication with the oil passage at another end side of the open portion,
wherein an inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an outer diameter of the control shaft,
wherein the control shaft includes a flange on one end side, which is connected to the speed reducer, and
wherein a length of the open portion from the one end side of the open portion to the another end side of the open portion in a rotation axis direction of the control shaft is greater than a thickness of the flange.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Suda Yoshihiro
• Yanai Kotofumi
• Nagai Kishiro

Classifications

• F01B31/14

  Changing of compression ratio · CPC title

• F16H49/001

  Wave gearings, e.g. harmonic drive transmissions · CPC title

• F02B75/045

  by means of a variable connecting rod length · CPC title

• F02D15/02

  by alteration or displacement of piston stroke · CPC title

• F01L1/344

  changing the angular relationship between crankshaft and camshaft, e.g. using helicoidal gear · CPC title