Valve opening and closing timing control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514109-B2
Application number	US-201715704354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus includes: a driving side rotator disposed rotatably about a rotation axis and configured to rotate synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven side rotator disposed rotatably about the rotation axis and configured to be rotatable relative to the driving side rotator and to rotate integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine; and a phase adjustment mechanism configured to set a relative rotation phase between the driving side rotator and the driven side rotator by a driving force of an electric actuator. The phase adjustment mechanism includes: an internally toothed ring gear; an inner gear; and a drive shaft, and the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus further includes: a biasing member; and a displacement regulation portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus comprising:
a driving side rotator disposed rotatably about a rotation axis and configured to rotate synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine;
a driven side rotator disposed rotatably about the rotation axis and configured to be rotatable relative to the driving side rotator and to rotate integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine; and
a phase adjustment mechanism configured to set a relative rotation phase between the driving side rotator and the driven side rotator by a driving force of an electric actuator,
wherein the phase adjustment mechanism includes:
an internally toothed ring gear disposed coaxially with the rotation axis;
an inner gear disposed coaxially with an eccentric axis in a posture parallel to the rotation axis such that an external toothed portion thereof is engaged with a portion of an internal toothed portion of the ring gear; and
a drive shaft fitted into the inner gear,

the phase adjustment mechanism is configured with a differential speed reduction mechanism in which the drive shaft is rotated about the rotation axis by the driving force of the electric actuator such that the inner gear revolves around the rotation axis while spinning on the eccentric axis, and
the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus further comprises:
a biasing member provided on an outer peripheral portion of the drive shaft to apply a biasing force in a direction in which the external toothed portion of the inner gear is engaged with the internal toothed portion of the ring gear; and
a displacement regulation portion provided between the drive shaft and the inner gear to regulate a displacement of the inner gear in a direction orthogonal to a biasing direction where the biasing force of the biasing member is applied on the basis of the drive shaft,

wherein a pair of the displacement regulation portions are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the biasing direction where the biasing force of the biasing member is applied on the basis of the drive shaft.

2. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer periphery of the drive shaft includes a counter-biasing side surface, which is opposite to the biasing member with the eccentric axis interposed therebetween, and the counter-biasing side surface is spaced apart from an inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

3. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the counter-biasing side surface is formed as a circumferential surface having a center deviated toward the biasing member from the eccentric axis.

4. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the counter-biasing side surface has the same radius as a radius of the inner peripheral surface about the eccentric axis.

5. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inner gear is provided with a ring-shaped bearing on an inner periphery thereof so that an inner peripheral surface of the bearing functions as the inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

6. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inner gear is provided with a ring-shaped bearing on an inner periphery thereof so that an inner peripheral surface of the bearing functions as the inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

7. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the inner gear is provided with a ring-shaped bearing on an inner periphery thereof so that an inner peripheral surface of the bearing functions as the inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

8. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the inner gear is provided with a ring-shaped bearing on an inner periphery thereof so that an inner peripheral surface of the bearing functions as the inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

9. A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus comprising:
a driving side rotator disposed rotatably about a rotation axis and configured to rotate synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine;
a driven side rotator disposed rotatably about the rotation axis and configured to be rotatable relative to the driving side rotator and to rotate integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine; and
a phase adjustment mechanism configured to set a relative rotation phase between the driving side rotator and the driven side rotator by a driving force of an electric actuator,
wherein the phase adjustment mechanism includes:
an internally toothed ring gear disposed coaxially with the rotation axis;
an inner gear disposed coaxially with an eccentric axis in a posture parallel to the rotation axis such that an external toothed portion thereof is engaged with a portion of an internal toothed portion of the ring gear; and
a drive shaft fitted into the inner gear,

the phase adjustment mechanism is configured with a differential speed reduction mechanism in which the drive shaft is rotated about the rotation axis by the driving force of the electric actuator such that the inner gear revolves around the rotation axis while spinning on the eccentric axis, and
the valve opening and closing timing control apparatus further comprises:
a biasing member provided on an outer peripheral portion of the drive shaft to apply a biasing force in a direction in which the external toothed portion of the inner gear is engaged with the internal toothed portion of the ring gear; and
a displacement regulation portion provided between the drive shaft and the inner gear to regulate a displacement of the inner gear in a direction orthogonal to a biasing direction where the biasing force of the biasing member is applied on the basis of the drive shaft,

wherein a pair of the displacement regulation portions, each including a protruding piece that protrudes in a direction orthogonal to the biasing direction where the biasing force of the biasing member is applied on the basis of the drive shaft and a spring that biases the protruding piece so as to protrude outward, are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft.

10. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the outer periphery of the drive shaft includes a counter-biasing side surface, which is opposite to the biasing member with the eccentric axis interposed therebetween, and the counter-biasing side surface is spaced apart from an inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

11. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the counter-biasing side surface is formed as a circumferential surface having a center deviated toward the biasing member from the eccentric axis.

12. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the counter-biasing side surface has the same radius as a radius of the inner peripheral surface about the eccentric axis.

13. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the inner gear is provided with a ring-shaped bearing on an inner periphery thereof so that an inner peripheral surface of the bearing functions as the inner peripheral surface of the inner gear.

14. The valve opening and closing timing control apparatus according to claim

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Miyachi Eiji
• Otake Tomoharu
• Iguchi Yoshiaki
• Suzuki Shigemitsu
• Mukaide Hiroki

Classifications

• F01L2311/00

  Differential gears located between crankshafts and camshafts for varying the timing of valves · CPC title

• F01L2303/00

  Manufacturing of components used in valve arrangements · CPC title

• F01L2810/04

  Reducing noise · CPC title

• F01L2250/04

  the camshaft being driven by belts · CPC title

• F01L2250/02

  the camshaft being driven by chains · CPC title