Valve timing control apparatus and variable valve actuating apparatus for internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540968-B2
Application number	US-201514658816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a power feeding brush including a tip end portion slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed electric power to the slip ring; and a rotation angle sensing mechanism including; a sensed portion provided to the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and a sensing portion provided to the cover member, and arranged to sense a rotation position of the sensed portion; the cover member including a recessed portion formed in an inner surface of the cover member, and recessed in an axially outward direction relative to the position of the opening end of the brush holding hole; and the sensed portion including a tip end portion inserted and disposed within the recessed portion to confront the sensing portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:
a driving rotation member to which a rotational force is transmitted from a crank shaft;
a cam shaft which is arranged to be rotated relative to the driving rotation member, and to open and close an engine valve;
an electric motor which is provided to the driving rotation member, and which is arranged to rotate the cam shaft relative to the driving rotation member by a motor output shaft;
a speed reducer which is arranged to reduce a rotation speed of the motor output shaft of the electric motor, and to transmit the speed-reduced rotation to the cam shaft;
a slip ring which is provided to the electric motor;
a cover member which is disposed on an outer end surface of the electric motor on a side of the slip ring, and which confronts the outer end surface of the electric motor on the side of the slip ring in an axial direction;
a power feeding brush which is held in a brush holding hole formed in the cover member, and which includes a tip end portion that protrudes from an opening end of the brush holding hole, and that is slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed electric power to the slip ring;
a rotation angle sensor which is disposed between one end portion of the motor output shaft and the cover member confronting the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and which is arranged to sense a rotation angle of the motor output shaft,
the rotation angle sensor including
a sensed portion provided to the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and
a sensing portion which is provided to the cover member, and which is arranged to sense a rotation position of the sensed portion,

the cover member including a recessed portion which is formed in an inner surface of the cover member, and which is recessed in an axially outward direction of the cover member relative to the position of the opening end of the brush holding hole; and
the sensed portion including a tip end portion inserted and disposed within the recessed portion to confront the sensing portion.

2. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensing portion confronts the sensed portion from the axial direction through a bottom wall of the recessed portion of the cover member.

3. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the sensing portion includes a portion on a side of the electric motor which is covered with a resin material.

4. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cover member includes a portion to which the sensing portion is disposed, and which is made from synthetic resin material; and the sensing portion is disposed to confront the sensed portion through the synthetic resin material.

5. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the sensed portion is formed into a cylindrical shape extending along an axial direction of the motor output shaft of the electric motor; and the sensed portion includes the tip end portion to which a thin sensed rotor is formed.

6. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sensed rotor is made from metal material.

7. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensing portion is provided to a print board fixed to confront the sensed portion through a bottom wall of the recessed portion of the cover member.

8. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rotation angle sensor is an electromagnetic induction type.

9. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power feeding brush is slidably provided within the brush holding hole formed in the cover member; and the power feeding brush includes the tip end portion which protrudes from the brush holding hole, and which is urged toward the slip ring.

10. The valve timing control apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the slip ring is formed into an annular shape to confront the cover member of the electric motor from the axial direction.

11. A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the variable valve actuating apparatus being arranged to vary a rotation position of a second member relative to a first member, and thereby to vary an operation characteristic of an engine valve, the variable valve actuating apparatus comprising:
an electric motor provided to the first member, and arranged to vary a relative rotational position of the second member with respect to the first member;
a cover member provided to cover a front end portion of the electric motor;
a slip ring provided to one of the electric motor and the cover member;
a power feeding brush provided to the other of the electric motor and the cover member, and slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed power to the electric motor; and
a sensor disposed between one end portion of a motor output shaft of the electric motor and the cover member confronting the one end portion of the motor output shaft,
a tip end portion of a sensed portion of the sensor confronts a sensing portion at a confronting position which is offset in an axial direction from a slidably abutting position of the power feeding brush and the slip ring so as not to be overlapped with the slidably position of the power feeding brush and the slip ring in a radial direction.

12. The variable valve actuating apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the cover member includes a recessed groove into which the tip end portion of the sensed portion is inserted.

13. The variable valve actuating apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sensing portion is arranged to sense a displacement of excited magnetic field, and thereby to sense a rotation position of the motor output shaft.

14. The variable valve actuating apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein an opening portion of the recessed groove is formed at a position opposite to the electric motor with respect to the position of the slip ring.

15. A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:
a driving rotation member to which a rotational force is transmitted from a crank shaft;
a driven rotation member fixed to the cam shaft;
an electric motor which is provided to the driving rotation member, and which is arranged to rotate the driven rotation member relative to the driving rotation member by a motor output shaft;
a slip ring which is provided to the electric motor;
a cover member which is disposed on an outer end surface of the electric motor on a side of the slip ring, and which confronts the outer end surface of the electric motor on the side of the slip ring in an axial direction;
a power feeding brush which is held in a brush holding hole formed in the cover member, and which includes a tip end portion that protrudes from an opening end of the brush holding hole, and that is slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed electric power to the slip ring;
a rotation angle sensor which is disposed between one end portion of the motor output shaft and the cover member confronting the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and which is arranged to sense a rotation angle of the motor output shaft,
the rotation angle sensor including
a sensed portion provided to the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and
a sensing portion which is provided to the cover member, and which is arranged to sense a rotation position of the sensed portion,

the cover member including a recessed portion which is formed in an inner surface of the cover member, and which is recessed in an axially outward direction of the co

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Kajiura Mikihiro
• Iwase Yosuke

Classifications

• F01L2301/00

  Using particular materials · CPC title

• F01L2250/02

  the camshaft being driven by chains · CPC title

• F01L2820/041

  Camshafts position or phase sensors · CPC title

• F01L1/344

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

• F01L25/08

  by electric or magnetic means · CPC title