Patent Grant
9689286
The present invention relates to a camshaft phaser for varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in an internal combustion engine; more particularly to such a camshaft phaser which is a vane-type camshaft phaser; even more particularly to a vane-type camshaft phaser which includes a control valve in which the position of the control valve determines the phase relationship between the crankshaft and the camshaft.
A typical vane-type camshaft phaser for changing the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine generally comprises a plurality of outwardly-extending vanes on a rotor interspersed with a plurality of inwardly-extending lobes on a stator, forming alternating advance and retard chambers between the vanes and lobes. Engine oil is selectively supplied to one of the advance and retard chambers and vacated from the other of the advance chambers and retard chambers by a phasing oil control valve in order to rotate the rotor within the stator and thereby change the phase relationship between the camshaft and the crankshaft. One such camshaft phaser is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,534,246 to Lichti et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and hereinafter referred to as Lichti et al. As is typical for phasing oil control valves, the phasing oil control valve of Lichti et al. operates on the principle of direction control, i.e. the position of the oil control valve determines the direction of rotation of the rotor relative to the stator. More specifically, when a desired phase relationship between the camshaft and the crankshaft is determined, the desired phase relationship is compared to the actual phase relationship as determined from the outputs of a camshaft position sensor and a crankshaft position sensor. If the actual phase relationship, does not match the desired phase relationship, the oil control valve is actuated to either 1) an advance position to supply oil to the retard chambers and vent oil from the advance chambers or 2) a retard position to supply oil to the advance chambers and vent oil from the retard chambers until the actual phase relationship matches the desired phase relationship. When the actual phase relationship matches the desired phase relationship, the oil control valve is positioned to hydraulically lock the rotor relative to the stator. However, leakage from the advance chambers and the retard chambers or leakage from the oil control valve may cause the phase relationship to drift over time. When the drift in phase relationship is detected by comparing the actual phase relationship to the desired phase relationship, the oil control valve must again be actuated to either the advance position or the retard position in order to correct for the drift, then the oil control valve is again positioned to hydraulically lock the rotor relative to the stator after the correction has been made. Consequently, the position of the rotor relative to the stator is not self-correcting and relies upon actuation of the phasing oil control valve to correct for the drift.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,254 to Melchior, hereinafter referred to as Melchior, teaches a camshaft phaser with a phasing oil control valve which allows for self-correction of the rotor relative to the stator as may be necessary due to leakage from the advance chamber or from the retard chamber. Melchior also teaches that the valve spool defines a first recess and a second recess separated by a rib such that one of the recesses acts to supply oil to the advance chamber when a retard in timing of the camshaft is desired while the other recess acts to supply oil to the retard chamber when an advance in the timing of the camshaft is desired. The recess that does not act to supply oil when a change in phase is desired does not act as a flow path. However, improvements are always sought in any art.
What is needed is a camshaft phaser which minimizes or eliminates one or more the shortcomings as set forth above.
Briefly described, a camshaft phaser is provided for use with an internal combustion engine for controllably varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in the internal combustion engine. The camshaft phaser includes an input member connectable to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine to provide a fixed ratio of rotation between the input member and the crankshaft; an output member connectable to the camshaft of the internal combustion engine and defining an advance chamber and a retard chamber with the input member; a valve spool coaxially disposed within the output member such that the valve spool is rotatable relative to the output member and the input member, the valve spool defining a supply chamber and a vent chamber with the output member; and an actuator which rotates the valve spool in order to change the position of the output member relative to the input member by 1) supplying pressurized oil from the supply chamber to the advance chamber and venting oil from the retard chamber to the vent chamber when retarding the phase relationship of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft is desired and 2) supplying pressurized oil from the supply chamber to the retard chamber and venting oil from the advance chamber to the vent chamber when advancing the phase relationship between the camshaft relative to the crankshaft is desired.
Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, which is given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
This invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention and referring to
Camshaft phaser 12 generally includes a stator 18 which acts as an input member, a rotor 20 disposed coaxially within stator 18 which acts as an output member, a back cover 22 closing off one axial end of stator 18, a front cover 24 closing off the other axial end of stator 18, a camshaft phaser attachment bolt 26 for attaching camshaft phaser 12 to camshaft 14, and a valve spool 28. The rotational position of valve spool 28 relative to stator 18 determines the rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18, unlike typical valve spools which move axially to determine only the direction the rotor will rotate relative to the stator. The various elements of camshaft phaser 12 will be described in greater detail in the paragraphs that follow.
Stator 18 is generally cylindrical and includes a plurality of radial chambers 30 defined by a plurality of lobes 32 extending radially inward. In the embodiment shown, there are three lobes 32 defining three radial chambers 30, however, it is to be understood that a different number of lobes 32 may be provided to define radial chambers 30 equal in quantity to the number of lobes 32.
Rotor 20 includes a rotor central hub 36 with a plurality of vanes 38 extending radially outward therefrom and a rotor central through bore 40 extending axially therethrough. The number of vanes 38 is equal to the number of radial chambers 30 provided in stator 18. Rotor 20 is coaxially disposed within stator 18 such that each vane 38 divides each radial chamber 30 into advance chambers 42 and retard chambers 44. The radial tips of lobes 32 are mateable with rotor central hub 36 in order to separate radial chambers 30 from each other. Each of the radial tips of vanes 38 may include one of a plurality of wiper seals 46 to substantially seal adjacent advance chambers 42 and retard chambers 44 from each other. While not shown, each of the radial tips of lobes 32 may also include one of a plurality of wiper seals 46.
Rotor central hub 36 defines an annular valve spool recess 48 which extends part way into rotor central hub 36 from the axial end of rotor central hub 36 that is proximal to front cover 24. As a result, rotor central hub 36 includes a rotor central hub inner portion 50 that is annular in shape and bounded radially inward by rotor central through bore 40 and bounded radially outward by annular valve spool recess 48. Also as a result, rotor central hub 36 includes a rotor central hub outer portion 52 that is bounded radially inward by annular valve spool recess 48 and is bounded radially outward by the radially outward portion of rotor central hub outer portion 52 from which lobes 32 extend radially outward. Since annular valve spool recess 48 extends only part way into rotor central hub 36, annular valve spool recess 48 defines an annular valve spool recess bottom 54 which is annular in shape and extends between rotor central hub inner portion 50 and rotor central hub outer portion 52. As shown, valve spool recess bottom 54 may be stepped, thereby defining a valve spool recess shoulder 56 that is substantially perpendicular to camshaft axis 16. A rotor annular oil supply groove 58 is formed circumferentially on a radially outward surface of rotor central hub inner portion 50 such that a plurality of rotor oil supply passages 59 provides fluid communication between rotor central through bore 40 and rotor annular oil supply groove 58.
Back cover 22 is sealingly secured, using cover bolts 60, to the axial end of stator 18 that is proximal to camshaft 14. Tightening of cover bolts 60 prevents relative rotation between back cover 22 and stator 18. Back cover 22 includes a back cover central bore 62 extending coaxially therethrough. The end of camshaft 14 is received coaxially within back cover central bore 62 such that camshaft 14 is allowed to rotate relative to back cover 22. Back cover 22 may also include a sprocket 64 formed integrally therewith or otherwise fixed thereto. Sprocket 64 is configured to be driven by a chain that is driven by the crankshaft of internal combustion engine 10. Alternatively, sprocket 64 may be a pulley driven by a belt or other any other known drive member known for driving camshaft phaser 12 by the crankshaft. In an alternative arrangement, sprocket 64 may be integrally formed or otherwise attached to stator 18 rather than back cover 22.
Similarly, front cover 24 is sealingly secured, using cover bolts 60, to the axial end of stator 18 that is opposite back cover 22. Cover bolts 60 pass through back cover 22 and stator 18 and threadably engage front cover 24; thereby clamping stator 18 between back cover 22 and front cover 24 to prevent relative rotation between stator 18, back cover 22, and front cover 24. In this way, advance chambers 42 and retard chambers 44 are defined axially between back cover 22 and front cover 24. Front cover 24 includes a front cover central bore 65 extending coaxially therethrough.
Camshaft phaser 12 is attached to camshaft 14 with camshaft phaser attachment bolt 26 which extends coaxially through rotor central through bore 40 of rotor 20 and threadably engages camshaft 14, thereby by clamping rotor 20 securely to camshaft 14. More specifically, rotor central hub inner portion 50 is clamped between the head of camshaft phaser attachment bolt 26 and camshaft 14. In this way, relative rotation between stator 18 and rotor 20 results in a change in phase or timing between the crankshaft of internal combustion engine 10 and camshaft 14.
Oil is selectively supplied to retard chambers 44 from an oil source 61, by way of non-limiting example only an oil pump of internal combustion engine 10 which may also provide lubrication to various elements of internal combustion engine 10, and vented from advance chambers 42 in order to cause relative rotation between stator 18 and rotor 20 which results in advancing the timing of camshaft 14 relative to the crankshaft of internal combustion engine 10. Conversely, oil is selectively supplied to advance chambers 42 from oil source 61 and vented from retard chambers 44 in order to cause relative rotation between stator 18 and rotor 20 which results in retarding the timing of camshaft 14 relative to the crankshaft of internal combustion engine 10. Rotor advance passages 66 may be provided in rotor 20 for supplying and venting oil to and from advance chambers 42 while rotor retard passages 68 may be provided in rotor 20 for supplying and venting oil to and from retard chambers 44. Rotor advance passages 66 extend radially outward through rotor central hub outer portion 52 from annular valve spool recess 48 to advance chambers 42 while and rotor retard passages 68 extend radially outward through rotor central hub outer portion 52 from annular valve spool recess 48 to retard chambers 44. Supplying and venting oil to and from advance chambers 42 and retard chambers 44 is controlled by valve spool 28, as will be described in greater detail later, such that valve spool 28 is disposed coaxially and rotatably within annular valve spool recess 48.
Rotor 20 and valve spool 28, which act together to function as a valve, will now be described in greater detail with continued reference to
A valve spool ring 102 is located radially between valve spool 28 and the portion of annular valve spool recess 48 defined by rotor central hub outer portion 52. Valve spool ring 102 is fixed to rotor 20, for example only, by press fitting valve spool ring 102 with annular valve spool recess 48, such that relative rotation between valve spool ring 102 and rotor 20 is prevented. Valve spool ring 102 is sized to substantially prevent oil from passing between the interface between valve spool ring 102 and annular valve spool recess 48. Valve spool ring 102 includes a plurality of valve spool ring advance passages 104 and a plurality of valve spool ring retard passages 106 which extend radially therethrough. Each valve spool ring advance passage 104 is aligned with a respective rotor advance passage 66 while each valve spool ring retard passage 106 is aligned with a respective rotor retard passage 68. Each valve spool ring advance passage 104 and each valve spool ring retard passage 106 is sized to be equal to the width of valve spool lands 82, and the spacing between valve spool ring advance passages 104 and valve spool ring retard passages 106 matches the spacing between valve spool lands 82. Valve spool lands 82 engage the inner circumference of valve spool ring 102 to substantially prevent oil from passing between the interfaces of valve spool lands 82 and valve spool ring 102 while allowing valve spool 28 to rotate within valve spool ring 102 substantially uninhibited. Consequently, supply chambers 84 and vent chambers 86 are fluidly segregated and fluid communication into and out of advance chambers 42 and retard chambers 44 is substantially prevented when valve spool lands 82 are aligned with valve spool ring advance passages 104 and valve spool ring retard passages 106 to block valve spool ring advance passages 104 and valve spool ring retard passages 106.
Operation of camshaft phaser 12 will now be described with continued reference to
As shown in
Conversely, as shown in
In operation, the actual rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18 may drift over time from the desired rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18, for example only, due to leakage from advance chambers 42 and/or retard chambers 44. Leakage from advance chambers 42 and/or retard chambers 44 may be the result of, by way of non-limiting example only, manufacturing tolerances or wear of the various components of camshaft phaser 12. An important benefit of valve spool 28 is that valve spool 28 allows for self-correction of the rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18 if the rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18 drifts from the desired rotational position of rotor 20 relative to stator 18. Since the rotational position of valve spool 28 relative to stator 18 is locked by actuator 100, valve spool ring advance passages 104 and valve spool ring retard passages 106 will be moved out of alignment with valve spool lands 82 when rotor 20 drifts relative to stator 18. Consequently, pressurized oil will be supplied to advance chambers 42 or retard chambers 44 and oil will be vented from advance chambers 42 or retard chambers 44 as necessary to rotate rotor 20 relative to stator 18 to correct for the drift until each valve spool land 82 is again aligned with respective valve spool ring advance passages 104 and valve spool ring retard passages 106.
It should be noted that inner vent passages 90 do not contribute to venting oil from advance chambers 42 or retard chambers 44. Instead, inner vent passages 90 ensure that opposing axial ends of valve spool 28 are at a common pressure, thereby preventing hydraulic pressure from applying an axial load to valve spool 28.
While camshaft phaser 12 have been described as including valve spool ring 102, it should now be understood that valve spool ring 102 may be omitted. If valve spool ring 102 is omitted, then valve spool lands 82 interface directly with the surface of annular valve spool recess 48 defined by rotor central hub outer portion 52. Furthermore, rotor advance passages 66 and rotor retard passages 68 need to be equal to the width of valve spool lands 82 when valve spool ring 102 is omitted, and the spacing between rotor advance passages 66 and rotor retard passages 68 matches the spacing between valve spool lands 82.
While clockwise rotation of rotor 20 relative to stator 18 has been described as advancing camshaft 14 and counterclockwise rotation of rotor 20 relative to stator 18 has been described as retarding camshaft 14, it should now be understood that this relationship may be reversed depending on whether camshaft phaser 12 is mounted to the front of internal combustion engine 10 (shown in the figures) or to the rear of internal combustion engine 10.
While this invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5507254 | Melchior | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5645017 | Melchior et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5649506 | Melchior et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
| 7523728 | Berndorfer | Apr 2009 | B2 |
| 8534246 | Lichti et al. | Sep 2013 | B2 |
| 20070039581 | Berndorfer | Feb 2007 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2487227 | Jul 2012 | GB |
| Entry |
|---|
| EP Search Report, EP Application 15194345, Dated Mar. 17, 2016. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160146067 A1 | May 2016 | US |
