Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6439183
-
Patent Number
6,439,183
-
Date Filed
Monday, October 1, 200122 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, August 27, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 123 9015
- 123 9017
- 123 9031
- 123 9033
- 123 9034
- 123 9037
- 074 568 R
- 464 1
- 464 2
- 464 160
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A valve timing adjusting device, in which the housing member including a chain sprocket and a shoe housing, and a vane rotor are relatively rotatable. The inner surfaces on both axial sides of the housing member and the outside surfaces on both axial sides of the vane rotor slide each other. A retard oil passage communicating with each retard hydraulic chamber is formed in an outside surface of the vane rotor on the side to which a hydraulic fluid is supplied through an oil passage formed in a camshaft. Furthermore, an advance oil passage communicating with each advance hydraulic chamber is formed at an interval of about 90 degrees at the center of an inner surface of the chain sprocket on the side to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied through a groove oil passage formed in the camshaft.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-303618 filed on Oct. 3, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve timing adjusting device for changing a valve timing of at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been conventionally known a vane-type valve timing adjusting device, in which a vane member rotating together with a camshaft is relatively rotatably housed in a housing member which is driven by a power from an engine crankshaft. The phase of the vane member with respect to the housing member, that is, a phase difference caused by relative rotation between the crankshaft and the camshaft, is hydraulically controlled, so that the valve timing of at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is controlled.
In the valve timing adjusting device disclosed in JP-A-9-60507, within at least one of both end faces in the axial direction of the vane member, a groove passage for supplying the hydraulic fluid to a retard hydraulic chamber or an advance hydraulic chamber is formed.
In the valve timing adjusting device disclosed in JP-A-9-60507, the groove passage formed in at least one of the end faces of the vane member is not directly connected with the retard hydraulic chamber or the advance hydraulic chamber. The passage for supplying the hydraulic fluid from the groove passage into the retard hydraulic chamber or the advance hydraulic chamber is a hole passage formed in the vane member, through to be connected with the groove passage, by cutting with, for example, a drill.
The hole passage to be made in the vane member can not be formed by a molding process such as sintering or die-casting. Therefore, there will arise such a problem that it is necessary to use another hole passage forming process than the molding process, which will increase the number of processes for manufacturing the vane member. Besides, if drilling is used to form the hole passage, there will be left cutting chips and burrs, so that the addition of processes are needed for removing the chips and burrs.
Furthermore, when forming the groove passage in both end faces in the axial direction of the vane member, it will become necessary to form an oil passage through the vane member for the purpose of feeding the hydraulic fluid to the groove passage formed in the end face opposite to the hydraulic fluid supply side. Therefore, the number of manufacturing processes is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention to reduce the number of manufacturing process of a valve timing adjusting device.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a retard passage and an advance passage are formed in at least one of an inner surface of a housing member and an outside surface of a vane member without forming a hole passage by drilling in the housing member and the vane member.
The retard passage and the advance passage are formed in at least one of the inner surface of the housing member and the outside surface of the vane member to which a hydraulic fluid is supplied from a fluid supply passage. Therefore, there is no need to form a hole through the housing member or the vane member in the axial direction, which connects the retard passage and the advance passage with the fluid supply passage.
The retard passage and the advance passage can be formed in at least one of the housing member and the vane member through the forming process such as sintering and die-casting. Therefore, it is possible to dispense with the process for forming, separately from the molding process, the retard passage and the advance passage by cutting or other.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the retard passage is formed in one of the inner surface of the housing member and the outside surface of the vane member, and the advance passage is formed in the other member. The retard passage and the advance passage, therefore, can easily be formed.
To increase the torque to be received from the fluid pressure by the housing member and the vane member, the number of vanes must be increase. To gain a desired range of relative rotational angle, the vane and the shoe must be decreased in thickness in the rotation direction. With the vane and the shoe decreased in thickness rotation direction, it is desirable to mount a seal member on the forward end on the sliding side of the vane and the shoe decreased in thickness in the rotation direction, for the purpose of preventing leakage of the hydraulic fluid from the retard chamber and the advance chamber. The seal member mounted on the shoe, however, receives a centrifugal force in the radial direction in which the seal member will move away from the outer peripheral surface of the vane member. Therefore, if the seal member mounted on the shoe receives the fluid pressure further radially outwardly from the retard passage or the advance passage, the pressure pressing the seal member against the vane member will decrease, causing the hydraulic fluid to easily leak.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in whichever phase of relative rotation the vane member is with respect to the housing member, the seal member mounted on the shoe does not reach either of the communication point of the retard chamber of the retard passage and the communication point of the advance chamber of the advance passage. The seal member mounted on the shoe does not receive the fluid pressure on the radially outer side from the retard passage or the advance passage, thereby preventing the hydraulic fluid leakage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a valve timing adjusting device (first embodiment);
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view taken along line II—II of
FIG. 1
(first embodiment);
FIG. 3
is a view showing an outside surface of a vane rotor as viewed along line III—III in
FIG. 1
(first embodiment);
FIG. 4
is a view showing an inner surface of a chain sprocket as viewed along line IV—IV in
FIG. 1
(first embodiment);
FIG. 5
is a view showing an outside surface of a vane rotor (second embodiment);
FIG. 6
is a view showing an outside surface of a vane rotor (third embodiment);
FIG. 7
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a valve timing adjusting device including a retard hydraulic chamber and an advance hydraulic chamber (fourth embodiment);
FIG. 8
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the valve timing adjusting device including a stopper piston and a seal member (fourth embodiment);
FIG. 9
is a view showing an outside surface of a vane rotor taken along line IX—IX in
FIG. 7
(fourth embodiment); and
FIG. 10
is a view showing an inside surface of a front plate taken along line X—X in
FIG. 7
(fourth embodiment).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(First Embodiment)
FIGS. 1 and 2
show a valve timing adjusting device
1
for engine according in a first embodiment.
FIG. 1
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along a line passing through a stopper piston
31
, a bolt
21
and an oil passage
201
shown in the cross sectional view of
FIG. 2. A
valve timing adjusting device
1
is of a hydraulic control type for controlling the intake valve timing.
A chain sprocket
10
shown in
FIG. 1
as a driving rotor is coupled with a crankshaft as the driving shaft of an engine (not illustrated) and driven by a power transmitted through a chain (not illustrated), and rotates in synchronization with the crankshaft. A camshaft
2
as a driven shaft is driven by a power from the chain sprocket
10
, and opens/closes an intake valve (not illustrated). The camshaft
2
rotates with respect to the chain sprocket
10
by a specific phase difference. The chain sprocket
10
and the camshaft
2
rotate clockwise as viewed in the direction of an arrow A shown in FIG.
1
. This direction of rotation is hereinafter referred as an advance direction.
The chain sprocket
10
and a shoe housing
12
form a housing member, which is secured coaxially by a bolt
20
. The shoe housing
12
includes a peripheral wall
13
and a front plate
14
, and is separated from the chain sprocket
10
. The shoe housing
12
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, includes shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d
as partition parts formed in a trapezoidal shape and nearly equally spaced in the rotation direction. The inner peripheral surfaces of the shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d
are formed circular in cross section. The shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d
are cut out at both side corners in the rotation direction which face the boss portion
15
f
of the vane rotor
15
so as not to contact the vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d.
In four spaces formed in the rotation direction by the shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d,
there are formed fan-shaped housing chambers
50
in which the vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d
are housed.
The vane rotor
15
has the boss portion
15
f
and the vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d
nearly equally spaced in the rotation direction on the outer peripheral side of the boss portion
15
f.
The vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d
are rotatably housed in each housing chamber
50
. Each of these vanes
15
a
-
15
d
divides each housing chamber
50
into two chambers: the retard hydraulic chamber and the advance hydraulic chamber. The arrows indicating the retard and advance directions in
FIG. 2
indicates the retard and advance directions of the vane rotor
15
with respect to the shoe housing
12
. The vane rotor
15
as the driven rotor, which is in contact with the end face of the camshaft
2
in the direction of the rotating shaft thereof, and is integrally secured to the camshaft
2
by the bolt
21
. The position in the rotation direction of the vane rotor
15
with respect to the camshaft
2
is determined by a pin
22
shown in FIG.
1
.
The vane rotor
15
and the housing member including the chain sprocket
10
and the shoe housing
12
are relatively rotatable. The both axial inside surfaces of the housing member and the both axial outside surfaces of the vane rotor
15
are set to face and slide over each other.
These seal members
25
and
26
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, are installed in a clearance formed between the shoe housing
12
and the vane rotor
15
which radially face each other. The seal member
25
fits in each of recesses formed in the vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d.
The seal member
26
fits in a recess formed in the inner peripheral wall of each of the shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d.
Between the outer peripheral wall of the vane rotor
15
and the inner peripheral wall of the peripheral wall
13
, a very little clearance is provided. The seal members
25
and
26
function to prevent the hydraulic fluid from leaking through this clearance between the retard and advance hydraulic chambers. The seal members
25
,
26
are radially pressed by urging force of a long plate leaf spring against opposite sliding surfaces, respectively. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the stopper piston
31
as a contact portion is cylindrically formed and is housed in the vane
15
a,
being slidable in the axial direction. The fitting ring
36
as a contacted portion is pressed and held in the recess
10
a
formed in the chain sprocket
10
. The stopper piston
31
can be fitted in contact with the fitting ring
36
. Since the stopper piston
31
and the fitting ring
36
are tapered on the contact side, the stopper piston
31
can smoothly fit into the fitting ring
36
. A spring
37
as a pressing means for pressing the stopper piston
31
toward the fitting ring
36
. The stopper piston
31
, the fitting ring
36
and the spring
37
work as a restraining means.
The pressure of the hydraulic fluid to be supplied to the hydraulic chambers
40
and
41
works the stopper piston
31
to move out of the fitting ring
36
. The hydraulic chamber
40
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
55
, and the hydraulic chamber
41
communicates with the retard hydraulic chamber
51
. The leading end portion
32
of the stopper piston
31
can fit into the fitting ring
36
when the vane rotor
15
is in the most retarded position with respect to the shoe housing
12
. The rotation of the vane rotor
15
with respect to the shoe housing
12
is restrained with the stopper piston
31
fitted into the fitting ring
36
.
When the vane rotor
15
rotates from the most retarded position to the advance side with respect to the shoe housing
12
, the stopper piston
31
deviates from the fitting ring
36
in the rotation direction, thereby making it impossible to fit the stopper piston
31
into the fitting ring
36
.
A communicating passage
14
a
formed in the front plate
14
and the housing hole
38
mutually communicate with each other when the vane rotor
15
is in the most retarded position with respect to the shoe housing
12
. Because the communicating passage
14
a
is opened to the atmosphere, the reciprocating movement of the stopper piston
31
in the most retard position is not interfered.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the retard hydraulic chamber
51
is formed between the shoe
12
a
and the vane
15
a,
a retard hydraulic chamber
52
is formed between the shoe
12
b
and the vane
15
b,
a retard hydraulic chamber
53
is formed between the shoe
12
c
and the vane
15
c,
and the retard hydraulic chamber
54
is formed between the shoe
12
d
and the vane
15
d.
Furthermore, the advance hydraulic chamber
55
is formed between the shoe
12
d
and the vane
15
a,
an advance hydraulic chamber
56
is formed between the shoe
12
a
and the vane
15
b,
an advance hydraulic chamber
57
is formed between the shoe
12
b
and the vane
15
c,
and the advance hydraulic chamber
58
is formed between the shoe
12
c
and the vane
15
d.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, annular groove oil passages
204
and
205
are formed in the outer peripheral wall of the camshaft
2
. Furthermore, also formed in the camshaft
2
are oil passages
200
and
201
(for the oil passage
200
, see
FIG. 2
) which communicate with the groove oil passage
204
, and an oil passage
203
extending in the axial direction to communicate with the groove oil passage
205
. The oil passages
200
and
201
reach the front end face of the camshaft
2
. The oil passage
203
communicates with the annular groove oil passage
202
formed in the outer peripheral wall on the front side of the camshaft
2
. The oil passages
200
,
201
,
202
,
203
,
204
and
205
form a fluid supply passage.
The groove oil passage
204
is connected with a changeover valve
220
through an oil passage
206
, and the groove oil passage
205
is also connected with the changeover valve
220
through an oil passage
207
. An oil supply passage
208
is connected with an oil pump
210
which is driven by an engine power source
211
; and the oil drain passage
209
is open toward the drain
212
. The oil pump
210
delivers the hydraulic fluid from the drain
212
to each hydraulic chamber through the changeover valve
220
.
A valve member
221
of the changeover valve
220
is pressed in one direction by a spring
222
, and is reciprocally moved by controlling the supply of the electric current to the solenoid
223
. The supply of the electric current to the solenoid
223
is controlled by means of the engine control unit (ECU). With the reciprocating motion of the valve member
221
, the combinations of opening and closing of the oil passage
206
and
207
communicating with the oil supply passage
208
and the oil drain passage
209
are changed over.
In a read end surface
16
of the vane rotor
15
, retard oil passages
60
and
63
as retard passages are formed as shown in FIG.
3
. The retard oil passage
60
has distributing oil passages
61
and
62
, communicating with the oil passage
200
. The distributing oil passage
61
communicates with the retard hydraulic chamber
51
, and the distributing oil passage
62
communicates with the retard hydraulic chamber
52
. The retard oil passage
63
has distributing oil passages
64
and
65
, communicating with the oil passage
201
. The distributing oil passage
64
communicates with the retard hydraulic chamber
53
, and the distributing oil passage
65
communicates with the retard hydraulic chamber
54
. The distributing oil passages
61
,
62
,
64
and
65
open at the root of each vane. Also, in the vane
15
a,
an oil passage
66
(shown in
FIG. 2
) is formed to communicate with the retard hydraulic chamber
51
and the hydraulic chamber
41
.
Advance oil passages
70
,
71
,
72
and
73
as advance passages are formed, as shown in
FIG. 4
, at an interval of about 90 degrees in the central part of the front side inner surface
11
of the chain sprocket
10
. The advance oil passage
70
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
55
and the hydraulic chamber
40
; the advance oil passage
71
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
55
and the hydraulic chamber
40
; the advance oil passage
71
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
56
; the advance oil passage
72
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
57
; and the advance oil passage
73
communicates with the advance hydraulic chamber
58
.
Because of the above-described oil-passage arrangement, the hydraulic fluid can be supplied from the oil pump
210
to the retard hydraulic chambers
51
,
52
,
53
, and
54
, the retard hydraulic chambers
55
,
56
,
57
and
58
, and the hydraulic chambers
40
and
41
, and also can be discharged from each hydraulic chamber to the drain
212
.
Upon the supply of the hydraulic fluid into each retard hydraulic chamber or each advance hydraulic chamber, and further to the hydraulic chamber
41
or the hydraulic chamber
40
, the stopper piston
31
receives a force on the left side in FIG.
1
. Therefore, the stopper piston
31
moves out of the fitting ring
36
against the force of the spring
37
, there by disconnecting the shoe housing
12
from the vane rotor
15
. The vane rotor
15
, therefore, rotates with respect to the shoe housing
12
by the use of the hydraulic fluid exerted to the advance hydraulic chambers
51
,
52
,
53
and
54
and the advance hydraulic chambers
55
,
56
,
57
and
58
, there by adjusting the relative phase difference of the camshaft
2
in relation to the crankshaft.
In the first embodiment, there are formed the retard oil passages
60
and
63
which communicate with each retard hydraulic chamber, in the rear side outside surface
16
of the vane rotor
15
; and also the advance oil passages
70
,
71
,
72
and
73
, which communicate with each advance hydraulic chamber, are formed in the front side inner surface
11
of the chain sprocket
10
.
In the surface of the chain sprocket
10
and the vane rotor
15
, the retard oil passage communicating with the oil passages
200
,
201
formed in the camshaft
2
and each retard hydraulic chamber, and the advance oil passage communicating with the groove oil passage
202
formed in the camshaft
2
and each advance hydraulic chamber are formed. Therefore, the advance oil passage and the retard oil passage can be formed by the molding process for molding the chain sprocket
10
and the vane rotor
15
by sintering or diecasting. According to the above-described process, the cutting process for forming the retard and advance oil passages can be omitted, thereby decreasing component count and manufacturing cost. The chain sprocket
10
can be formed through forging or pressing.
The shoes
12
a,
12
b,
12
c
and
12
d
are cut out at both corner portions in the direction of rotation which face the boss portion
15
f
of the vane rotor
15
so as not to contact the vanes
15
a,
15
b,
15
c
and
15
d.
Therefore, the advance oil passages
70
,
71
,
72
and
73
formed in the chain sprocket
10
communicate with the advance hydraulic chambers
55
,
56
,
57
and
58
even when the vane rotor
15
has reached the most retarded position with respect to the shoe housing
12
. Similarly, even when the vane rotor
15
has reached the most advanced position with respect to the shoe housing
12
, the retard oil passages
60
,
63
formed in the vane rotor communicate with the retard hydraulic chambers
51
,
52
,
53
and
54
.
The seal member
25
fits in each vane if the valve timing adjusting device
1
is downsized and the width of each vane in the rotation direction is decreased, and therefore can constantly slide over the inner surface of the peripheral wall
13
. Therefore, the hydraulic fluid can be prevented from leaking between the retard hydraulic chamber and the advance hydraulic chamber separated by each vane.
The seal member
26
fits in each shoe if the valve timing adjusting device
1
is downsized and the width of each shoe in the rotation direction is decreased, and therefore can constantly slide over the outer surface of the boss portion
15
f.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent hydraulic fluid leakage between the retard hydraulic chamber and the advance hydraulic chamber of the housing chamber
50
which are adjacently located in the rotation direction.
The seal member
26
mounted in each partition section does not reach the communication point between the retard oil passages
60
,
63
formed in the rear end surface
16
of the vane rotor
15
and each retard hydraulic chamber, and the communication point between the advance oil passages
70
,
71
,
72
,
73
formed in the inner surface
11
of the chain sprocket
10
and each advance hydraulic chamber. The seal member
26
mounted in each partition section, receiving no fluid pressure toward the radially outer side from the retard oil passage and the advance passage, reliably contacts the outer peripheral surface of the vane rotor
15
. Therefore, hydraulic fluid leakage can be prevented.
(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment is shown in FIG.
5
. It should be noted that substantially same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.
In the second embodiment, there is formed, in the camshaft
2
, only one oil passage through which the hydraulic fluid can be supplied to the retard hydraulic chamber. A circular retard oil passage
80
communicating with the oil passage is formed in the outside surface
16
of the vane rotor
15
on the side of direction of rotation axis to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from the camshaft
2
. The retard oil passage
80
has distributing oil passages
81
,
82
,
83
,
84
and
85
communicating with each retard hydraulic chamber.
(Third Embodiment)
A third embodiment is shown in FIG.
6
. In the third embodiment, fouroil passages for supplying the hydraulic fluid to each retard hydraulic chamber are formed in the camshaft
2
; the retard oil passages
90
,
91
,
92
and
93
communicating with these four oil passages are also formed in the outside surface
16
of the vane rotor
15
. The retard oil passages
90
,
91
,
92
and
93
communicate with the retard hydraulic chambers, respectively.
(Fourth Embodiment)
A fourth embodiment of the valve timing adjusting device is shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
.
FIG. 7
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line passing through the retard hydraulic chamber
51
, the bolt
24
and the advance hydraulic chamber
57
.
FIG. 8
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line passing through the stopper piston
31
, the bolt
24
, the seal member
26
and the bolt
23
. Substantially same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.
A chain sprocket
100
is coupled with a shoe housing
101
by a bolt
23
to form a housing member so as to rotate with together. The shoe housing
101
has a peripheral wall
102
and a front plate
103
, which are formed as a single body. The camshaft
3
, a vane rotor
110
as the vane member, and a bushing
120
are coupled by a bolt
24
to rotate as a single body. A passage member
130
is secured to a support member (not illustrated). The passage member
130
fits in a bushing
120
at a front side of the vane rotor
110
, and slides with respect to the bushing
120
.
The passage member
130
has an oil passage
131
which communicates with the oil passage
206
, and an oil passage
132
which communicates with the oil passage
207
. The oil passages
131
,
132
constitute the fluid supply passage. The oil passage
131
is open to the rear end portion of the passage member
130
. The oil passage
132
communicates with an annular groove oil passage
133
formed in the outer periphery of the rear end portion of the passage member
130
. An annular groove oil passage
122
is formed in the outer peripheral wall of the bushing
120
. The groove oil passage
122
communicates with the groove oil passage
133
at a plurality of points.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, retard oil passages
112
,
115
as retard passages are formed in the front side outside surface
111
of the vane rotor
110
, to which fluid is supplied from the passage member
130
. The retard oil passage
112
communicates with the oil passage
131
through a through hole
121
which is formed in the bushing
120
. The retard oil passage
115
communicates with the oil passage
131
through a through hole (not illustrated) formed in the bushing
120
. The retard oil passage
112
has distributing oil passages
113
,
114
; and the retard oil passage
115
has distributing oil passages
116
,
117
. The distributing oil passages
113
,
114
,
116
and
117
communicate with retard hydraulic chambers.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, advance oil passages
105
,
106
,
107
and
108
as advance passages communicating with the advance hydraulic chambers are formed in the rear side inner surface
104
of the front plate
103
, to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from the passage member
130
.
In the fourth embodiment, the retard oil passages
112
,
115
through which the hydraulic fluid can be supplied to each retard hydraulic chamber are formed in the front side outside surface
111
of the vane rotor
110
, to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from the passage member
130
. Also, the advance oil passages
105
,
106
,
107
and
108
communicating with each advance hydraulic chamber are formed in the rear side inner surface
104
of the front plate
103
, to which the hydraulic fluid can be supplied from the passage member
130
.
The retard oil passage connecting the oil passage
131
formed in the passage member
130
with each retard hydraulic chamber, and the advance oil passage connecting the oil passage
132
formed in the passage member
130
with each advance hydraulic chamber are formed in the surface of the front plate
103
and the vane rotor
110
. Therefore, it is possible to dispense with the cutting or other process for forming the oil passages by adopting the sintering or die-casting process, thereby enabling the reduction of the manufacturing process and the manufacturing cost. The shoe housing
101
having the front plate
103
can be formed by a forging or pressing process.
(Modifications)
In the above-described embodiments, the advance oil passage is formed in the inner surface of the housing member, to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied, and the retard oil passage is formed in the outside surface of the vane rotor, to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied. Alternatively, the retard oil passage may be formed in the inner surface of the housing member, and the advance oil passage may be formed in the outside surface of the vane rotor. Furthermore, both the retard oil passage and the advance oil passage may be formed in one of the inner surface of the housing member and the outside surface of the vane rotor.
In the above-described embodiments, the valve timing adjusting device which drives the intake valve has been explained. Alternatively, the valve timing adjusting device may drive only the exhaust valve, or both the intake valve and the exhaust valve.
In the above-described embodiments, the stopper piston moves axially to fit in the fitting ring. Alternatively, the stopper piston may move radially to fit in the fitting ring.
Further, in the above-described embodiments, the driving force to rotate the crankshaft is transmitted to the camshaft through the chain sprocket. Alternatively, driving force may be transmitted through a timing pulley or a timing gear. Further, the driving force of the crankshaft may be received by the vane member to rotate both the camshaft as the driven shaft and the housing member as a single body.
Claims
- 1. A valve timing adjusting device which is installed in a driving force transmitting system for transmitting a driving force from a driving shaft of an internal combustion engine to a driven shaft for opening and closing at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and adjusts the opening-closing timing of at least either one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, said valve timing adjusting device, comprising:a housing member rotating together with said driving shaft, said housing member including a peripheral wall and a side wall which is connected with said peripheral wall on an axial end of said peripheral wall, said housing member defining a housing chamber thereinside; and a vane member rotating together with said driven shaft, said vane member including a vane housed in said housing chamber to partition said housing chamber into a retard chamber and an advance chamber in a rotation direction, said vane member driven to rotate by a fluid pressure with respect to said housing member within a range of predetermined angle, wherein said driven shaft includes a fluid supply passage formed to allow a supply of a hydraulic fluid to said retard chamber and said advance chamber; and said housing member defines an inner surface located at one axial side to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from said fluid supply passage, said vane member defines an outside surface located at one axial side to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from said fluid supply passage, said inner surface of said housing member faces said outside surface of said vane member in the axial direction, a retard passage communicating with said retard chamber and being capable of supplying the hydraulic fluid to said retard chamber, and an advance passage communicating with said advance chamber and being capable of supplying the hydraulic fluid to said advance chamber are formed in at least one of said inner surface of said housing and said outside surface of said vane member.
- 2. A valve timing adjusting device according to claim 1, whereinsaid retard passage is formed in one of said inner surface and said outside surface, and said advance passage is formed in the other of said inner surface and said outside surface.
- 3. A valve timing adjusting device according to claim 1, whereinat least one of said retard passage and said advance passage is formed in said outside surface of said vane, said housing member includes shoes protruding toward a center of rotation of said housing member and facing an outer peripheral wall of said vane member for forming said housing chamber therebetween, a seal member is mounted on an inner peripheral wall of said shoe to prevent leakage of the hydraulic fluid from said retard chamber and said advance chamber, and within a range of rotatable angle of said vane member with respect to said housing member, said retard passage communicates with said retard chamber, said advance passage communicates with said advance chamber, and said seal member does not reach a communication point where said retard passage communicates with said retard chamber, and a communication point where said advance passage communicates with said advance chamber.
- 4. A valve timing adjusting device according to claim 3, whereinsaid retard passage or said advance passage opens at a root portion of said vane, and both corners in the rotation direction of said shoe on a side where said shoe radially faces the outer peripheral wall of said vane member is cut out.
- 5. A valve timing adjusting device according to claim 1, further comprising a restraining means, said restraining means includes:a contact portion provided in said vane member; a counterpart portion provided in said housing member; and an urging means for urging said contact portion toward said counterpart portion, wherein said contact portion contacts said counterpart portion when said vane member is at a predetermined angle position with respect to said housing member, for restraining a rotation of said vane member with respect to said housing member.
- 6. A valve timing adjusting device which is installed in a driving force transmitting system for transmitting a driving force from a driving shaft of an internal combustion engine to a driven shaft for opening and closing at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, and adjusts the opening-closing timing of at least either one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, said valve timing adjusting device, comprising:a housing member rotating together with said driving shaft, said housing member including a peripheral wall and a side wall which is connected with said peripheral wall on an axial end of said peripheral wall, said housing member defining a housing chamber thereinside; a vane member rotating together with said driven shaft, said vane member including a vane housed in said housing chamber to partition said housing chamber into a retard chamber and an advance chamber in a rotation direction, said vane member driven to rotate by a fluid pressure with respect to said housing member within a range of predetermined angle; and a passage member provided on said housing member and said vane member at a side opposite to said driven shaft, said passage member having a fluid supply passage capable of supplying a hydraulic fluid to said retard chamber and said advance chamber, wherein said housing member defines an inner surface located at one axial side to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from said passage member, said vane member defines an outside surface located at one axial side to which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from said passage member, said inner surface of said housing member faces said outside surface of said vane member in the axial direction, a retard passage communicating with said retard chamber and being capable of supplying the hydraulic fluid to said retard chamber, and an advance passage communicating with said advance chamber and being capable of supplying the hydraulic fluid to said advance chamber are formed in at least one of said inner surface of said housing and said outside surface of said vane member.
- 7. A valve timing adjusting device according to claim 6, whereinsaid retard passage is formed in one of said inner surface and said outside surface, and said advance passage is formed in the other of said inner surface and said outside surface.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2000-303618 |
Oct 2000 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)