Valve timing control apparatus

Abstract

A valve timing control apparatus includes a driven shaft for actuating an intake valve and/or an exhaust valve of an engine. A housing member rotates together with a driving shaft of the engine. A rotor member is accommodated coaxially in the housing member for rotating together with the driven shaft. The rotor member is rotatable with respect to the housing member. The rotor member includes a rotor vane that circumferentially has a thick portion and a thin portion. The thick portion is greater than the thin portion in radial thickness. The rotor member further includes a bushing vane, in a substantially cylindrical shape, having one end. The one end is connectable to the rotor vane through a press-insertion hole with a compression margin relative to the thin portion. The one end is connectable to the rotor vane through a press-insertion hole without a compression margin relative to the thick portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a sectional front view showing a valve timing control apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along the line IB-IB in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a front view showing a bushing vane of the valve timing control apparatus, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along the line IIB-IIB in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a rotor vane of a valve timing control apparatus according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the valve timing control apparatus provided to an internal combustion engine; and

FIG. 5A is a front view showing a bushing vane according to a related art, and FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along the line VB-VB in FIG. 5A.

Claims

1. A valve timing control apparatus for controlling at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine having a driving shaft, the valve timing control apparatus comprising: a driven shaft for actuating the at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve;a housing member for rotating together with one of the driven shaft and the driving shaft; anda rotor member accommodated coaxially in the housing member for rotating together with an other of the driven shaft and the driving shaft, the rotor member being rotatable with respect to the housing member in a predetermined angular range,wherein the rotor member includes a rotor vane that has a thick portion, which constructs a circumferential part of the rotor vane, and a thin portion, which constructs a circumferential part of the rotor vane other than the thick portion,the thick portion is greater than the thin portion in thickness with respect to a radial direction of the rotor vane,the rotor vane has one end surface defining an engage hole in which the other of the driven shaft and the driving shaft engages,the rotor vane has an other end surface defining a press-insertion hole,the rotor member further includes a bushing vane, in a substantially cylindrical shape, having one end,the one end of the bushing vane is connectable to the rotor vane through the press-insertion hole with a compression margin relative to the thin portion, andthe one end of the bushing vane is connectable to the rotor vane through the press-insertion hole without a compression margin relative to the thick portion.

2. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one end of the bushing vane has the compression margin with respect to the thin portion, andthe one end of the bushing vane does not have the compression margin with respect to the thick portion.

3. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing member defines a cavity that rotatably accommodates the thick portion, andthe thick portion has a vane portion that is rotatable relative to the housing member.

4. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bushing vane has an outer periphery that is slidable relative to the housing member.

5. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a coil spring that has one end hooked to the housing member, the coil spring further having an other end hooked to the rotor vane,wherein the coil spring biases the rotor vane in a specific rotative direction relative to the housing member, andthe coil spring is supported in the bushing vane.

6. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the press-insertion hole is substantially annular in cross-section,the one end of the bushing vane is partially recessed inwardly with respect to an axial direction of the bushing vane to define a notch, andwhen the one end of the bushing vane is press-inserted into the press-insertion hole, the notch is located in a part of the press-insertion hole radially inwardly defined by the thick portion.

7. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the press-insertion hole is substantially annular in cross-section,the one end of the bushing vane has a protrusion that extends outwardly with respect to an axial direction of the bushing vane, andwhen the bushing vane is connected with the rotor vane by press-inserting the protrusion into the press-insertion hole, the protrusion overlaps with the thin portion with respect to the radial direction, and the thick portion defines a space, which is a part of the press-insertion hole, on an inner side of the thick portion with respect to the radial direction.

8. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion has a circumscribed circle coaxially with the bushing vane, andthe circumscribed circle has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the press-insertion hole.

9. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one end of the bushing vane is in a substantially annular shape having an outer diameter,the thick portion at least partially defines the press-insertion hole on an inner side of the thick portion with respect to the radial direction,the thick portion has an inner diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the bushing vane,the thin portion at least partially defines the press-insertion hole on an inner side of the thin portion with respect to the radial direction, andthe thin portion has an inner diameter that is less than the outer diameter of the bushing vane.

10. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thick portion has a first inscribed circle, coaxial with the rotor vane, having a first diameter,the thin portion has a second inscribed circle, coaxial with the rotor vane, having a second diameter,the one end of the bushing vane has a circumscribed circle having a third diameter,the first diameter is equal to or greater than the third diameter, andthe third diameter is greater than the second diameter.

11. A valve timing control apparatus for controlling at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine having a driving shaft, the valve timing control apparatus comprising: a driven shaft for actuating the at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve;a housing member for rotating together with one of the driven shaft and the driving shaft; anda rotor member accommodated coaxially in the housing member for rotating together with an other of the driven shaft and the driving shaft, the rotor member being rotatable with respect to the housing member in a predetermined angular range,wherein the rotor member includes a rotor vane that has a plurality of thick portions and a plurality of thin portions,each of the plurality of thick portions and each of the plurality of thin portions are circumferentially arranged one another to define a press-insertion hole therein with respect to a radial direction of the rotor vane,each of the plurality of thick portions is greater than each of the plurality of thin portions in thickness with respect to the radial direction,the rotor member further includes a bushing vane, in a substantially cylindrical shape, having one end,the one end of the bushing vane is connectable to the rotor vane through the press-insertion hole with a compression margin relative to the thin portion, andthe one end of the bushing vane is connectable to the rotor vane through the press-insertion hole without a compression margin relative to the thick portion.

12. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the press-insertion hole is substantially annular in cross-section,the one end of the bushing vane has a plurality of protrusions that extends outwardly with respect to an axial direction of the bushing vane,the plurality of protrusions are circumferentially arranged to define a plurality of notches adjacently therebetween, andwhen the bushing vane is connected with the rotor vane by press-inserting the plurality of protrusions into the press-insertion hole, the plurality of protrusions overlaps respectively with the plurality of thin portions with respect to the radial direction, and the plurality of notches is located respectively on an inner side of the plurality of thick portions with respect to the radial direction.

13. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of protrusions has a circumscribed circle having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the press-insertion hole.

14. The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of thick portions has a first inscribed circle having a first diameter,the plurality of thin portions has a second inscribed circle having a second diameter,the one end of the bushing vane has a circumscribed circle having a third diameter,the first diameter is equal to or greater than the third diameter, andthe third diameter is greater than the second diameter.