Claims
- 1. In an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft that is rotatable about an axis, a combination comprising:a camshaft (126), said camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, said second axis being parallel to the axis, said camshaft being subject to torque reversals during the rotation thereof; a vane (160) having at least one lobe (160a/160b), said vane being attached to said camshaft, being rotatable with said camshaft and being non-oscillatable with respect to said camshaft; a housing (132), said housing being rotatable with said camshaft and being oscillatable with respect to said camshaft, said housing having at least one recess (132a/132b), said at least one recess receiving said at least one lobe, said at least one lobe being oscillatable within said at least one recess; rotary movement transmitting means (138) for transmitting rotary movement from the crankshaft to the said housing; wherein said housing comprises a passage (252) therein, a pin (250) slidably positioned within said passage, said pin having an inner end and an outer end (252a), and means (256) resiliently acting on said inner end of said pin to urge said outer end of said pin outwardly from said passage; said vane having a plate (168) secured thereto, said plate being rotatable with said vane and being non-rotatable with respect thereto, said plate having an inwardly facing pocket (168f), said pocket being aligned with said passage in a predetermined position of said vane with respect to said housing and being adapted to receive said outer end of said pin in said predetermined position of said vane with respect to said housing to prevent oscillation of said housing with respect to said camshaft; said pocket being adapted to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid, from a source (132e) that is not in series with said at least one recess, the hydraulic fluid, when under normal pressurization, overcoming the effect of said means acting resiliently on said inner end of said pin and maintaining said outer end of said pin out of said pocket to permit oscillation of said housing with respect to said camshaft.
- 2. An internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein said passage extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of rotation of said camshaft and is spaced therefrom.
- 3. An internal combustion engine according to claim 2 wherein said outer end of said pin is hemispherical in configuration, wherein said pocket has an inner surface that is hemispherical in configuration, and wherein said inner surface of said pocket has a radius of curvature that is at least slightly greater than a radius of curvature of said outer end of said pin.
- 4. An engine according to claim 3 wherein a first portion and a second portion of said at least one recess is capable of sustaining hydraulic pressure.
- 5. In an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft that is rotatable about an axis, a combination comprising:a camshaft (126), said camshaft being rotatable about a second axis, said second axis being parallel to the axis, said camshaft being subject to torque reversals during the rotation thereof; a vane (160) having first and second circumferentially spaced apart lobes (160a, 160b), said vane being attached to said camshaft, being rotatable with said camshaft and being non-oscillatable with respect to said camshaft; a housing (132), said housing being rotatable with said camshaft and being oscillatable with respect to said camshaft, said housing having first and second circumferentially spaced apart recesses (132a, 132b), each of said first and second recesses receiving one of said first and second lobes and permitting oscillating movement of said one of said first and second lobes therein; rotary movement transmitting means (138) for transmitting rotary movement from the crankshaft to the housing; wherein said housing comprises a passage (252) therein, a pin (250) positioned within said passage, said pin having an inner end and an outer end (250a), and means (256) resiliently acting on said inner end of said pin to urge said outer end of said pin outwardly from said passage; said vane having a plate (168) secured thereto, said plate being rotatable with said vane and being non-rotatable with respect thereto, said plate having an inwardly facing pocket (168f), said pocket being aligned with said passage in a predetermined position of said vane with respect to said housing and being adapted to receive said outer end of said pin in said predetermined position of said vane with respect to said housing to prevent oscillation of said housing with respect to said camshaft; said pocket being adapted to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid from a source (132e) that is not in series with said at least one recess, the hydraulic fluid, when under normal pressurization, overcoming the effect of said means acting resiliently on said inner end of said pin and maintaining said outer end of said pin out of said pocket to permit oscillation of said housing with respect to said camshaft.
- 6. An internal combustion engine according to claim 5 wherein said passage extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of rotation of said camshaft and is spaced therefrom.
- 7. An internal combustion engine according to claim 6 wherein said outer end of said pin is hemispherical in configuration, wherein said pocket has an inner surface that is hemispherical in configuration and wherein said inner surface of said pocket has a radius of curvature that is at least slightly greater than a radius of curvature of said outer end of said pin.
- 8. An engine according to claim 7 wherein a first portion and a second portion of each of said first and second recesses is capable of sustaining hydraulic pressure.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of commonly assigned, now abandoned provisional application Serial No. 60/173,330, and to the subject matter of commonly assigned application Ser. No. 60/173,330, which was filed on Dec. 28, 1999.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
198 60 025 A 1 |
Jul 1999 |
DE |
0 924 391 |
Jun 1999 |
EP |
9-317411 |
Dec 1997 |
JP |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/173330 |
Dec 1999 |
US |