# US 10,480,402 B2 · Actuator of link mechanism for internal combustion engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,402 B2 - Document ID: US10480402B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/748,265 - Filed: 2016-07-13 - Published: 2018-08-09 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-31 - Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. - Inventors: Yoshihiro Suda; Kotofumi Yanai; Kishiro Nagai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480402B2 ## CPC - F02B 75/048: {by means of a variable crank stroke length} - F01B 31/14: Changing of compression ratio - F02B 75/04: Engines with variable distances between pistons at top dead-centre positions and cylinder heads - F02B 75/045: {by means of a variable connecting rod length} - F02B 75/32: Engines characterised by connections between pistons and main shafts and not specific to preceding main groups - F16H 1/32: in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear - F16H 57/04: Features relating to lubrication or cooling {or heating} (control of lubrication or cooling in hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4165) - F16H 57/0482: {Gearings with gears having orbital motion} - F01C 21/008: {Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmissions specially adapted for rotary or oscillating-piston machines or engines (brakes, couplings, transmissions per se F16, B60)} - F01L 1/344: changing the angular relationship between crankshaft and camshaft, e.g. using helicoidal gear - F02D 15/02: by alteration or displacement of piston stroke - F16H 49/001: {Wave gearings, e.g. harmonic drive transmissions} - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F01B: MACHINES OR ENGINES, IN GENERAL OR OF POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT TYPE, e.g. STEAM ENGINES (of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F01C; of non-positive-displacement type F01D; internal-combustion engines F02B; combustion-product engine plants F02G; machines or engines, other than of positive-displacement type, for liquids F03B; positive-displacement engines driven by liquids F03C; wind motors F03D; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04B; rotary-piston, or oscillating-piston, positive-displacement machines for liquids F04C) - F16H: GEARING - F01C: ROTARY-PISTON OR OSCILLATING-PISTON MACHINES OR ENGINES (internal-combustion aspects F02B53/00, F02B55/00) - F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES - F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W) ## Abstract Provided is an actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine, in which a speed reducer is sufficiently lubricated. The actuator includes an oil passage formed in a control shaft for changing the posture of a control link and configured to feed lubricant oil to the speed reducer; and an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer in one end side located on the speed reducer side, and which is in communication with the oil passage in the other end side. An inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an outer diameter of one end side of the oil passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a control shaft configured to rotate to change a posture of the link mechanism of the internal combustion engine; a speed reducer configured to reduce a rotation rate of an electric motor and transmit the reduced rotation rate to the control shaft; an oil passage formed inside the control shaft; and an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer at one end side located on a side of the speed reducer, and which is in communication with the oil passage at another end side of the open portion, wherein an inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an inner diameter of one end side of the oil passage, wherein the control shaft includes a flange on one end side, which is connected to the speed reducer, and wherein a length of the open portion from the one end side of the open portion to the another end side of the open portion in a rotation axis direction of the control shaft is greater than a thickness of the flange. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the speed reducer includes a ring-like output member which is connected to the flange of the control shaft, and wherein the output member has an inner periphery provided with a gear engagement portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the speed reducer is a wave gear-type speed reducer, and wherein the speed reducer comprises a wave generator which is connected to an output shaft of the electric motor and includes a ball bearing inside, and a flexible gear disposed between the wave generator and the output member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 2, wherein the link mechanism for the internal combustion engine is a variable compression ratio mechanism of the internal combustion engine, which is configured to vary stroke characteristics of a piston using a double-link piston crank mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the control shaft is integrally formed by forging, and the open portion is formed when the control shaft is formed by forging. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface having a shape of a cone, and the inner diameter of the open portion increases from the another end side of the open portion toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6, wherein the oil passage opens to a bottom of the another end side of the open portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein the control shaft is supported against a housing of the actuator by two bearings, and lubricant oil is fed into the oil passage from outside the control shaft at a position of one of the two bearings, which is located farther from the speed reducer than the other of the two bearings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 8, wherein the open portion includes a guide configured to guide the lubricant oil to an inner periphery side of the open portion and to a position further outside than an inner diameter of the oil passage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface that is formed into a columnar shape. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface which is formed such that an inner diameter increases in a step-like pattern from the another end side toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The actuator of a link mechanism for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the open portion has an inner peripheral surface which is formed such that an inner diameter increases from the another end side toward the one end side of the open portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft, and wherein the oil passage opens between the another end portion and one end portion in the rotation axis direction of the control shaft in the inner peripheral surface of the open portion. ### Claim 13 An actuator of a variable compression ratio mechanism of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a control shaft configured to rotate to vary characteristics of the variable compression ratio mechanism of the internal combustion engine; a speed reducer configured to reduce and transmit a rotation rate of an electric motor to the control shaft; an oil passage formed inside the control shaft; and an open portion which opens to face the speed reducer at one end side located on a side of the speed reducer, and which is in communication with the oil passage at another end side of the open portion, wherein an inner diameter of the one end side of the open portion is larger than an outer diameter of the control shaft, wherein the control shaft includes a flange on one end side, which is connected to the speed reducer, and wherein a length of the open portion from the one end side of the open portion to the another end side of the open portion in a rotation axis direction of the control shaft is greater than a thickness of the flange.