# US 11,994,044 B2 · Valve timing adjustment device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,994,044 B2
- Document ID: US11994044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/894,529
- Filed: 2022-08-24
- Published: 2022-12-29
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-26
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Hikaru Kokumai; Futoshi Kawamura; Kinya Takahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994044B2

## CPC

- F01L 1/3442: {using hydraulic chambers with variable volume to transmit the rotating force}
- F01L 2001/34426: {Oil control valves}
- F01L 2001/3443: {Solenoid driven oil control valves}
- F01L 2001/34433: {Location oil control valves}
- F01L 2001/34479: {Sealing of phaser devices}
- F01L 2301/00: Using particular materials
- F01L: CYCLICALLY OPERATING VALVES FOR MACHINES OR ENGINES

## Abstract

A valve timing adjustment device includes a hydraulic oil control valve. The hydraulic oil control valve includes: an outer sleeve that is shaped in a tubular form and has a projection at an outer periphery of the outer sleeve; an inner sleeve that is located on an inner side of the outer sleeve; and a spool that is located at an inside of the inner sleeve. A reference-shape portion, which serves as a reference at a time of positioning the outer sleeve relative to the inner sleeve, is formed at an outer periphery of the projection. A seat surface of the projection, which fixes a vane rotor between the seat surface of the projection and an end portion of one of a drive shaft and a driven shaft, is shaped in a rotationally symmetric form that is rotationally symmetric around a rotational axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A valve timing adjustment device configured to adjust an opening timing and a closing timing of a valve, which is installed at an internal combustion engine, relative to a rotational phase of a drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, the valve timing adjustment device comprising:
a hydraulic oil control valve that includes:
an outer sleeve that is shaped in a tubular form and has a projection at an outer periphery of the outer sleeve;
an inner sleeve that is located on an inner side of the outer sleeve; and
a spool that is located at an inside of the inner sleeve and is configured to reciprocate forward and backward along a rotational axis of the outer sleeve, wherein the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve are assembled together to form a plurality of ports, each of which serves as an oil passage, and a hydraulic oil pressure of hydraulic oil, which is supplied from a hydraulic oil supply source through corresponding one or more of the plurality of ports, is controlled by reciprocating the spool forward or backward;
an actuator that is configured to control reciprocation of the spool; and
a vane rotor that is installed between a driven shaft and the drive shaft while the driven shaft is configured to open and close the valve in response to rotation of the drive shaft, wherein the vane rotor is configured to change a rotational phase of the driven shaft relative to the drive shaft according to the hydraulic oil pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic oil control valve, wherein:
a reference-shape portion, which serves as a reference at a time of positioning the outer sleeve relative to the inner sleeve, is formed at an outer periphery of the projection; and
a seat surface of the projection, which fixes the vane rotor between the seat surface of the projection and an end portion of one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft, is shaped in a rotationally symmetric form that is rotationally symmetric around the rotational axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The valve timing adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the seat surface is located on an inner side of a radially innermost part of the reference-shape portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The valve timing adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the seat surface has a stepped part that is formed along an outer periphery of the seat surface, and a distance between the stepped part and the vane rotor is larger than a distance between another part of the seat surface, which is other than the stepped part, and the vane rotor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The valve timing adjustment device according to claim 2, comprising a washer placed between the seat surface and the vane rotor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The valve timing adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the vane rotor has a rotor projection that projects toward the seat surface.