Carrier-less spring loaded planetary gearset used with eVCT
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorDouglas W. Perry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly including a gearbox assembly, having a sun gear, and a plurality of planet gears in meshing engagement with the sun gear, each of the plurality of planet gears including a ball socket at a radial gear face; and a rolling ball received within the ball socket, wherein the planet gears rotate about the rolling ball, and are configured to engage a ramped surface within the VCT assembly that moves the planet gears radially outwardly from an axis of gearbox assembly rotation.
Claims11
An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly, comprising:
- a gearbox assembly, having a sun gear, and a plurality of planet gears in meshing engagement with the sun gear, each of the plurality of planet gears including a ball socket at a radial gear face;
- a rolling ball received within the ball socket, wherein the planet gears rotate about the rolling ball, and are configured to engage a ramped surface within the VCT assembly that moves the planet gears radially-outwardly from an axis of gearbox assembly rotation;
- and
- an end plate that slides axially along the axis of gearbox assembly rotation, wherein the ramped surface is positioned radially between an inner diameter of the end plate and an outer diameter of the end plate such that the ramped surface extends circumferentially around the end plate.
An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly, comprising:
- a gearbox assembly, having a sun gear and a plurality of planet gears, in meshing engagement with the sun gear, each of the plurality of planet gears including a ball socket at a radial gear face and another ball socket at an opposite radial gear face;
- a camshaft plate, configured to couple to a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, having a ramped surface;
- an end plate, axially slidable relative to the camshaft plate, having another ramped surface;
- and
- rolling balls received within the ball sockets, wherein the planet gears rotate about the rolling balls, and the rolling balls abut the ramped surfaces to move the planet gears radially-outwardly from an axis of gearbox assembly rotation.
An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly, comprising:
- a gearbox assembly, having a first ring gear, a second ring gear, a sun gear, and a plurality of planet gears that engage the first ring gear, the second ring gear, and the sun gear, wherein each of the plurality of planet gears includes a ball socket at a radial gear face and another ball socket at an opposite radial gear face;
- a camshaft plate, configured to couple to a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, having a ramped surface;
- an end plate, axially slidable relative to the camshaft plate, having another ramped surface;
- a Belleville washer, fixed to a portion of the VCT assembly and abutting a surface of the end plate, axially biasing the end plate towards the camshaft plate;
- and
- rolling balls received within the ball sockets, wherein the planet gears rotate about the rolling balls, and the rolling balls abut the ramped surfaces to move the planet gears radially-outwardly from an axis of gearbox assembly rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.