US 2001/0039933 A1 · Valve timing adjusting device

Abstract

A seal plate partitions a sectorial space which houses a vane and a circumferential groove which houses a torsion spring, so that the sectorial space is formed to prevent the communication between an advance angle pressure chamber and a retard angle pressure chamber regardless of the space of the circumferential groove. As a result, by setting the inner diameter of the vane smaller than the outer diameter of the torsion spring, the outer diameter of the vane can be made relatively small without lowering the engine performance. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the actuator in size without lowering the engine performance, to reduce the weight of a valve timing adjusting device and to obtain a mounting space easily for mounting the valve timing adjusting device on the engine.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A valve timing adjusting device for an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft, an intake valve, an exhaust valve and a driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, comprising:

a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;
a housing chamber formed in said housing;
a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference;
an advance angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in an advancing direction by a fluid pressure;
a retard angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in a retarding direction by said fluid pressure;
a hydraulic pump for supplying a working fluid to said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber;
first bias means housed in a housing space formed in said housing, for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft;
and
a partition member for separating said housing chamber from said housing space.

6 more elements

a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;
a housing chamber formed in said housing;
a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference;
an advance angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in an advancing direction by a fluid pressure;
a retard angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in a retarding direction by said fluid pressure;
a hydraulic pump for supplying a working fluid to said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber;
first bias means housed in a housing space formed in said housing, for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft;
an abutting portion and an abutted portion individually formed at said housing and said vane for restraining said vane from rotating relatively to said housing by abutting against each other when said vane is positioned at one circumferential end portion in said housing chamber;
second bias means for biasing said abutting portion in an abutting direction to abut against said abutted portion;
and
restraint means including said second bias means for displacing said abutting portion in a direction opposite to said abutting direction against a biasing force of said second bias means;
wherein said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing an end of said first bias means.

9 more elements

a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;
a housing chamber formed in said housing;
a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference, said vane dividing said housing chamber into an advance angle pressure chamber and a retard angle pressure chamber;
and
first bias means for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Valve timing adjusting device

Life of this patent

Valve timing adjusting device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22