Valve timing control apparatus for internal combustion engine

A valve timing control apparatus comprising:

• a driving side rotational member synchronously rotated with a crankshaft;
• a driven side rotational member provided coaxially with the driving side rotational member and synchronously rotated with a camshaft;
• a fluid pressure chamber formed on at least one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, the fluid pressure chamber being separated into an advanced angle chamber and a retarded angle chamber;
• a phase control apparatus controlling an operation fluid to be supplied to and discharged from one of, or both of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber, for displacing a relative rotational phase between the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member within a range from a most advanced angle phase to a most retarded angle phase;
• and
• a locking mechanism restraining the relative rotational phase between the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member at a lock phase between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase, wherein
• during cranking, the relative rotational phase is displaced relatively in one of an advanced angle direction and a retarded angle direction while oscillating, and wherein
• the phase control apparatus performs a starting point control for discharging the operation fluid from the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber during a predetermined period of time after a starting of cranking, and supplying the operation fluid into one of the advanced angle chamber and the retarded angle chamber for displacing the relative rotational phase to the other of the advanced angle direction and the retarded angle direction after the predetermined period of time is elapsed.