Engine variable camshaft timing phaser with planetary gear set

An engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10), comprising:

• a sprocket (12) receiving rotational drive input from an engine crankshaft;
• at least two ring gears (34, 36), one of said at least two ring gears (34, 36) receiving rotational drive input from said sprocket (12) and one of said at least two ring gears (34, 36) transmitting rotational drive output to an engine camshaft;
• a plurality of planet gears (32) engaged with said at least two ring gears (34, 36);
• a carrier plate (68, 70) supporting said plurality of planet gears (32), said carrier plate (68, 70) having a first set of teeth (82);
• and
• a sun gear (30) engaged with said plurality of planet gears (32) and driven by an electric motor (38), said sun gear (30) having a second set of teeth (40, 62), said sun gear (30) and the electric motor (38) having a pin-and-recess interconnection between them, said recess (46) having a first axial depth (D1) and having a second axial depth (D2, D3);
• wherein, when the engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10) is in a non-advancing and non-retarding state, said first set of teeth (82) and said second set of teeth (40, 62) are mated with each other and said pin (48) is situated at said first axial depth (D1) of said recess (46), and when the engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10) is in an advancing or retarding state, said first set of teeth (82) and said second set of teeth (40, 62) are unmated from each other and said pin (48) is situated at said second axial depth (D2, D3) of said recess (46).

An engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10), comprising:

• a sprocket (12) receiving rotational drive input from an engine crankshaft;
• at least two ring gears (34, 36), one of said at least two ring gears (34, 36) receiving rotational drive input from said sprocket (12) and one of said at least two ring gears (34, 36) transmitting rotational drive output to an engine camshaft;
• a plurality of planet gears (32) engaged with said at least two ring gears (34, 36);
• a first set of teeth (82);
• a sun gear (30) engaged with said plurality of planet gears (32) and driven by an electric motor (38), said sun gear (30) having a second set of teeth (40, 62), said sun gear (30) having a wall (42) with a recess (46) located therein, said recess (46) having a first depression (52), a second depression (54), and a third depression (56), when a pin (48) of the electric motor (38) is seated in said first depression (52) said sun gear (30) is at a first axial position along its axis and said first set of teeth (82) and said second set of teeth (40, 62) are mated with each other, when the pin (48) is seated in said second depression (54) said sun gear (30) is at a second axial position along its axis and said first set of teeth (82) and said second set of teeth (40, 62) are unmated from each other, and when the pin (48) is seated in said third depression (56) said sun gear (30) is at the second axial position along its axis and said first set of teeth (82) and said second set of teeth (40, 62) are unmated from each other;
• and
• a spring (18) biasing said sun gear (30) toward the pin (48) of the electric motor (38).