Valve timing control apparatus and variable valve actuating apparatus for internal combustion engine

A variable valve actuating apparatus for an internal combustion engine, the variable valve actuating apparatus being arranged to vary a rotation position of a second member relative to a first member, and thereby to vary an operation characteristic of an engine valve, the variable valve actuating apparatus comprising:

• an electric motor provided to the first member, and arranged to vary a relative rotational position of the second member with respect to the first member;
• a cover member provided to cover a front end portion of the electric motor;
• a slip ring provided to one of the electric motor and the cover member;
• a power feeding brush provided to the other of the electric motor and the cover member, and slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed power to the electric motor;
• and
• a sensor disposed between one end portion of a motor output shaft of the electric motor and the cover member confronting the one end portion of the motor output shaft,
• a tip end portion of a sensed portion of the sensor confronts a sensing portion at a confronting position which is offset in an axial direction from a slidably abutting position of the power feeding brush and the slip ring so as not to be overlapped with the slidably position of the power feeding brush and the slip ring in a radial direction.

A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a driving rotation member to which a rotational force is transmitted from a crank shaft;
• a driven rotation member fixed to the cam shaft;
• an electric motor which is provided to the driving rotation member, and which is arranged to rotate the driven rotation member relative to the driving rotation member by a motor output shaft;
• a slip ring which is provided to the electric motor;
• a cover member which is disposed on an outer end surface of the electric motor on a side of the slip ring, and which confronts the outer end surface of the electric motor on the side of the slip ring in an axial direction;
• a power feeding brush which is held in a brush holding hole formed in the cover member, and which includes a tip end portion that protrudes from an opening end of the brush holding hole, and that is slidably abutted on the slip ring to feed electric power to the slip ring;
• a rotation angle sensor which is disposed between one end portion of the motor output shaft and the cover member confronting the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and which is arranged to sense a rotation angle of the motor output shaft,
• the rotation angle sensor including
• a sensed portion provided to the one end portion of the motor output shaft, and
• a sensing portion which is provided to the cover member, and which is arranged to sense a rotation position of the sensed portion,
• the cover member including a recessed portion which is formed in an inner surface of the cover member, and which is recessed in an axially outward direction of the cover member relative to the position of the opening end of the brush holding hole;
• and
• the sensed portion including a tip end portion inserted and disposed within the recessed portion to confront the sensing portion.