JP5136852B2 - Valve timing control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a follower that is arranged coaxially with the drive-side rotating member and rotates synchronously with a camshaft for opening and closing the valve of the internal combustion engine. A side rotation member, a fluid pressure chamber formed in one of the drive side rotation member and the driven side rotation member, and the drive side rotation member for partitioning the fluid pressure chamber into an advance chamber and a retard chamber And a partition provided on either one of the driven side rotating members, and an advance channel formed in the driven side rotating member for supplying and discharging fluid to the advance chamber and fluid to the retard chamber Based on the retarded flow path to be supplied / discharged and the supply state of the fluid, it is possible to switch between a locked state in which the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member are locked and a released state in which the locking is released. Valve timing control device having a locking mechanism About.

The valve timing control device is provided with a fluid pressure device for switching the lock mechanism from the locked state to the released state.
Conventionally, this fluid pressure device has a dedicated release channel for supplying a working fluid for switching to a released state to the lock mechanism, and a dedicated flow channel for controlling the supply and discharge of the working fluid to the release channel. And a control valve (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
A dedicated release channel is provided across the camshaft and the driven rotary member, and a circumferential groove that communicates with the release channel is formed at the interface between the camshaft and its bearing surface. Is connected to the release channel via a circumferential groove.

JP-A-10-220207

For this reason, the length of the release channel is long, and there is a drawback that the working fluid is likely to leak from the middle of the release channel.
Further, it is necessary to provide a dedicated control valve and a dedicated release channel in the main body (camshaft) of the internal combustion engine, and there are disadvantages that the machining of components is likely to be complicated and the internal combustion engine is likely to be enlarged.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device that can prevent the working fluid from leaking from the middle of the release passage and can also prevent an increase in the size of the internal combustion engine. To do.

  A first characteristic configuration of the present invention is a drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a camshaft that is coaxially disposed with respect to the drive-side rotating member and that opens and closes the valve of the internal combustion engine A driven-side rotating member that rotates in synchronization with each other, a fluid pressure chamber formed in one of the drive-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member, and the fluid pressure chamber divided into an advance chamber and a retard chamber A partition provided on the other of the drive-side rotation member and the driven-side rotation member, an advance passage formed in the driven-side rotation member, and supplying and discharging fluid to the advance chamber and the delay A retarded flow path for supplying and discharging fluid to and from the corner chamber, and a locked state for locking the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member and a released state for releasing the locking based on the fluid supply state And a lock mechanism that can be switched to There is provided a release channel that supplies the fluid supplied to the corner chamber or the retard chamber to the lock mechanism as a fluid that brings the lock mechanism into the release state, and the release channel is the advance angle. A first supply path that communicates with the flow path or the advance chamber, and a second supply path that communicates with the retard flow path or the retard chamber; And the second supply path are provided with one-way valves, respectively, and a valve body for communicating and blocking the release channel is provided in the release channel.

[Action and effect]
In the valve opening / closing timing control device of this configuration, a release channel is provided that supplies the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or retard chamber to the lock mechanism as fluid that releases the lock mechanism. For this reason, the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber is made short without providing a dedicated release channel extending over the camshaft and the driven side rotation member as in the prior art. Can be supplied to the locking mechanism on the road.

  Further, without providing a dedicated control valve for controlling the supply and discharge of the working fluid to the release flow path, the valve opening / closing timing according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine, for example, when starting the internal combustion engine is optimal. It can be controlled to be timed.

  For example, a certain time at the start of the internal combustion engine, that is, a certain time until the pressure of the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber rises to a predetermined pressure at which the lock mechanism can be switched to the release state is locked. The mechanism does not switch to the released state, but can maintain the locked state and obtain the optimum valve opening / closing timing for starting the internal combustion engine.

When a certain time at the start is over, that is, when the pressure of the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or retard chamber rises to a predetermined pressure, the lock mechanism can be switched to the release state, and the drive side rotating member The valve opening / closing timing can be controlled to be an optimal timing according to the operating state of the internal combustion engine by changing the relative phase between the motor and the driven side rotating member.
When the internal combustion engine is stopped, the pressure of the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber decreases, so that the lock mechanism can be switched to the locked state.
Therefore, it is difficult for the working fluid to leak from the middle of the release flow path, and an increase in the size of the internal combustion engine can be suppressed.

  Since the release flow path is formed by joining the first supply path and the second supply path, the first supply path and the second supply path are each released to supply the fluid directly to the lock mechanism. The structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the flow paths are provided separately.

  In addition, since the one-way valve is provided in each of the first supply path and the second supply path, malfunction caused by the fluid supplied from one of the supply paths flowing into the other supply path is prevented. be able to.

  Further, since the release passage is provided with a valve body that communicates and shuts off the release passage, the pressure of the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber when the internal combustion engine is started is a predetermined pressure. Even if it rises, the release channel can be communicated at a desired timing to be switched to a released state, or can be blocked at a desired timing to be switched to a locked state.

  A second characteristic configuration of the present invention is that a valve body control mechanism including an operation member acting on the valve body is provided on a stationary member of the internal combustion engine.

[Action and effect]
If it is this structure, it can switch to a cancellation | release state and a latching state with a desired timing accurately by the action | operation of a valve body control mechanism.
Further, since the valve body control mechanism is provided on the stationary member of the internal combustion engine, the operation of the valve body control mechanism can be stabilized.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
1 to 6 show a valve opening / closing timing control device A according to the present invention, which is installed in an automobile engine (an example of an internal combustion engine).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the valve timing control device A includes an external rotor 1 (drive side rotating member) that rotates synchronously with an engine crankshaft (not shown), and is coaxial with the external rotor 1. An internal rotor 2 (driven rotation member) that is disposed and rotates synchronously with the camshaft 3 for opening and closing the valve of the engine is provided.

  The outer rotor 1 has a front plate 5 and a rear plate 6 that sandwich the inner rotor 2 from the front and rear in the direction of the axis of rotation with bolts 7 in front and rear of a housing 4 having a cylindrical outer shape on which the inner rotor 2 is arranged concentrically. The outer rotor 2 is connected so as to be rotatable relative to the inner rotor 2 within a predetermined angle range.

A timing sprocket 8 is formed on the outer periphery of the rear plate 6.
The external rotor 1 is synchronized with the crankshaft by an endless power transmission member 9 such as a timing chain or a timing belt wound around a timing sprocket 8 and a gear (not shown) attached to the crankshaft of the engine. It is rotated.

The internal rotor 2 is connected to a tip portion of a camshaft 3 that controls opening and closing of an intake valve or exhaust valve of the engine by a connecting bolt 10 so as to rotate integrally on the same core.
The camshaft 3 is rotatably assembled to a cylinder head (not shown) of the engine.
The connecting bolt 10 is integrally provided with an oil passage forming member 11 to be described later on the same core.

  When the crankshaft of the engine is rotationally driven, rotational power is transmitted to the timing sprocket 8 via the power transmission member 9, and the external rotor 1 is rotationally driven in the rotational direction S shown in FIG.

As the outer rotor 1 is driven to rotate, the inner rotor 2 is driven to rotate in the rotation direction S, and the camshaft 3 rotates.
A cam provided on the camshaft 3 pushes down the intake valve or exhaust valve of the engine to open it.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 4 of the outer rotor 1 is provided with a plurality of projecting portions 12 and 13 projecting radially inward and spaced apart from each other along the rotational direction.
A fluid pressure chamber 14 surrounded by the outer rotor 1, the inner rotor 2, the front plate 5, and the rear plate 6 is formed between the protrusions 12 and 13 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the outer rotor 1. In the illustrated example, four fluid pressure chambers 14 are provided.

A vane groove 15 is formed at a location facing each fluid pressure chamber 14 in the outer peripheral portion of the inner rotor 2.
A vane 18 that divides the fluid pressure chamber 14 into the advance chamber 16 and the retard chamber 17 in the relative rotation direction (the direction of the arrow S1 or S2 in FIG. 2) is slidably mounted in the vane groove 15 along the radial direction. It is.

The vane 18 corresponds to a “partition portion” in the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vane 18 is urged outward in the radial direction by a spring 19 that is mounted between the inner end of the vane 18 and the bottom surface of the vane groove 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the advance passage 20 that supplies and discharges hydraulic fluid to the advance chamber 16 of the fluid pressure chamber 14 and the delay that supplies and discharges hydraulic fluid to the retard chamber 17. An angular channel 21 is formed across the camshaft 3 and the internal rotor 2.
The advance channel 20 and the retard channel 21 are connected to a hydraulic circuit 22.

  By supplying or discharging hydraulic fluid to one or both of the advance chamber 16 and the retard chamber 17 by operating the hydraulic circuit 22, the relative rotational phase between the external rotor 1 and the internal rotor 2 (hereinafter simply “ Relative rotational phase "), the advance direction S1 (the direction of displacement of the vane 18 with respect to the external rotor 1 is indicated by the arrow S1 in FIG. 2) or the retard direction S2 (the direction of displacement of the vane 18 with respect to the external rotor 1) 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow S2), or an urging force to be held at an arbitrary phase is generated.

The hydraulic fluid supplied to the advance chamber 16 and the retard chamber 17 corresponds to the “fluid” in the present invention.
The range in which the relative rotational phase can be displaced is a range in which the vane 18 can be displaced in the fluid pressure chamber 14, and is between the most retarded phase (see FIG. 2) and the most advanced angle phase (see FIG. 6). It corresponds to the range.

As shown in FIG. 1, a torsion spring 23 is provided between the front plate 5 of the outer rotor 1 and the inner rotor 2.
Both ends of the torsion spring 23 are held by holding portions formed on the inner rotor 2 and the front plate 5, respectively, so that the outer rotor 1 and the inner rotor 2 are always moved so that the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction S1. Energized.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, the movement of the plate-like lock member 24 based on the supply state of the hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 16 or the retard chamber 17 causes the outer rotor 1 and the inner rotor 2 to move. A lock mechanism 25 is provided that can be switched between a locked state in which the engine is locked at a predetermined relative rotational phase for starting the engine and a released state in which the locked state is released.

  The locking mechanism 25 includes an engaging groove 26 in which the distal end portion of the locking member 24 is detachably engaged from the radial direction, and the locking member 24 extends into the engaging groove 26 with the plate surface along the rotational axis direction. An accommodating portion 27 that is removably accommodated toward the end and an urging spring (elastic material) 28 that urges the locking member 24 so as to protrude toward the engaging groove 26 are provided.

  The engaging groove 26 is formed in the inner rotor 2, the accommodating portion 27 is formed in the protrusion 13 of the outer rotor 1, and the urging spring 28 is formed on the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 27 and the end of the lock member 24. It is worn over.

  The accommodating portion 27 and the engaging groove 26 are provided so that the relative rotational phase between the outer rotor 1 and the inner rotor 2 is opposed to each other in the radial direction in the relative rotational phase for starting the engine.

  Therefore, when the outer rotor 1 and the inner rotor 2 are displaced in the relative rotation phase for starting the engine, if the lock member 24 enters the engagement groove 26 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 28, the outer rotor 1 and The state is switched to a locked state in which the inner rotor 2 is locked to each other.

  A release passage 29 is provided for supplying the hydraulic oil supplied to the advance chamber 16 or the retard chamber 17 to the lock mechanism 25 as hydraulic oil for releasing the lock mechanism 25.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the release passage 29 includes a first supply passage 30 formed in the inner rotor 2 so as to communicate with one of the advance chambers 16, and the retard chamber 17. A third supply path formed in the oil passage forming member 11 so as to communicate with the second supply path 31 formed in the internal rotor 2 and communicated with the first supply path 30 and the second supply path 31. A path 32 and a fourth supply path 33 formed in the internal rotor 2 so as to communicate with the third supply path 32 are configured.

The first supply path 30 includes the advance chamber 16 of one of the fluid pressure chambers 14 of the pair of fluid pressure chambers 14 sandwiching the protrusion 13 provided with the lock mechanism 25, as shown in FIG. Over the annular oil passage 34 formed between the opposed peripheral surfaces of the inner rotor 2 and the connecting bolt 10, the end surface of the inner rotor 2 is communicated via a communication groove 30 a formed along the radial direction. It is provided.
A ball-type one-way valve 35 for preventing the backflow of hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 16 is attached to the opening end facing the communication groove 30a of the first supply path 30.

The second supply path 31 extends across the retardation chamber 17 of the other fluid pressure chamber 14 and the annular oil path 34 of the pair of fluid pressure chambers 14 sandwiching the protrusion 13 provided with the lock mechanism 25. Further, it is provided so as to communicate with each other via a communication groove 31a formed in the radial direction along the end face of the inner rotor 2.
A ball-type one-way valve 35 for preventing the backflow of hydraulic oil to the retard chamber 17 is attached to the opening end facing the communication groove 31a of the second supply path 31.

The third supply passage 32 communicates with the first oil passage 36 formed concentrically with the rotational axis, and with one end side of the first oil passage 36 and the annular oil passage 34 as shown in FIG. A second oil passage 37 and a third oil passage 39 communicating with the other end of the first oil passage 36 and a circumferential groove 38 formed in an annular shape on the outer peripheral surface of the oil passage forming member 11 are provided. It is.
The fourth supply path 33 is provided so as to communicate with the circumferential groove 38 and the engagement groove 26.

  Therefore, the first supply passage 30 and the second supply passage 31 are merged in the annular oil passage 34, and the hydraulic oil supplied to the advance chamber 16 or the retard chamber 17 is supplied to the third supply passage 32 and the circumferential groove 38. By supplying the engaging member 26 via the fourth supply path 33, the lock member 24 is retracted to the accommodating portion 27 against the urging force of the urging spring 28, and the lock mechanism 25 is released. be able to.

The connection space 44 connecting the first oil passage 36 and the third oil passage 39 is formed by inserting a sleeve 46 into a shaft hole 45 formed concentrically with the first oil passage 36 so that the conical shape of the shaft hole 45 is reached. It is provided between a bottom surface 47 formed in a planar shape and an end surface 48 formed in a conical surface shape of the sleeve 46.
The first oil passage 36 opens concentrically to the bottom surface 47 of the shaft hole 45, and the third oil passage 39 opens to the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 45.

The connection space 44 includes a spherical valve body 40 for communicating and blocking the release channel 29.
A valve body control mechanism 42 including a shaft-like operation member 41 that presses the spherical valve body 40 against the bottom surface 47 to block the release passage 29 and releases the press passage to communicate the release passage 29. It is provided on a stationary member 43 such as a cylinder block of an engine.

The valve body control mechanism 42 is configured by a solenoid that moves the operation member 41 out and out, and the operation member 41 is inserted through the sleeve 46.
The inner diameter of the sleeve 46 is set such that a series of gaps 50 are formed between the outer circumferential surface of the operation member 41 and the connection space 44 and the accommodation space 49 of the torsion spring 23.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the spherical valve body 40 is pressed against the bottom surface 47 at the tip of the operation member 41 to block the release passage 29, that is, the hydraulic oil is supplied to the engaging groove 26. In the blocked state, the hydraulic oil already supplied into the engagement groove 26 can be discharged to the accommodation space 49 through the gap 50 and switched to the locked state with certainty.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pressure on the bottom surface 47 of the spherical valve body 40 is released and the release passage 29 is in communication, that is, hydraulic oil is supplied to the engagement groove 26. In this state, the distal end of the operation member 41 is retracted to the inside of the sleeve 46, the spherical valve body 40 is pressed against the end surface 48 of the sleeve 46 by the pressure of the hydraulic oil, and the communication between the connection space 44 and the accommodation space 49 is established. Be blocked.
Therefore, the hydraulic oil can be supplied to the engagement groove 26 and reliably switched to the released state.

[Second Embodiment]
7, 8, and 9 show another embodiment of the valve opening / closing timing control device A, and a communication long groove 52 is formed in an arc shape on an end surface 51 that is in close contact with the front plate 5 side of the internal rotor 2. (See FIG. 9).

The first supply passage 30 and the second supply passage 31 are opened at the bottom surface of the communication long groove 52, and an oil passage 53 that connects the communication long groove 52 and the annular oil passage 34 is formed in the internal rotor 2.
A ball-type one-way valve 35 for preventing backflow of hydraulic oil is attached to each of the first supply path 30 and the second supply path 31.

Accordingly, the hydraulic oil in the advance chamber 16 or the retard chamber 17 is caused to flow from the annular oil passage 34 to the third supply passage 32 via the communication long groove 52 and the oil passage 53, so that the lock mechanism 25 is released. Can be switched.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
10 and 11 show another embodiment of the valve opening / closing timing control device A, and the first supply passage 30 in which the release passage 29 is directly communicated with the intermediate portion of the camshaft 3 of the advance passage 20. And the 2nd supply path 31 directly connected to the middle part in the camshaft 3 of the retard flow path 21 and the embodiment comprised are shown.

Each of the first supply path 30 and the second supply path 31 is communicated with the annular oil path 34 via a communication groove 54 formed on an end surface facing the inner rotor 2 of the camshaft 3 in the axial direction.
A ball-type one-way valve 35 for preventing backflow of hydraulic oil is attached to each of the first supply path 30 and the second supply path 31.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
12 and 13, the release passage 29 is in the middle of the first supply passage 30 that is in direct communication with the middle portion of the advance passage 20 in the inner rotor 2, and in the middle of the retard passage 21 in the inner rotor 2. An embodiment is shown in which the second supply path 31 that is directly communicated with the part is joined.
Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[Other Embodiments]
1. In the valve opening / closing timing control device according to the present invention, the fluid pressure chamber may be formed in either the driving side rotating member or the driven side rotating member.
2. In the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention, the partition portion may be provided on either the driving side rotating member or the driven side rotating member.

Longitudinal sectional view showing the first embodiment of the valve opening / closing timing control device (sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG. 2) Sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. Perspective view of main parts Sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. Cross section of the main part FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. Sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 9 showing the second embodiment End view of the internal rotor showing the second embodiment FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 11 showing the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. Cross-sectional view of the main part showing the fourth embodiment The perspective view of the principal part which shows 4th Embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drive side rotating member 2 Driven side rotating member 3 Camshaft 14 Fluid pressure chamber 16 Advance chamber 17 Delay chamber 18 Partition 20 Advance channel 21 Delay channel 25 Lock mechanism 29 Release channel 30 First supply Path 31 Second supply path 35 One-way valve 40 Valve body 41 Operating member 42 Valve body control mechanism 43 Stationary member

Claims (2)

A drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine;
A driven-side rotating member that is coaxially disposed with respect to the driving-side rotating member and rotates synchronously with a camshaft for opening and closing the valve of the internal combustion engine;
A fluid pressure chamber formed in any one of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member;
A partition provided on the other of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member to partition the fluid pressure chamber into an advance chamber and a retard chamber;
An advance flow path that is formed in the driven side rotation member and supplies / discharges fluid to / from the advance chamber, and a retard flow path that supplies / discharges fluid to the retard chamber;
A locking mechanism capable of switching between a locking state for locking the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member and a releasing state for releasing the locking based on a fluid supply state;
A release channel is provided for supplying the fluid supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber to the lock mechanism as a fluid for bringing the lock mechanism into the release state;
The release channel joins the first supply path communicated with the advance channel or the advance chamber and the second supply path communicated with the retard channel or the retard chamber. And a one-way valve is provided for each of the first supply path and the second supply path,
A valve opening / closing timing control device in which a valve body for communicating and blocking the release channel is provided in the release channel.   The valve opening / closing timing control device according to claim 1, wherein a valve body control mechanism including an operation member acting on the valve body is provided in a stationary member of the internal combustion engine.

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