Valve open and close period control device

Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamakawa (Kariya, JP); Shoichi Yoshino (Kariya, JP); Atsushi Nishigaki (Kariya, JP); Kenji Ikeda (Kariya, JP); Yuki Nishida (Kariya, JP)

Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION

F01L1/344 F01L1/352 F01L2810/02

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12662951
App. No.: 18/993,364
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A valve open and close period control device includes: a driving-side rotor that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotor that rotates integrally with a camshaft of the engine; and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets a relative rotation phase between the driving-side rotor and the driven-side rotor. The driven-side rotor has a support wall portion connected to an end portion of the camshaft, and the support wall portion has an oil supply passage through which lubricating oil can be supplied from an outside to an inside of the driven-side rotor. The device has an oil reservoir structure that reduces a discharge amount of the lubricating oil discharged from an inside of the driving-side rotor, as compared to a supply amount of the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage to the inside of the driven-side rotor when the driving-side rotor is rotating.

Claims (52)

1 . A valve open and close period control device comprising:

a driving-side rotor that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine about a rotational axis center;

a driven-side rotor that is disposed coaxially with the rotational axis center on an inner side of the driving-side rotor, and rotates integrally with a camshaft for valve opening and closing of the internal combustion engine; and

a phase adjustment mechanism that sets a relative rotation phase between the driving-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, wherein

the phase adjustment mechanism includes:

an output gear provided on the driven-side rotor coaxially with the rotational axis center;

an input gear that is connected to the driving-side rotor and rotates about an eccentric axis center that is in an orientation parallel to the rotational axis center; and

an eccentric member that has a tubular shape, supports the input gear from an inner peripheral side via a support bearing, and rotates the input gear,

the eccentric member is configured to rotate to revolve the eccentric axis center to change a position of a meshing portion between the output gear and the input gear,

the driven-side rotor has a support wall portion connected to an end portion of the camshaft, in an orientation orthogonal to the rotational axis center, and

the support wall portion has an oil supply passage through which lubricating oil can be supplied from an outside of the driven-side rotor to an inside of the driven-side rotor,

the driving-side rotor has a front plate on a side opposite to the camshaft with respect to the eccentric member, in a direction along the rotational axis center, and

the valve open and close period control device has an oil reservoir structure that reduces a discharge amount of the lubricating oil discharged from an inside of the driving-side rotor, as compared to a supply amount of the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage to the inside of the driven-side rotor when the driving-side rotor is rotating,

wherein the lubricating oil is discharged to the outside of the driving-side rotor through a gap between the front plate and the driving-side rotor, and an amount of the lubricating oil discharged to the outside of the driving-side rotor through the gap between the front plate and the driving-side rotor is smaller than a sum of an amount of the lubricating oil passing through a meshing portion between the input gear and the driven-side rotor and an amount of the lubricating oil passing through the support bearing.

2 . The valve open and close period control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the phase adjustment mechanism further includes an Oldham's coupling having an annular portion and a pair of external engagement arms protruding radially outward from the annular portion along a direction in which the pair of external engagement arms are opposed to each other,

the driving-side rotor is formed with a pair of guide grooves having a penetrating groove shape and extending radially outward along a direction in which the pair of guide grooves are opposed to each other from the inside of the driving-side rotor to an outside of the driving-side rotor, at an opening edge portion with which the front plate comes into contact,

the pair of external engagement arms are individually engaged with the pair of guide grooves,

each of the pair of guide grooves has a discharge flow path formed by notching from the inside of the driving-side rotor to the outside of the driving-side rotor, and

the oil reservoir structure is configured to have a less oil amount of the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge flow path than an oil amount of the lubricating oil flowing through the oil supply passage when the driving-side rotor is rotating.

3 . The valve open and close period control device according to claim 2 , wherein an oil amount of the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge flow path is made smaller than an oil amount obtained by subtracting an oil amount of the lubricating oil flowing inside the eccentric member from an oil amount of the lubricating oil flowing through the oil supply passage.

4 . The valve open and close period control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the oil reservoir structure is configured between a radially outer end portion of the discharge flow path and an opening at a radially central portion of the front plate, and

the meshing portion between the output gear and the input gear, a sliding portion between the pair of external engagement arms and the pair of guide grooves, and the support bearing are disposed in the oil reservoir structure.

5 . The valve open and close period control device according to claim 1 , wherein

one side of the eccentric member in an axial direction of the eccentric member is inserted into an opening at a radially central portion of the front plate, and

the front plate is opened up to a position of a radially outer end portion of the inserted eccentric member in a state where the eccentric member has a largest difference in the eccentric axis center with respect to the rotational axis center, with the rotational axis center as a center.

6 . The valve open and close period control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the support bearing includes a ball bearing having an inner ring in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member and an outer ring in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the input gear, and one side of the eccentric member in an axial direction of the eccentric member is inserted into an opening at a radially central portion of the front plate, and

the support bearing is covered with the front plate as viewed in a direction of the rotational axis center during rotation of the eccentric member.

7 . A valve open and close period control device comprising: