EP0356162A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Timing control system
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1989-08-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-08-18
Abstract
Abstract An intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system for internal combustion engines in which a ring gear mechanism (6) is provided between a timing pulley (1) and a cam shaft (3) for adjusting the phase angle between the pulley and the cam shaft. A drive mechanism is also provided for driving the ring gear mechanism (6) depending upon the operating state of the engine. The drive mechanism includes a hydraulic circuit having oil supply (17) and exhaust passages, a flow control valve (15) having a spool valve (16) for controlling the amount of working fluid flowing through the hydraulic circuit, a controller for monitoring the operating state of the engine, and an electromagnetic actuator having a plunger rod for actuating the flow control valve in response to the control signal from the controller. The flow control valve and the actuator are integrally mounted in the cylinder head (20). Therefore, relative friction between the facing ends of the spool valve and the plunger rod is avoided.
Inventors
- 👤 Akio Akasaka
- 👤 Seiji Suga
- 👤 Yasuo Fukuda
- 👤 Takanori Sawada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:29
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01L; F01L1/00; F01L1/34; F01L1/344; F01L1/34403; F01L1/34406; F02; F02F; F02F7/00; F02F7/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
In an intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine including a gear mechanism disposed between a timing pulley and a cam shaft for adjusting the phase angle between said pulley and said cam shaft, a drive mechanism provided for drivingly controlling said gear mechanism via oil pressure depending upon the operating state of said engine; the improvement comprising: said drive mechanism including; a hydraulic circuit having an oil supply passage for supplying working fluid from an oil pressure source for pressurizing the working fluid to said gear mechanism and an oil exhaust passage for exhausting the working fluid from said gear mechanism to an oil pan of said engine; a flow control valve disposed in said hydraulic circuit at a location other than a portion of said hydraulic circuit provided at said cam shaft for controlling the amount of working fluid flowing through said hydraulic circuit; means for monitoring the operating state of said engine, said monitoring means generating a control signal representative of the operating state of said engine; and an actuator for actuating said flow control valve in response to said control signal from said monitoring means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
In an intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine including a gear mechanism disposed between a timing pulley and a cam shaft for adjusting the phase angle between said pulley and said cam shaft, a drive mechanism provided for drivingly controlling said gear mechanism via oil pressure depending upon the operating state of said engine; the improvement comprising: said drive mechanism including; a hydraulic circuit having an oil supply passage for supplying working fluid from an oil pressure source for pressurizing the working fluid to said gear mechanism and an oil exhaust passage for exhausting the working fluid from said gear mechanism to an oil pan of said engine; a flow control valve disposed in said hydraulic circuit at a location other than a portion of said hydraulic circuit provided at said cam shaft for controlling the amount of working fluid flowing through said hydraulic circuit; means for monitoring the operating state of said engine, said monitoring means generating a control signal representative of the operating state of said engine; and an actuator for actuating said flow control valve in response to said control signal from said monitoring means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
190 words
In an intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine including a gear mechanism disposed between a timing pulley and a cam shaft for adjusting the phase angle between said pulley and said cam shaft, a drive mechanism provided for drivingly controlling said gear mechanism via oil pressure depending upon the operating state of said engine; the improvement comprising: said drive mechanism including; a hydraulic circuit having an oil supply passage passing through a cylinder head of said engine for supplying working fluid from an oil pressure source for pressurizing the working fluid to said gear mechanism and an oil exhaust passage passing through said cylinder head for exhausting the working fluid from said gear mechanism to an oil pan of said engine; a flow control valve disposed in said cylinder head for controlling the amount of working fluid flowing through said hydraulic circuit; means for monitoring the operating state of said engine, said monitoring means generating a control signal representative of the operating state of said engine; and an actuator for actuating said flow control valve in response to said control signal from said monitoring means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
190 words
In an intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system for an internal combustion engine including a gear mechanism disposed between a timing pulley and a cam shaft for adjusting the phase angle between said pulley and said cam shaft, a drive mechanism provided for drivingly controlling said gear mechanism via oil pressure depending upon the operating state of said engine; the improvement comprising: said drive mechanism including; a hydraulic circuit having an oil supply passage passing through a cylinder head of said engine for supplying working fluid from an oil pressure source for pressurizing the working fluid to said gear mechanism and an oil exhaust passage passing through said cylinder head for exhausting the working fluid from said gear mechanism to an oil pan of said engine; a flow control valve disposed in said cylinder head for controlling the amount of working fluid flowing through said hydraulic circuit; means for monitoring the operating state of said engine, said monitoring means generating a control signal representative of the operating state of said engine; and an actuator for actuating said flow control valve in response to said control signal from said monitoring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said flow control valve and said actuator are integrally assembled and are mounted together on said cylinder head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein in said cylinder head, said oil supply passage and said oil exhaust passage are juxtaposed and said flow control valve is arranged in such a manner as to traverse both said oil supply and oil exhaust passages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said flow control valve includes a spool valve for blocking said oil supply passage and for establishing said oil exhaust passage or for blocking said oil exhaust passage and for establishing said oil supply passage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
98 words
The intake- and/or exhaust-valve timing control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said spool valve includes a first valve section for blocking and establishing the oil supply passage and a second valve section for blocking and establishing said oil exhaust passage, said first valve section having a substantially annular groove at the outer peripheral surface thereof such that a slight amount of the working fluid is fed through said annular groove to said gear mechanism so as to provide lubrication of said gear mechanism when said oil supply passage is blocked by said first valve section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The intake- and exhaust-valve timing control system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said actuator includes a plunger rod being capable of moving said spool valve, said spool valve and said plunger rod moving integrally with each other while the facing ends of said spool valve and said plunger rod abut each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
An internal combustion engine having a timing control system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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