A module may include a receiving element in the form of a bearing frame or a covering hood for arrangement on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The module may further include a camshaft that is rotatably mounted on the receiving element and projects from the receiving element to hold a camshaft wheel. The module can be prefabricated for direct mounting on the cylinder head. In the prefabrication process, the camshaft may be locked against rotation by an externally accessible securing part in an angular position for acting on valves. The securing part may extend through a first aperture in the camshaft wheel and through or into a receptacle of the receiving element. After mounting the module on the cylinder head, the securing part can be removed.

An axis line of a cylinder and a cylinder head of a four-stroke engine is disposed inclining to one side in a lateral direction with respect to a center line extending in a front-rear direction of the outboard motor from a top view, and a fuel tank is disposed on a side portion of the cylinder and the cylinder head in another side in the lateral direction with respect to the center line.

A variable cam timing phaser with a control valve that can selectively user either CTA mode, TA mode or both CTA and TA mode simultaneously to actuate the phaser.

An electric phaser dynamically adjusting the rotational relationship of a camshaft of an internal combustion engine with respect to an engine crankshaft includes an electric motor and a planetary drive. In some embodiments, the planetary drive includes a sun gear, planet gears, a sprocket ring gear driven by the engine crankshaft, a camshaft ring gear rotating with the camshaft, a carrier, a lever arm, and a load generator. The lever arm is rotatably attached to at least one planet gear and pivotably attached to the carrier at a pivot point on the carrier located off-axis from the sun axis. The load generator is coupled to the carrier and applies a torque load to the lever arm to reduce backlash in the split ring planetary drive. The difference between the number of camshaft ring gear teeth and sprocket ring gear teeth is a multiple of the number of planet gears.

A variable camshaft timing device (10) that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft including a camshaft ring gear (22) having a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth (24) each of which has an involute gear tooth profile; a sprocket ring gear (14) axially spaced from the camshaft ring gear (22) having a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth (18) each of which has an involute gear tooth profile; a compound planetary gear (26) having a camshaft planetary gear (74) and a sprocket planetary gear (72) that each face radially outwardly and include a plurality of radially-outwardly facing gear teeth (76, 78) having involute gear tooth profiles; and an eccentric shaft (28) that communicates rotational force from an electric motor (30) to the compound planetary gear (26) relatively displacing the camshaft ring gear (22) with respect to the sprocket ring gear (14).

Methods and systems are provided for a phase control apparatus in a variable cam timing (VCT) system of an engine, the phase control apparatus having a locked configuration where a locking pin coupled to a first vane of the vane rotor is engaged with a locking pin recess in a cover plate of the phase control apparatus. In one example, the phase control apparatus includes a rubber or plastic isolator pad positioned in a recess in a wall adjacent to the first vane such that when the vane rotor is rotated to the locked configuration, the first vane contacts the isolator pad before it can strike the housing. The isolator pad serves to maintain the gap between the first vane and the housing, and also reduces the likelihood of other vanes of the vane rotor from striking the housing.

A method of controlling a continuously variable valve timing system, may include determining whether there is an error of a position of a cam, performing a passive control based on a value learned about a position of the cam during previous driving when it is determined that there is an error of the position of the cam, determining whether a motion of the continuously variable valve timing system is stopped while the passive control is performed based on the value learned about the position of the cam during the previous driving, learning the stopping position of the continuously variable valve timing system when it is determined that the motion of the continuously variable valve timing system is stopped, and learning a position for limp-home of the continuously variable valve timing system and then controlling the continuously variable valve timing system to the learned position for the limp-home.

A system including a phaser with a first lock pin and a second lock pin in the rotor assembly. The first and second locks pins having a locked position where they engage a recess in the housing assembly and an unlocked position in which they do not engage the housing assembly. The first lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is in or near an intermediate phase angle position. The second lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full retard position. Alternatively, the second lock pin can lock the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full advance position. The second lock pin is spring biased towards the unlocked position and is pressurized to engage and move to the locked position by either the advance or the retard chamber.

A valve assembly selectively varies the timing of the valves in an internal combustion engine cycle by way of a first and second camshaft. Each valve has a shuttle portion and a valve portion. Upper and lower cam followers on the shuttle portion engage with first and second cams on each of the first and second camshafts to move the valve between an open and closed position with reference to a valve seat on an engine block.

A camshaft adjuster (1) is provided, including a drive element (2) and a driven element (3), which can be rotated in relation to the drive element within an angular range and can be connected to a camshaft, wherein pressurizable working chambers (4) for rotating the drive element (2) with respect to the driven element (3) are formed between the drive element (2) and the driven element (3), wherein the camshaft adjuster (1) has a volume accumulator (5) for collecting hydraulic medium, wherein the volume accumulator (5) supplies the hydraulic medium to a vacuum-pressurized working chamber (4) via a check valve (6) in that the vacuum in the working chamber (4) opens the check valve (6), characterized in that the check valve (6) is arranged in an axial position between the working chamber (4) and the volume accumulator (5), and the volume accumulator (5) is formed by a cover element (7) connected to the drive element (2) for conjoint rotation.