A valve timing controller includes: a driving side rotation member synchronously rotating with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven side rotation member disposed coaxially with a rotary shaft center of the driving side rotation member and rotating integrally with a valve opening/closing cam shaft; advancing and retarding chambers formed between the driving side and driven side rotation members; a valve unit disposed coaxially with the rotary shaft center and controlling feeding and discharging of a fluid to and from the advancing and retarding chambers; and a tubular valve case having an internal space extending in a direction along the rotary shaft center, accommodating the valve unit in the internal space, having an opening at one end in the direction along the rotary shaft center, and having a bottom portion at the other end.

A driving rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational shaft center in conjunction with a crankshaft. A driven rotor is configured to rotate about the rotational shaft center in conjunction with the camshaft. A deceleration mechanism is configured to change a relative rotational phase between the driving rotor and the driven rotor by using a driving force of an electric motor. The deceleration mechanism includes an internal gear portion, which includes an internal tooth extending radially inward, and an external gear portion, which includes an external tooth extending radially outward and engaging with the internal tooth. A linear expansion coefficient of the external gear portion is greater than a linear expansion coefficient of the internal gear portion.

A cam carrier includes a pair of longitudinal frames provided parallel to an axial direction of a camshaft and a plurality of transversal frames connected to the pair of longitudinal frames to be spaced from each other and supporting the camshaft via cam bearings. A flexible structure suppressing amounts of change in a relative position and an inclined angle of the cam bearings relative to the camshaft due to a thermal expansion is provided on at least one of wall surfaces of the longitudinal frames, the wall surfaces being located between adjacent transversal frames.

An apparatus includes a valve and an actuator. The valve has a portion movably disposed within a valve pocket defined by a cylinder head of an engine. The valve is configured to move relative to the cylinder head a distance between a closed position and an opened position. The portion of the valve defines a flow opening that is in fluid communication with a cylinder of an engine when the valve is in the opened position. The actuator is configured to selectively vary the distance between the closed position and the opened position.

A variable valve lift (VVL) system for an internal combustion engine is provided that utilizes hydraulic fluid supply pressure feedback to provide noise free operation. The VVL system includes a high pressure pump, a solenoid valve, a pressure translating device, a one-way valve, and a hydraulic fluid pressure sensor. The high pressure pump is fluidly connected to the solenoid valve and pressure translating device by at least one fluid gallery that forms a high pressure chamber. The solenoid valve selectively fluidly connects the high pressure chamber to a middle pressure chamber formed by at least one fluid gallery that fluidly connects the one-way valve to the solenoid valve. The hydraulic fluid pressure sensor is arranged to detect a hydraulic fluid supply pressure of the one-way valve and provides feedback to an electronic controller that determines a proper fluid intake opening timing of the solenoid valve.

A camshaft for an internal combustion engine has a fundamental shaft which has a first toothing designed as external toothing and has at least one cam element which is arranged on the fundamental shaft and has a second toothing designed as internal toothing, The cam element can be displaced in the axial direction relative to the fundamental shaft and is connected to the fundamental shaft in a rotationally fixed manner via the toothings. At least one of the toothings has teeth whose respective tooth width varies in the axial direction of the fundamental shaft.

A variable valve timing control device includes a connection mechanism provided with a coupling member which connects a driving-side rotation member and an input gear with each other, the connection mechanism including a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion, the first engagement portion engaged with the driving-side rotation member so as to be relatively displaceable therewith in a first radial direction, the second engagement portion engaged with the input gear so as to be relatively displaceable therewith in a second radial direction which is orthogonal to the first radial direction, and a biasing member restricting a coupling member from being displaced.

A single-row planetary bearing includes a single row of spherical rolling elements between an outer ring and an inner ring. A planetary gear is supported by a thrust bearing portion and is radially supported by the outer ring. The planetary gear performs a planetary motion while engaging with a driving rotor and a driven rotor at an eccentric side to adjust a rotational phase between the driving rotor and the driven rotor. The thrust bearing portion supports the planetary gear that is tilting with respect to the revolution centerline. The planetary gear has a recessed portion opened toward the thrust bearing portion. When the rotational phase is adjusted to a specific phase, the recessed portion is positioned at an anti-eccentric side opposite to the eccentric side with respect to a rotation centerline of the planetary gear.

A valve timing controller includes: a driving-side rotating body rotating in synchronization with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotating body disposed coaxially with a rotation axis of the driving-side rotating body and rotating integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft; advancing and retarding chambers formed between the driving-side and driven-side rotating bodies; a control valve unit controlling supply and discharge of a fluid to and from the advancing and retarding chambers; and a check valve unit disposed upstream of the control valve unit in a supply flow passage. A pressure space is provided between the control valve and check valve units, the control valve unit has a flow passage structure, and the check valve unit includes a supply flow passage and a return check valve.

A check valve includes: a wall body in which a communication hole enabling flow of a fluid is formed; a valve body movable to a closed position where the communication hole is closed as the valve body comes into close contact with the wall body or to an open position where the fluid flows through the communication hole as the valve body is separated from the wall body; a spring body urging the valve body in a direction in which the valve body comes into close contact with the wall body; and a spring receiving member receiving a reaction force when the spring body urges the valve body. The spring body is configured as a conical spring, so that a winding diameter of one end portion is larger than a winding diameter of the other end portion in a compression direction.