A camshaft drive system for an internal combustion engine, includes a camshaft including a plurality of cam lobes thereon. A planetary gear system including a first component drivingly connected to the camshaft. A motor is drivingly connected to a second component of the planetary gear system and a sprocket is driven by the internal combustion engine and drivingly connected to a third component of the planetary gear system. A controller controls operation of the motor for selectively driving the second component at a same speed as the third component for imparting rotation to the camshaft and for selectively preventing rotation of the second component of the planetary gear system for preventing rotation of the camshaft.

A valve opening and closing timing control apparatus includes a driving-side rotation member, a driven-side rotation member, a phase adjustment mechanism configured as a differential type reduction gear mechanism where an inner gear rotates about a rotation axis while revolving around an eccentric axis which is disposed parallel to the rotation axis in a state where a drive shaft fitted in the inner gear is driven to rotate about the rotation axis, a biasing member provided at an outer periphery of the drive shaft and applying a biasing force to mesh an external teeth portion of the inner gear with an internal teeth portion of the ring gear, and a restriction portion provided at the drive shaft to restrict a displacement of the inner gear in a direction where the inner gear is separated from the ring gear against the biasing force of the biasing member.

A harmonic drive of an electromechanical camshaft adjusters includes a drive wheel designed as a ring gear; an internally toothed output element mounted with radial play in the drive wheel; a further internally toothed element fastened to the drive wheel, the internal toothing of which has a diameter corresponding to the internal toothing of the output element; an adjuster assembly which is formed from a wave generator; an externally toothed flexible gear element which can be deformed by said wave generator, the external toothing of this flexible gear element meshing both with the internal toothing of the output element and with the internal toothing of the further element; an annular gap being formed between the further internally toothed element and an inner peripheral surface of a recess of the drive wheel. The width of the annular gap is at least partially greater than a radial play of the output element.

An engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10) includes a sprocket (12), three ring gears (26, 28, 30), multiple planet gears (24), and a sun gear (22). The sprocket (12) receives rotational drive input from an engine crankshaft. One or more of the three ring gear(s) (26, 28, 30) receives rotational drive input from the sprocket (12) and rotates with the sprocket (12), and the remaining ring gear(s) (26, 28, 30) transmit rotational drive output to an engine camshaft (62). All three of the ring gears (26, 28, 30) engage with the planet gears (24). And the sun gear (22) also engages with the planet gears (24). In operation, relative rotational speeds between the sprocket (12) and the sun gear (22) causes the engine camshaft (62) to advance or retard engine valve opening and closing.

A balanced and rotating mechanism of an internal combustion engine, which combines adjustable variable compression ratio with long power and exhaust strokes and short intake and compression strokes to obtain an internal combustion engine with variable air intake flow and maintain a constant pressure ignition. The mechanism includes a mirror-image planetary-gear assembly, a gear-pin assembly, and a piston-and-connecting rod assembly. The mirror-image planetary-gear assembly includes a first planetary-gear assembly and a second planetary-gear assembly; wherein each includes a sun gear, a primary planet gear, a plurality of secondary planet gears, and a ring gear. The first planetary-gear assembly and the second planetary-gear assembly are mounted along a main rotation axis, offset from each other and mirroring each other. The gear-pin assembly is eccentrically connected between the primary planet gears. Resultantly, rotating the sun gears alters the orientation of the gear-pin assembly, and thus changing the top dead center height.

A second rotor and a third rotor are accommodated in a first rotor. A fitting portion of the third rotor is located in an engagement hole of the second rotor to engage the third rotor with the second rotor. The third rotor is rotational about an axis, which is eccentric to an axis of the first rotor, to vary a relative rotational phase of the first rotor to the second rotor and to accelerate and decelerate rotation of the second rotor. When friction arises between the second rotor and the fitting portion, a frictional force acts in a direction to reduce a rotational moment acting on the third rotor. A friction coefficient between the second rotor and the fitting portion is greater than a friction coefficient between ferrous objects.

An articulating surgical instrument is disclosed, and includes an end effector and a drive assembly operably coupled with the end effector. The end effector includes a first drive shaft defining a first axis, and a second drive shaft operably engaged with and extending away from the first drive shaft. The second drive shaft is operably coupled with the end effector and defines a second axis, the second axis different from the first axis. The first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are pivotably arranged such that the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are configured to transition between a first, substantially straight arrangement and a second, substantially perpendicular arrangement.

A motovibrator with continuous adjustment of the angular offset of the eccentric masses includes a substantially box containment body which accommodates electric motor elements which have a stator that is integral with the body and a rotor for the rotational actuation of a shaft about its own longitudinal axis. The opposite ends of the shaft protrude from the body and are each associated with at least one respective eccentric mass. The shaft includes a main section and a secondary section mutually aligned along the longitudinal axis, the main section being actuated rotationally directly by the rotor, and are coupled rotationally by interposition of transmission elements.

A camshaft drive system for an internal combustion engine, includes a camshaft including a plurality of cam lobes thereon. A planetary gear system including a first component drivingly connected to the camshaft. A motor is drivingly connected to a second component of the planetary gear system and a sprocket is driven by the internal combustion engine and drivingly connected to a third component of the planetary gear system. A controller controls operation of the motor for selectively driving the second component at a same speed as the third component for imparting rotation to the camshaft and for selectively preventing rotation of the second component of the planetary gear system for preventing rotation of the camshaft.

A balanced and rotating mechanism of an internal combustion engine, which combines adjustable variable compression ratio with long power and exhaust strokes and short intake and compression strokes to obtain an internal combustion engine with variable air intake flow and maintain a constant pressure ignition. The mechanism includes a mirror-image planetary-gear assembly, a gear-pin assembly, and a piston-and-connecting rod assembly. The mirror-image planetary-gear assembly includes a first planetary-gear assembly and a second planetary-gear assembly; wherein each includes a sun gear, a primary planet gear, a plurality of secondary planet gears, and a ring gear. The first planetary-gear assembly and the second planetary-gear assembly are mounted along a main rotation axis, offset from each other and mirroring each other. The gear-pin assembly is eccentrically connected between the primary planet gears. Resultantly, rotating the sun gears alters the orientation of the gear-pin assembly, and thus changing the top dead center height.