In a variable valve control device, a variable valve control system and a method for controlling a variable valve mechanism according to the present invention, An ECM (201) transmits a phase detection value (RA1) computed based on a crank angle signal (CRANK) and a cam angle signal (CAM) to a VTC control unit (202) via a communication network (211), and VTC control unit (202) computes a phase detection value (RA2) based on a motor angle signal (MAS), controls a variable valve timing mechanism (114) based on phase detection value (RA2) in the transient state of an internal combustion engine, and controls variable valve timing mechanism (114) based on phase detection value (RA1) in the steady state of the internal combustion engine.

A cam plate is coupled to a driven-side shaft and is rotatable relative to a housing. A gear is placed on a side of the cam plate, which is opposite to the driven-side shaft. The housing has a contact surface that is configured to contact a wall surface of the cam plate, which is located on one side in an axial direction of the housing. Among two external toothed portions, one external toothed portion is located on an opposite side of the contact surface, which is opposite to the gear in the axial direction. The cam plate has a bearing portion that is located on a side of the contact surface, which is opposite to the gear, and the bearing portion has an outer peripheral surface configured to receive a radial load applied from an inner peripheral surface of the housing in a radially inward direction.

A valve timing change device changes a relative rotation phase between a camshaft and a housing rotor which interlocks with rotation of a crankshaft to change open/close timing of an exhaust valve driven by the camshaft to an advancing side or a retarding side. The valve timing change device includes a rotation member which is driven to rotate by being exerted a rotation driving force; an external gear which is interlocked with the rotation member; a first internal gear which is directly or indirectly meshed with the external gear and is rotated integrally with the housing rotor; and a second internal gear which is directly or indirectly meshed with the external gear and is rotated integrally with the camshaft, and has a number of teeth smaller than the number of teeth of the first internal gear.

A valve timing controller includes: a driving side rotation member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven side rotation member that integrally rotates with a cam shaft of the internal combustion engine; a phase regulating mechanism with which a relative rotation phase of the driving and driven side rotation members around a rotation axis is set by a driving force of an electric motor; a phase sensing portion that acquires the relative rotation phase; and a phase controlling section that controls the electric motor to set the relative rotation phase based on an acquisition result by the phase sensing portion. The phase sensing portion includes a cam angle sensor, a reference determination sensor, and a pattern storage unit. The valve timing controller further includes a phase acquisition portion.

A valve timing adjustment device includes: a first rotatable body that is rotated about a rotational axis synchronously with one of a drive shaft and a driven shaft of an engine; and a second rotatable body that is rotated about the rotational axis synchronously with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The first rotatable body includes: a fastening portion, a slide portion and a bearing portion. The fastening portion is fastened to the one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft. The bearing portion includes an outer peripheral surface that is opposed to an inner peripheral surface of the second rotatable body, and the bearing portion rotatably supports the second rotatable body. The fastening portion projects on one axial side of the slide portion and the bearing portion in an axial direction toward the one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft.

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 control apparatus of a valve opening/closing timing control mechanism, configured by including driving side and driven side rotating bodies; a stopper unit; and an electric motor, includes: a phase controller controlling an electric motor to reduce, when a target phase is set, a deviation between the target phase and a current first actual phase and reducing power to be supplied to the electric motor as the deviation decreases; and a control target setting unit setting a first target phase displaced to a side of the first actual phase in an operation direction where the deviation is reduced when the target phase is set to a most retarded or most advanced angle phase, in which the phase controller executes a first phase control of reducing a deviation between the set first target phase and the current first actual phase.

An electric-hydraulic camshaft phaser assembly, including a hydraulic camshaft phaser and an electric camshaft phaser. The hydraulic camshaft phaser includes: a stator arranged to receive rotational torque and including a plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions; a rotor arranged to be non-rotatably connected to a first camshaft and including a plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions circumferentially interleaved with the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions; and a plurality of chambers bounded at least in part by the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions and the plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions. The electric camshaft phaser includes: an input non-rotatably connected to the stator; an output gear; and at least one protrusion fixed to the output gear and arranged to be inserted into at least one slot of a second camshaft. The at least one protrusion is arranged to transmit rotational torque from the output gear to the second camshaft.

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.