A stop control device for an internal combustion engine is structured that stops the engine in a state suitable for starting and that does not cause a crank angle to change after the engine is stopped. A four-cycle internal combustion engine includes an electric valve opening and closing timing control device that sets an opening and closing timing of either or both of an intake valve and an exhaust valve. Stop control of stopping the internal combustion engine is performed when a stop signal for stopping the internal combustion engine is acquired, and post-stop phase control of displacing the opening and closing timing of the valve opening and closing timing control device in either an advancing direction or a retarding direction is performed after the internal combustion engine is stopped by the stop control.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods to compensate for backlash within a cam phasing system. For example, compensating for backlash by commanding a predetermined amount of additional actuator movement to account for backlash within a cam phaser. According to some aspects, a spring is provided within a cam phaser to unidirectionally take up the backlash within the cam phasing system.

A control method for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism includes: controlling a continuously variable valve lift mechanism to enter a limp mode when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism fails and disables an automatic valve lift changing function; driving and forcing the continuously variable valve lift mechanism to move to a maximum lift position; and triggering a self locking function to self lock the continuously variable valve lift mechanism at the maximum lift position when the continuously variable valve lift mechanism reaches the maximum lift position. A control system for a continuously variable valve lift mechanism, and a vehicle are also provided.

This strain wave gear unit includes: a bottomed cylindrical first internal gear having internal teeth formed on a cylindrical part and a teeth-non-formed part protruding farther inward than the tooth bottom of the internal teeth in a corner area where a bottom wall part is integrally connected to the cylindrical part; a flexible cylindrical external gear having external teeth meshing with the internal teeth of the first internal gear, an opposed part opposed to the teeth-non-formed part with a gap therebetween, and an end part opposed to the bottom wall part to make contact therewith; a second internal gear arranged adjacent to the first internal gear and having internal teeth meshing with the external teeth; and a rotation member that causes the external gear to deform in an oval shape and causes the meshing position to move while partially meshing with the first internal gear and the second internal gear.

A control device and a control method for variable valve timing mechanism according to the present invention obtains a first measurement of a rotational phase based on a rotational angle of the motor, obtains a second measurement of the rotational phase based on a relative relationship between a rotational angle of the crankshaft and a rotational angle of the camshaft, calibrates the first measurement based on the second measurement, obtains a derivative term proportional to a rate of change in a deviation between the first measurement and a target value, reduces change in derivative term when calibrating the first measurement based on the second measurement, and controls the motor based on a manipulated variable including the derivative term.

An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser is employed for use with an internal combustion engine (ICE). The electrically-actuated VCT phaser includes a gear set assembly and a fixture. The gear set assembly has an input gear and an output gear, among other possible components. The input gear receives rotational drive input from an engine crankshaft, and the output gear transmits rotational drive output to an engine camshaft. The fixture is secured in the gear set assembly. Amid installation of the electrically-actuated VCT phaser on the ICE, the fixture constrains rotational movement of the gear set assembly. After installation, the fixture can be removed from the gear set assembly.

An actuation apparatus for actuating one or more components of a respective one or more switchable valve train devices of a first group of switchable valve train devices, and for actuating one or more components of a respective one or more switchable valve train devices of a second group of switchable valve train devices, the actuation apparatus including: a body rotatable by an actuation source about a rotation axis; a first shaft including a first set of one or more levers for actuating the one or more components of the first group of switchable valve train devices, the first shaft including a first element for contacting the body and moveable by the body in use to cause the first shaft to rotate; and a second shaft including a second set of one or more levers for actuating the one or more components of the second group.

A variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly includes an independent VCT device that can couple with a first camshaft and change an angular position of the first camshaft relative to the angular position of a crankshaft. The independent VCT device has a stator and an output fixedly coupled with the first camshaft. The VCT assembly also includes a dependent VCT device that angularly adjusts a second camshaft in response to angular adjustment of the first camshaft. The dependent VCT device has a camshaft link coupled with the output of the independent VCT device; the camshaft link has a slot positioned radially outwardly from an axis of camshaft rotation. The independent VCT device also includes a planetary gear link having a geared surface configured to engage a geared surface coupled to the second camshaft, a planetary gear pin received by the slot of the camshaft link, and a planetary gear pivot; angular movement of the output relative to the stator moves the planetary gear pin relative to the slot and the planetary gear link about the pivot thereby transmitting angular motion of the first camshaft to the second camshaft through the planetary gear link.

A valve opening and closing timing control device includes: a driving-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine around a rotating shaft core; a driven-side rotating body that rotates integrally with a valve opening and closing camshaft of the internal combustion engine around the same shaft core as the rotating shaft core; a gear mechanism that sets a relative rotation phase between the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body by displacement of a meshing position; a motor that enables displacement of the meshing position of the gear mechanism by rotating a rotating shaft; and a control unit that controls the drive of the motor. The control unit intermittently performs control to energize the motor for one phase for a predetermined time after the internal combustion engine is stopped.

An engine variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly is equipped in an internal combustion engine (ICE) to adjust the rotation of the engine's camshaft relative to the engine's crankshaft. The adjustments advance and retard the opening and closing movements of the engine's intake and exhaust valves. An electric motor and a planetary gear set work together amid use of the VCT phaser assembly. The planetary gear set can include two or more ring gears, planet gears, and a sun gear. A backlash condition sometimes experienced in previous VCTs is minimized in the VCT phaser assembly by one or more springs that urge the planet gears into engagement with the ring gears.