An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly including an electric motor for controlling the VCT assembly having a rotor and a motor output shaft; a gearbox assembly having an input coupled to the motor output shaft and an output configured to be coupled with a camshaft of an internal combustion engine; and a torque-limiting assembly coupled to the motor output shaft that prevents angular displacement of the motor output shaft relative to the rotor and includes a spring that releasably engages the rotor to the motor output shaft to prevent angular displacement of the rotor relative to the motor output shaft at or below a torque limit and permits angular displacement of the rotor relative to the motor output shaft above the torque limit.

An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly includes a gearbox assembly including an input; an electric motor having a rotor, a stator, and a motor shaft that is coupled with the input of the gearbox assembly, wherein the motor shaft includes etchings, on an outer surface of the motor shaft, that releasably couple the motor shaft to the rotor at a center aperture of the rotor when an amount of torque exerted on the motor shaft via the gearbox assembly is less than or equal to a predetermined torque value, and the etchings are further configured to decouple the motor shaft from the rotor when the amount of torque exerted on the motor shaft is greater than the predetermined torque value.

A valve timing controller includes: a driving-side rotation member rotatable around a rotation axis and rotating in synchronization with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotation member rotatable around the rotation axis and rotating integrally with a camshaft of the engine; a phase regulating mechanism setting a relative rotation phase of the driving-side and driven-side rotation members by an electric motor; a detection unit detecting the relative rotation phase; a stop control portion displacing the relative rotation phase by controlling the electric motor to stop the engine after the relative rotation phase reaches a stop phase; and a correction control portion displacing the relative rotation phase in a direction closer to the stop phase by controlling the electric motor, when the relative rotation phase is displaced beyond a set amount from the stop phase, in a state where the engine is stopped by the stop control portion.

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 variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly for controlling the angular position of concentric camshafts includes an independent VCT device that is configured to couple with a first concentric camshaft and change an angular position of the first concentric camshaft relative to an angular position of a crankshaft; and one or more dependent VCT devices mechanically linking an output of the independent VCT device with a second concentric camshaft, wherein the dependent VCT device(s) change(s) an angular position of the second concentric camshaft relative to the angular position of the first concentric camshaft based on angular movement of the output of the independent VCT device.

A continuously variable valve duration apparatus includes a camshaft, a cam unit on which a cam is formed, a guide bracket including an upper guide boss, an internal wheel configured to transmit rotation of the camshaft to the cam unit, a wheel housing in which the internal wheel is rotatably inserted, wherein a guide thread is formed in a portion of the wheel housing, and of which a guide shaft is formed to be movably inserted into the upper guide boss, a worm wheel to which an internal thread engaging with the guide thread is formed in the worm wheel, and to which an external thread is formed thereon, a control shaft on which a control worm engaged with the external thread is formed, and an upper bushing mounted on a lower portion of the upper guide boss to support the guide shaft.

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.

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 harmonic drive (1), including a wave generator (8), a flexible, externally toothed gear component (14), in particular in the form of a flex ring, which can be deformed by said wave generator, and at least one internally toothed gear component (4, 5) that meshes with the flexible, externally toothed gear component (14). The flexible, externally toothed gear component (14) has a non-circular basic shape in relation to its mechanically non-loaded state.

An actuation apparatus for actuating a component of a switchable valve train device of an internal combustion engine includes: a support body for mounting on a cylinder head cover of the internal combustion engine; an actuation lever mounted to the support body for pivotal movement of the actuation lever between a first position for actuation of the component and a second position for allowing de-actuation of the component; and a biasing means for urging the actuation lever from the second position towards the first position. In use, the biasing means becomes biased when an actuation source causes the actuation lever to pivot to the second position. When the actuation source attempts to actuate the component when the component is non-actuatable, the biasing means causes the actuation lever to pivot from the second position to the first position, thereby to actuate the component when the component becomes actuatable again.