A control screw for a camshaft phase shifter of an internal combustion engine extends along a longitudinal axis. The control screw includes a screw body. The control screw also includes a tubular spool assembly having a control valve assembly with at least three rigid rings and at least two valves. Each valve includes at least one vane connected to two flexible arms. The valve is connected to two consecutive rigid rings.

A camshaft phaser includes an input member and an output member. A valve spool is moveable along an axis between an advance position and a retard position and includes a valve spool bore. A check valve within the valve spool bore includes a check valve member which moves between a seated position and an unseated position such that the check valve member prevents fluid flow out of the valve spool bore through a passage and such that the check valve member permits flow into the valve spool bore through the passage. An insert within the valve spool bore supports the check valve closes one end of the valve spool bore and abuts an insert retainer to retain the insert within the valve spool bore. A spring urges the insert toward the insert retainer and holds the insert retainer in compression against the insert retainer.

A variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly and control valve are employed for use in an internal combustion engine. The VCT phaser assembly has a housing and a rotor. The control valve is installed at a location that is remote of the housing and rotor, and apart from a center bolt site of the housing and rotor. The control valve has a valve housing and a spool located in the valve housing. The valve housing has different ports for fluid communication with a source, an advance line, and a retard line. One or more recirculation paths can be established at various times between the valve housing and the spool, depending upon the position of the spool in the valve housing.

A variable camshaft timing (VCT) control valve assembly includes: a control valve having one or more lands and a valve cavity; one or more cavity vents in the control valve are configured to communicate fluid between an outer surface of the control valve and the valve cavity; a valve sleeve having a sleeve cavity that receives the control valve and a plurality of apertures, at least one of the apertures is configured to be in fluid communication with an advance fluid chamber of a VCT device and another of the apertures is configured to be in fluid communication with a retard fluid chamber; the control valve slides axially relative to the valve sleeve; and one or more reed valves, attached to an outer surface of the valve sleeve, configured to control the flow of fluid between one of the advance fluid chamber or the retard fluid chamber and the other of the advance fluid chamber or the retard fluid chamber.

An electrically-actuated camshaft phaser used in an internal combustion engine including a camshaft sprocket, configured to receive rotational input from a crankshaft, that includes a sprocket ring gear having a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth and a radially extending sprocket side; a camshaft plate that includes a camshaft ring gear having a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth and a radially extending camshaft side; a plurality of planetary gears having radially-outwardly facing gear teeth, each gear with a first radial gear face and a second radial gear face, wherein the planetary gears engage the sprocket ring gear, the camshaft ring gear, or both the sprocket ring gear and the camshaft ring gear; and one or more fluid escapement channels formed in at least one of the camshaft sprocket, the camshaft plate, the first radial gear face, or the second radial gear face.

A hydraulic fluid control valve (HFCV) configured to recirculate an exiting hydraulic fluid from a first hydraulic actuation chamber to a second hydraulic actuation chamber is provided. The HFCV includes a selectively movable spool having an inner fluid chamber configured to receive and deliver the exiting hydraulic fluid to one or both of either a sump or one of the first or second hydraulic actuation chambers.

A variable cam timing phaser has a rotor assembly with a central hub defining an axial bore and an interface groove with a first seal land, a second seal land and a single undercut area. A width of the first seal land is greater than a width of the second seal land. The single undercut area is in fluid communication with an axial undercut passage connected to a radial undercut passage within the rotor assembly. A clamping interface is between the camshaft and the rotor assembly, such that a seal is present between first seal land and the first end of the camshaft, and the second seal land and the first end of the camshaft. Fluid from a supply, flows into the passage of the camshaft to the single undercut area, through the axial undercut passage, the radial undercut passage to a passage within the rotor assembly.

A hydraulic valve for a cam phaser, the hydraulic valve including a bushing including a piston that is movable in a bore along a longitudinal direction; a supply connection configured to feed a hydraulic fluid; a first operating connection and a second operation connection; and a first tank drain connection and a second tank drain connection configured to drain the hydraulic fluid; and a first check valve associated with the first operating connection and a second check valve associated with the second operating connection, wherein the first operating connection and the second operating connection are connectable through at least one of the first check valve and the second check valve alternatively with each other or with the supply connection or with one of the first tank drain connection and the second tank drain connection by moving the piston, wherein the hydraulic valve includes five switching positions.

A camshaft phaser, including: a stator arranged to receive rotational torque, including a plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions, and supported for rotation around an axis of rotation; a rotor including a plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions circumferentially interleaved with the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions, and arranged to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft; a plurality of phaser chambers, each phaser chamber circumferentially bounded by a radially inwardly extending protrusion included in the plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions and a radially outwardly extending protrusion included in the plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions; an annular washer; and a target wheel including a first portion axially located between the annular washer and the rotor and in contact with the annular washer, arranged to detect a rotational position of the rotor for use in rotating the rotor with respect to the stator.

A phaser which has three camshaft start positions at start-up during cranking before the engine can fire. By having three possible start positions of the phaser, there is an increase in flexibility of the cam position at startup during cranking. The three start positions can also be achieved in open loop, reducing the complexity of the control system needed at cranking.