Methods and devices are provided for locking and unlocking a phase control apparatus. In one example, a phase control apparatus is provided with a locking plate including a drive wheel, a pin recess, and a ramped channel opening into the pin recess and a housing coupled to the locking plate. The phase control apparatus also includes a vane rotor including a vane and positioned in a hydraulic chamber of the housing and a locking pin positioned within a bore of the vane and movable into a locked position where the locking pin engages with the pin recess.

Methods and systems are provided for estimating engine oil temperature during conditions when sensors used for engine oil temperature measurement are not functional or not reliable. A null duty cycle of a solenoid spool valve of a variable cam timing mechanism is estimated. Then, a calibrated relationship between the duty cycle, an angular velocity of the associated cam, and the engine oil temperature is used to estimate an engine oil temperature when existing sensors used in the calculation of engine oil temperature calculation become unreliable.

Lock pin (71) is disposed movably in axial direction in accommodation hole (70) formed at vane rotor (12). Top end portion of lock pin (71) is fitted into lock hole (23) provided at housing (11), then relative rotation position of vane rotor (12) is restrained at predetermined lock position. Vane rotor (12) is provided with small diameter portion (84) and large diameter portion (85) which are formed alternately in circumferential direction. Large diameter portion (85) extends in circumferential direction so as to cover lock hole (23). First vane (36A) protrudes from outer periphery of large diameter portion (85) to radially outer side. At least a part of lock pin (71) and at least a part of accommodation hole (70) overlap with large diameter portion (85), and are located at position that overlaps with area (86) formed by elongating first vane (36A) to radially inner side.

There are provided a cylindrical portion in which a passage for feeding/discharging working fluid to/from a fluid pressure chamber is formed and which is disposed inside a driven-side rotary body, a bolt member that connects the driven-side rotary body to a cam shaft, a valve body body for regulating a flow direction of the working fluid relative to the fluid pressure chamber and a valve accommodating body that accommodates the valve body, the valve body and the valve accommodating body being disposed inside the cylindrical portion, and an urging portion provided on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the valve accommodating body and configured to generate a repulsive force between an other object that regulates a position of the valve accommodating body and the valve accommodating body.

It includes: a housing (7) to which a torque is transmitted from a crankshaft; a vane rotor (8) mounted inside the housing and includes a cylindrical rotor (20) fastened to a camshaft (2) by a cam bolt (5); and a groove portion (47) formed at a distal end surface of a tubular part (23) of the rotor and has a lateral surface (47a) in a direction opposite to a direction of fastening of the cam bolt. The lateral surface includes an inside edge (47d) in a radial direction of the rotor, and is inclined in the direction opposite to the direction of fastening of the cam bolt, with respect to a first imaginary plane (S1) containing the inside edge and a rotational axis (O) of the vane rotor. This serves to suppress rotation of the vane rotor during bolting the vane rotor to the camshaft, and suppress deformation due to the suppression of rotation.

In a valve timing control system, a control command unit includes: a first stage setting block and a next stage setting block. The first stage setting block sets a retard holding command value as a control command value to introduce hydraulic fluid to each retard operation chamber under a state where a rotation phase is locked, to start applying an operation pressure more than or equal to an unlock pressure to a lock component. The next stage setting block sets an advance holding command value as a control command value to introduce hydraulic fluid to each advance operation chamber, after setting the retard holding command value, to maintain the applying of the operation pressure more than or equal to the unlock pressure to the lock component.

A camshaft phaser, including: a stator to receive rotational torque from an engine and including a radially inwardly facing surface and a slot in the radially inwardly facing surface; a rotor to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft, to be connected to an electric motor and including a first radially outwardly extending protrusion; and a spring non-rotatably connected to the stator and including a first portion disposed in the slot. The electric motor is arranged to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator. In a first circumferential position of the rotor with respect to the stator: no portion of the spring is disposed in the indent; and a second portion of the spring extends radially inwardly past the radially inwardly facing surface. In a second circumferential position of the rotor with respect to the stator, the second portion of the spring is disposed in the indent.

A cam phaser including a rotor; and a stator, wherein the rotor is rotatable relative to the stator, wherein a lobe of the rotor is arrangeable between two bars of the stator, wherein the lobe divides an intermediary space formed between the two bars into a first pressure cavity and a second pressure cavity, wherein a locking device including a spring loaded locking bolt and a locking disc is configured to lock the stator relative to the rotor in an end position, wherein the locking provides a locking clearance for moving the rotor relative to the stator, wherein the locking disc includes a contact element for adjusting the end position.

A camshaft phaser, including: a stator to receive rotational torque from an engine and including a radially inwardly facing surface and a slot in the radially inwardly facing surface; a rotor to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft, to be connected to an electric motor and including a first radially outwardly extending protrusion; and a spring non-rotatably connected to the stator and including a first portion disposed in the slot. The electric motor is arranged to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator. In a first circumferential position of the rotor with respect to the stator: no portion of the spring is disposed in the indent; and a second portion of the spring extends radially inwardly past the radially inwardly facing surface. In a second circumferential position of the rotor with respect to the stator, the second portion of the spring is disposed in the indent.

A rotor (1) for a vane cell adjuster of a camshaft adjusting device including a central through opening (10) and at least one radially outwardly projecting vane (2). The rotor (1) is made of at least two parts, an inner part (8) made of a first material and an outer part (3) made of a second material and which surrounds, from the outside, the inner part (8). The first material has a higher strength than the second material, and the inner part (8) is connected in a positive fit in the rotational direction of the outer part (3) by an outer form which is irregular in the cross-section to the rotational axis (14) of the rotor (1).