The present disclosure provides a locking structure of a valve timing adjustment apparatus for an internal combustion engine, using torque from a camshaft and the pressure of working fluid. The locking structure includes an anti-rotation mechanism for inhibiting or preventing a position change between a rotor and a housing by preventing relative rotation of the rotor to the housing. The anti-rotation mechanism further includes: a plurality of locking grooves which are formed on the ratchet plate with different depths and connected to each other; and a locking pin member. In particular, the locking pin member has: a hollow outer pin elastically disposed in a fitting hole formed in vanes, an inner pin elastically disposed inside the outer pin, and a lifter ring coupled to the upper portion of the outer pin to slide on the inner side of the fitting hole.

The present disclosure provides a valve timing adjustment apparatus for an internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes an anti-rotation mechanism for inhibiting a position change between a rotor and a housing by inhibiting or preventing relative rotation of the rotor to the housing. The anti-rotation mechanism includes: a plurality of locking grooves formed on the ratchet plate with different depths and connected to each other; and a locking pin member having an outer pin elastically disposed in a fitting hole formed in one of the vanes, and an inner pin elastically disposed inside the outer pin. In particular, the inner pin locks the rotor to the housing when the outer pin and the inner pin are sequentially fitted in the locking grooves by torque from the camshaft.

As an oil control valve controlling oil pressure of a first hydraulic pressure chamber and a second hydraulic pressure chamber formed inside of a first electric hydraulic valve (EHV) device and a second EHV device, respectively, which are driven by a first cam and a second cam and include lower parts to which a first valve and a second valve are respectively connected, the oil control valve includes: a body including a communication hole having a first end in communication with the first hydraulic pressure chamber and a second end in communication with the second hydraulic pressure chamber; a hollow lower frame formed or fixedly mounted at the lower end part of the body and having an upper part communicating with the communication hole and a lower part communicating with an oil gallery supplying oil by disposing an upper end height at an inner space of the communication hole; and a pin frame disposed between an actuator moving up and down and the lower frame so as to vertically penetrate the communication hole and in contact with or separated from the upper part of the lower frame, wherein one end and the other end of the communication hole are in communication when the pin frame and the lower frame are in contact.

An oil control valve for a cam phaser of an internal combustion engine where the spool is positioned by an external actuator. The pressure enters the end of the oil control valve where the resultant pressure force is balanced by the differential area of the spool. The spool contains two plate check valves enabling cam torque recirculation of oil from A to B or B to A depending upon the spool position. In mid position, the spool lands block A and B to hold the cam phaser position. Three or five positions may be utilized.

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.

A hydrostatic camshaft phaser system includes a hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser with a rotor; and a stator housing that receives the rotor and includes an advancing chamber and a retarding chamber defined at least partially by the vane; and a variable displacement pump, in fluid communication with the hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser, comprising a first chamber in fluid communication with the advancing chamber and a second chamber in fluid communication with the retarding chamber; the first chamber receives fluid from a first non-continuous groove extending along a camshaft surface or a bearing surface and the second chamber receives fluid from a second non-continuous groove extending along the camshaft surface or the bearing surface during a first portion of camshaft rotation, and the first chamber receives fluid from the second non-continuous groove and the second chamber receives fluid from the first non-continuous groove during a second portion of camshaft rotation.

An engine variable camshaft timing phaser (10) includes a sprocket (12) and a planetary gear assembly (14). The sprocket (12) receives rotational drive input from an engine crankshaft. The planetary gear assembly (14) includes two or more ring gears (26, 28), multiple planet gears (24), a sun gear (22), and a wrap spring (76). One of the ring gears (26, 28) receives rotational drive input from the sprocket (12) and one of the ring gears (26, 28) transmits rotational drive output to an engine camshaft. The sun gear (22) engages with the planet gears (24). The wrap spring (76) experiences expansion and contraction exertions to permit advancing and retarding engine valve opening and closing, and to prevent advancing and retarding engine valve opening and closing.

A system including a phaser with a first lock pin and a second lock pin in the rotor assembly. The first and second locks pins having a locked position where they engage a recess in the housing assembly and an unlocked position in which they do not engage the housing assembly. The first lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is in or near an intermediate phase angle position. The second lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full retard position. Alternatively, the second lock pin can lock the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full advance position. The second lock pin is spring biased towards the unlocked position and is pressurized to engage and move to the locked position by either the advance or the retard chamber.

A hydrostatic camshaft phaser system includes a hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser with a rotor; and a stator housing that receives the rotor and includes an advancing chamber and a retarding chamber defined at least partially by the vane; and a variable displacement pump, in fluid communication with the hydraulically-actuated camshaft phaser, comprising a first chamber in fluid communication with the advancing chamber and a second chamber in fluid communication with the retarding chamber; the first chamber receives fluid from a first non-continuous groove extending along a camshaft surface or a bearing surface and the second chamber receives fluid from a second non-continuous groove extending along the camshaft surface or the bearing surface during a first portion of camshaft rotation, and the first chamber receives fluid from the second non-continuous groove and the second chamber receives fluid from the first non-continuous groove during a second portion of camshaft rotation.

A variable camshaft timing device that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft includes a planetary gear assembly that changes an angular position of the camshaft relative to an angular position of the crankshaft; a sun gear configured to receive an output shaft of an electric motor that rotates at least a portion of the planetary gear assembly and controls phase adjustment between the camshaft and crankshaft by angularly displacing the camshaft with respect to the crankshaft; and a hydraulic lock (82) that releasably engages a portion of the variable camshaft timing device (10) in response to force applied by pressurized fluid thereby selectively preventing rotation of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft.