A hydraulic oil control valve includes an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve and a spool. The outer sleeve includes: a threaded portion, which is fixed to a camshaft; a projection, which is fixed to a phase changer; and ports, which are formed at a peripheral surface of the outer sleeve between the threaded portion and the projection. The inner sleeve includes: ports, which are communicated with the ports of the outer sleeve; an oil port; an axial groove; and an enlarged diameter portion, which is located on one side of the projection where an insertion opening of the outer sleeve is placed. The spool includes: land portions, which are configured to slide along an inner peripheral surface of the inner sleeve and are located at an outer periphery of the spool at a location that is on another side of the projection where the threaded portion is placed.

An oil passage switching valve suitable for a valve timing changing apparatus includes: a valve body, opening or closing an oil passage of operating oil; an urging spring, urging to position the valve body to a position corresponding to the retard position in a pause state; and a switching element, positioning the valve body to a position corresponding to the retard position when a state quantity of the operating oil is in a first range, and switching a position of the valve body in response to the state quantity (pressure or temperature) of the operating oil while resisting an urging force of the urging spring to position the valve body to a position corresponding to the advance position when the state quantity of the operating oil is in a second range greater than the first range.

A hydraulic camshaft adjuster (1), in which the locking system (7, 8) includes a first and a second control element (7, 8). In order to approach the middle position easily, the first control element (7) has a first and a second switching position, wherein in the first switching position a fluidic connection between the hydraulic pump (P) and a first of the two sub-chambers (B) and a fluidic connection between the other, second sub-chamber (A) and the tank (T) can be established, and in the second switching position a fluidic connection between the hydraulic pump (P) and the second of the two sub-chambers (A) and a fluidic connection between the other, first sub-chamber (B) and the tank (T) can be established, and the second control element (8) is free from different switching positions and has no influence on the flow of hydraulic fluid.

Provided are: a rear plate 13 enclosing an axial end opening of a housing body; a lock pin 30 configured to travel forward and backward in a slide hole formed in a first vane of a vane member; and an annular lock-hole-forming part 31 press-fitted to a retaining hole 13c in an inner end surface of the rear plate, forming a lock hole 32 therein. A projection 35 having a flat distal end surface 35a is formed at one circumferential end side of an inner peripheral surface of the lock-hole-forming part, and recesses 37, 37 continuous with the inner peripheral surface of the lock hole are formed on corresponding sides of the projection in the circumferential direction of the lock hole. This ensures smooth engagement of the locking pin in the lock hole, and enables smooth supply and drainage of hydraulic pressure to and from the lock hole.

A camshaft phaser includes a stator having an inner wall with lobes extending radially inward and a stator flange extending radially outward, the stator flange having a plurality of apertures; a rotor coaxially disposed within the stator, the rotor having vanes interspersed with the lobes defining alternating advance chambers and retard chambers; a plurality of compression limiters extending through the apertures; a front cover which closes one end of the advance and retard chambers; a back cover which closes the other end of the advance and retard chambers; and a plurality of fasteners which extend through the apertures such that the fasteners apply a clamping load which clamps the stator between the front cover and the back cover such that the clamping load is transmitted through the compression limiters.

A friction shim is configured to generate a frictional force between a first shim contact surface of the friction shim and a shaft end surface of a driven shaft and a frictional force between a second shim contact surface of the friction shim and an opposing surface of a second rotatable body after installation of a valve timing regulator to the driven shaft. A contact member has a first member contact surface configured to contact the shaft end surface. The contact member is installed to the second rotatable body such that the first member contact surface contacts the shaft end surface before occurrence of contact of the first shim contact surface to the shaft end surface at a time of installing the valve timing regulator to the driven shaft.

The present disclosure provides a CVVT system including: an OCV supplying oil received from a cylinder block into a CVVT; an oil supply unit supplying oil from the OCV to a lock pin; and an actuator selectively opening or closing the oil supply unit such that oil is supplied to the lock pin and the lock pin is separated from a lock pin hole when the oil supply unit is opened.

At a time of a startup in a non-lock state (at the time of a next startup in a case where an internal combustion engine is stopped in a non-lock state in which a VCT phase is not locked in an intermediate lock phase), it is determined whether or not the engine can be started up by most delayed startup processing. In a case where it is determined that the engine can be started up by the most delayed startup processing, the most delayed startup processing is performed. In this most delayed startup processing, the engine is cranked in a high rotation range not less than a specified rotation speed and a fuel injection and an ignition are started in a state in which the VCT phase is controlled to a vicinity of the most delayed phase (most delayed phase or within a specified range from the most delayed phase) to thereby start up the engine. In this way, at the time of the startup in the non-lock state, the engine can be quickly started up without locking the VCT phase.

A valve opening/closing timing control apparatus includes: a driving side rotating body rotating synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven side rotating body included in the driving side rotating body and rotating integrally with a camshaft on a same axis as a rotation axis of the driving side rotating body; a hydraulic fluid control mechanism displacing a relative rotation phase between the driving side rotating body and the driven side rotating body by supplying a hydraulic fluid to one of an advance angle chamber and a retardation angle chamber; a lock mechanism; and first and second unlocking flow paths configured to communicate with the first pressure receiving surface. The lock mechanism includes a lock member including an engaging portion, a main body portion, and a first pressure receiving surface a biasing member, and a lock recess.

A valve timing control device, in effect a cam phaser, for an internal combustion engine. The valve timing control device includes a rotor connected to a camshaft and having a plurality of vanes. A stator is engaged with the rotor, and includes a plurality of webs. Pressure chambers are provided between each of the webs and vanes. The cam phaser is configured to automatically locate to its mid-lock position, without having to rely on electronic control. At least one embodiment of the present invention is configured to use cam torque to recirculate oil from one side of the vanes of the rotor to the other.