A cam phaser (30, 130, 230) dynamically adjusts a rotational relationship of a camshaft (32) of an internal combustion engine with respect to an engine crankshaft operably connected with a phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242). The cam phaser (30, 130, 230) can include a planetary gear assembly having a ring gear (34, 134, 234) driven by the phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242), a planetary gear carrier (36, 136, 236) connected to the camshaft (32), a sun gear (38, 138, 238), and at least one rotatable planetary gear (40, 140, 240). The cam phaser (30, 130, 230) can include a sprocket housing (44, 144, 244) connected with the phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242) and operable for connection with the ring gear (34, 134, 234), a cover plate (46, 146, 246) secured to the carrier (36, 136, 236), and a adapter (48) connected between the sun gear (38, 138, 238) and an electric motor (47) for changing an angular position of the sun gear (38, 138, 238) and adjustably varying a cam phase position of the camshaft (32) relative to the crankshaft.

A valve timing control device for an internal combustion engine includes: a driving rotation member; a driven rotation member fixed to a cam shaft; an electric motor; a speed reduction mechanism; a power feeding brush; and a power feeding plate which is provided to the driving rotation member, and which includes a slip ring on which the power feeding brush is abutted, the power feeding plate including a rigidity plate portion whose outer circumference portion is fixed to the driving rotation member, and a resin portion formed by molding an outer surface of the rigidity plate portion, and the rigidity plate portion including a holding hole which holds the power feeding brush through the resin portion, and being integrally formed with a reinforcement portion which is formed at a portion except for the holding hole, and which extends in a radially inward direction.

A camshaft phaser, including: a gear to receive torque; a housing non-rotatably connected to the gear; and a phase adjustment assembly. The phase adjustment assembly includes: first and second frusto-conical shaped surfaces arranged to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft; third and fourth frusto-conical shaped surfaces; and a displacement assembly. The displacement assembly is arranged to: for an advance mode, displace the first frusto-conical surface in the first axial direction to non-rotatably connect the first and third frusto-conical surfaces and so that the second frusto-conical surface is rotatable with respect to the fourth frusto-conical surface in a first circumferential direction; and for a retard mode, displace the second frusto-conical surface in the second axial direction to non-rotatably connect the second and fourth frusto-conical surfaces and so that the first frusto-conical surface is rotatable with respect to the third frusto-conical surface in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction.

A camshaft adjuster for adjusting the phase angle between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine comprises an actuator, in particular, an electric motor, and an adjustment module, which comprises a drive element, which can be driven by the crankshaft, and an output element, which can be rotated relative to the drive element to a limited extent and which is provided to be securely coupled to the camshaft, wherein a signal generator, which is arranged so as to be fixed in position on the internal combustion engine and which has an inductance, is inductively coupled to a measurement circuit, which is integrated into the adjustment module and which has at least one resonant circuit component having electrical properties that depend on the said phase angle.

A cam phaser (30, 130, 230) dynamically adjusts a rotational relationship of a camshaft (32) of an internal combustion engine with respect to an engine crankshaft operably connected with a phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242). The cam phaser (30, 130, 230) can include a planetary gear assembly having a ring gear (34, 134, 234) driven by the phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242), a planetary gear carrier (36, 136, 236) connected to the camshaft (32), a sun gear (38, 138, 238), and at least one rotatable planetary gear (40, 140, 240). The cam phaser (30, 130, 230) 236 can include a sprocket housing (44, 144, 244) connected with the phaser sprocket (42, 142, 242) and operable for connection with the ring gear (34, 134, 234), a cover plate (46, 146, 246) secured to the carrier (36, 136, 236), and a adapter (48) connected between the sun gear (38, 138, 238) and an electric motor (47) for changing an angular position of the sun gear (38, 138, 238) and adjustably varying a cam phase position of

A system (42) including a phaser (28), a motor (38), and a controller (40) for controlling the phase between a camshaft (18) and a crankshaft (16) of an engine (10). The phaser (28) is attached to the camshaft (18), is in communication with the crankshaft (16), and is configured to adjust the phase of the camshaft (18). The motor (38) actuates the phaser (28) and is operatively attached to and in communication with the phaser (28) such that rotation of the crankshaft (16) back-drives the motor (38) to subsequently generate a signal. The controller (40) is in electrical communication with the motor (38), is responsive to the signal, and uses the signal to determine the rotational speed of the motor (38) to thereby commutate the motor (38) and subsequently drive the motor (38) so as to actuate the phaser (28) and control the phase of the camshaft (18).

A camshaft phaser, including: a gear to receive torque; a housing non-rotatably connected to the gear; and a phase adjustment assembly. The phase adjustment assembly includes: first and second frusto-conical shaped surfaces arranged to non-rotatably connect to a camshaft; third and fourth frusto-conical shaped surfaces; and a displacement assembly. The displacement assembly is arranged to: for an advance mode, displace the first frusto-conical surface in the first axial direction to non-rotatably connect the first and third frusto-conical surfaces and so that the second frusto-conical surface is rotatable with respect to the fourth frusto-conical surface in a first circumferential direction; and for a retard mode, displace the second frusto-conical surface in the second axial direction to non-rotatably connect the second and fourth frusto-conical surfaces and so that the first frusto-conical surface is rotatable with respect to the third frusto-conical surface in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction.

A camshaft phase adjuster assembly is provided that includes at least one helical groove for adjusting a phase position between a camshaft and a drive sprocket. The camshaft phase adjuster assembly includes a camshaft including at least one helical groove extending between a bore and a radially outer surface of a sprocket support portion, and the helical groove includes circumferentially offset first and second ends. A drive sprocket includes at least one axially extending drive sprocket groove on a radially inner surface of the drive sprocket arranged facing the at least one helical groove. An actuator selectively moves an actuator pin axially such that a radially extending rotation pin slides within the helical groove and the drive sprocket groove from a first phase position to a second phase position.

A valve timing control device for an internal combustion engine is provided which is devised to shorten an axial length of a brush retaining portion of a retaining member and thereby reduce in size whole of the device.

The retaining member 28 attached to a cover member includes a power-feeding brush 30a, 30b in a brush guide portion 29a, 29b of the brush retaining portion 28a. The power-feeding brush is slidable and in contact with a slip ring 26a, 26b provided to an electric motor. A concave-groove-shaped spring receiving chamber 41 is provided lateral to the brush guide portion such that the spring receiving chamber is in parallel with the power-feeding brush. A torsion coil spring 42 that biases the power-feeding brush toward the slip ring via its another end portion 42c is provided in the spring receiving chamber.

A camshaft phaser is provided for controllably varying the phaser relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in an internal combustion engine which includes a camshaft bearing for supporting the camshaft and which defines a mounting bore for mounting the camshaft phaser to the internal combustion engine. The camshaft phaser includes a housing with a gear drive unit disposed within the housing. The gear drive unit includes an input gear member and an output gear member such that the input gear member is attachable to the crankshaft and such that the input gear member is attached to an output shaft of an electric motor. The output gear member is attachable to the camshaft such that rotation of the input gear member by the electric motor causes relative rotation between the crankshaft and the camshaft. The camshaft phaser is disposed between the mounting bore and the camshaft bearing.