Cam phaser and operating method

Abstract

A cam phaser for an internal combustion engine, the cam phaser including a stator including vane cells; a rotor configured rotatable relative to the stator and including vanes arranged in the vane cells of the stator, wherein the vanes respectively divide the vane cells into advance chambers and retard chambers; a control valve configured to move the rotor at least between an advance position and a retard position, wherein the control valve includes a hollow piston that is axially movable within a piston channel, a pressure medium connection, a tank connection and at least four operating connections including at least one advance connection and at least one retard connection, wherein each of the vane cells includes an advance chamber that is connected to the control valve through the at least one advance connection and a retard chamber connected to the control valve through the at least one retard connection.

Claims

1. A cam phaser for an internal combustion engine, the cam phaser comprising: a stator including vane cells; a rotor configured rotatable relative to the stator and including vanes arranged in the vane cells of the stator, wherein the vanes respectively divide the vane cells into advance chambers and retard chambers; a control valve configured to move the rotor at least between an advance position and a retard position, wherein the control valve includes a hollow piston that is axially movable within a piston channel, a pressure medium connection, a tank connection and at least four operating connections including at least one advance connection and at least one retard connection, wherein each of the vane cells includes an advance chamber that is connected to the control valve through the at least one advance connection and a retard chamber that is connected to the control valve through the at least one retard connection, wherein the control valve is configured so that at least one first advance connection of the at least one advance connection is connected with the pressure medium connection to move the rotor into the advance position and at least one second advance connection of the at least one advance connection and the at least one retard connection is connected with the tank connection.

2. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein at least one first retard connection of the at least one retard connection is connected with the pressure medium connection and at least one second retard connection of the at least one retard connection and the at least one advance connection are connected with the tank connection to move the rotor into the retard position.

3. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein the hollow piston is movable into at least a first switching position and a second switching position, wherein the at least one first retard connection is connected with the pressure medium connection and the at least one second retard connection and the at least one advance connection are connected with the tank connection when the hollow piston is in the first switching position, wherein the at least one first advance connection is connected with the pressure medium connection and the at least one second advance connection and the at least one retard connection are connected with the tank connection when the hollow piston is in the second switching position.

4. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein the control valve includes a housing wall including a tank drain channel that runs parallel to the piston channel and that is connected at least with the tank connection.

5. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein a first advance chamber of the advance chambers is connected with a first retard chamber or a second retard chamber of the retard chambers through a first check valve that is permeable at least in a direction towards the first retard chamber or the second retard chamber.

6. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein a second advance chamber of the advance of the advance chambers is connected with a second retard chamber or a third retard chamber of the retard chambers through at least one second check valve that is permeable in a direction towards the second advance chamber.

7. The cam phaser according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first check valve and a second check valve is arranged in at least one of the vanes of the rotor.

8. The cam phaser according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first check valve and a second check valve is arranged in the stator.

9. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein the hollow piston includes an inflow portion that is connected with the pressure medium connection and a back flow portion that is connected with the tank connection, and wherein the inflow portion and the backflow portion are separated from each other by a third check valve that is permeable in a direction towards the inflow portion.

10. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the vanes and an associated vane cell has a smaller diameter than at least one other vane and an associated vane cell.

11. The cam phaser according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the vanes includes a recess and is arrestable at the stator by a safety pin that engages the recess.

12. A method for operating a cam phaser including a stator and a rotor that form plural advance chambers and plural retard chambers and a control valve with a hollow piston that is axially movable in a piston channel between at least two switching positions, the method including: moving the hollow piston within the piston channel into a first switching position or a second switching position; flowing fluid from a pressure medium connection into the hollow piston (24); and introducing the fluid into at least one of the plural advance chambers and draining the fluid at least from one other advance chamber of the plural advance chambers and from the plural retard chambers, or introducing the fluid into at least one retard chamber of the plural retard chambers and draining the fluid from at least one additional retard chamber of the plural retard chambers and from the plural advance chambers.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the draining includes introducing at least a portion of the fluid through at least one first check valve arranged in the rotor or in the stator from at least one of the advance chambers into at least one of the retard chambers when fluid directly flowing from the pressure medium connection is introduced into the at least one retard chamber.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the draining includes introducing at least a portion of the fluid through at least one second check valve arranged in the rotor or in the stator from at least one of the retard chambers into at least one of the advance chambers when the fluid flowing in directly from the pressure medium connection is introduced into the at least one advance chamber.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the draining includes returning a portion of the fluid through a third check valve arranged in the hollow piston and adding the portion of the fluid to fluid directly flowing from the pressure medium connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Additional advantages of the invention can be derived from the detailed description and from advantageous embodiments illustrated in the drawing figure, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of a cam phaser according to the invention in a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of the cam phaser according to the invention in a second embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3A illustrates a first longitudinal cross section of the control valve of FIG. 1 with a hollow piston in a first embodiment; and

(5) FIG. 3B illustrates a second longitudinal cross section of the control valve according to the invention of FIG. 1 with a hollow piston in a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) A cam phaser illustrated in FIGS. 1-3B facilitates variably adjusting a phase relationship between crankshaft and camshaft in a valve train of an internal combustion engine.

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates a cam phaser 1 in a cross sectional view and in a first embodiment wherein the cam phaser includes a stator 2 and a rotor 3 which are arranged about a central control valve 4. The rotor 3 directly adjoins the central control valve 4 in cross sectional view wherein the rotor includes three vanes 5, 6, 7 and is arranged within the stator 2. The stator 2 includes three vane cells 8, 9, 10 wherein a respective vane 5, 6, 7 of the rotor 3 is arranged in each vane cell.

(8) In particular a first vane 5 is arranged in the first vane cell 8, a second vane 6 is arranged in the second vane cell 9, and the third vane 7 is arranged in the third vane cell 10. Thus, the vane cells 8, 9, 10 together with the vanes 5, 6, 7 form a total of six operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, wherein each vane cell 8, 9, 10 forms an advance chamber 8a, 9a, 10a and a retard chamber 8b, 9b, 10b.

(9) The first vane 5 includes a first check valve 11 that is permeable in a direction towards the first retard chamber 8b and that flow connects the operating chambers 8a, 8b with each other. Additionally the second vane 6 includes a second check valve 12 that is permeable in a direction towards the second advance chamber 9a and that flow connects the operating chambers 9a, b with each other.

(10) Subsequently a check valve that is permeable in a direction towards a retard chamber 8b, 9b, 10b is designated as a first check valve 11 and a check valve that is permeable in a direction towards an advance chamber 8a, 9a, 10a is designated as a second check valve 12.

(11) A recess 13 is formed in the third vane 7 wherein a safety pin engages the recess to arrest the rotor 3 at the stator 2.

(12) The control valve 4 is configured to move the rotor 3 at least between a retard position 14 and an advance position 15. The retard position 14 and the advance position 15 are designated in FIG. 1 only with respect to the vane cell 10. In the retard position 14 each of the vanes 5, 6, 7 is applied to an inner wall of the respective vane cell 8, 9, 10 so that a size of the respective retard chamber 8b, 9b, 10b is maximized. Accordingly the size of the respective advance chamber 8a, 9a, 10a is minimized in the retard position 14 of the rotor 3. FIG. 1 illustrates the rotor 3 in the retard position 14. Vice versa all advance chambers 8a, 9a, 10a are size maximized in the advance position 15 and all retard chambers 8b, 9b, 10b are size minimized.

(13) The rotor 3 is moved by flowing or pressing a pressure medium or fluid through the control valve 4 into at least one of the operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. Simultaneously the control valve 4 facilitates draining the fluid from the other operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. Thus, the operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b are respectively connected with one of six operating connections of the control valve 4 that will be described infra. The operating connections are thus overall grouped in four operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2 wherein each operating connection variant is implemented at least once at the control valve 4 and is connected with at least one of the operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. In particular the operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2 are two advance connection variants A1, A2 to be connected to the advance chambers 8a, 9a, 10a and two retard connection variants B1, B2 to be connected to the retard chambers 8b, 9b, 10b.

(14) The operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2 are characterized in that operating connections that are associated with a respective operating connection variant A1, A2, B1, B2 are always loaded in the same manner. Put differently all operating connections that are associated with a respective operating connection variant A1, A2, B1, or B2 are jointly connected with an inflow (pressure medium connection P) or drain (tank connection). Thus, a fluid is either pressed through all or through none of the operating connections of a particular operating variant A1, A2, B1, or B2.

(15) In FIG. 1 the individual operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b are associated with the respective operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2 with a corresponding supplementation of the reference numerals. Thus 8b, B1 designates the first retard chamber 8b that is connected with an operating connection of the retard connection variant B1.

(16) According to the invention, the control valve 4 is configured to move the rotor 3 into the retard position 14 so that fluid is pressed into at least one of the retard chambers 8b, 9b, 10b and so that fluid can drain from at least one additional retard chamber 8b, 9b, 10b and all advance chambers 8a, 9a, 10a. Thus, in particular fluid is pressed into the retard chambers 8b, 10b that are connected with an operating connection of the operating connection variant B1. Furthermore fluid can drain from the retard chamber 9b that is connected with the operating connection of the operating connection variant B2.

(17) Accordingly the control valve 4 is configured to move the rotor 3 into the advance position 15 so that fluid is pressed into at least one of the advance chambers 8a, 9a, 10a and so that fluid can drain from at least one additional advance chamber 9a, 10a and all retard chambers 8b, 9b, 10b. Thus, fluid is pressed into the advance chambers 9a, 10a that are connected with an operating connection of the operating connection variant A2. Furthermore fluid can drain from the advance chamber 8a that is connected with the operating connection of the operating connection variant A1. FIGS. 3a and 3b describe the required structure of the control valve 4 in more detail.

(18) The check valves 11, 12 in the vanes 5, 6 are configured to support the movement of the rotor 3 in that an additional fluid flow is run from an operating chamber 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b to be emptied into an operating chamber 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b to be filled. Thus, a recirculation of the fluid is provided between the operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b so that a smaller amount of fluid has to be pressed into the cam phaser 1 and a lesser amount of fluid has to drain from the cam phaser 1. Put in short less fluid has to be moved. This accelerates the movement of the rotor 3 and thus increases an adjustment speed of the cam phaser 1.

(19) In this first embodiment the first check valve 11 supports moving the rotor 3 into the retard position 14 by providing an additional fluid flow from the advance chamber 8a to be emptied into the retard chamber 8b to be filled. Accordingly the second check valve 12 supports moving the rotor 3 into the advance position 15 in that an additional fluid flow is provided from the retard chamber 9b to be emptied into the advance chamber 9a to be filled.

(20) FIG. 2 illustrates the cam phaser 1 in a second embodiment and in particular only the stator 2 and the rotor 3 in a cross sectional view. A valve head 16 and a tank connection T of the control valve 4 are shown in an outside view. As illustrated in FIG. 1 the cam phaser 1 includes the operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b that are formed by the vanes 5, 6, 7 and the vane cells 8, 9, 10, wherein the operating chambers are connected with the operating connections of the operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2. However, the check valves 11, 12 are arranged in the stator 2 in this second embodiment. In particular the first check valve 11 is arranged in a first stator portion 17 between the first advance chamber 8a and the second retard chamber 9b and the second check valve 12 is arranged in a second stator portion 18 between the second advance chamber 9a and the third retard chamber 10b.

(21) Like in the first embodiment moving the rotor 3 into the retard position 14 is supported by the first check valve 11 and moving the rotor into the advance position 15 is supported by the second check valve 12. The retard position 14 and the advance position 15 are designated in FIG. 2 with reference to the first vane cell 8. This support of the movement of the rotor 3 is performed herein by other operating chambers, namely the recited operating chambers 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b.

(22) Thus, the first check valve 11 supports moving the rotor 3 into the retard position 14 in that the additional fluid flow is now provided from the advance chamber 8a that is to be emptied into the retard chamber 9b that is to be filled. The second check valve 12 supports moving the rotor 3 into the advance position 15 in that the additional fluid flow is now provided from the retard chamber 10b to be emptied into the advance chamber 9a to be filled.

(23) Another difference of the second embodiment over the embodiment of FIG. 1 is that the vanes 5, 6, 7 and the vane cells 8, 9, 10 have diameters that differ from each other. In particular the second vane 6 and the second vane cell 9 has a smaller diameter than the other vanes 5, 7 and the vane cells 8, 10. Consequently the operating chambers 9a, 9b are smaller than the other operating chambers 8a, 8b, 10a, 10b. A different pressure force requirement when moving the rotor 3 into the retard position 14 and the advance position 15 is thus balanced or compensated.

(24) FIG. 3a illustrates the control valve 4 of FIG. 1 in a first longitudinal sectional view. The control valve 4 includes a housing 19 which envelopes a piston channel 20. The housing 19 additionally includes a total of six operating connections 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b and the tank connection T that are all connected with the piston channel 20. Fluid can drain through the tank connection T and run through at least one of the operating connections 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b into the piston channel 20. The operating connections 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b are three advance connections 21a, 22a, 23a and three retard connections 21b, 22b, 23b which are connected with the corresponding advance chambers 8a, 9a, 10a and the retard chambers 8b, 9b, 10b illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(25) In particular the first advance connection 21a is connected with the first advance chamber 8a and the first retard connection 21b is connected with the first retard chamber 8b. Accordingly the second advance connection 22a is connected with the second advance chamber 9a and the second retard connection 22b is connected with the second retard chamber 9b. Furthermore the third advance connection 22a is connected with the third advance chamber 10a and the third retard connection 23b is connected with the third retard chamber 10b.

(26) As recited supra the operating connections 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b are grouped in the operating connection variants A1, A2, B1, B2. The subsequent table shows the grouping

(27) TABLE-US-00001 Operating connection variant A1 A2 B1 B2 Operating connection 21a 22a, 23a 21b, 23b 22b

(28) Furthermore the piston channel 20 includes an axially movable hollow piston 24 in a first embodiment which envelopes an inflow portion 25. This inflow portion 25 is connected with a pressure medium connection at an end of the hollow piston 24 that is oriented away from the tank connection T.

(29) Furthermore the inflow portion 25 is connected with a portion 27 of the piston channel 20 through plural inflow openings 26. This portion 27 is separable from a remainder of the piston channel 20 by an outer structure of the hollow piston 24. Displacing the hollow piston 24 facilitates positioning the portion 27 so that a connection is established to one or plural operating connections selected from the operating connections 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b to which fluid can be supplied through the pressure medium connection P. The remaining operating connections, 21a, 22a, 23a, 21b, 22b, 23b are then connected with the remainder of the piston channel 20 so that a draining of the fluid towards the tank connection T is facilitated.

(30) Depending on a position of the hollow piston 24 this direct access to the tank connection T through the piston channel 21 can be blocked e.g. by the outer structure of the hollow piston 24 recited supra. In this at least one tank drain channel 29 is configured in a housing wall 28 of the housing 19 wherein the tank drain channel 29 is connected with the tank connection T and runs in parallel to the piston channel 20. Thus, the fluid can be run in an opposite direction to the tank connection T out of the piston channel 20 and then through the tank drain channel 29 to the tank connection T.

(31) According to the invention the hollow piston 24 is movable into at least a first switching position 30 and second switching position 31 wherein FIG. 3a illustrates the hollow piston 24 in the second switching position 31. In the illustrated embodiments the advance connections 22a and 23a are connected with the pressure medium connection P in the second switching position 31 and the advance connection 21a and all retard connections 21b, 22b, 23b are connected with the tank connection T. This means that the rotor 3 in FIG. 1 is moved into the advance position 15.

(32) FIG. 3b illustrates the control valve 4 of FIG. 1 in a second longitudinal sectional view that shows the tank drain channel 29. Besides the hollow piston 24 being provided in a second embodiment the control valve 4 in FIG. 3b corresponds the control valve in FIG. 3a

(33) The hollow piston 24 in FIG. 3b differs from the hollow piston 24 in FIG. 3a in two respects.

(34) First of all the hollow piston 24 in FIG. 3b is illustrated in the first switching position 30. In the illustrated embodiments the two retard connections 21b and 23b are connected in the first switching position 30 with pressure medium connection P and the retard connection 22b and all advance connections 21a, 22a, 23a are connected with the tank connection T. This means that the rotor 3 in FIG. 1 is moved into the retard position 14.

(35) Secondly a third check valve 32 is arranged in the hollow piston 24 wherein the third check valve separates a back flow portion 33 from the inflow portion 25. Thus, the third check valve 32 is configured permeable in a direction towards the inflow portion 25. Plural back flow openings 34 facilitate that a portion of the fluid that flows through the piston channel to the tank drain T can flow into the back flow portion 33 and through the third check valve 32 into the inflow portion 25. Thus, a recirculation occurs so that less fresh fluid has to be fed through the pressure medium connection P which facilitates a higher adjustment speed of the cam phaser 1 as recited supra.