CENTRAL VALVE FOR A CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE

Abstract

A central valve for a camshaft adjuster, and to an internal combustion engine, which includes a camshaft, a camshaft-adjusting device, and a central valve. The central valve includes a shaped part as a valve housing (3), including a control piston (4) guided coaxially within the valve housing (3) in such a way that the control piston can move axially and including a stop, which limits the mobility of the control piston in an axial direction (piston stop). The piston stop is a piston stop washer (5), wherein the piston stop washer and the valve housing (3) are joined.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A central valve for a camshaft adjustment device comprising: a shaped part valve housing; a control piston coaxially and axially movably guided within the valve housing; and a piston stop that limits the movability of the control piston in an axial direction, the piston stop being a piston stop washer, the piston stop washer and the valve housing being joined, the valve housing having at least one notch in a stop area of the piston stop, the piston stop washer having at least one radial expansion adapted to the at least one notch, the piston stop washer and the valve housing with the aid of the at least one radial expansion being nondetachably joined in a notch area of the at least one notch, the piston stop washer in a radial expansion area of the radial expansion having a larger radius than the valve housing.

10. The central valve as recited in claim 9 wherein the piston stop washer at the larger radius defines an overhang.

11. The central valve as recited in claim 9 wherein the control piston at a first end is acted on by force of a spring, and at a second end has an actuating surface on an end-face side, the piston stop washer being situated at the second end and having a recess.

12. The central valve as recited in claim 9 wherein the valve housing is a deep-drawn part.

13. The central valve as recited in claim 9 wherein the at least one notch includes has two notches in the stop area of the piston stop washer, the at least one radial expansion including two radial expansions adapted to the two notches, with the aid of which the piston stop washer and the valve housing being caulked with the aid of the two radial expansions in the area of the two notches.

14. An internal combustion engine comprising: a camshaft; a camshaft adjustment device; and the central valve as recited in claim 9, the valve housing being concentrically situated in a borehole of the camshaft, and the valve housing having a radial passage, as a supply connection, axially situated in a passage area of a corresponding radial passage in the camshaft.

15. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 14 wherein the valve housing has an axially circumferential groove on a circumference in the passage area of the supply connection.

16. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 14 wherein the piston stop washer at the larger radius defines an overhang and wherein the valve housing is enclosed by the borehole of the camshaft, the camshaft having a stop surface, the valve housing supportable with the aid of the overhang against the stop surface.

17. The internal combustion engine as recited in claim 16 wherein the stop surface and the overhang cooperate in such a way that the movability of the valve housing is limited axially in the direction of a first end of the control piston, or is limited axially in the direction of the first end and in a circumferential direction, a locking ring being situated on an inner circumferential surface of the borehole of the camshaft limiting the movability of the valve housing axially in a direction of a second end of the control piston.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention is now explained in greater detail based on one exemplary embodiment, with reference to the drawings. Functionally equivalent elements of the explained specific embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of the central valve;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the central valve from FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a front side of the central valve from FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a perspective longitudinal section of a camshaft together with the central valve from FIG. 1; and

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a front side of the camshaft together with the central valve from FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows in the longitudinal section one specific embodiment, by way of example, of a control valve 1 designed as a central valve, and which includes a check valve 2. Control valve 1 is made up of a valve housing 3 and a hollow cylindrical control piston 4 that is axially movably guided in a corresponding cavity in valve housing 3. The adjustment range of control piston 4 is axially delimited by a piston stop washer 5 on first end 6 and by an end element or housing base 7 on second end 8.

[0036] Control piston 4 on its outer circumferential surface has four sections with an expanded diameter 9, which include three sections with a reduced diameter 10. These, together with the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing, form a first, a second, and a third circumferential annular channel, i.e., inflow groove 11, outflow groove 12, and control groove 13, respectively. The second outflow takes place via an axial cavity 14 between the control piston and the valve housing at second end 8. For controlling a camshaft adjuster, control piston 4 may assume different switching positions that are characterized by the actual pattern of possible pressure medium paths. A switching position is implemented with the aid of an actuator device 100 defining a camshaft-actuating device for an internal combustion engine 200 (both shown solely schematically), which generally is an electromagnetically activated actuator.

[0037] A push rod which is connected to an armature of the electromagnet and which engages through a recess in the piston stop washer is brought into contact with an actuating surface 15 at the front side of control piston 4; the force acting on the armature is thus transmitted via the push rod to the control piston and effectuates its axial displacement against the force of a spring 16 positioned in a spring seat 21 stamped out on valve housing 3: The first annular channel/inflow groove 11 may thus be brought into connection with inflow connection P, and the second annular channel/outflow groove 12 may be brought into connection with outflow connection T. The third annular channel/control groove 13 may be brought into connection with first control connection A.

[0038] A first through opening 17 is provided on the groove base of inflow groove 11, which forms the first annular channel, and a second through opening 18 is provided on the groove base of the control groove that forms the third annular channel. Except for first and second through openings 17, 18, control piston 4 is closed on the side facing away from the spring by a pressure piece 19. Hydraulic medium may thus be conducted via inflow connection P into piston cavity 20, and from there to control connections A, B. Control connection A may be brought into connection with outflow connection T1 via the second annular channel/the outflow groove, and control connection B may be brought into connection with outflow connection T2 via axial cavity 14.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows the valve housing in a perspective view. Valve housing 3 has four openings on its outer circumference: The openings form inflow connection P and outflow connection T1, as well as control connection A and control connection B. The connections are situated on the base of circumferential grooves 22, which are introduced into the outer circumferential surface of the valve housing by rolling. Piston stop washer 5 is situated on first end 6. The piston stop washer has two radial expansions 23 which engage with corresponding notches 24 on the valve housing. One of the radial expansions has a radius that is larger than the radius of valve housing 3; an overhang 25 is thus formed. The view of the front side of first end 6 in FIG. 3 illustrates the configuration of piston stop washer 5 and of overhang 25.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a perspective longitudinal section of a camshaft together with the central valve from FIG. 1. Valve housing 3 is concentrically situated in a borehole 26 of camshaft 27, and as inflow connection P, valve housing 3 has a radial passage that is situated axially in the camshaft in the area of a corresponding radial passage 28. Hydraulic medium is conveyed by the hydraulic medium pump, and via inflow connection P arrives in the central valve. As a function of the switching position of the control piston, a predetermined pressure medium path is implemented, via which the inflowing hydraulic medium may be led to one of control connections A, B. The hydraulic medium leaves central valve 1 via control connections A, B and arrives at the camshaft adjuster (not shown) in order to be controlled.

[0041] Central valve 1 is accordingly designed for controlling a camshaft adjuster; it is thus situated in a borehole 26 of camshaft 27 and rotates along with same. Camshaft adjusters having the design of a vane cell adjuster contain a stator and a rotor as essential elements. The stator is rotatably fixedly connected to a drive wheel, and is driven by the crankshaft via a traction mechanism drive. The rotor forms the output element.

[0042] Valve housing 3 is completely enclosed by borehole 26 of camshaft 27, the camshaft having a stop surface 29 against which valve housing 3 may be supported with the aid of overhang 25. Overhang 25 cooperates with stop surface 29 in such a way that safeguarding against axial displacement in the direction of first end 8 is provided.

[0043] Stop surface 29 and overhang 25 cooperate in such a way that the movability of the valve housing is limited axially in the direction of first end 8 and in the circumferential direction, a locking ring 30 situated on the inner circumferential surface of the borehole of the camshaft limiting the movability of the valve housing axially in the direction of second end 6.

[0044] Stop surface 29 is designed in such a way that it rests vertically on the axis of camshaft 27 and in parallel to an end face of the camshaft. Stop surface 29 is axially offset with respect to an end face of the camshaft, and in the circumferential direction is delimited by a wall: the stop surface is implemented by an axial groove 31, on the inner circumferential surface of the camshaft borehole, which ends at the stop surface. A locking ring limits the movability of the valve housing axially in the direction of second end 6. FIG. 5 illustrates a view of the end face of the camshaft. Locking ring 30 holds central valve 1 in the borehole of camshaft 27, valve housing 3 being secured against rotation and axial displacement via piston stop washer 5 with the aid of overhang 25 which is inserted into axial groove 31.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0045] 1 control valve [0046] 2 check valve [0047] 3 valve housing [0048] 4 control piston [0049] 5 piston stop washer [0050] 6 second end [0051] 7 end element, housing base [0052] 8 first end [0053] 9 section with expanded diameter [0054] 10 section with reduced diameter [0055] 11 inflow groove [0056] 12 outflow groove [0057] 13 control groove [0058] 14 axial cavity [0059] 15 actuating surface [0060] 16 spring [0061] 17 first through opening [0062] 18 second through opening [0063] 19 pressure piece [0064] 20 piston cavity [0065] 21 spring seat [0066] 22 circumferential groove [0067] 23 radial expansion [0068] 24 notch [0069] 25 overhang [0070] 26 borehole (of the camshaft) [0071] 27 camshaft [0072] 28 radial passage [0073] 29 stop surface [0074] 30 locking ring [0075] 31 axial groove [0076] 100 camshaft-adjusting device [0077] 200 internal combustion engine [0078] A control connection A [0079] B control connection B [0080] P inflow connection P [0081] T1 outflow connection T1 [0082] T2 outflow connection T2