Internal-combustion engines – Poppet valve operating mechanism – With means for varying timing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-23
2001-01-16
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3748)
Internal-combustion engines
Poppet valve operating mechanism
With means for varying timing
C123S090370, C074S56800M, C464S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173688
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a valve timing variation device which controls the timing of the opening and closing of a valve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
FIGS. 7 and 8
are cross sections showing a conventional valve timing variation device.
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are cross sections showing the structure of a chip seal of a valve timing variation device. In the figures, reference numeral
1
denotes an electronic control unit (hereafter ECU) which controls the oil control valve
2
and the like.
2
is an oil control valve (hereafter OCV) which supplies working oil to the actuator
3
under the control of the ECU
1
.
3
is an actuator which controls the displacement angle of the camshaft
6
with respect to the timing pulley
8
when the working oil is supplied from the OCV
2
and which continuously regulates the timing of the opening and closing of the air intake valve.
4
and
5
are oil passages through which the working oil which is supplied from the OCV
2
flows.
6
is a camshaft which drives the opening and closing of the intake valve of the engine.
7
is a cam of the camshaft
6
.
8
is a timing pulley arranged on one end of the camshaft
6
.
9
is a bearing of the camshaft
6
.
10
is a housing mounted so as to be freely rotatable with respect to the camshaft
6
.
11
is a case fixed to the housing
10
.
12
is a bolt which fixes the case
11
to the housing
10
.
13
is a rotor which is fixed to the camshaft
6
and which rotates relative to the case
11
.
14
and
16
are chip seals which prevent the movement of oil between the oil chambers
18
which are separated by the case
11
and the rotor
13
.
15
is a metallic blade spring which is disposed between case
11
and the chip seal
14
and which pressures the chip seal
14
against the rotor
13
.
17
is a metallic blade spring which is disposed between rotor
13
and the chip seal
14
and which pressures the chip seal
16
against the case
11
.
18
are oil chambers which are separated by the case
11
and the rotor
13
.
Next the operation of the invention will be explained.
Although the valve timing variation device controls the rotational direction of the housing
10
and the timing of the opening and closing of the air intake and exhaust valves of the engine by controlling of the amount of oil flowing into each oil chamber
18
, in order to prevent the movement of oil between the oil chambers
18
, a chip seal
14
is pushed against the rotor
13
and a chip seal
16
is pushed against the case
11
.
In other words, as shown in
FIG. 9A
, the chip seal
14
is pushed against the rotor
13
by the blade spring
15
disposed between the case
11
and the chip seal
14
. Furthermore the chip seal
16
as shown in
FIG. 9B
, is pushed against the case
11
by the blade spring
17
which is disposed between the rotor
13
and the chip seal
16
.
The attachment of the chip seals
14
and
16
is performed by insertion between the case
11
and the rotor
13
in the direction from the left side of
FIGS. 9A and 9B
(the front of
FIG. 8
) to the right side (the back of
FIG. 8
) so that the chip seals
14
,
16
and the metallic blade springs
15
,
17
do not become disassembled.
Apart from the conventional example given above, a similar arrangement is disclosed in JP-A-9-324611.
Since conventional valve timing variation devices are constructed as above, chip seals
14
,
16
are pushed onto the rotor
13
or the case
11
using blade springs
15
,
17
. However since the chip seals
14
,
16
and the blade springs
15
,
17
have different structures, the problem has arisen that assembly efficiency is extremely poor (for example when the chip seals
14
,
16
are inserted the blade spring
15
,
17
becomes detached and fall out) which reduces productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is proposed to solve the above problems and has the objective of obtaining a valve timing variation device which can increase assemblying efficiency when the chip seals are assembled.
According to the first embodiment of the invention, the chip seal of the valve timing variation device has the shape of a letter “L” when taken in cross section.
According to the first embodiment of the invention, since the cross sectional shape of the chip seal has the shape of a letter “L”, the efficiency of assembling the chip seal can be increased.
According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the valve timing variation device is adapted to integrally form a chip seal and a flexible member.
According to the second embodiment, since the chip seal and the flexible member are formed integrally, assemblying efficiency of the chip seal is conspicuously increased.
According to the third embodiment of the present invention, the valve timing variation device is adapted to insert a blade spring into the chip seal.
According to the third embodiment, since the blade spring is formed to be inserted into the chip seal, it is possible to avoid the deficiency of the chip seal and the blade spring disassembling during assembly.
According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the valve timing variation device is adapted so that both legs of the chip seal are bent to form a flexible member.
According to the fourth embodiment, since both legs of the chip seal are bent to form a flexible member, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs and at the same time conspicuously improve assembling efficiency of the chip seal.
According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the valve timing variation device is adapted to fix the flexible member which has lower hardness than the chip seal to the chip seal.
According to the fifth embodiment, by fixing the flexible member which has lower hardness than the chip seal to the chip seal, it is possible to lower manufacturing costs and to conspicuously increase assembling efficiency of the chip seal.
According to the sixth embodiment of the invention, the valve timing variation device adapted to construct the member on the rotor side of the chip seal using soft flexible resin.
According to the sixth embodiment, using soft flexible resin to construct the member on the rotor side of the chip seal enables the flexible member to be dispensed with.
According to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the valve timing variation device is adapted so that the chip seal is pushed to the case side by the flexible member.
According to the seventh embodiment, since the chip seal is pushed to the case side by the flexible member, it is possible to prevent the movement of oil between the oil chambers which are separated by the case and the rotor.
According to the eighth embodiment, the valve timing variation device is adapted so that the chip seal is pushed to the rotor side by the flexible member.
According to the eighth embodiment, since the chip seal is pushed to the rotor side by the flexible member, it is possible to prevent the movement of oil between the oil chambers which are separated by the case and the rotor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3990819 (1976-11-01), Ritchie
patent: 5305721 (1994-04-01), Burtis
patent: 5666914 (1997-09-01), Ushida et al.
patent: 5738056 (1998-04-01), Mikame et al.
patent: 5865151 (1999-02-01), Fukaya et al.
patent: 5957098 (1999-09-01), Fukuhara et al.
patent: 1454747 (1976-11-01), None
patent: 9-324611 (1997-12-01), None
Fukuhara Katuyuki
Sekiya Mutsuo
Yamauchi Makoto
Lo Weilun
Mitsubishi Denki Kabusbiki Kaisha
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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