Oil passage control valve and valve timing changing device

Abstract

The invention provides an oil path control valve and a valve timing changing device, which can be simplified in structure, low in cost, light in weight, small in size and the like, and can be used for easily positioning and fixing a filter component. This oil passage control valve is provided with: a sleeve having an inner passage that extends in the axial direction and through which hydraulic oil passes, an annular groove formed on the outer periphery, and an opening that penetrates in the radial direction in the region of the annular groove and through which hydraulic oil passes; a valve body slidably accommodated in the internal passage and opening and closing the opening; a band plate-shaped filter member annularly wound around and fixed to the annular groove; and a drive element for driving the valve body, the sleeve including a protruding portion protruding from a bottom surface and a side surface of the annular groove at a position offset from the opening in a region of the annular groove, and the filter member including: a cutout portion locked to the protruding portion at a side portion in a width direction; a filter part facing the opening part; and a joining portion in which both end-side regions overlap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil passage control valve that controls an oil passage by opening and closing the oil passage of working oil, and particularly to an oil passage control valve and a valve timing change device applied when changing the opening and closing timing (valve timing) of an intake valve or an exhaust valve in an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As an existing oil passage control valve, an oil pressure control valve is known, which includes: a cylindrical valve body having a plurality of annular grooves, an opening portion provided in the annular groove, and a restricting portion provided in a region of the annular groove deviated from the opening portion; a spool valve slidably disposed in the valve body to open and close the opening portion; and a filter having a mesh portion and a covering portion covering the restricting portion, and being fitted and fixed in the annular groove of the valve body (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the oil pressure control valve, the restricting portion of the valve body is formed as a substantially rectangular convex portion, and the covering portion of the filter is formed as a concave portion or a concave groove formed to cover the convex portion of the valve body from the outside. Further, by covering the convex portion of the valve body with the concave portion or the concave groove of the filter, the filter is positioned in the circumferential direction of the annular groove with respect to the valve body and is fitted into the annular groove.

[0004] Thus, since the covering portion of the filter is formed as a concave portion or a concave groove, the forming or processing of the covering portion of the filter is complicated, resulting in a high cost of the filter. Further, in the case where the covering portion is a concave groove, when the strip-shaped filter is stretched from both sides and wound around the annular groove, the covering portion expands and cannot be reliably engaged with the convex portion as the restricting portion, so there is a concern that the filter cannot be positioned at a specified position.

[0005] Further, as another oil passage control valve, a valve device is known, which includes: a cylindrical sleeve having a plurality of annular grooves, an opening portion provided in the annular groove, and a portion to be locked provided in a region of the annular groove deviated from the opening portion; a valve body slidably disposed in the sleeve to open and close the opening portion; and a filter member having a locking portion formed in a C shape using an elastic metal plate and locked to the portion to be locked of the sleeve, and the filter member is fitted and fixed in the annular groove of the sleeve in a manner of stretching against an elastic force (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).

[0006] In the valve device, the portion to be locked of the sleeve is formed as a groove thinned in the axial direction of the sleeve from the annular groove, and the locking portion of the filter member is formed as an extension piece extending laterally from the width of the annular groove.

[0007] Thus, since the locking portion of the filter member is formed to extend from the side surface of a portion that is integrally in a long strip shape, when the filter member is formed from a metal plate such as spring steel by blanking, there will be a useless area that is discarded by blanking. In addition, in order to obtain the required elastic force, a metal plate with a relatively thick plate thickness is needed, which raises concerns about high costs for material and processing fees.

[0008] [Prior Art Documents]

[0009] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6504396

[0011] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 6623539 Summary of the Invention

[0012] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0013] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an oil passage control valve and a valve timing change device that can achieve simplification of the structure, cost reduction, weight reduction, miniaturization, etc., and can easily position and fix the filter member.

[0014] [Technical Means for Solving the Problems]

[0015] The oil passage control valve of the present invention is configured to include: a sleeve having an internal passage that extends along a specified axial direction and through which working oil passes, an annular groove formed on the outer periphery, and an opening that penetrates radially in the region of the annular groove and through which working oil passes; a valve body that is slidably received in the internal passage and opens and closes the opening; a strip-shaped filter member that is wound and fixed annularly in the annular groove; and a drive element that drives the valve body. The sleeve includes a protruding portion that protrudes from the bottom surface and the side surface of the annular groove at a position offset from the opening in the region of the annular groove. The filter member includes: a cutout portion that, in a state of being fixed in the annular groove, is locked to the protruding portion at a side portion in the width direction; a filtering portion that faces the opening; and a joining portion that is formed by overlapping both end side regions.

[0016] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the protruding portion has a convex rectangular shape and the cutout portion has a concave rectangular shape.

[0017] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the cutout portion includes a first cutout portion and a second cutout portion that are formed symmetrically with respect to the center line in the length direction of the filter member on both side portions in the width direction of the filter member.

[0018] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, in the boundary region between the bottom surface in close contact with the filter member and the side surfaces standing upright radially from both sides of the bottom surface of the annular groove, an annular thinning portion that is more concave than the bottom surface is included.

[0019] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the sleeve includes, for defining the opening: a plurality of openings arranged circumferentially in the annular groove and presenting an opening width narrower than the width of the annular groove; and a plurality of partition wall portions separating the plurality of openings from each other, the plurality of partition wall portions including a first partition wall portion and a second partition wall portion, a protruding portion is located at the first partition wall portion in the circumferential direction of the annular groove, and the second partition wall portion overlaps with the joint portion of the filter member in the circumferential direction of the annular groove.

[0020] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, except for the second partition wall portion, the plurality of partition wall portions include communication grooves that communicate two adjacent ones of the plurality of openings with each other between the bottom surface of the annular groove and the inner circumferential surface of the filter member.

[0021] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the filter member is formed to have the same length from the cutout portion to both ends in the length direction, and the second partition wall portion is formed at a position facing the first partition wall portion in the radial direction of the annular groove.

[0022] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the joint portion of the filter member is welded.

[0023] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the filtering portion of the filter member includes a plurality of filtering holes, and the plate thickness of the filter member is smaller than the diameter of the filtering holes.

[0024] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the driving element includes: a biasing spring that biases the valve body to position the valve body at the stationary position; and an electromagnetic actuator that applies a driving force to the valve body against the biasing force of the biasing spring to position the valve body at the working position.

[0025] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the annular groove includes: a first annular groove; a second annular groove disposed adjacent to one side of the first annular groove in the axial direction; and a third annular groove disposed adjacent to the other side of the first annular groove in the axial direction, the opening includes: a first opening formed in the first annular groove; a second opening formed in the second annular groove; and a third opening formed in the third annular groove, and the filter members are respectively wound and fixed in the first annular groove, the second annular groove, and the third annular groove.

[0026] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the first opening portion includes a plurality of ports for supplying working oil into the sleeve, the second opening portion includes a plurality of ports communicating with the first oil pressure chamber of the object to be applied, and the third opening portion includes a plurality of ports communicating with the second oil pressure chamber of the object to be applied.

[0027] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the sleeve includes a discharge opening portion for discharging working oil, and the discharge opening portion is formed in a region on the side opposite to the first opening portion with the second opening portion interposed therebetween and a region on the side opposite to the first opening portion with the third opening portion interposed therebetween in the axial direction, respectively.

[0028] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the valve body includes: a first valve portion for opening and closing the oil passage between the first opening portion and the second opening portion; and a second valve portion for opening and closing the oil passage between the first opening portion and the third opening portion.

[0029] In the oil passage control valve, the following structure can be adopted, that is, the sleeve is formed to be embedded in a member of the engine that defines an oil passage through which working oil passes.

[0030] The valve timing changing device of the present invention is a valve timing changing device for an engine that changes the opening and closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve driven by a camshaft, and is configured to include: a housing rotor that rotates on the axis of the camshaft; a vane rotor that cooperates with the housing rotor to define a retard angle chamber and an advance angle chamber and rotates on the axis; and an oil passage control valve that opens and closes an oil passage that supplies or discharges working oil to and from the retard angle chamber and the advance angle chamber, and as the oil passage control valve, any one of the oil passage control valves having the above-described structure is adopted.

[0031] [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] With the oil passage control valve having the above-described structure, it is possible to obtain an oil passage control valve that can achieve simplification of the structure, cost reduction, weight reduction, miniaturization, etc., and can easily position and fix a filter member, and a valve timing changing device using the same. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a valve timing changing device including an oil passage control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 It is an external perspective view of an oil passage control valve according to an embodiment.

[0035] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting an oil passage control valve according to an embodiment along a plane including the axis of the sleeve.

[0036] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional sectional view of an electromagnetic actuator that is part of a drive element included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0037] Figure 5 is an exploded three-dimensional view of a sleeve, a valve body, three filter members, and a biasing spring that is part of a drive element included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0038] Figure 6 is an external three-dimensional view of a sleeve included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment, observed obliquely from one direction.

[0039] Figure 7 is to Figure 6 the external three-dimensional view of the sleeve shown after rotating it 180 degrees about the axis.

[0040] Figure 8 is a sectional view of a sleeve included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment, cut along a plane including the axis.

[0041] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional sectional view of a sleeve included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment, cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis.

[0042] Figure 10 is a partial plan view showing a region of an annular groove of a sleeve included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 11 is a plan view of a filter member included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment, developed into a strip-like shape before assembly.

[0044] Figure 12 is a three-dimensional view showing the state of a filter member included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment, formed into a ring shape and joined.

[0045] Figure 13 is a partial plan view showing a region including a cutout portion of a filter member included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0046] Figure 14 is a partial three-dimensional view showing a region including a cutout portion of a filter member included in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0047] Figure 15 is a partial plan view showing a filter member wound around an annular groove of a sleeve in an oil circuit control valve according to an embodiment.

[0048] Figure 16It is a three-dimensional sectional view obtained by cutting in a plane containing the axis in the region of an annular groove in an oil passage control valve of an embodiment.

[0049] Figure 17 It is a sectional view obtained by cutting the region of an annular groove of an oil passage control valve of an embodiment in a plane containing the axis.

[0050] Figure 18 It is an enlarged sectional view showing a partial enlargement of the region of the joint portion of the filter member in an oil passage control valve of an embodiment.

[0051] Figure 19 It is a state diagram showing a state in which the valve body is in a stationary position in an oil passage control valve of an embodiment, so that working oil can be supplied to the retard angle chamber of the valve timing change device as an object to which it is applied.

[0052] Figure 20 It is shown in Figure 19 a sectional view showing the positional relationship between the vane rotor and the housing rotor of the valve timing change device in the state shown.

[0053] Figure 21 It is a state diagram showing a state in which the valve body is in a working position in an oil passage control valve of an embodiment, so that working oil can be supplied to the advance angle chamber of the valve timing change device as an object to which it is applied.

[0054] Figure 22 It is shown in Figure 21 a sectional view showing the positional relationship between the vane rotor and the housing rotor of the valve timing change device in the state shown.

[0055] Figure 23 It is a sectional view obtained by cutting in a plane containing the axis of the sleeve in an oil passage control valve of another embodiment.

[0056] [Description of symbols]

[0057] E: Engine

[0058] 1: Main body (member)

[0059] 1a: Fitting hole

[0060] 1b: Supply oil passage

[0061] 1c: Discharge oil passage

[0062] 1d: Retard angle oil passage

[0063] 1e: Advance angle oil passage

[0064] 2: Oil pan

[0065] 3: Oil pump

[0066] 4: Camshaft

[0067] L: Axis of the camshaft

[0068] M: Valve timing change device (object to be applied)

[0069] 10: Vane rotor

[0070] 20: Housing rotor

[0071] RC: Retard angle chamber (first oil pressure chamber)

[0072] AC: Advance angle chamber (second oil pressure chamber)

[0073] V: Oil passage control valve

[0074] S: Axis

[0075] 30: Sleeve

[0076] 31: Internal passage

[0077] 32: Outer peripheral surface

[0078] 33: Annular groove

[0079] W: Width of the annular groove

[0080] G1: First annular groove

[0081] G2: Second annular groove

[0082] G3: Third annular groove

[0083] 33a: Bottom surface

[0084] 33b: Side surface

[0085] 33c: Annular thinning portion

[0086] 34: Opening

[0087] O1: First opening

[0088] O2: Second opening

[0089] O3: Third opening

[0090] 34a: Partition wall portion

[0091] 34a1: First partition wall portion

[0092] 34a2: Second partition wall portion

[0093] 34a3: Third partition wall portion

[0094] 34a4: Fourth partition wall portion

[0095] 34b: Multiple ports

[0096] 34c, 34d: Connecting grooves

[0097] 35: Protrusion

[0098] 36, 37: Small-diameter parts

[0099] 36b, 37b: Discharge openings

[0100] 38: Receiving part

[0101] 39: Flange part

[0102] 40: Valve body

[0103] 41: First valve part

[0104] 42: Second valve part

[0105] 50: Electromagnetic actuator (driving element)

[0106] 58b: Driving shaft

[0107] 60: Biasing spring (driving element)

[0108] 70: Filter member

[0109] T: Plate thickness of the filter member

[0110] WD: Width direction

[0111] LD: Length direction

[0112] CL: Center line

[0113] 71: One side part

[0114] 72: The other side part

[0115] 73: One end side region

[0116] 74: The other end side region

[0117] 75: Notch part

[0118] 75a: First notch part

[0119] 75b: Second notch part

[0120] 76: Filter part

[0121] 76a: Filter holes

[0122] φd: Diameter of the filter holes

[0123] JP: Joint part Detailed Embodiments

[0124] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0125] An oil passage control valve according to one embodiment is applied to a valve timing change device of an engine as an object to be applied.

[0126] The engine E is an internal combustion engine, as Figure 1 shown, includes: a main body 1 such as a cylinder block and a cylinder head as components defining an oil passage, an oil pan 2 storing working oil, an oil pump 3 circulating the working oil, intake and exhaust camshafts 4, intake and exhaust valves (not shown) driven to open and close by the camshaft 4, a valve timing change device M for changing the opening and closing timing of the intake or exhaust valve, an oil passage control valve V, etc.

[0127] The main body 1 includes a fitting hole 1a into which the oil passage control valve V is fitted, a supply oil passage 1b, a discharge oil passage 1c, a retard angle oil passage 1d, and an advance angle oil passage 1e.

[0128] The camshaft 4 is supported by the cylinder head so as to rotate about an axis L (arrow CR direction), and drives the intake and exhaust valves to open and close.

[0129] In addition, the camshaft 4 includes a cylindrical portion 4a, a retard angle oil passage 4b and an advance angle oil passage 4c for supplying and discharging working oil, and an internal thread portion 4d into which a fastening bolt B is screwed.

[0130] As Figure 1 , Figure 20 , Figure 22 shown, the valve timing change device M includes: a vane rotor 10 that rotates integrally on the same axis L as the camshaft 4; a housing rotor 20 that houses the vane rotor 10 and is capable of relative rotation on the axis L.

[0131] The vane rotor 10 includes a cylindrical hub portion 11, a plurality (three here) of vane portions 12, a through hole 13, and a plurality (three here) of retard angle oil passages 14.

[0132] The housing rotor 20 is formed into a two-part structure including a substantially disk-shaped first housing rotor 21 and a bottomed cylindrical second housing rotor 22, and is fastened to each other by screws.

[0133] The first housing rotor 21 includes a sprocket 21a, an inner peripheral surface 21b rotatably fitted to the cylindrical portion 4a of the camshaft 4, and a plurality (three here) of advance angle oil passages 21c formed in a groove shape on the surface in close contact with the vane rotor 10.

[0134] The second housing rotor 22 includes an opening 22a and a plurality (three here) of pole shoe portions 22b.

[0135] The housing rotor 20 houses the vane rotor 10 in a manner that allows relative rotation within a specified angular range. Moreover, the housing chamber is formed by the vane portion 12 of the vane rotor 10 and divided into two parts: the retard angle chamber RC as the first oil pressure chamber and the advance angle chamber AC as the second oil pressure chamber.

[0136] The housing rotor 20 is linked to the rotation of the crankshaft via a chain or the like, and the working oil in the retard angle chamber RC and the advance angle chamber AC is adjusted by the oil passage control valve V, and the rotational driving force of the crankshaft is transmitted to the camshaft 4 via the vane rotor 10.

[0137] As Figure 1 shown, the oil passage control valve V is installed on the main body 1 of the engine E, and as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 shown, it includes: a substantially cylindrical sleeve 30 extending in the direction of the axis S, a valve body 40 extending in the direction of the axis S, an electromagnetic actuator 50 as a driving element, a biasing spring 60, three filter members 70, and a sealing member Sr.

[0138] The sleeve 30 is formed using an aluminum material or the like by means of a mold. As Figures 6 to 10 shown, it includes: an internal passage 31, an outer peripheral surface 32, three annular grooves 33, openings 34 and protrusions 35 respectively formed in the regions of the three annular grooves 33, a small-diameter portion 36 with a diameter smaller than the outer peripheral surface 32, a small-diameter portion 37, receiving portions 38 and flange portions 39 at both ends in the direction of the axis S.

[0139] The internal passage 31 functions as an oil passage for the working oil to pass through, and includes an inner peripheral surface 31a formed by machining as a cylindrical surface centered on the axis S and an inner peripheral surface 31b with an inner diameter larger than the inner peripheral surface 31a. The inner peripheral surface 31a receives the valve body 40 in a manner that allows the valve body 40 to slide freely in the direction of the axis S. The inner peripheral surface 31b is formed by mold forming in the regions of the three annular grooves 33, the small-diameter portion 36, the small-diameter portion 37, the receiving portion 38 side, and the flange portion 39 side.

[0140] The outer peripheral surface 32 is formed by machining as a cylindrical surface centered on the axis S and is fitted into the fitting hole 1a of the main body 1 of the engine E.

[0141] In addition, on the outer peripheral surface 32, near the flange portion 39 side, an annular seal groove 32a for embedding the sealing member Sr is formed.

[0142] The three annular grooves 33 have the same shape, are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the axial direction of the axis S, and the cross-section including the axis S has a substantially rectangular shape defined by a bottom surface 33a and side surfaces 33b that stand upright radially from both sides of the bottom surface 33a. Further, the bottom surface 33a is formed as a cylindrical surface with a specified outer diameter centered on the axis S, and the side surface 33b is formed as an annular flat surface that stands upright radially from both sides of the bottom surface 33a in the axial direction of the axis S.

[0143] In addition, in the annular groove 33, an annular thinning portion 33c that is more concave than the bottom surface 33a is formed in the boundary region between the bottom surface 33a and the side surface 33b.

[0144] Here, among the three annular grooves 33, the annular groove 33 located at the center in the axial direction of the axis S corresponds to the first annular groove G1, the annular groove 33 arranged on one side of the first annular groove G1 in the axial direction of the axis S corresponds to the second annular groove G2, and the annular groove 33 arranged on the other side of the first annular groove G1 in the axial direction of the axis S corresponds to the third annular groove G3.

[0145] The opening 34 is formed to penetrate radially in the region of the three annular grooves 33 to allow the working oil to pass through.

[0146] Here, the opening 34 is formed by a plurality of (here, four) ports 34b, and the plurality of (here, four) ports 34b are arranged at intervals of a plurality of partition wall portions 34a in the circumferential direction of the annular groove 33, and have an opening width D that is narrower than the width W in the axial direction of the axis S of the annular groove 33.

[0147] The plurality of partition wall portions 34a include: a first partition wall portion 34a1, where the protrusion 35 is located in the first partition wall portion 34a1 in the circumferential direction of the annular groove 33; a second partition wall portion 34a2, which overlaps with the joint portion JP of the filter member 70 in the circumferential direction of the annular groove 33; and a third partition wall portion 34a3 and a fourth partition wall portion 34a4, which are located between the first partition wall portion 34a1 and the second partition wall portion 34a2 in the circumferential direction of the annular groove 33.

[0148] Here, the second partition wall portion 34a2 is formed at a position facing the first partition wall portion 34a1 in the radial direction of the annular groove 33, that is, at a position 180 degrees away from the first partition wall portion 34a1 around the axis S.

[0149] As Figure 9 、 Figure 10 、 Figure 16 shown, the first partition wall portion 34a1 is formed to include a narrow communication groove 34c that connects adjacent ports 34b between the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33 and the inner peripheral surface 70a of the filter member 70.

[0150] As Figure 7 、Figure 16 As shown, the second partition wall portion 34a2 is formed to include an outer peripheral surface coplanar with the bottom surface 33a, so that the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33 is in close contact with the joint portion JP of the filter member 70.

[0151] As Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 16 As shown, the third partition wall portion 34a3 and the fourth partition wall portion 34a4 are formed to include a wide communication groove 34d that connects adjacent ports 34b to each other between the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33 and the inner peripheral surface 70a of the filter member 70.

[0152] That is, multiple partition wall portions (the first partition wall portion 34a1, the third partition wall portion 34a3, the fourth partition wall portion 34a4) other than the second partition wall portion 34a2 include communication grooves 34c and 34d that connect adjacent ports 34b to each other among the multiple ports 34b between the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33 and the inner peripheral surface 70a of the filter member 70.

[0153] As Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 9 As shown, multiple (here, four) ports 34b are each formed to have a substantially rectangular opening and are arranged at substantially equal intervals around the axis S.

[0154] Moreover, the multiple ports 34b formed in the first annular groove G1 correspond to the first opening portion O1 for supplying working oil into the sleeve 30, the multiple ports 34b formed in the second annular groove G2 correspond to the second opening portion O2 that communicates with the retard angle chamber RC, which is the first oil pressure chamber of the applicable object (valve timing change device M), and the multiple ports 34b formed in the third annular groove G3 correspond to the third opening portion O3 that communicates with the advance angle chamber AC, which is the second oil pressure chamber of the applicable object (valve timing change device M).

[0155] In other words, the opening portion 34 includes the first opening portion O1 formed in the first annular groove G1, the second opening portion O2 formed in the second annular groove G2, and the third opening portion O3 formed in the third annular groove G3. The first opening portion O1 includes multiple ports 34b for supplying working oil into the sleeve 30, the second opening portion O2 includes multiple ports 34b that communicate with the first oil pressure chamber (retard angle chamber RC) of the applicable object, and the third opening portion O3 includes multiple ports 34b that communicate with the second oil pressure chamber (advance angle chamber AC) of the applicable object.

[0156] As Figure 6 , Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the protrusion 35 is formed to protrude from the bottom surface 33a and the side surface 33b of the annular groove 33 at a position deviated from the opening portion 34 within the regions of the three annular grooves 33.

[0157] The protrusion 35 is formed to have a generally convex rectangular shape as a whole and has a concave curved surface R in the connection region with the side surface 33b. 31 and has a convex curved surface R in the front end region that departs from the side surface 33b along the axis S direction. 32 .

[0158] Moreover, the protrusion 35 functions to engage the notch portion 75 of the filter member 70 that is wound and fixed in a ring shape in the annular groove 33, thereby positioning the filter member 70 in the circumferential direction of the annular groove 33.

[0159] The small-diameter portion 36 is formed in the region between the annular groove 33 (second annular groove G2) and the annular seal groove 32a in the axis S direction, and includes an outer peripheral surface 36a having a diameter smaller than that of the outer peripheral surface 32 and a discharge opening portion 36b that opens in the region of the outer peripheral surface 36a.

[0160] The outer peripheral surface 36a has the same outer diameter as the bottom surface 33a of the three annular grooves 33.

[0161] The discharge opening portion 36b is formed by four openings that penetrate radially for allowing the working oil to pass through, are arranged at substantially equal intervals around the axis S, and have a substantially rectangular opening.

[0162] That is, the discharge opening portion 36b is formed on the side opposite to the first opening portion O1 (first annular groove G1) with the second opening portion O2 (second annular groove G2) interposed therebetween in the axis S direction, and functions to discharge the working oil flowing into the internal passage 31 from the second opening portion O2 to the outside of the sleeve 30.

[0163] The small-diameter portion 37 is formed in the region between the annular groove 33 (third annular groove G3) and the receiving portion 38 in the axis S direction, and includes an outer peripheral surface 37a having a diameter smaller than that of the outer peripheral surface 32 and a discharge opening portion 37b that opens in the region of the outer peripheral surface 37a.

[0164] The outer peripheral surface 37a has the same outer diameter as the bottom surface 33a of the three annular grooves 33.

[0165] The discharge opening portion 37b is formed by four openings that penetrate radially for allowing the working oil to pass through, are arranged at substantially equal intervals around the axis S, and have a substantially rectangular opening.

[0166] That is, the discharge opening portion 37b is formed on the side opposite to the first opening portion O1 (first annular groove G1) with the third opening portion O3 (third annular groove G3) interposed therebetween in the axis S direction, and functions to discharge the working oil flowing into the internal passage 31 from the third opening portion O3 to the outside of the sleeve 30.

[0167] One end of the receiving portion 38 in the direction of the axis S is formed in a disc shape and forms one end of the biasing spring 60 housed inside the receiving sleeve 30. Further, the receiving portion 38 includes a circular hole 38a for pressure adjustment of the valve body 40 on the axis S. Thus, the valve body 40 can move smoothly between the stationary position and the working position.

[0168] The flange portion 39 is for connecting the electromagnetic actuator 50 and is formed in an annular shape at the other end in the direction of the axis S. Moreover, the flange portion 39 and the electromagnetic actuator 50 are integrally fixed by riveting the cylindrical member 56 of the electromagnetic actuator 50.

[0169] As Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 19 、 Figure 21 、

[0170] The first valve portion 41 is formed to define a cylindrical surface centered on the axis S and slides on the inner peripheral surface 31a of the sleeve 30 to open and close the oil passage between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2. Further, the first valve portion 41 also functions as a guided portion guided in the direction of the axis S by the inner peripheral surface 31a of the sleeve 30.

[0171] The second valve portion 42 has the same shape as the first valve portion 41 and slides on the inner peripheral surface 31a of the sleeve 30 to open and close the oil passage between the first opening O1 and the third opening O3. Further, the second valve portion 42 also functions as a guided portion guided in the direction of the axis S by the inner peripheral surface 31a of the sleeve 30.

[0172] The small-diameter portion 43 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than that of the first valve portion 41 and the second valve portion 42, and is formed to define an oil passage for working oil between it and the inner peripheral surface 31a and the inner peripheral surface 31b of the sleeve 30.

[0173] The guided portion 44 is formed to define a cylindrical surface having the same outer diameter as that of the first valve portion 41 and the second valve portion 42 so as to be guided in the direction of the axis S by the inner peripheral surface 31a of the sleeve 30.

[0174] One end of the abutting portion 45 in the direction of the axis S is formed as a flat surface and engages with the drive shaft 58b of the electromagnetic actuator 50 to give a driving force against the biasing force of the biasing spring 60.

[0175] The spring housing portion 46 has a receiving portion 46a that receives the other end portion of the biasing spring 60, and houses the biasing spring 60 in a telescopable manner in the axial direction of the axis S.

[0176] The internal passage 47 and the opening 48 function to adjust the pressure in the spaces on both end sides of the valve body 40 when the valve body 40 reciprocates in the axial direction of the axis S, thereby enabling the valve body 40 to move smoothly.

[0177] As Figures 2 to 4 shown, the electromagnetic actuator 50 includes: a first stator 51 and a second stator 52 that form a magnetic circuit, a solenoid 53, a coil 54 for exciting, a resin cover member 55 that houses the solenoid 53 and the coil 54 and has a connector 55a, a cylindrical member 56 and a flat member 57 that form a magnetic circuit, a movable member 58, a mounting bracket 59 fixed to the cylindrical member 56, an annular seal member Sr1, an annular seal member Sr2, and an annular seal member Sr3.

[0178] The cylindrical member 56 is formed of an iron plate containing soft iron or the like into a cylindrical shape centered on the axis S by machining such as cutting and rolling. Moreover, the cylindrical member 56 has been riveted in order to engage and fix the flange portion 39 of the sleeve 30 to the flat member 57.

[0179] The movable member 58 includes a plunger 58a and a drive shaft 58b fixed to the plunger 58a.

[0180] The plunger 58a functions as a magnetic circuit through which magnetic lines of force pass, and functions as a movable iron core that moves in the axial direction of the axis S when the coil 54 is energized.

[0181] The drive shaft 58b abuts against the abutting portion 45 of the valve body 40 and applies a driving force, and is formed into a long cylindrical shape in the axial direction of the axis S using a non-magnetic material such as stainless steel.

[0182] Moreover, in the electromagnetic actuator 50, when the coil 54 is energized, the movable member 58 (drive shaft 58b) moves in the axial direction of the axis S against the biasing force of the biasing spring 60, thereby moving the valve body 40 toward the working position. When the energization of the coil 54 is cut off, the valve body 40 returns to the stationary position together with the biasing force of the biasing spring 60.

[0183] The biasing spring 60 is a compression-type helical spring, is housed in the internal passage 31 of the sleeve 30, and is assembled in such a manner that one end portion abuts against the receiving portion 38 of the sleeve 30 and the other end portion abuts against the receiving portion 46a of the spring housing portion 46 of the valve body 40.

[0184] Moreover, as Figure 19As shown, the biasing spring 60 applies a biasing force that biases the valve body 40 toward the first valve portion 41 to an idle position where the oil passage between the first opening O1 and the second opening O2 is opened, that is, toward the drive shaft 58b of the electromagnetic actuator 50.

[0185] The filter member 70 is formed by punching or etching a stainless steel plate with a thin plate thickness T.

[0186] Before assembly, the filter member 70 is in a state where, as Figure 11 shown, it has a strip shape with a length dimension of 2Lf in the length direction LD and a width dimension of Wf in the width direction WD, and includes one side portion 71, the other side portion 72, one end side region 73, the other end side region 74, a cutout portion 75, and a filtering portion 76.

[0187] Here, the width dimension Wf of the filter member 70 is set to be slightly smaller than the width W in the axial direction S of the annular groove 33 of the sleeve 30 and sufficiently larger than the opening width D of the port 34b. In addition, regarding the length dimension 2Lf of the filter member 70, in order to form a joint portion JP where the one end side region 73 and the other end side region 74 overlap in a state of being wound around the annular groove 33, it is set to be larger than the outer peripheral length of the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33 that presents a cylindrical surface.

[0188] As Figure 2 and Figure 12 shown, the one end side region 73 and the other end side region 74 form a joint portion JP in a state of being wound around the annular groove 33 of the sleeve 30 in a ring shape and fixed by welding Wd.

[0189] The cutout portion 75 is engaged with the protruding portion 35 of the sleeve 30, and as Figure 11 shown, it is formed to include a first cutout portion 75a and a second cutout portion 75b on both side portions 71 and 72, that is, both sides in the width direction WD, and the first cutout portion 75a and the second cutout portion 75b are formed symmetrically with respect to the center line CL in the length direction LD.

[0190] In addition, the cutout portion 75 is formed at the center of the filter member 70 in the length direction LD. That is, the filter member 70 is formed to have the same length Lf from the cutout portion 75 to both ends in the length direction LD.

[0191] Here, the cutout portion 75 (the first cutout portion 75a and the second cutout portion 75b) is formed in a concave rectangular shape to fit the protruding portion 35 of the sleeve 30 having a convex rectangular shape, and a convex curved portion R 71 and a concave curved portion R 72 are formed. As Figure 15 shown, the convex curved portion R71 has a radius of curvature formed larger than the concave curved surface R of the protrusion 35 31 As a result, the cutout portion 75 is smoothly engaged with the protrusion 35.

[0192] The filtering portion 76 is disposed on both sides of the cutout portion 75 in the longitudinal direction LD, has a substantially rectangular outline, and is formed as an aggregate of a plurality of filtering holes 76a.

[0193] As Figure 14 shown, the filtering holes 76a of the filtering portion 76 are formed by etching as round holes having a diameter φd.

[0194] In addition, the substantially rectangular outline of the filtering portion 76 is formed to be equal to or slightly larger than the width dimension of the opening 34 (mouth 34b) formed in the annular groove 33.

[0195] Furthermore, the diameter φd of the filtering holes 76a is larger than the plate thickness T of the filter member 70, and is formed to be about twice the size of the plate thickness T (φd = 2T) here. For example, when the plate thickness T of the stainless steel plate forming the filter member 70 is 0.1 mm, the diameter φd of the filtering holes 76a can be set to 0.2 mm.

[0196] As Figure 15 shown, the filter member 70 having the above-described structure is assembled in the following manner: when wound around and fixed to the annular groove 33 of the sleeve 30 in a ring shape, one of the first cutout portion 75a and the second cutout portion 75b is engaged with the protrusion 35.

[0197] That is, since the cutout portion 75 includes two cutout portions (the first cutout portion 75a and the second cutout portion 75b) formed symmetrically with respect to the center line CL, when winding the filter member 70, the assembly can be performed regardless of whether the front and back are reversed or the left and right in the axis S direction are reversed, and thus the assembly operation can be smoothly performed.

[0198] In addition, in a state where the filter member 70 is wound around and fixed to the annular groove 33 in a ring shape, as Figure 16 shown, communication grooves 34c and 34d for communicating adjacent mouths 34b with each other are formed between the inner peripheral surface 70a of the filter member 70 and the first partition wall portion 34a1, the third partition wall portion 34a3, and the fourth partition wall portion 34a4 other than the second partition wall portion 34a2.

[0199] As a result, the passage area when the working oil flows through the filter member 70 can be increased, and thus the flow resistance can be reduced.

[0200] On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the second partition wall portion 34a2 is formed to be coplanar with the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33, so as to be in close contact with the joint portion JP of the filter member 70. Therefore, when welding (for example, laser welding) is performed while pressing the one-end side region 73 and the other-end side region 74 in an overlapping manner, this pressing force can be borne, and the welding operation can be reliably performed.

[0201] In addition, in a state where the filter member 70 is wound around the annular groove 33 in a ring shape and fixed, as Figure 17 shown, one side portion 71 and the other side portion 72 of the filter member 70 face the annular thinning portion 33c formed in the boundary region between the bottom surface 33a and the side surface 33b of the annular groove 33.

[0202] Assuming that the boundary region is formed as a curved surface (corner R) bulging with respect to the bottom surface 33a, there is a concern that the filter member 70 may be biased in the axial direction of the axis S and straddle the curved surface of the boundary region during winding and may not be in close contact with the bottom surface 33a. Here, since the boundary region is formed as the annular thinning portion 33c with respect to the bottom surface 33a, the filter member 70 can be in close contact with the bottom surface 33a, and the sealing performance of the region other than the filtering portion 76 can be ensured.

[0203] In addition, in a state where the filter member 70 is wound around the annular groove 33 in a ring shape and fixed, as Figure 18 shown, in the region near the joint portion JP where the one-end side region 73 and the other-end side region 74 are joined in an overlapping manner, a gap C that gradually decreases from the plate thickness T of the filter member 70 is generated between the inner peripheral surface 70a of the filter member 70 and the bottom surface 33a of the annular groove 33.

[0204] Here, since the plate thickness T is smaller than the diameter φd of the filter holes 76a of the filter member 70, the gap C is smaller than the diameter φd of the filter holes 76a. Therefore, even if the gap C is generated, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of contaminants to be filtered through the gap C.

[0205] The sealing member Sr is a rubber O-ring, which is inserted into the annular sealing groove 32a of the sleeve 30 to seal between the main body 1 of the engine E and the sleeve 30.

[0206] Next, with reference to Figures 19 to 22 the operation of the valve timing change device M using the oil passage control valve V having the above structure will be described.

[0207] First, in a stopped state of the engine E, the oil passage control valve V is in a stationary state. At this time, as Figure 19As shown, the valve body 40 is biased in one direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring 60. The first valve portion 41 is in a valve-open state where the oil passage between the first opening O1 (port 34b) and the second opening O2 (port 34b) is open, and the second valve portion 42 is in a valve-closed state where the oil passage between the first opening O1 (port 34b) and the third opening O3 (port 34b) is closed. At this time, the retard angle chamber RC is in a state of being supplied with working oil, and the advance angle chamber AC is in a state of discharging working oil.

[0208] In addition, in the stopped state of the engine E, as Figure 20 shown, the valve timing is held at the retard angle position (here, the maximum retard angle position). Here, in the stopped state of the engine E, the valve timing can also be held at the retard angle position by a locking mechanism (not shown). In addition, during the operation of the engine E, the valve timing is in a state from the intermediate position to the advance angle position. Therefore, when the engine E transitions to the stopped state, the valve timing automatically returns to the retard angle position by the varying torque and frictional torque transmitted from the camshaft 4.

[0209] Moreover, when the engine E starts, working oil is supplied via the oil pump 3. For example, in the medium to high load mode of the engine E, the electromagnetic actuator 50 is driven, and the valve body 40 is moved in the direction of compressing the biasing spring 60 by the drive shaft 58b.

[0210] Moreover, as Figure 21 shown, the first valve portion 41 becomes a valve-closed state where the oil passage between the first opening O1 (port 34b) and the second opening O2 (port 34b) is closed, and the second valve portion 42 becomes a valve-open state where the oil passage between the first opening O1 (port 34b) and the third opening O3 (port 34b) is open.

[0211] Therefore, the working oil supplied through the first opening O1 (port 34b) is introduced into the advance angle chamber AC via the third opening O3 (port 34b), the advance angle oil passage 1e, the advance angle oil passage 4c, and the advance angle oil passage 21c. On the other hand, the working oil in the retard angle chamber RC is introduced into the discharge opening 36b via the retard angle oil passage 14, the retard angle oil passage 4b, the retard angle oil passage 1d, and the second opening O2 (port 34b), and returns to the oil pan 2 via the discharge oil passage 1c.

[0212] At this time, as Figure 22 shown, the valve timing of the engine E is held at the advance angle position (here, the maximum advance angle position).

[0213] According to the oil passage control valve V presenting the above structure, it includes: a sleeve 30 having an internal passage 31 extending along a specified axis S direction for working oil to pass through, an annular groove 33 formed on the outer periphery, and an opening 34 penetrating radially in the region of the annular groove 33 for working oil to pass through; a valve body 40 slidably housed in the internal passage 31 and opening and closing the opening 34; a strip-shaped filter member 70 wound and fixed annularly in the annular groove 33; and drive elements (electromagnetic actuator 50 and biasing spring 60) for driving the valve body 40. Among them, the sleeve 30 includes a protruding portion 35 protruding from the bottom surface 33a and the side surface 33b of the annular groove 33 at a position deviated from the opening 34 in the region of the annular groove 33. The filter member 70 includes: a cutout portion 75 which, when fixed in the annular groove 33, is caught by the protruding portion 35 at the side portion in the width direction WD; a filtering portion 76 facing the opening 34; and a joint portion JP formed by overlapping the two end side regions. Therefore, simplification of the structure, cost reduction, weight reduction, miniaturization, etc. can be achieved, and the filter member 70 can be easily positioned and fixed.

[0214] In the above embodiment, as the sleeve, a sleeve 30 including discharge openings 36b and 37b penetrating radially is shown, but it is not limited thereto. As Figure 23 shown, the discharge openings 36b and 37b can also be abolished in the sleeve 30, and discharge openings 49a and 49b communicating with the internal passage 47 can be adopted in the valve body 40.

[0215] In the above embodiment, a structure is shown in which a protruding portion 35 presenting a convex rectangle is adopted as the protruding portion of the sleeve 30, and a cutout portion 75 having a concave rectangle shape is adopted as the cutout portion of the filter member 70. However, it is not limited thereto. As long as it is a protruding portion protruding from the bottom surface and the side surface of the annular groove, other forms can also be adopted. As the cutout portion, a form that can be caught by the protruding portion can also be adopted.

[0216] In the above embodiment, as the cutout portion formed on the side portion of the filter member 70, a first cutout portion 75a and a second cutout portion 75b formed symmetrically with respect to the center line CL are shown. However, it is not limited thereto, and a filter member having a single cutout portion formed on the side portion can also be adopted.

[0217] In the above embodiment, as the filter member, a filter member 70 is shown in which the length from the cutout portion 75 to both ends in the length direction LD is the same length Lf. However, it is not limited thereto, and a filter member having a cutout portion at a position biased from the center in the length direction LD can also be adopted, and a structure in which a second partition wall portion is arranged at a position where the joint portions in the one end side region and the other end side region overlap is adopted.

[0218] In the said embodiment, as a valve timing changing device for applying the oil passage control valve V, a valve timing changing device M including three vane portions 12, three pole shoe portions 22b, three retard angle oil passages 14 and three advance angle oil passages 21c is shown, but it is not limited thereto, and it may also be applied to a valve timing changing device including four vane portions, four pole shoe portions, four retard angle oil passages and four advance angle oil passages.

[0219] In the said embodiment, as the oil passage control valve, an oil passage control valve V fitted into the fitting hole 1a of the main body 1 of the engine E is shown, but it is not limited thereto, and it may also be formed as an oil passage control valve fitted into the fitting hole of the fastening bolt for fastening the vane rotor included in the valve timing changing device and the camshaft.

[0220] In the oil passage control valve V of the said embodiment, as the drive element, an electromagnetic actuator 50 and a biasing spring 60 are shown, but it is not limited thereto, and a drive element that deforms according to the temperature of the working oil and gives a driving force, such as a shape memory alloy, a thermal element incorporating paraffin wax, a bimetal, etc., may also be adopted.

[0221] As described above, by the oil passage control valve and the valve timing changing device of the present invention, simplification of the structure, cost reduction, weight reduction, miniaturization, etc. can be achieved, and the filter member can be easily positioned and fixed. Therefore, of course, it can be applied to the engine mounted on a vehicle or the like, and can also be effectively used for the engine mounted on other vehicles such as a two-wheeled vehicle. In addition, the oil passage control valve of the present invention is not limited to being used for the valve timing changing device, and can also be effectively used for other devices for controlling the oil passage.

Claims

1. An oil circuit control valve, characterized in that: include: The sleeve has an internal passage extending in a predetermined axial direction and through which the working oil passes, an annular groove formed on the outer periphery, and an opening penetrating in a radial direction in the region of the annular groove and through which the working oil passes; a valve body slidably received in the internal passage and opening and closing the opening; A plate-shaped filter member is annularly wound and fixed in the annular groove; as well as A driving element drives the valve body, wherein: The sleeve includes a protrusion protruding from the bottom surface and the side surface of the annular groove at a position deviated from the opening in the region of the annular groove, The filter member includes: a cutout portion whose side portion in the width direction is locked to the protrusion in a state of being fixed to the annular groove; a filter portion facing the opening; and a joint portion formed by overlapping the end side regions.

2. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protrusion is formed into a convex rectangular shape, The cutout portion is formed in a concave rectangular shape.

3. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cutout portion includes a first cutout portion and a second cutout portion formed line-symmetrically with respect to a center line in a longitudinal direction of the filter member at both sides in the width direction of the filter member.

4. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular groove includes an annular thinned portion that is more recessed than the bottom surface in a boundary region between a bottom surface in close contact with the filter member and side surfaces standing radially from both sides of the bottom surface.

5. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sleeve includes, in order to define the opening, a plurality of openings arranged in the circumferential direction in the annular groove and formed to have an opening width narrower than a width of the annular groove; and a plurality of partition walls separating the plurality of openings from each other. The plurality of partition wall portions include a first partition wall portion, the protrusion portion being located at the first partition wall portion in the circumferential direction of the annular groove, and a second partition wall portion overlapping with a joint portion of the filter member in the circumferential direction of the annular groove.

6. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plurality of partition wall portions other than the second partition wall portion include a communication groove between the bottom surface of the annular groove and the inner peripheral surface of the filter member for communicating two adjacent ports among the plurality of ports.

7. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The filter member is formed to have the same length from the cutout portion to both ends in the longitudinal direction. The second partition wall portion is formed at a position facing the first partition wall portion in the radial direction of the annular groove.

8. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 5, characterized in that: The joint portions of the filter member are welded.

9. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter portion of the filter element includes a plurality of filter holes. The plate thickness of the filter member is smaller than the diameter of the filter hole.

10. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving element includes: an application spring that applies force to the valve body to position the valve body in a static position; and an electromagnetic actuator that applies a driving force to the valve body against the application force of the application spring to position the valve body in a working position.

11. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The annular groove includes: a first annular groove; a second annular groove disposed adjacent to one side of the first annular groove in the axial direction; and a third annular groove disposed adjacent to the other side of the first annular groove in the axial direction. The opening portion includes: a first opening portion formed in the first annular groove; a second opening portion formed in the second annular groove; and a third opening portion formed in the third annular groove. The filter member is wound around and fixed to the first annular groove, the second annular groove, and the third annular groove, respectively.

12. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 11, characterized in that: The first opening portion includes a plurality of ports for supplying hydraulic oil into the sleeve. The second opening portion includes a plurality of ports communicating with the first hydraulic chamber of the application object. The third opening portion includes a plurality of ports communicating with the second hydraulic chamber of the application object.

13. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 11, characterized in that: The sleeve includes discharge openings for discharging hydraulic oil, and the discharge openings are formed in a region opposite to the first opening across the second opening and a region opposite to the first opening across the third opening in the axial direction.

14. The oil circuit control valve according to claim 11, characterized in that: The valve body includes: a first valve portion that opens and closes an oil passage between the first opening and the second opening; and a second valve portion that opens and closes an oil passage between the first opening and the third opening.

15. The oil circuit control valve according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that: The sleeve is formed so as to be fitted into a member of the engine that defines an oil passage through which operating oil passes.

16. A valve timing changing device for an engine that changes the opening and closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve driven by a camshaft, characterized in that: include: a housing rotor, rotating on the axis of the camshaft; a vane rotor, cooperating with the housing rotor to define a retard angle chamber and an advance angle chamber, and rotating on the axis; as well as The oil circuit control valve opens and closes the oil circuit, and the oil circuit supplies or discharges working oil to the retard angle chamber and the advance angle chamber, and The oil circuit control valve is the oil circuit control valve as claimed in claim 15.

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