Valve timing control device

The compact valve timing control device addresses lubrication issues by using an annular oil passage and tapered eccentric member to reliably supply oil to sliding parts, preventing wear and seizure while maintaining a compact design.

JP7739998B2Active Publication Date: 2025-09-17AISIN CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021201203
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-12-10
Publication Date
2025-09-17
Estimated Expiration
2041-12-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing valve timing control devices face issues with lubrication, leading to wear and seizure of sliding parts due to inadequate lubricating oil supply, and require a significant overall length, making the device bulky.

Method used

A compact valve timing control device design that includes a drive-side rotor, a driven-side rotor, and a phase adjustment mechanism with an annular oil passage and tapered portions on the eccentric member to ensure reliable lubricating oil distribution to sliding parts, eliminating the need for a gap along the rotation axis.

Benefits of technology

The design effectively supplies lubricating oil to sliding parts, preventing wear and seizure while maintaining a compact device size by eliminating the need for additional space along the rotation axis for lubrication storage.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a valve opening / closing timing control device configured to have a compact shape while securely supplying lubrication oil to a sliding portion in a driven side rotating body.SOLUTION: A valve opening / closing timing control device includes a driving side rotating body A, a driven side rotating body B and a phase adjusting mechanism C for setting a relative rotation phase of the driving side rotating body A and the driven side rotating body B. The phase adjusting mechanism C includes: an output gear 25 provided in the driven side rotating body B coaxially with a rotation axis X; an input gear 30 coupled to the driving side rotating body A; and a cylindrical eccentric member 26 for rotating the input gear 30. The driven side rotating body B includes a support wall part 21 coupled to an end part of a cam shaft 2 in a posture orthogonal to the rotation axis X. The support wall part 21 includes: a supply oil passage 21a enabling supply of lubrication oil from outside into the driven side rotating body B; and an annular oil passage 21d that is communicated with the supply oil passage 21a and formed on an inner wall surface 21b of the support wall part 21 in a recessed manner and annularly around the rotation axis X and in which the lubrication oil can flow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve timing control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a valve timing control device in an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of valve opening and closing by a cam portion of a camshaft using torque transmitted from the crankshaft. This valve timing control device includes a drive-side rotor, a driven-side rotor, and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor. The phase adjustment mechanism includes an output gear provided on the driven-side rotor coaxially with the rotational axis, an input gear that rotates about an eccentric axis parallel to the rotational axis and is connected to the drive-side rotor, a first bearing, a second bearing, and a cylindrical eccentric member that supports the input gear from its inner periphery via the second bearing and rotates the input gear.

[0003] In the valve timing control device described in Patent Document 1, the driven rotor has a support wall connected to the end of the camshaft in an orientation perpendicular to the rotational axis, and the support wall has an oil supply passage that allows lubricating oil to be supplied from outside to the inside of the driven rotor. The drive rotor has a front plate on the opposite side of the eccentric member from the camshaft in the direction along the rotational axis. The driven rotor has an eccentric member disposed adjacent to the inner wall surface of the support wall, and a first bearing is located radially outward of the eccentric member. Therefore, lubricating oil supplied to the inside of the driven rotor from the oil supply passage provided in the support wall is not easily supplied to the output gear, input gear, first bearing, second bearing, and other components that slide inside the driven rotor during operation of the valve timing control device (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as "sliding parts"). Without the supply of lubricating oil, the sliding parts inside the driven rotor may wear or seize due to a lack of lubricating oil.

[0004] In contrast, in the valve timing control device (referred to as a "valve timing adjusting device" in the document) described in Patent Document 2, a space through which lubricating oil can flow is provided between the inner wall surface of the wall portion of the driven rotor on the camshaft side and the eccentric member in the direction along the rotation axis. Therefore, inside the driven rotor, the supplied lubricating oil can be supplied to the sliding parts through this space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-17833 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-215954 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the valve timing control device described in Patent Document 2, a space is provided between the inner wall surface of the wall portion on the camshaft side of the driven rotor and the eccentric member, so it is necessary to ensure a long overall length along the rotation axis, which raises concerns that the entire device may become large.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a compact valve timing control device that reliably supplies lubricating oil to the sliding parts inside the driven rotor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A valve timing control device according to the present invention for achieving the above object has a characteristic configuration including a drive-side rotor that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine about a rotational axis, a driven-side rotor that is coaxial with the rotational axis and is arranged inside the drive-side rotor and rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing valves of the internal combustion engine, and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, the phase adjustment mechanism including an output gear that is coaxial with the rotational axis and is provided on the driven-side rotor, an input gear that rotates about an eccentric axis that is parallel to the rotational axis and is connected to the drive-side rotor, and a phase adjustment mechanism that adjusts the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor via a support bearing. and a cylindrical eccentric member that supports a force gear from the inner peripheral side and rotates the input gear, and is configured so that rotation of the eccentric member about the rotation axis causes the eccentric axis to revolve, thereby changing the meshing position between the output gear and the input gear, and the driven-side rotating body has a support wall portion that is connected to an end of the camshaft in an attitude perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the support wall portion has a supply oil passage that can supply lubricating oil from the outside to the inside of the driven-side rotating body, and has an annular oil passage that communicates with the supply oil passage, is concave on the inner wall surface of the support wall portion, and is formed in an annular shape around the rotation axis, so that the lubricating oil can flow through.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the lubricating oil supplied to the driven rotor from the oil supply passage provided in the support wall is supplied to the internal space of the eccentric member and the annular oil passage inside the driven rotor, and then, by centrifugal force, is supplied to the sliding parts located on the outer periphery of the eccentric member via the annular oil passage. This ensures that the lubricating oil is reliably supplied to the sliding parts inside the driven rotor via the annular oil passage. As a result, wear and seizure of the sliding parts in the valve timing control device can be suppressed.

[0010] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the annular oil passage is formed in a concave shape on the inner wall surface of the support wall, so the valve timing control device does not need to secure a gap along the rotation axis to ensure a storage space for lubricating oil inside the driven rotor, thereby allowing the valve timing control device to be configured compactly.

[0011] A further characteristic feature of the valve opening / closing timing control device according to the present invention is that the support wall portion has a connecting oil passage on the inner wall surface that connects the supply oil passage and the annular oil passage, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting oil passage is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage.

[0012] The lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage flows into the annular oil passage from a portion of the circumferential portion of the annular oil passage and is distributed throughout the annular oil passage. At this time, the cross-sectional area of ​​the oil supply passage is likely to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage. In that case, the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage may be interrupted within the annular oil passage, and it may take a long time to distribute throughout the annular oil passage. Therefore, in this configuration, the support wall portion has a communication oil passage on its inner wall surface that connects the oil supply passage and the annular oil passage, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication oil passage is configured to be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage. With this configuration, the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage is temporarily stored in the communication oil passage, and the lubricating oil that overflows from the communication oil passage is supplied to the annular oil passage. At this time, because the communication oil passage has a larger cross-sectional area than the annular oil passage, the lubricating oil is not interrupted within the annular oil passage, and the lubricating oil can be distributed throughout the annular oil passage in a short time.

[0013] A further characteristic feature of the valve timing control device according to the present invention is that the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication oil passage is at least twice the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage.

[0014] The lubricating oil supplied from the communication oil passage to the annular oil passage flows in both directions (clockwise and counterclockwise) of the annular oil passage. With the above configuration, the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication oil passage is at least twice the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage, so the lubricating oil can be supplied more smoothly through the communication oil passage. Even when the lubricating oil flows in both directions within the annular oil passage, the lubricating oil is not interrupted within the annular oil passage, and the lubricating oil can be distributed throughout the entire annular oil passage in a short time.

[0015] A further characteristic feature of the valve timing control device according to the present invention is that the phase adjustment mechanism further has a retaining bearing arranged between the inner circumference of the driven rotating body and the outer circumference of the eccentric member, the retaining bearing having an outer ring attached to the driven rotating body and an inner ring attached to the eccentric member, and the annular oil passage faces at least the area extending from the inner diameter side end of the inner ring of the retaining bearing to the inner diameter side end of the outer ring of the retaining bearing.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the annular oil passage faces the area extending from the inner diameter side end of the inner ring of the retaining bearing, which is arranged at least on the outer peripheral side of the eccentric member, to the inner diameter side end of the outer ring of the retaining bearing, so that lubricating oil can be more reliably supplied to the rolling elements of the retaining bearing, which are the sliding parts, via the annular oil passage.

[0017] A further characteristic feature of the valve timing control device according to the present invention is that the entire inner surface of the eccentric member has a tapered portion whose diameter increases as it approaches the support wall portion in the direction along the rotation axis.

[0018] A valve timing control device according to the present invention has a characteristic configuration including a drive-side rotor that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine about a rotational axis, a driven-side rotor that is coaxial with the rotational axis and disposed inside the drive-side rotor and rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing valves of the internal combustion engine, and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, the phase adjustment mechanism including an output gear that is coaxial with the rotational axis and disposed on the driven-side rotor, an output gear that rotates about an eccentric axis that is parallel to the rotational axis and that is disposed on the drive-side rotor, The driven-side rotating body includes an input gear connected to the output gear, and a cylindrical eccentric member that supports the input gear from its inner side via a support bearing and rotates the input gear, and is configured so that rotation of the eccentric member around the rotation axis causes the eccentric axis to revolve, thereby changing the meshing position between the output gear and the input gear.The driven-side rotating body has a support wall portion that is connected to the end of the camshaft in an orientation perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the entire inner surface of the eccentric member has a tapered portion that becomes larger in diameter as it approaches the support wall portion in the direction along the rotation axis.

[0019] According to the above configuration, when the eccentric member rotates during operation of the valve timing control device, the tapered portion formed on the entire inner circumferential surface of the eccentric member, which defines the internal space of the eccentric member, causes the lubricating oil supplied to the internal space of the eccentric member inside the driven-side rotor to move radially outward along the inner circumferential surface of the eccentric member, i.e., approach the support wall portion, and then undergo centrifugal force toward the outer circumferential edge of the support wall portion. This ensures that the lubricating oil supplied to the internal space of the driven-side rotor can be reliably supplied from the support wall portion to the sliding parts. As a result, wear and seizure of the sliding parts can be suppressed.

[0020] Furthermore, because this configuration provides a tapered portion along the entire inner periphery of the eccentric member, the valve timing control device does not need to provide a gap along the rotation axis to ensure a storage space for lubricating oil inside the driven rotor, allowing the valve timing control device to be configured compactly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve timing control device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part K in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the valve timing control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a valve timing control device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] [First embodiment] [Basic configuration] As shown in FIG. 1, the valve timing control device 100 according to this embodiment includes a drive-side rotor A that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft 1 of an engine E as an internal combustion engine, an intake camshaft 2 (an example of a camshaft) that opens and closes an intake valve 2B (an example of a valve), a driven-side rotor B that rotates integrally with the intake camshaft 2 about a rotation axis X, and a phase adjustment mechanism C that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor A and the driven-side rotor B using the driving force of a phase control motor M.

[0024] The engine E is a four-stroke engine in which pistons 4 are housed in multiple cylinders 3 formed in a cylinder block, and the pistons 4 are connected to a crankshaft 1 by connecting rods 5. A timing chain 6 (which may be a timing belt or the like) is wound around an output sprocket 1S of the crankshaft 1 of the engine E and a drive sprocket 11S of the drive-side rotor A.

[0025] As a result, when the engine E is running, the entire valve timing control device 100 rotates around the rotational axis X. In addition, the driving force of the phase control motor M operates the phase adjustment mechanism C, which makes it possible to displace the driven rotor B in the same direction as the rotational direction or in the opposite direction relative to the driving rotor A. This displacement by the phase adjustment mechanism C sets the relative rotational phase between the driving rotor A and the driven rotor B, thereby realizing control of the opening and closing timing of the intake valve 2B by the cam portion 2A of the intake camshaft 2.

[0026] The operation in which the driven-side rotor B is displaced relatively in the same direction as the rotational direction of the driving-side rotor A is called advance operation, and this advance operation increases the intake compression ratio. On the other hand, the operation in which the driven-side rotor B is displaced relatively in the opposite direction to the driving-side rotor A (operation in the opposite direction to advance operation) is called retard operation, and this retard operation reduces the intake compression ratio.

[0027] [Valve timing control device] As shown in Fig. 1, the drive-side rotating body A is configured by fastening an outer case 11, which has a drive sprocket 11S formed on its outer periphery, to a front plate 12 with a plurality of fastening bolts 13. The outer case 11 is a cylindrical type with a bottom and an opening at the bottom.

[0028] 1 to 4, an intermediate member 20 (see FIG. 2, etc.) serving as a driven rotor B and a phase adjustment mechanism C (see FIG. 3, etc.) having a hypotrochoid gear reduction mechanism are housed in the internal space of the outer case 11. The phase adjustment mechanism C also includes an Oldham coupling Cx (see FIG. 4, etc.) that reflects a phase change in the drive rotor A and the driven rotor B.

[0029] The intermediate member 20 constituting the driven-side rotor B is integrally formed with a support wall portion 21 that is connected to the intake camshaft 2 in an orientation perpendicular to the rotation axis X, and a cylindrical wall portion 22 that is cylindrical and centered on the rotation axis X and protrudes from the outer peripheral edge of the support wall portion 21 in a direction away from the intake camshaft 2.

[0030] The intermediate member 20 is fitted into the outer case 11 so as to be rotatable relative to the inner surface of the outer case 11, with the outer surface of the cylindrical wall portion 22 in contact with the inner surface of the outer case 11, and is fixed to the end of the intake camshaft 2 by a connecting bolt 23 inserted into a through-hole 21e in the center of the support wall portion 21. When fixed in this manner, the outer end of the cylindrical wall portion 22 (the side farther from the intake camshaft 2) is positioned inside the front plate 12. Furthermore, by fastening the support wall portion 21 with the connecting bolt 23 and tightly fixing it to the end of the intake camshaft 2, the gap between the end of the intake camshaft 2 and the support wall portion 21 is sealed and oil-tight, preventing lubricating oil from leaking between them.

[0031] 1 and 7, a groove 22a is formed around the entire outer periphery of the cylindrical wall portion 22. The groove 22a improves the retention of lubricating oil between the outer surface of the cylindrical wall portion 22 and the inner surface of the outer case 11. This reduces the frictional force between the cylindrical wall portion 22 and the outer case 11, allowing the intermediate member 20 to rotate smoothly relative to the outer case 11.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 1, the phase control motor M is supported on the engine E by a support frame 7 so that its output shaft Ma is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis X. A pair of engagement pins 8 are formed on the output shaft Ma of the phase control motor M, and are oriented perpendicular to the rotation axis X (see also Figs. 3 and 4).

[0033] [Phase adjustment mechanism] 1 and 7, the phase adjustment mechanism C is configured to include an intermediate member 20, an output gear 25 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 22 of the intermediate member 20, an eccentric member 26, an elastic member S, a first bearing 28 (an example of a "retaining bearing"), a second bearing (an example of a "support bearing") 29, an input gear 30, a fixed ring 31, a ring-shaped spacer 32, and an Oldham coupling Cx. Note that rolling bearings are used for the first bearing 28 and the second bearing 29, but plain bearings can also be used.

[0034] The first bearing 28 is disposed between a circumferential support surface 26S on the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member 26 and the support surface 22S of the driven-side rotating body B. In this embodiment, the first bearing 28 is a ball bearing having an inner ring 28a attached to the circumferential support surface 26S of the eccentric member 26 and an outer ring 28b attached to the support surface 22S of the driven-side rotating body B. The second bearing 29 is disposed between an eccentric support surface 26E on the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member 26 and the inner peripheral surface of the input gear 30. The second bearing 29 is a ball bearing having an inner ring 29a attached to the eccentric support surface 26E of the eccentric member 26 and an outer ring 29b attached to the inner peripheral surface of the input gear 30.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, a support surface 22S centered on the rotation axis X is formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical wall portion 22 of the intermediate member 20 on the inside (at a position adjacent to the support wall portion 21) in a direction along the rotation axis X (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction), and an output gear 25 centered on the rotation axis X is integrally formed outside the support surface 22S (on the side farther from the intake camshaft 2).

[0036] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 7, the eccentric member 26 is cylindrical. A circumferential support surface 26S is formed on the axially inner side of the eccentric member 26 (the side closer to the intake camshaft 2) and is the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member 26, the circumferential support surface 26E is formed on the axially outer side of the eccentric member 26 (the side farther from the intake camshaft 2) and is the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member 26, the eccentric support surface 26E is formed on the axially outer side of the eccentric member 26, the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric member 26 being centered on an eccentric axis Y that is eccentric and parallel to the rotation axis X. Because the direction along the eccentric axis Y is the same as the axial direction, hereinafter, the direction along the eccentric axis Y will also be simply referred to as the axial direction.

[0037] 4 and 7, a first recess 70 recessed inward along the radial direction of the eccentric member 26 is formed in the eccentric support surface 26E. A pair of second recesses 79, 79 recessed toward the radial axis of the eccentric member 26 are formed in the bottom surface of the first recess 70 at both ends in the circumferential direction of the eccentric member 26. In this embodiment, the first recess 70 is symmetrical in the circumferential direction (left-right symmetry in FIG. 4).

[0038] The second recesses 79, 79 are respectively formed at the ends of the first recess 70 in the circumferential direction of the eccentric member 26. The maximum depth of the bottom surface of the second recesses 79, 79 in the radial direction of the eccentric member 26 is deeper than the depth of the bottom surface of the first recess 70 near the center in the circumferential direction of the eccentric member 26. The surfaces from the bottom surface to the ends of each of the second recesses 79, 79 in the circumferential direction of the eccentric member 26 are formed in a shape that follows the curved shape of the curved portion of the spring member 71, which will be described later.

[0039] An elastic member S is fitted into the first recess 70. The elastic member S includes a pair of spring members 71, 71. In this embodiment, the pair of spring members 71, 71 have the same shape and size. The elastic member S applies a biasing force to the input gear 30 via the second bearing 29 so that a portion of the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 meshes with a portion of the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25. This prevents the backlash between the input gear 30 and the output gear 25 from increasing, thereby preventing abnormal noise. This also improves the durability of the input gear 30 and the output gear 25.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a pair of engagement grooves 26T, each engageable with a pair of engagement pins 8 of the phase control motor M (see FIG. 1), are formed on the inner periphery of the eccentric member 26 in a position parallel to the rotation axis X. Furthermore, a plurality of first lubricating oil grooves 26a (see FIG. 1) are formed on the inner side (the side of the support wall 21) of the eccentric member 26 and are oriented along the radial direction, and a plurality of second lubricating oil grooves 26b are formed on the outer side (the side farther from the intake camshaft 2) and are oriented along the radial direction. Note that the eccentric member 26 may be formed with only one of the first lubricating oil grooves 26a and the second lubricating oil grooves 26b. The number of the first lubricating oil grooves 26a and the second lubricating oil grooves 26b may be set arbitrarily.

[0041] 7, first tapered portions 26c (inclined portions) whose diameter decreases toward the inside (the side closer to the intake camshaft 2) are formed on both sides of the engagement groove 26T on the inner circumferential side of the open end on the outside (the side farther from the intake camshaft 2) of the eccentric member 26. When the pair of engagement pins 8 of the phase control motor M are engaged with the engagement grooves 26T of the eccentric member 26, the engagement pins 8 are guided into the engagement grooves 26T by the first tapered portions 26c, which makes it easier to engage the phase control motor M with the eccentric member 26.

[0042] 1 and 2, a first bearing 28 is fitted onto the circumferential support surface 26S of the eccentric member 26, and the first bearing 28 is fitted into the support surface 22S of the cylindrical wall portion 22, so that the eccentric member 26 is rotatably supported about the rotation axis X with respect to the intermediate member 20. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the input gear 30 is supported on the eccentric support surface 26E of the eccentric member 26 via a second bearing 29 so as to be rotatable about the eccentric axis Y.

[0043] In this phase adjustment mechanism C, the number of teeth of the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 is set to be one tooth less than the number of teeth of the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25. A portion of the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 meshes with a portion of the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the fixing ring 31 is supported in a fitted state on the outer periphery of the eccentric member 26, thereby preventing the second bearing 29 from coming off.

[0045] [Phase adjustment mechanism: Oldham coupling] 1, 4, and 7, the Oldham coupling Cx is composed of a plate-shaped coupling member 40 that is integrally formed with a central annular portion 41, a pair of external engagement arms 42 that protrude radially outward from the annular portion 41 in a first direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 4), and an internal engagement arm 43 that protrudes radially outward from the annular portion 41 in a direction perpendicular to the first direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 4). Each of the pair of internal engagement arms 43 is formed with an engagement recess 43a that communicates with the opening of the annular portion 41.

[0046] A pair of guide grooves 11a are formed in the outer case 11 at the opening edge against which the front plate 12 abuts, as through-grooves, extending from the interior space of the outer case 11 to the exterior space, radially from the rotation axis X. The groove width of the guide grooves 11a is set slightly wider than the width of the external engagement arm 42, and a pair of discharge flow paths 11b are cut out and formed in each guide groove 11a. Note that the discharge flow paths 11b may be formed to allow lubricating oil to flow radially relative to the front plate 12.

[0047] One or more pockets 11c are formed by cutting out the inner periphery along the circumferential direction at the opening edge of the outer case 11 in a portion other than the guide groove 11a. Foreign matter that moves to the outer periphery due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drive-side rotor A is collected in the pockets 11c. FIG. 7 shows a case where four pockets 11c are formed.

[0048] Furthermore, a pair of engagement protrusions 30T are integrally formed on the end surface of the input gear 30 that faces the front plate 12. The engagement width of these engagement protrusions 30T is set slightly narrower than the engagement width of the engagement recess 43a of the internal engagement arm 43.

[0049] With this configuration, the Oldham coupling Cx can be made to function by engaging the pair of outer engaging arms 42 of the coupling part 40 with the pair of guide grooves 11a of the outer case 11 and by engaging the pair of engaging projections 30T of the input gear 30 with the engaging recesses 43a of the pair of inner engaging arms 43 of the coupling part 40.

[0050] The coupling member 40 is displaceable relative to the outer case 11 in a first direction (left-right direction in FIG. 4) in which the external engagement arm 42 extends, and the input gear 30 is displaceable relative to this coupling member 40 in a second direction (up-down direction in FIG. 4) along the formation direction of the engagement recess 43a of the internal engagement arm 43.

[0051] 1 and 7, the spacer 32 limits the distance of the gap through which the second bearing 29 can move in the axial direction to a predetermined set value or less. By providing the spacer 32 between the Oldham coupling Cx (coupling member 40) and the second bearing 29, the movement of the second bearing 29 in the axial direction is limited to a distance that is equal to or less than the predetermined set value. This makes it possible to prevent contact between the engaging protrusion 30T of the input gear 30 and the front plate 12.

[0052] [Layout of each part of the valve timing control device] 1, in the assembled valve timing control device 100, the support wall portion 21 of the intermediate member 20 is connected to the end of the intake camshaft 2 by a connecting bolt 23, and they rotate together. The eccentric member 26 is supported by a first bearing 28 so as to be rotatable relative to the intermediate member 20 about the rotation axis X. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the input gear 30 is supported by an eccentric support surface 26E of the eccentric member 26 via a second bearing 29, and a portion of the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 meshes with a portion of the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the outer engagement arms 42 of the Oldham coupling Cx engage with a pair of guide groove portions 11a of the outer case 11, and the engagement projections 30T of the input gear 30 engage with the engagement recesses 43a of the inner engagement arms 43 of the Oldham coupling Cx. Because the front plate 12 is disposed on the outer side of the coupling member 40 of the Oldham coupling Cx as shown in Figure 1, the coupling member 40 can move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis X while contacting the inner surface of the front plate 12. With this arrangement, the Oldham coupling Cx is disposed outward from both the first bearing 28 and the second bearing 29 (on the side farther from the intake camshaft 2) and inward from the front plate 12 (on the side closer to the intake camshaft 2).

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a pair of engagement pins 8 formed on the output shaft Ma of the phase control motor M engage with the engagement grooves 26T of the eccentric member 26.

[0055] [Operational form of phase adjustment mechanism] Although not shown in the drawings, the phase control motor M is controlled by a control device configured as an ECU. The engine E is equipped with sensors that can detect the rotational speeds (number of rotations per unit time) of the crankshaft 1 and the intake camshaft 2 and their respective rotational phases, and the detection signals of these sensors are input to the control device.

[0056] When the engine E is running, the control device maintains the relative rotational phase by driving the phase control motor M at a speed equal to the rotational speed of the intake camshaft 2. On the other hand, an advance operation is performed by reducing the rotational speed of the phase control motor M below the rotational speed of the intake camshaft 2, and conversely, a retard operation is performed by increasing the rotational speed. As described above, an advance operation increases the intake compression ratio, and a retard operation decreases the intake compression ratio.

[0057] When the phase control motor M rotates at the same speed as the outer case 11 (same speed as the intake camshaft 2), the meshing position of the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 with the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25 does not change, so the relative rotational phase of the driven side rotating body B with respect to the driving side rotating body A is maintained.

[0058] On the other hand, by driving and rotating the output shaft Ma of the phase control motor M at a speed higher or lower than the rotational speed of the outer case 11, the eccentric shaft Y in the phase adjustment mechanism C revolves around the rotational shaft X. This revolution displaces the meshing position of the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25 with the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30 along the inner circumference of the output gear 25, and a rotational force acts between the input gear 30 and the output gear 25. In other words, a rotational force acts on the output gear 25 around the rotational shaft X, and a rotational force acts on the input gear 30 to rotate it about the eccentric shaft Y.

[0059] As described above, the input gear 30 does not rotate relative to the outer case 11 because its engagement projection 30T engages with the engagement recess 43a of the internal engagement arm 43 of the coupling member 40, and a rotational force acts on the output gear 25. The action of this rotational force causes the intermediate member 20, together with the output gear 25, to rotate about the rotation axis X relative to the outer case 11. As a result, the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor A and the driven-side rotor B is set, and the opening and closing timing of the intake camshaft 2 is set.

[0060] Furthermore, when the eccentric axis Y of the input gear 30 revolves around the rotation axis X, the input gear 30 is displaced, and therefore the coupling member 40 of the Oldham coupling Cx is displaced in the direction in which the external engagement arm 42 extends relative to the outer case 11 (first direction), and the input gear 30 is displaced in the direction in which the internal engagement arm 43 extends (second direction).

[0061] As described above, the number of teeth on the external toothed portion 30A of the input gear 30 is set to be one tooth less than the number of teeth on the internal toothed portion 25A of the output gear 25. Therefore, when the eccentric axis Y of the input gear 30 revolves around the rotation axis X by one revolution, the output gear 25 rotates by one tooth, thereby achieving a large reduction in speed.

[0062] [Lubrication of Phase Adjustment Mechanism] 1, the intake camshaft 2 is formed with a lubricating oil passage 15 through which lubricating oil is supplied from an external oil pump P via an oil passage forming member 9. A supply oil passage 21a that communicates with the lubricating oil passage 15 and guides the lubricating oil into the inside of the eccentric member 26 is formed in a part of the surface of the support wall portion 21 of the intermediate member 20 that abuts against the intake camshaft 2. In other words, the support wall portion 21 has the supply oil passage 21a that can supply lubricating oil from the outside to the inside of the driven-side rotor B.

[0063] As described above, the eccentric member 26 is formed with a plurality of first lubricating oil grooves 26a and a plurality of second lubricating oil grooves 26b (see FIGS. 1 and 7). Furthermore, the surface of the front plate 12 facing the coupling member 40 is formed with a lubrication recess 12a that forms a small radial gap between the surface of the coupling member 40. Note that although this lubrication recess 12a is formed on the inner periphery of the front plate 12, it may also be formed in an area that reaches the outer periphery of the front plate 12, or a configuration may be adopted in which lubricating oil is supplied to the gap between the front plate 12 and the coupling member 40 without the lubrication recess 12a.

[0064] As described above, a pair of discharge flow paths 11b are formed in the guide groove portion 11a (see FIGS. 4 and 7). Furthermore, by making the opening diameter of the opening 12b of the front plate 12 sufficiently larger than the inner diameter of the eccentric member 26, a step G is formed between the opening edge of the front plate 12 and the inner periphery of the eccentric member 26.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7, the support wall portion 21 has an annular oil passage 21d (shown in gray in FIGS. 5 and 7) that communicates with the oil supply passage 21a and is formed in the inner wall surface 21b in a concave shape around the rotation axis X, allowing lubricating oil to flow through. In this embodiment, the support wall portion 21 has a communication oil passage 21c in the inner wall surface 21b that communicates the oil supply passage 21a with the annular oil passage 21d. The communication oil passage 21c is a cylindrical hole as a whole, and a portion of the communication oil passage 21c overlaps with the oil supply passage 21a and the annular oil passage 21d when viewed in the direction along the rotation axis X (see FIG. 5). A bottom surface 21ca of the communication oil passage 21c is formed at a position deeper than a bottom surface 21da of the annular oil passage 21d relative to the surface of the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a bottom surface 21ca of the communication oil passage 21c is provided closer to the intake camshaft 2 than a bottom surface 21da of the annular oil passage 21d.

[0066] With the above configuration, lubricating oil supplied from the oil pump P is supplied from the lubricating oil passage 15 of the intake camshaft 2 through the supply oil passage 21a in the support wall portion 21 of the driven rotor B to the inside of the driven rotor B. The lubricating oil is supplied to the annular oil passage 21d inside the driven rotor B through the internal space of the eccentric member 26 and the connecting oil passage 21c. When the valve timing control device 100 is operated, the driven rotor B and the eccentric member 26 rotate about the rotation axis X, and centrifugal force generated by the rotation supplies the lubricating oil to the first bearing 28 through the first lubricating oil groove 26a of the eccentric member 26 and the annular oil passage 21d, causing the first bearing 28 to operate (slide) smoothly. The lubricating oil supplied to the first bearing 28 is then supplied to the adjacent second bearing 29, and is also supplied to the meshing position between the internal tooth portion 25A of the output gear 25, which is arranged on the outer periphery of the second bearing 29 and is biased by the elastic member S, and the external tooth portion 30A of the input gear 30, causing these parts to operate (slide) smoothly.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage 21a to the driven rotor B can be circulated to the sliding portions via the annular oil passage 21d formed in the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21. In this embodiment, the sliding portions are portions of members arranged inside the driven rotor B, and are portions where sliding occurs during operation of the valve timing control device 100. For example, the sliding portions are portions of the first bearing 28, the second bearing 29, the output gear 25, and the input gear 30. In the first bearing 28, the sliding portions are between the balls (rolling elements) and the inner ring 28a and the outer ring 28b. In the second bearing 29, the sliding portions are between the balls (rolling elements) and the inner ring 29a and the outer ring 29b. In the output gear 25 and the input gear 30, the sliding portions are meshing positions between the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25 and the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30. By supplying lubricating oil to the annular oil passage 21d, the lubricating oil can be reliably supplied to the sliding parts inside the driven-side rotor B via the annular oil passage 21d. As a result, wear and seizure of the sliding parts in the valve timing control device 100 can be suppressed. The annular oil passage 21d faces the first lubricating oil groove 26a of the eccentric member 26 (see FIG. 1). This allows the lubricating oil supplied to the internal space of the eccentric member 26 to flow from the inner circumferential surface 26d through the first lubricating oil groove 26a into the annular oil passage 21d, thereby more reliably supplying the lubricating oil to the sliding parts.

[0068] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the annular oil passage 21d is formed in a concave shape on the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21, so the valve timing control device 100 does not need to secure a gap in the direction along the rotation axis X to ensure a storage space for lubricating oil inside the driven-side rotor B. In other words, there is no need to provide a gap in the direction along the rotation axis X between the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21 of the driven-side rotor B and the eccentric member 26 or first bearing 28. Therefore, the valve timing control device 100 can be configured compactly.

[0069] Here, in the side cross section of the support wall portion 21 shown in Fig. 6, the communication oil passage 21c is configured with an area that includes an area that overlaps with the annular oil passage 21d. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the cross-sectional area S4 of the communication oil passage 21c (the cross-sectional area when cut along a plane parallel to the rotation axis X) is larger than the cross-sectional area S3 of the annular oil passage 21d (the cross-sectional area when cut along a plane parallel to the rotation axis X).

[0070] The lubricating oil supplied to the annular oil passage 21d flows from a partial region of the annular oil passage 21d that is continuous with the supply oil passage 21a and the connecting oil passage 21c along the circumferential direction of the annular oil passage 21d and is distributed throughout the entire annular oil passage 21d. However, since the supply oil passage 21a needs to be formed radially between the annular oil passage 21d and the through hole 21e formed in the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21, the cross-sectional area S1 of the supply oil passage 21a (the cross-sectional area when cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis X) is smaller than the cross-sectional area S3 of the annular oil passage 21d. For this reason, the lubricating oil supplied from the supply oil passage 21a to the annular oil passage 21d may be interrupted midway through the annular oil passage 21d, and it may take a long time for the lubricating oil to be distributed throughout the entire annular oil passage 21d. Therefore, in this embodiment, support wall portion 21 has communication oil passage 21c on inner wall surface 21b that connects oil supply passage 21a and annular oil passage 21d, and is configured so that cross-sectional area S4 of communication oil passage 21c is larger than cross-sectional area S3 of annular oil passage 21d. With this configuration, lubricating oil supplied from oil supply passage 21a is temporarily stored in communication oil passage 21c, and lubricating oil that overflows from communication oil passage 21c is supplied to annular oil passage 21d. At this time, because communication oil passage 21c has a larger cross-sectional area than annular oil passage 21d, the lubricating oil is not interrupted in annular oil passage 21d, and the lubricating oil can be distributed throughout the entire annular oil passage 21d in a short time.

[0071] As can be seen from Fig. 5, the lubricating oil supplied from the communication oil passage 21c to the annular oil passage 21d flows in both directions (clockwise and counterclockwise) of the annular oil passage 21d. For this reason, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area S4 of the communication oil passage 21c is at least twice the cross-sectional area S3 of the annular oil passage 21d. When the cross-sectional area S4 of the communication oil passage 21c is at least twice the cross-sectional area S3 of the annular oil passage 21d, the lubricating oil can be supplied more smoothly via the communication oil passage 21c. Even when the lubricating oil flows in both directions within the annular oil passage 21d, the lubricating oil is not interrupted within the annular oil passage 21d, and the lubricating oil can be distributed throughout the entire annular oil passage 21d in a short period of time.

[0072] In order to smoothly supply lubricating oil from the communication oil passage 21c to the annular oil passage 21d, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area S2 of the communication oil passage 21c (the cross-sectional area when cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis X) is equal to or larger than the cross-sectional area S1 of the supply oil passage 21a. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the cross-sectional area S2 of the communication oil passage 21c is set to be at least twice the cross-sectional area S1 of the supply oil passage 21a.

[0073] 1 and 6, the annular oil passage 21d faces an area extending from the inner diameter side end 28a1 of the inner ring 28a of the first bearing 28 to the inner diameter side end 28b1 of the outer ring 28b of the first bearing 28. This allows the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply passage 21a to the inside of the driven-side rotating body B to be reliably distributed throughout the entire sliding portion including the first bearing 28 via the annular oil passage 21d.

[0074] In addition, a portion of the lubricating oil supplied from the oil pump P to the inside of the driven side rotating body B (internal space of the eccentric member 26) is supplied from the second lubricating oil groove 26b to the coupling member 40 by centrifugal force, and is also supplied to the second bearing 29 and is supplied to the meshing position between the internal tooth portion 25A of the output gear 25 and the external tooth portion 30A of the input gear 30.

[0075] 1, the lubricating oil from the second lubricating oil groove 26b is supplied between the front plate 12 and the coupling member 40 by the lubrication recess 12a, and is also supplied to the gap between the external engagement arm 42 of the coupling member 40 and the guide groove portion 11a of the outer case 11. This allows the coupling member 40 to operate smoothly. The lubricating oil supplied to the coupling member 40 is then discharged to the outside from the gap between the external engagement arm 42 of the coupling member 40 and the guide groove portion 11a of the outer case 11.

[0076] Because a step G is formed between the opening edge of the front plate 12 and the inner periphery of the eccentric member 26, when the engine E is stopped, the lubricating oil in the internal space of the eccentric member 26 can be discharged through the opening 12b of the front plate 12, thereby reducing the amount of lubricating oil remaining inside. If a large amount of lubricating oil remains inside the valve timing control device 100, the viscosity of the lubricating oil will inhibit operation of the phase adjustment mechanism C after the engine E is started in a cold environment; however, this inconvenience can be eliminated by discharging the lubricating oil when the engine E is stopped.

[0077] Furthermore, since the discharge flow path 11b is formed in the guide groove portion 11a, when starting the engine E that has been stopped in a cold environment, the internal lubricating oil can be quickly discharged through the discharge flow path 11b by centrifugal force, so that the highly viscous lubricating oil can be discharged in a short time, eliminating the influence of the viscosity of the lubricating oil and enabling the phase adjustment mechanism C to operate quickly.

[0078] As shown in Figure 7, the front plate 12 has a protrusion 12c that protrudes inward on its inner surface (the side closer to the intake camshaft 2). The protrusion 12c lightly abuts the intermediate member 20 to the extent that it can slide against the intermediate member 20. The intermediate member 20 abuts against the protrusion 12c, thereby restricting movement of the intermediate member 20 toward the front plate 12. This allows the Oldham coupling Cx (coupling member 40) to operate smoothly, with a predetermined gap maintained between the front plate 12 and the intermediate member 20.

[0079] Furthermore, the eccentric member 26 is supported on the support surface 22S on the inner circumference of the intermediate member 20 by a first bearing 28, and the input gear 30 is supported on the eccentric support surface 26E of the eccentric member 26 via a second bearing 29. Therefore, even if the biasing force of the elastic member S acts in a direction that changes the attitude of the eccentric member 26, the entire circumference of the outer surface of the circumferential support surface 26S of the eccentric member 26 is held so as to be embraced by the inner circumference of the intermediate member 20 by the first bearing 28, and the positional relationship between the eccentric member 26 and the intermediate member 20 can be maintained.

[0080] In particular, in this configuration, the biasing force of the elastic member S acts only between the eccentric member 26 and the intermediate member 20, and does not act on external members. Therefore, for example, there is no need to consider deformation or displacement of external members due to the biasing force of the elastic member S, and the posture of the eccentric member 26 can be maintained with even greater precision.

[0081] Furthermore, by forming the first lubricating oil groove 26a and the second lubricating oil groove 26b for flowing lubricating oil at the end of the eccentric member 26, the Oldham coupling Cx operates smoothly, the first bearing 28 and the second bearing 29 operate smoothly, the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25 meshes smoothly with the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30, and the load acting on the phase control motor M is reduced. By forming the first lubricating oil groove 26a and the second lubricating oil groove 26b in this way, lubricating oil is supplied to areas where it is needed, so it is not wasted and the amount of lubricating oil can be reduced.

[0082] In particular, by supplying lubricating oil between the coupling member 40 constituting the Oldham coupling Cx and the front plate 12, the operation of the coupling member 40 can be performed smoothly, and the load acting on the phase control motor M can be further reduced.

[0083] In the phase adjustment mechanism C, a strong force acts on the meshing portion between the internal teeth portion 25A of the output gear 25 and the external teeth portion 30A of the input gear 30, which can generate dust at this location. However, because no bearings are located downstream of this meshing portion in the direction of lubricating oil flow, the effects of dust and the like can be eliminated, making it possible to suppress damage to the bearings.

[0084] In particular, this configuration allows the lubricating oil to be discharged by centrifugal force, which not only allows dust, foreign matter, etc. to be discharged, but also actively discharges the lubricating oil even when the engine E is stopped, so dust, foreign matter, etc. do not remain inside the engine.

[0085] Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, the communication oil passage 21c and the annular oil passage 21d are not formed in the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall 21, and only the supply oil passage 21a is formed. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the entire inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26 has a second tapered portion 26e (an example of a "tapered portion") whose diameter increases as it approaches the support wall 21 in the direction along the rotation axis X. The configuration of the entire inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26 and the configuration of the support wall 21 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0086] In the second embodiment, the second tapered portion 26e is provided on the entire inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26, which forms the internal space of the eccentric member 26. Due to this, a centrifugal force acts on the lubricating oil supplied to the internal space of the eccentric member 26 inside the driven-side rotating body B in the radially outward direction along the inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26, that is, toward the support wall portion 21, and further toward the outer circumferential edge of the support wall portion 21. This ensures that the lubricating oil supplied to the internal space of the driven-side rotating body B is supplied from the support wall portion 21 to the sliding parts. As a result, wear and seizure of the sliding parts of the driven-side rotating body B can be suppressed.

[0087] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the second tapered portion 26e is provided over the entire inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26, so the valve timing control device 100 does not need to provide a gap along the rotation axis X to ensure a storage space for lubricating oil inside the driven rotor B. Therefore, the valve timing control device 100 can be configured compactly.

[0088] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the phase adjustment mechanism C includes the intermediate member 20, the output gear 25 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 22 of the intermediate member 20, the eccentric member 26, the elastic member S, the first bearing 28, the second bearing 29, the input gear 30, the fixed ring 31, the ring-shaped spacer 32, and the Oldham coupling Cx. The phase adjustment mechanism C may also be configured without including the Oldham coupling Cx.

[0089] (2) In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which a connecting oil passage 21c was provided between the supply oil passage 21a and the annular oil passage 21d, but a configuration in which the supply oil passage 21a and the annular oil passage 21d are directly connected without providing the connecting oil passage 21c may also be used.

[0090] (3) A configuration may be adopted in which the annular oil passage 21d is formed in the inner wall surface 21b of the support wall portion 21 in the first embodiment, and the second tapered portion 26e is provided over the entire inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26 in the second embodiment. With this configuration, the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the eccentric member 26 causes the lubricating oil that approaches the support wall portion 21 from the inner circumferential surface 26d of the eccentric member 26 to be stored in the annular oil passage 21d and supplied to sliding parts such as the first bearing 28. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the lubricating oil in the internal space of the eccentric member 26. [Industrial Applicability]

[0091] The present invention can be used in a valve timing control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1: Crankshaft 2: Intake camshaft (camshaft) 2B: Intake valve 11: Outer case 12: Front plate 20: Intermediate member 21: Support wall part 21a: Oil supply line 21b: Inner wall surface 21c: Connecting oil road 21ca: Bottom 21d: Circular oilway 21da: bottom 25: Output gear 25A: Internal tooth part 26: Eccentric member 26d: Inner peripheral surface 26e: Second tapered section (tapered section) 28: First bearing (retaining bearing) 28a: Inner circle 28a1: Inner diameter end 28b: outer ring 28b1: Inner diameter end 29: Second bearing (support bearing) 30: Input gear 30A: External tooth part 30T: Engagement protrusion 100: Valve opening / closing timing control device A: Drive side rotor B: Driven rotating body C: Phase adjustment mechanism E: Engine (internal combustion engine) S: Elastic material S1,S2,S3,S4: Cross-sectional area X: Rotation axis Y: Eccentric shaft center

Claims

1. a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine around a rotation axis; a driven-side rotor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and inside the driving-side rotor, and that rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, The phase adjustment mechanism includes: an output gear provided on the driven rotor and coaxial with the rotation axis; an input gear that rotates about an eccentric axis parallel to the rotation axis and is connected to the drive-side rotor; a cylindrical eccentric member that supports the input gear from an inner peripheral side via a support bearing and rotates the input gear, The eccentric shaft is revolved by the rotation of the eccentric member about the rotation shaft, and the meshing position between the output gear and the input gear is changed, the driven-side rotor has a support wall portion connected to an end of the camshaft in an orientation perpendicular to the rotation axis, the support wall portion has a supply oil passage that can supply lubricating oil from the outside to the inside of the driven-side rotating body, and also has an annular oil passage that is connected to the supply oil passage, is formed in a concave shape on the inner wall surface of the support wall portion and is annularly shaped around the rotation axis, and allows the lubricating oil to flow, and a connecting oil passage on the inner wall surface that connects the supply oil passage and the annular oil passage, A valve timing control device in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication oil passage is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage.

2. a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine around a rotation axis; a driven-side rotor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and inside the driving-side rotor, and that rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, The phase adjustment mechanism includes: an output gear provided on the driven rotor and coaxial with the rotation axis; an input gear that rotates about an eccentric axis parallel to the rotation axis and is connected to the drive-side rotor; a cylindrical eccentric member that supports the input gear from an inner peripheral side via a support bearing and rotates the input gear, The eccentric shaft is revolved by the rotation of the eccentric member about the rotation shaft, and the meshing position between the output gear and the input gear is changed, the driven-side rotor has a support wall portion connected to an end of the camshaft in an orientation perpendicular to the rotation axis, the support wall portion has a supply oil passage that can supply lubricating oil from the outside to the inside of the driven-side rotating body, and also has an annular oil passage that is connected to the supply oil passage, is concave on the inner wall surface of the support wall portion, and is formed annularly around the rotation axis so that the lubricating oil can flow through, The valve timing control device has an inner circumferential surface of the eccentric member that has a tapered portion whose diameter increases as it approaches the support wall portion in a direction along the rotation axis.

3. 2. A valve timing control device according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication oil passage is at least twice as large as the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular oil passage.

4. the phase adjustment mechanism further includes a retaining bearing disposed between an inner periphery of the driven-side rotating body and an outer periphery of the eccentric member, the retaining bearing has an outer ring attached to the driven-side rotating body and an inner ring attached to the eccentric member, 4. The valve timing control device according to claim 1, wherein the annular oil passage faces at least an area extending from an inner diameter side end of the inner ring of the retaining bearing to an inner diameter side end of the outer ring of the retaining bearing.

5. a drive-side rotating body that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine around a rotation axis; a driven-side rotor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and inside the driving-side rotor, and that rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing a valve of the internal combustion engine; and a phase adjustment mechanism that sets the relative rotational phase between the drive-side rotor and the driven-side rotor, The phase adjustment mechanism includes: an output gear provided on the driven rotor and coaxial with the rotation axis; an input gear that rotates about an eccentric axis parallel to the rotation axis and is connected to the drive-side rotor; a cylindrical eccentric member that supports the input gear from an inner peripheral side via a support bearing and rotates the input gear, The eccentric shaft is revolved by the rotation of the eccentric member about the rotation shaft, and the meshing position between the output gear and the input gear is changed, the driven-side rotor has a support wall portion connected to an end of the camshaft in an orientation perpendicular to the rotation axis, The valve timing control device has an inner circumferential surface of the eccentric member that has a tapered portion whose diameter increases as it approaches the support wall portion in a direction along the rotation axis.

Citation Information

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