Valve Timing Control Apparatus Filter Holding Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing valve timing control apparatuses for internal combustion engines require a large axial space to accommodate a cylindrical mesh filter, leading to increased axial size and installation challenges due to the placement of the filter on the upstream side of the check valve in the supply oil passage.
Innovation Solution
A valve timing control apparatus with a filter holding body made of laminated metal plates that includes enlarged through holes to reduce pressure loss and axial size, allowing the filter to be placed between the check valve and the drive shaft, connected via a connection oil passage that maintains flow area while minimizing axial length, thus reducing the overall apparatus size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cylindrical mesh filter is placed in the supply oil passage upstream of the check valve, then the filter can capture minute foreign objects effectively, but the axial size of the valve timing control apparatus is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The filter holding body uses a laminated plate structure where multiple thin plates are stacked in the axial direction to create a compact filter assembly. This transforms the traditional cylindrical volumetric filter into a planar laminated structure that achieves the same filtration function with significantly reduced axial dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element is nested within the laminated plate structure, with the filter media positioned between the plates. The connection oil passages are formed by the stacked plates themselves, creating a nested arrangement where the filtration function is integrated within the compact plate assembly rather than requiring separate cylindrical housing space.
2Reliability
If a relatively large space extending in the axial direction is formed in the camshaft or vane rotor to install the cylindrical mesh filter, then the filter can be placed upstream of the check valve, but the installation space of the valve timing control apparatus in the axial direction is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a cylindrical filter requiring axial extension to a laminated plate filter that achieves filtration within a compact axial footprint. The multiple plates are stacked to create the necessary flow paths and filtration surface area without requiring the same axial space as a traditional cylindrical filter.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter holding body integrates multiple functions into a single laminated structure: filtration, flow distribution, and structural support. The connection oil passages are formed by the arrangement of the stacked plates themselves, merging the filtration housing and flow paths into one compact component that eliminates the need for separate large axial spaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces the axial size of the valve timing control apparatus, improving its installability on internal combustion engines by minimizing the axial distance between the camshaft and vane rotor, while maintaining effective filtration and reducing component count and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The filter holds a foreign object contained in the hydraulic oil, which flows from the external oil passage to the supply oil passage, and filters the foreign object larger than a mesh size of the filter
Implementation Method 2
The check valve enables flow of the hydraulic oil from the external oil passage to the supply oil passage and blocks flow of the hydraulic oil from the supply oil passage to the external oil passage
Data Source
AI summary
A valve timing control apparatus includes a check valve, a filter, and a filter holding body. The check valve is placed between a camshaft and a vane rotor. The filter is placed between the camshaft and the check valve. The filter holding body includes a plurality of metal plates, which are stacked one after another. Two metal plates, which serve as enlarged space forming plates, are placed adjacent to the filter on one side of the filter where the camshaft is placed while each of the two metal plates includes enlarged through holes. A metal plate, which serves as an enlarged space forming plate, is placed adjacent to the filter on another side of the filter and includes enlarged through holes. A flow passage cross-sectional area of each enlarged through hole is larger than a flow passage cross-sectional area of a supply oil passage.