Valve timing controller
A valve timing controller has an electric motor, a control circuit which controls the motor, a first rotor that rotates along with a crankshaft, and a second rotor that is rotates along with a camshaft. A phase adjusting mechanism adjusts the rotational phase between the first rotor and the second rotor according to the rotation of the motor. On condition that the rotating speed of the crankshaft exceeds a threshold value, the control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor. Thereby, the phase adjusting mechanism varies the rotational phase to the most retard phase.
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This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-275513 filed on Oct. 6, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a valve timing controller which adjusts valve timing of an inlet valve and/or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe valve timing controller varies the rotational phase between two rotors which respectively rotate along with a crankshaft and a camshaft to adjust the valve timing. JP-9-60509A and JP-2005-48706A, for example, disclosure the valve timing controller which adjusts the rotational phase between the rotors according to the rotation of the electric motor.
In such an electric valve timing controller, the electric motor is driven in the same phase as the rotors when holding the rotational phase. Therefore, when the rotating speed of the internal combustion engine increases, the rotating speed of the electric motor also increases. Moreover, generally in the high-rotation speed range of the engine, there are many cases where the rotational phase of the rotor is held to the phase suitable for the internal combustion engine. Since the electric motor is continuously driven by high current in the high-rotation range of the engine, there is a possibility of increasing of power consumption and generating heat of the motor control circuit, which may cause breakage of the circuit.
The present invention is made in view of the above matters, and it is an object of the preset invention to provide an electric valve timing controller which realizes valve timing suitable for the internal combustion engine, restraining power consumption and the malfunction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the present invention, a valve timing controller adjusting a valve timing of an intake valve and/or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, includes an electric motor which rotates by energization, and an energizing control circuit which controls the energization of the electric motor. The controller further includes a phase adjusting mechanism including a first rotor which rotates along with one of a crankshaft and a camshaft of the internal combustion engine, and a second rotor which rotates along with the other. The phase adjusting mechanism adjusts a rotational phase between the first rotor and the second rotor according to the rotation of the electric motor. In a case that a rotating speed of the internal combustion engine exceeds a threshold value, the energizing control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor so that the phase adjusting mechanism varies the rotational phase to an end phase which is one of a most retard phase and a most advance phase.
Since the energizing control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor in a high rotation range of the internal combustion engine, a power consumption of the electric motor is reduced and a malfunction due to heat generation is restricted. Furthermore, the energizing control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor so that the phase adjusting mechanism varies the rotational phase to an end phase. Hence, the end phase suitable for an engine in high speed range can be obtained in spite of deenergization of the electric motor.
Hereafter, a first embodiment of the present invention is described.
First, the torque generating system 4 is explained. The torque generating system 4 is provided with an electric motor 5 and a control circuit 6.
The electric motor 5 is, for example, a brushless motor. When energized, the electric motor generates controlling torque on its motor shaft 7. The control circuit 6 includes a microcomputer and a motor driver, and is arranged in exterior and/or interior of the electric motor 5. The control circuit 6 is electrically connected with the electric motor 5 to control the energization of the electric motor 5 according to the operation condition of the internal combustion engine.
Next, the phase adjusting mechanism 8 is explained hereinafter. The phase adjusting mechanism 8 is provided with the driving-side rotor 10, the driven-side rotor 20, the planetary carrier 40, and the planet gear 50.
The driving-side rotor 10 includes a gear member 12 and a sprocket 13 which are coaxially fixed together by a bolt. The driving-side rotor 10 has a chamber house 11 in which the driven-side rotor 20, the planetary carrier 40, and the planet gear 50 are accommodated. The peripheral wall part of the gear member 12 forms the driving-side internal gear 14 which has an addendum circle inside of a dedendum circle. The sprocket 13 has a plurality of gear teeth 16. A timing chain (not shown) is wound around the sprocket 13 and a plurality of teeth of the crankshaft so that the sprocket 13 is linked to the crankshaft. When the engine torque is transmitted to the sprocket 13 through the timing chain, the driving-side rotor 10 rotates in accordance with the crankshaft. In the present embodiment, the driving-side rotor 10 rotates in counterclockwise direction in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The planetary carrier 40 is provided with an eccentric portion 44 relative to the gears 14, 22. The eccentric portion 44 is engaged with an inner bore 51 of the planet gear 50 through a bearing 45.
The planet gear 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a step, and is coaxially arranged to the eccentric portion 44. That is, the planet gear 50 is eccentrically arranged with respect to the gears 14, 22. The planet gear 50 is provided with a driving-side external gear 52 and a driven-side external gear 54 on its large diameter portion and a small diameter portion. The gears 52, 54 respectively have the addendum circle outside of the dedendum circle. The driving side external-gear 52 is arranged in such a manner as to engage with the driving-side internal gear 14. The driven-side external gear 54 is arranged in such a manner as to engage with the driven-side internal gear 22. The planet gear 50 rotates around a center of the eccentric portion 44 and performs a planetary motion in a rotation direction of the eccentric portion 44.
The phase adjusting mechanism 8 is provided with a planetary mechanism 60 of the differential-gear type which reduces the speed of the electric motor and converts the rotation of the motor into a rotation of the driven-side rotor 20. And the phase adjusting mechanism 8 equipped with such a planetary mechanism 60 adjusts the rotational phase between the rotors 10 and 20 which determine the valve timing according to the rotation of the electric motor 5.
When the electric motor 5 adjusts the controlling torque in such a manner that the motor shaft 7 rotates in the same phase as the driving-side rotor 10, the planet gear 50 rotates the driven-side rotor 20 in the same phase as the driving-side rotor 10 while maintaining the engagement position with the gears 14 and 22. That is, since the electric motor 5 rotates along with the rotors 10 and 20, the rotational phase between the rotors 10 and 20 is not varied, so that the valve timing is held.
When the motor shaft 7 performs relative rotating in the advance direction X relative to the driving-side rotor 10, the planet gear 50 performs the planetary motion so that the driven-side rotor 20 performs relative rotating in the advance direction X relative to the driving-side rotor 10. That is, since the rotational phase of the driven-side rotor 20 is advanced relative to the driving-side rotor 10, the valve timing is also advanced.
When the motor shaft 7 performs relative rotating in the retard direction Y relative to the driving-side rotor 10, the planet gear 50 performs the planetary motion so that the driven-side rotor 20 performs relative rotating in the retard direction Y relative to the driving-side rotor 10. That is, since the rotational phase of the driven-side rotor 20 is retarded relative to the driving-side rotor 10, the valve timing is also retarded.
Next, the characterizing portion of the valve timing controller 1 is explained in detail.
(Stopper Structure)As shown in
Specifically, when at least one stopper 72 is contact with the edge 74 of advance direction X, the driven-side rotor 20 is stopped at the most advance phase relative to the driving-side rotor 10.
Meanwhile, when at least one stopper 72 is contact with the edge 76 of retard direction Y, the driven-side rotor 20 is stopped at the most retard phase relative to the driving-side rotor 10. Therefore, when the motor 5 is deenergized and the phase adjusting mechanism 8 varies the rotational phase of the driven-side rotor 20 in the retard direction, as shown in
Here, in this embodiment, the most retard phase is established as a start up phase which permits start up of the internal combustion engine. So, even if the abnormalities of the control circuit 6 arise and the electric motor 5 is deenergized during the operation of the internal combustion engine, the rotational phase of the driven-side rotor 20 can be varied to the start up phase by the phase adjusting mechanism 8 for a next start up of the internal combustion engine.
(Lubrication Structure)As shown in
Thus, in the phase adjusting mechanism 8 equipped with the planetary mechanism 60 to which the lubricant is supplied, when the viscosity of the lubricant rises at the time of the low temperature, the controlling torque required to rotate the driven-side rotor 20 by the electric motor 5 increases. So, since the load of the electric motor 5 becomes excessive when required controlling torque increases according to other factors, it is not desirable. However, as shown in
So, in the phase adjusting mechanism 8, the actual reduction ratio Rr between the motor shaft 7 and the driven-side rotor 20 expressed by the following formula (1) is established so that the required controlling torque due to the fluctuation torque is S % or less of the required controlling torque due to increment of viscosity. Besides, in the formula (1), Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4 express the number of teeth of each gear parts 14, 22, 52, and 54, respectively.
Rr=(Z2/Z4·Z3/Z1)/(Z2/Z4·Z3/Z1−1) (1)
Specifically, the required controlling torque due to the viscosity increment is denoted by Tc, the average torque of the fluctuation torque in the camshaft 2 is denoted by Tv (refer to
RI=(Tv−E)/(Tc−S) (2)
As shown in
Here, the most retard phase is established also as a phase which is suitable for the internal combustion engine of the high rotation numerical Wh in the point of the engine output as well as the start up phase. When the electric motor 5 is deenergized, the rotors 10, 20 are automatically held at the most retard phase. Some useless power consumptions and the malfunctions due to heat generation of the energizing control circuit 6 are restrained, and the output of the internal combustion engine improves.
As long as the desired output of the engine is obtained in the high rotation range Wh, the threshold value Nth is lower than a predetermined speed Na (refer to
The predetermined speed Na of the crankshaft, which is determined according to the engine condition, is higher than the threshold Nth. Hence, the maximum rotation speed Mm of the electric motor 5 can be established as low as possible, so that a small size electric motor 5 can be used.
However, when the maximum rotation speed Mm of the electric motor 5 becomes low excessively, there is a possibility that the responsibility of the phase adjusting mechanism 8 may be deteriorated. So, in the phase adjusting mechanism 8, the actual reduction ratio Rr is established so that minimum response speed ω as a response speed of the rotational variation of the driven-side rotor 20 at the time of the rotational variation of the electric motor 5 can be realized with the maximum speed Mm of the electric motor 5. Besides, in the present embodiment, the minimum response speed ω is expressed as relative rotating angular velocity of the driven-side rotor 20 relative to the driving-side rotor 10 at the time of the rotational variation of the electric motor 5 in order to change the rotational phase between the rotors 10 and 20.
When the rotation of the electric motor 5 changes from the same phase as the driving-side rotor 10 to the maximum speed Mm, specifically, the deviation (=Mm−Ms) of the maximum speed Mm from the rotating speed Ms shows linear relation with respect to the rotating speed of the crankshaft, as shown in
Rh=(Mm−Mss)/ω (3)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment mentioned above, and can be applied to various embodiments.
The energizing control circuit 6 stops the energization to the electric motor 5, when the crankshaft rotating speed exceeds the threshold value Nth and both other conditions are satisfied. Alternatively, when the crankshaft rotating speed exceeds the threshold value Nth and the other conditions are not satisfied, the adjustment of the control torque may be continued without deenergizing the electric motor 5. Moreover, the energizing control circuit 6 may utilizes the rotation speed of the camshaft 2 in place of or in addition to the crankshaft rotating speed in controlling the energization of the electric motor 5, especially the energization control on condition of the threshold value. In a case that the rotation speed of camshaft 2 is utilized to control the energization of the motor 5, the threshold value Nth is set as half value of the threshold of the crankshaft speed.
The rotor 10 may perform the interlocking rotation with the camshaft 2, and the rotor 20 may perform the interlocking rotation with the crankshaft. Moreover, when the motor 5 is deenergized, the rotational phase between the rotors 10 and 20 may be brought to the most advance phase. The phase adjusting mechanism 8 may be a structure in which the planet gear is engaged with the gear provided in one of the rotors.
At least one of the gears 14 and 22 and corresponding gears 52, 54 may be changed into the external gear and the internal gear, respectively. Moreover, the lubrication fluid supplied to the planetary mechanism part 60 can be other than a lubricant for the internal combustion engines.
The stopper structure which stops the rotor 20 to the rotor 10 may be another structure other than the combination of the slot 70 and the projected part 72.
And the present invention is applicable also to the apparatus which adjusts the valve timing of the exhaust valve, and the apparatus which adjusts the valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve.
Claims
1. A valve timing controller adjusting a valve timing of an intake valve and/or an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- an electric motor which rotates by energization;
- an energizing control circuit which controls the energization of the electric motor; and
- a phase adjusting mechanism including a first rotor which rotates along with one of a crankshaft and a camshaft of the internal combustion engine, and a second rotor which rotates along with the other, the phase adjusting mechanism adjusting a rotational phase between the first rotor and the second rotor according to the rotation of the electric motor, wherein
- in a case that a rotating speed of the internal combustion engine exceeds a threshold value, the energizing control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor so that the phase adjusting mechanism varies the rotational phase to an end phase which is one of a most retard phase and a most advance phase.
2. A valve timing controller according to claim 1, wherein
- the phase adjusting mechanism varies the rotational phase to the end phase which permits start up of the internal combustion engine when the energizing control circuit stops the energization of the electric motor.
3. A valve timing controller according to claim 1, wherein
- in a case that the electric motor rotates in the same rotational phase as the first rotor, the phase adjusting mechanism rotates the second rotor in the same rotational phase as the first rotor, and
- in a case that the electric motor rotates in a retard direction relative to the first rotor, the phase adjusting mechanism rotates the second rotor to the end phase relative to the first rotor.
4. A valve timing controller according to claim 3, further comprising:
- a stopper means which stops the second rotor to the first rotor in the end phase.
5. A valve timing controller according to claim 3, wherein
- the threshold value is established lower than the rotating speed of the internal combustion engine when assuming that the electric motor rotates in the same rotational phase as the first rotor and in a maximum speed.
6. A valve timing controller according to claim 5, wherein
- in the phase adjusting mechanism which adjusts the rotational phase by reducing the rotation speed of the electric motor and converting the rotation of the electric motor into the rotation of the second rotor, an actual reduction ratio between the electric motor and the second rotor, and a minimum response speed of the rotation variation of the second rotor at the time of the rotational variation of the electric motor are established,
- when the rotation speed of the electric motor changes from a rotation in which the electric motor rotates in the same rotational phase as the first rotor to a rotation in which the electric motor rotates in the maximum speed, the actual reduction ratio is less than a reduction ratio for the phase adjusting mechanism to reduce the rotation speed of the electric motor and to vary the rotation of the second rotor at the minimum response speed.
7. A valve timing controller according to claim 6, wherein
- the actual reduction ratio is greater than a reduction ratio required for the phase adjusting mechanism to reduce the rotation speed of the electric motor and to rotate the second rotor against a transmitting torque from the internal combustion engine.
8. The valve timing controller according to claim 7, wherein
- the phase adjusting mechanism includes a planet gear which engages with a gear provided at least one of the first rotor and the second rotor, and lubricant is supplied to an engagement part of the planet gear and the gear.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 4, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 10, 2008
Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION (Kariya-city)
Inventor: Yasushi Morii (Nagoya-city)
Application Number: 11/896,536
International Classification: F01L 1/34 (20060101);