Abstract: A ring gear is formed by joining a race side-region formed body, a gear side-region formed body and an intermediate region formed body. Accordingly, it is possible to perform processing of an inner race portion of the race side-region formed body with none of the gear side-region formed body and the intermediate region formed body present. By causing the gear side-region formed body and the intermediate region formed body to absorb changes in design depending on the type of internal combustion engine, it is possible to standardize the size and the shape of the race side-region formed body for various engine types. Because the inner race portion, as well as a disposition surface and a contact surface for the seal rings are formed on the same race side-region formed body, it is possible to finish the surfaces with precise positional relationship.

Abstract: There is provided a valve gear of an internal combustion engine converting a rotational motion of a motor into a linear motion by a cam, and driving an intake valve or an exhaust valve of a cylinder so as to be opened and closed based on the linear motion, a motor control apparatus which can actuate the motor in a rocking chive mode in which a rotating direction of the cam is changed during a lift of the valve. The motor control apparatus controls a motion of the motor such that the cam starts rotating before the valve starts lifting in the rocking drive mode.

Abstract: A valve driving device (10), that converts rotational motion outputted from a valve-driving source to linear motion through cam mechanisms (13) provided to respective cylinders (2) and drives valves (3) in respective cylinders through the linear motion, the valve driving device is equipped with electric motors (11, 12) that are shared as the valve-driving source in a group of cylinders comprising a plurality of cylinders in which open-valve periods of the valves do not overlap; and motion-transmission mechanisms (14, 15) that transmit rotational motion of the electric motors (11, 12) to cams (16) in respective cam mechanisms (13) in the group of cylinders.

Abstract: A torque transmitting mechanism, including a ring gear; a crankshaft side member which rotates in conjunction with a crankshaft; a one-way clutch arranged between the ring gear and the crankshaft; a bearing arranged between the crankshaft or the crankshaft side member and a surface of the ring gear that faces in the opposite direction from the side of the ring gear on which the one-way clutch is arranged; a first oil seal member arranged together with the bearing between the crankshaft or the crankshaft side member and the surface of the ring gear that faces in the opposite direction from the side of the ring gear on which the one-way clutch is arranged, and is arranged on the opposite side of the bearing from the internal combustion engine main body; and a second oil seal arranged between the ring gear and the internal combustion engine main body.

Abstract: A starter for an internal combustion engine includes a power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism has an outer race plate fastened to a crankshaft, and a ring gear coupled to a rotational shaft of an electric motor for starting the engine. The power transmission mechanism further has a one-way clutch for permitting torque transmission only from the ring gear to the outer race plate, and two sealing members. Lubricant is supplied from the cylinder block to the interior of the power transmission mechanism for lubricating the power transmission mechanism. The outer race plate has a groove on its contact surface of a contact portion between the crankshaft and the outer race plate. The groove extends in the entire circumferential direction of the crankshaft. This maintains the coupling strength between the outer race plate and the crankshaft, while enhancing the sealing performance of the power transmission mechanism.

Abstract: There is provided a valve gear (11) with a motor (12), a cam mechanism (14) which converts a rotational motion of the motor (12) into a linear motion of an intake valve (2) by a cam (21), and a motor control apparatus (30) which controls the motor (12) such that an acceleration characteristic during a lift of the intake valve (2) changes in correspondence to a rotation number of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable valve operating device and makes it possible to inhibit friction during driving force transmission and provide high durability through the use of a compact configuration. A first roller 170, which comes into contact with a drive cam surface 124 of a camshaft 120, has a larger diameter than a second roller 172, which comes into contact with a slide surface 156 of a swing member 150. A coupling shaft 174 couples the first roller 170 to the second roller 172 so that the rollers 170, 172 can rotate independently. The slide surface 156 is curved toward the drive cam surface 124.

Abstract: The lubricant-return holes (12d) are provided in the intermediate portion (12c) of the ring gear (12). Thus, the lubricant stagnating above the first oil sealing member (32) can be easily discharged to the oil pan (36) side via the lubricant-return holes (12d) even when the ring gear (12) has stopped rotating in response to the starter motor being turned off after completion of the start of the internal combustion engine. As such, the level of the surface of lubricant stagnating between the ring gear (12) and the outer race member (14) does not rise, and therefore the lubricant surface virtually does not reach the outer race (30) and the one-way clutch (20) that are rotating while the internal combustion engine is running. Thus, bubbling of lubricant and production of sludge, which may otherwise be caused by agitation of the lubricant surface, can be prevented.

Abstract: Engine starting apparatus comprising a one way clutch. A first oil seal is located on the outer side of a second oil seal in the radial direction of a ring gear. Upon starting of an engine, the time that the first oil seal is slid on the ring gear is short, and after the start of the engine, the first oil seal is not slid on the ring gear. The second oil seal is located on the inner side of the first oil seal in the radial direction of the ring gear. Therefore, the second oil seal hardly deteriorates even if slid on a flywheel at high speed after the start of the engine. By locating the first and second oil seals at different positions in the radial direction of the ring gear, it is possible to improve the startability and the lifetime of a starting apparatus. At least one oil seal has a taper shape in order to generate a thrust force which forces the ring gear away from the flywheel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable valve operating device and makes it possible to reduce the loss in driving force transmission from a camshaft to a valve during a valve lift. The rotary motion of a drive cam 122 is transmitted to a swing member 140 via intermediate rollers 172, 174. A coupling member 164 couples the intermediate rollers 172, 174 to a swing fulcrum 166 that is fastened to a control shaft 132. The swing fulcrum 166 is positioned eccentrically to the center of the control shaft 132. Further, when the control shaft 132 is positioned at a predetermined rotation position, the swing fulcrum 166 is positioned so that the control shaft 132 is placed between the swing fulcrum 166 and the intermediate rollers 172, 174. Preferably, the swing fulcrum 166, the control shaft 132, and the intermediate rollers 172, 174 are aligned.

Abstract: A first arm member and a second arm member are provided. The first arm member is positioned between a cam and a valve body to oscillate in synchronism with the rotation of the cam. The second arm member changes the angle of the first arm member in accordance with the rotation angle of a control shaft. The temperature prevailing in the neighborhood of the control shaft and cam is detected. The rotation angle of the control shaft is corrected so as to avoid the influence of the detected temperature.

Abstract: An outer race support plate to which torque of a pinion gear is transmitted from a ring gear via a one-way clutch and thus rotates a crankshaft is provided separately from a flywheel and is mounted to the crankshaft not via the flywheel. As a result, impact noise produced when the one-way clutch engages is not directly transmitted to the flywheel. Accordingly, noise radiation from the flywheel can be suppressed, thereby enabling noise to be reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a variable valve mechanism 10 for changing the lift amount and operating angle of an internal combustion engine valve disc 12.

Abstract: A control apparatus calculates a exhaust gas air-fuel ratio of a plurality of cylinders, in which the operation angle of an intake valve is set to a predetermined operation angle, e.g., a maximum operation angle, based on a value output from an air-fuel ratio sensor so as to minimize a variation in an fuel injection quantity between the plurality of cylinders by that exhaust gas air-fuel ratio. That is, the exhaust gas air-fuel ratio of the plurality of cylinders, in which the valve opening characteristics of the intake valve and an exhaust valve are set such that the intake air amount to be introduced into the plurality of cylinders is limited by the opening amount of a throttle valve, for example, and not limited by the valve opening characteristics of the intake valve or the exhaust valve is calculated, and the variation in the fuel injection quantity among the plurality of cylinders is then reduced by that exhaust gas air-fuel ratio.

Abstract: A one-way clutch and a bearing are both grease-filled so even if an oil seal member prevents engine oil from flowing thereto, it will cause no problems in terms of lubrication of the one-way clutch and the bearing. Therefore, the oil seal member 18 need only seal between a main body side of an internal combustion engine and a crankshaft and so does not need to have a large diameter. As a result, even when the crankshaft rotates while the internal combustion engine is operating, the small diameter oil seal member will not slide at a high rate of speed against an outer peripheral surface of the crankshaft and so will not degrade quickly.

Abstract: Engine starting apparatus comprising a one way clutch. A first oil seal is located on the outer side of a second oil seal in the radial direction of a ring gear. Upon starting of an engine, the time that the first oil seal is slid on the ring gear is short, and after the start of the engine, the first oil seal is not slid on the ring gear. The second oil seal is located on the inner side of the first oil seal in the radial direction of the ring gear. Therefore, the second oil seal hardly deteriorates even if slid on a flywheel at high speed after the start of the engine. By locating the first and second oil seals at different positions in the radial direction of the ring gear, it is possible to improve the startability and the lifetime of a starting apparatus. At least one oil seal has a taper shape in order to generate a thrust force which forces the ring gear away from the flywheel.

Abstract: An engine starting apparatus has a reverse-rotation detection sensor for detecting the reverse rotation of an engine. A control apparatus for controlling the engine starting apparatus performs such control that a starter motor is not rotated while the reverse rotation of the engine is detected by the reverse-rotation detection sensor, even if receiving a predetermined engine start command.

Abstract: A valve driving device (10), that converts rotational motion outputted from a valve-driving source to linear motion through cam mechanisms (13) provided to respective cylinders (2) and drives valves (3) in respective cylinders through the linear motion, the valve driving device is equipped with electric motors (11, 12) that are shared as the valve-driving source in a group of cylinders comprising a plurality of cylinders in which open-valve periods of the valves do not overlap; and motion-transmission mechanisms (14, 15) that transmit rotational motion of the electric motors (11, 12) to cams (16) in respective cam mechanisms (13) in the group of cylinders.

Abstract: A variable valve operating device is provided that allows an ideal valve timing-lift characteristic to be realized by associating a change in a valve timing with a change in a valve lift amount. A rotation motion of a drive cam is transmitted to a slide surface of a swing member via an intermediate member. Positions of the intermediate member on the slide surface are varied in association with the rotation of a control shaft by an interlock mechanism. The slide surface is formed to be curved toward the drive cam so that the distance from the center of a camshaft increases toward the farthest point from the swing center of the swing member within the area which the intermediate member contacts from the nearest point from the swing center of the swing member within the area which the intermediate member contacts.

Abstract: A valve-driving system which is applied to an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders for driving an intake or exhaust valve provided in each cylinder, including a plurality of valve-driving apparatuses provided for driving valves of different cylinders of the internal combustion engine, wherein each valve-driving apparatus includes an electrical motor as a driving source for generating rotation motion; and a power transmission mechanism for converting the rotation motion of the electric motor into opening and closing motion of the valve to be driven and for transmitting the opening and closing motion to the valve through a cam or a link.