JP2013096374A - Valve timing control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a valve timing control device improved in controllability of a fluid relative to an advance chamber or a retard chamber, compact, and superior in mountability to an engine.SOLUTION: The valve timing control device includes a fluid control valve part 2 controlling the supply or discharge of the fluid relative to the advance chamber or the retard chamber, a lock control valve part 100 controlling the supply or discharge of the fluid relative to an intermediate lock flow path locking the relative rotation of a driven side rotating member to a driving side rotating member at an intermediate position between the maximum retard position and the maximum advance position, and an accumulator control valve part 120 controlling an accumulator 110 supplying the fluid to the fluid control valve part 2 during startup of the engine. The valve timing control device includes the fluid control valve part 2, the lock control valve part 100, and the accumulator control valve part 120 on the opposite side of a camshaft across the driving side rotating member or the driven side rotating member. Moreover, a solenoid 101 for controlling the lock control valve part 100 and a solenoid 101 for controlling the accumulator control valve part 120 are shared.

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve opening / closing timing control device that controls a relative rotation phase of a driven side rotating member with respect to a driving side rotating member that rotates in synchronization with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.

  The valve opening / closing timing control device includes a fluid pressure chamber formed in one of a drive side rotation member and a driven side rotation member, and a drive side rotation member and a driven side so as to partition the fluid pressure chamber into an advance chamber and a retard chamber. A partition provided on either side of the side rotation member. By controlling the supply or discharge of the fluid to the advance chamber or the retard chamber, the relative rotation phase of the driven side rotation member with respect to the drive side rotation member is controlled.

  The valve opening / closing timing control device includes a fluid control valve unit that controls supply or discharge of fluid to the advance chamber or retard chamber, a lock state that locks the relative rotation of the driven side rotation member with respect to the drive side rotation member, and the lock There is a lock mechanism that switches to a lock release state for releasing the state and a lock valve unit that controls supply or discharge of fluid to the lock mechanism (see Patent Document 1).

  The valve timing control apparatus uses a fluid (hydraulic pressure) pump driven by the power of the internal combustion engine itself, and supplies fluid (hydraulic pressure) to the advance chamber or the retard chamber. However, since the fluid (hydraulic pressure) from the fluid (hydraulic pressure) pump cannot be supplied immediately after the internal combustion engine is started, the fluid (hydraulic pressure) cannot be sufficiently supplied to the advance chamber or the retard chamber. As a countermeasure, there is a valve opening / closing timing control device including an accumulator as an auxiliary hydraulic pressure generating device that supplies hydraulic pressure at the start of the internal combustion engine, as shown in Patent Document 2.

JP 2010-196698 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-13429

  However, when an accumulator is added to the valve opening / closing timing control device as a separate component, the overall size of the device increases. In addition, there is room for improvement in the position where the accumulator is disposed, based on the fact that the fluid control valve portion and the lock valve portion that are opened and closed using the solenoid valve are arranged together on one side of the valve opening / closing timing control device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a compact valve opening / closing timing control device with improved fluid controllability for the advance chamber or retard chamber when the internal combustion engine is started. It is to provide.

  A first characteristic configuration of the present invention is a drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and is coaxially disposed so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the drive-side rotating member. A driven-side rotating member that rotates integrally with the camshaft, a fluid pressure chamber formed in one of the drive-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member, and the fluid pressure chamber as an advance chamber and a retard angle A partition provided on one of the drive-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member so as to partition into a chamber, and a fluid control valve that controls supply or discharge of fluid to the advance chamber or the retard chamber And a locked state in which the relative rotation of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member is locked at an intermediate position between the most retarded angle position and the most advanced angle position, and an unlocked state in which the locked state is released Intermediate lock to switch An intermediate lock mechanism having a flow path, a lock control valve section that controls supply or discharge of fluid to the intermediate lock flow path, and an accumulator that supplies fluid to the fluid control valve section when the internal combustion engine is started An accumulator control valve portion, and the fluid control valve portion, the lock control valve portion, and the accumulator control valve portion on the opposite side of the camshaft across the drive side rotation member or the driven side rotation member. In addition, the solenoid for controlling the lock control valve portion and the solenoid for controlling the accumulator control valve portion are shared.

  As in this configuration, the fluid control valve, the lock control valve, and the accumulator control valve are provided on the opposite side of the camshaft across the drive side driven member or the driven side rotary member. The fluid can be reliably supplied from the accumulator to the control valve portion. Thereby, the valve opening / closing characteristic by the fluid control valve unit can be obtained immediately after the internal combustion engine is started. Furthermore, since the solenoid for controlling the lock control valve portion and the solenoid for controlling the accumulator control valve portion are shared, the valve opening / closing timing control device itself can be made compact.

  A second characteristic configuration of the valve timing control device of the present invention is that the accumulator control valve portion is disposed on an extension of the reciprocating movement direction of the spool provided in the lock control valve portion, and the position of the spool is An intermediate lock position in which fluid is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path to enter the locked state, a duty position in which fluid is supplied to the intermediate lock flow path to enter the unlocked state, and the accumulator control valve portion is opened. It can be switched to the accumulator operating position.

  According to this configuration, by the reciprocating movement of the spool provided in the lock control valve portion, the spool is moved to the locked state where the hydraulic oil is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path, and the hydraulic oil is supplied to the intermediate lock flow path. And the accumulator control valve portion can be opened. That is, the spool of the lock control valve portion can be used for both the control of the lock control valve portion and the accumulator control valve portion, and a separate member for controlling the accumulator control valve portion becomes unnecessary. Thereby, the operation mechanism of the lock control valve unit and the accumulator control valve unit is simplified, and the operation of the lock control valve unit and the accumulator control valve unit is also simplified.

  According to a third characteristic configuration of the valve opening / closing timing control device of the present invention, when the spool position of the lock control valve portion is switched to the accumulator operating position, the intermediate lock flow path is set to the drain state so as to be in the locked state. The point is that it is configured to be switched.

  When the spool position of the lock control valve portion is switched to the accumulator operating position as in this configuration, the fluid is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path, and for example, the locking claw of the intermediate lock mechanism easily enters the lock groove. On the other hand, when the fluid from the accumulator is supplied to, for example, the advance chamber, the intermediate lock mechanism can be reliably operated when the internal combustion engine is started, and the startability of the internal combustion engine is improved.

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the valve opening / closing timing control device of the present invention, a valve body capable of injecting fluid to the accumulator when the position of the spool of the lock control valve portion is the intermediate lock position or the duty position is the accumulator. In the control valve portion, a pressing member capable of opening and operating the valve body at the accumulator operating position is provided at one end of the spool.

  In order to supply the fluid from the accumulator to the fluid control valve at the start of the internal combustion engine, it is necessary to have already injected the fluid into the accumulator. When the fluid is injected into the accumulator by the valve body provided in the accumulator control valve part in a state where the fluid of the accumulator is not released and used as in this configuration, there is no need to separately inject the fluid into the accumulator. It becomes unnecessary. As a result, the operation of injecting fluid into the accumulator in the valve timing control device is simplified.

  Further, when a pressing member capable of opening and operating the valve body at the accumulator operating position is provided at one end of the spool of the lock control valve section, the pressing member is connected to the valve body when the spool of the lock control valve section is at the accumulator operating position. To open the accumulator control valve. As a result, the fluid can be reliably supplied from the accumulator to the fluid pressure chamber when the internal combustion engine is started.

It is sectional drawing of the rotating shaft direction of the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus in the fluid control valve side. It is sectional drawing of the rotating shaft direction of the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus in the lock control valve side. It is III-III sectional drawing of FIG. It is IV-IV sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 5 is a VV cross-sectional view of FIGS. 1 and 2. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a lock control valve part and an accumulator, Comprising: (a) is a state at the time of engine stop, (b) at the time of engine operation, (c) is a state at the time of engine starting.

  Hereinafter, a valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

〔overall structure〕
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 includes an external rotor 3 and a front plate as a “drive side rotating member” that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft (not shown) of an engine (internal combustion engine). 4 and an internal rotor 5 that is arranged coaxially with respect to the external rotor 3 and that rotates synchronously with a camshaft 8 for opening and closing the valve of the engine.

  The internal rotor 5 is integrally assembled at the tip of a camshaft 8 that constitutes a rotating shaft of a cam (not shown) that controls opening and closing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of the engine. A concave portion 14 is provided on the inner diameter side of the inner rotor 5, and a fixing hole 12 penetrating the camshaft 8 side is formed on the bottom surface thereof. Bolts 13 are passed through the fixing holes 12 to fix the internal rotor 5 to the camshaft 8. The camshaft 8 is rotatably assembled to a cylinder head (not shown) of the engine.

  The outer rotor 3 is integrated with the front plate 4 and is externally mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the inner rotor 5 within a predetermined range. A sprocket portion 11 is formed on the outer periphery of the external rotor 3. A power transmission member (not shown) such as a timing chain or a timing belt is installed between the sprocket portion 11 and a gear (not shown) attached to the crankshaft.

  When the crankshaft is rotationally driven, rotational power is transmitted to the sprocket portion 11 via the power transmission member, and the external rotor 3 is rotationally driven. As the external rotor 3 is driven to rotate, the inner rotor 5 is driven to rotate and the camshaft 8 is rotated. The cam provided on the camshaft 8 pushes down the intake valve or exhaust valve of the engine to open it.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the outer rotor 3 is formed with a plurality of protrusions protruding in the radial direction so as to be separated from each other along the rotation direction, and the fluid pressure chamber is formed by the adjacent protrusions and the inner rotor 5. 6 is formed. In the present embodiment, four fluid pressure chambers 6 are provided.

  Grooves are formed at locations facing the fluid pressure chambers 6 on the outer peripheral portion of the internal rotor 5, and vanes 7 as “partition portions” are inserted into the grooves. The fluid pressure chamber 6 is partitioned by the vane 7 into the advance chamber 6a and the retard chamber 6b in the relative rotation direction (the directions of arrows S1 and S2 in FIGS. 3 and 4).

  The internal rotor 5 has an advance chamber communication hole 17 and a retard chamber communication hole 18 formed therein. The advance chamber communication hole 17 communicates the cylindrical recess 14 and the advance chamber 6a. The retard chamber communication hole 18 communicates the recess 14 and the retard chamber 6b.

  By supplying or discharging hydraulic oil as “fluid” from the pump P to the advance chamber 6a or the retard chamber 6b, the relative rotation phase between the internal rotor 5 and the external rotor 3 (hereinafter referred to as “relative rotation” Phase)) is displaced in the advance direction S1 or the retard direction S2. The advance angle direction S1 indicates the direction in which the vane 7 indicated by the arrow S1 in FIGS. 3 and 4 is relatively displaced, and the retard angle direction S2 indicates the direction in which the vane 7 indicated by the arrow S2 is relatively displaced.

  When hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 6a, the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction S1, and when hydraulic oil is supplied to the retard chamber 6b, the relative rotation phase is displaced in the retard direction S2. The range in which the relative rotational phase can be displaced is the range in which the vane 7 can be displaced inside the fluid pressure chamber 6, and the most retarded phase where the volume of the retarded chamber 6b is maximum, and the volume of the advanced chamber 6a. Corresponds to the range between the most advanced angle phase at which is the maximum.

[Fluid control valve mechanism]
The fluid control valve mechanism includes a fluid control valve unit 2, and the fluid control valve unit 2 controls supply or discharge of hydraulic oil to or from the advance chamber 6 a or the retard chamber 6 b. The fluid control valve mechanism is inserted into the concave portion 14 of the internal rotor 5 described above so as to be relatively rotatable, and is fixed to a stationary system such as an engine front cover. That is, the fluid control valve mechanism remains stationary and does not follow the rotation of the internal rotor 5.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid control valve mechanism includes a solenoid 21, a housing 23, and a spool 25. The spool 25 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The housing 23 includes a first spool storage portion 23 a that stores the spool 25, and a convex portion 23 b that is inserted into the concave portion 14. A hollow portion 24 for storing the spool 25 is formed in the first spool storage portion 23a. The hollow portion 24 has a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens to one side. The convex portion 23 b has a cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the concave portion 14. The hollow portion 24 and the convex portion 23b of the first spool storage portion 23a are formed so that their extending directions are perpendicular to each other. A spool 25 is accommodated in the hollow portion 24 so as to be linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the camshaft 8.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a convex portion 23b is inserted into the concave portion 14 of the internal rotor 5 so as to be relatively rotatable, and the housing 23 is fixed to a front cover of an engine or the like. Thereby, the inner rotor 5 is supported by the convex part 23b so that relative rotation is possible.

  A spring 26 is installed between the spool 25 and the bottom surface of the hollow portion 24. For this reason, the spool 25 is urged toward the opening side of the hollow portion 24. A solenoid 21 is installed at the opening side end of the first spool housing portion 23a, and reciprocates the spool 25 in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the camshaft 8. The rod 22 at the tip of the solenoid 21 is in contact with the bottom of the spool 25. When the solenoid 21 is energized, the rod 22 extends from the solenoid 21 and presses the bottom of the spool 25, and the spool 25 moves downward in FIG. When energization is stopped, the rod 22 is retracted toward the solenoid 21, and the spool 25 moves toward the solenoid 21 following the movement of the rod 22 by the biasing force of the spring 26 described above. The solenoid 21, the rod 22, the spool 25, and the spring 26 constitute the fluid control valve unit 2.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion 23b, three annular grooves extending around the outer periphery are formed in parallel, and a seal ring 27 for preventing hydraulic oil leakage is provided in each groove. Between each of the adjacent grooves, an advance outer peripheral groove 31 and a retard outer peripheral groove 32 which are similarly annular grooves are formed. The seal ring 27 prevents hydraulic fluid from leaking from the advance angle outer peripheral groove 31 and the retard angle outer peripheral groove 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the advance angle outer peripheral groove 31 is always in communication with the advance angle chamber communication hole 17. The retard outer peripheral groove 32 is always in communication with the retard chamber communication hole 18.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a supply-side flow path 47 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the first spool housing portion 23a, and in the convex portion 23b, the extending direction of the convex portion 23b, that is, An advance side channel 42 and a retard side channel 43 are formed along the extending direction of the camshaft 8. One end of the supply-side flow path 47 communicates with the hollow portion 24 of the first spool storage portion 23a, and hydraulic oil from the pump P is supplied from the other end side. A sleeve 15 is provided in the middle of the supply side flow path 47, and a spherical valve body 15 b is provided in the space of the sleeve 15. A spring 15c is interposed between the spherical valve body 15b and the downstream side of the supply side flow path 47 of the sleeve 15a, and is urged upstream of the supply side flow path 47 of the sleeve 15a. Thereby, the backflow of the hydraulic oil in the supply side flow path 47 is prevented. One of the advance side flow paths 42 opens into the hollow portion 24 and the other end opens into the advance outer peripheral groove 31. The advance side flow path 42 constitutes a part of the advance angle outer peripheral groove 31. In addition, one end of the retard side flow path 43 opens into the hollow portion 24 and the other end opens into the retard outer peripheral groove 32. The retard side channel 43 constitutes a part of the retard outer peripheral groove 32.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, annular discharge outer peripheral grooves 53 a and 53 b and a supply outer peripheral groove 54 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the spool 25. The discharge outer peripheral grooves 53a and 53b are respectively provided with through holes 55a and 55b penetrating through the hollow portions inside.

  The positional relationship between the discharge outer peripheral grooves 53a and 53b and the supply outer peripheral groove 54 is as follows. When the solenoid 21 is not energized, as shown in FIG. 1, the supply outer circumferential groove 54 communicates with the supply-side flow path 47 and the advance-side flow path 42, and the discharge outer peripheral groove 53 a is connected to the retard-side flow path 43. It is set to communicate. When the solenoid 21 is energized, the supply outer circumferential groove 54 communicates with the supply-side channel 47 and the retard-side channel 43, and the discharge outer circumferential groove 53b communicates with the advance-side channel 42.

[Intermediate lock mechanism]
Between the outer rotor 3 and the inner rotor 5, there is a locked state in which the relative rotation between the outer rotor 3 and the inner rotor 5 is locked at an intermediate position between the most retarded angle position and the most advanced angle position. An intermediate lock mechanism 9 having an intermediate lock channel 99 for switching to the unlocked state to be released is provided. The intermediate lock mechanism 9 is configured to lock the displacement of the relative rotational phase to an intermediate lock phase (see FIG. 4) between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate lock mechanism 9 includes lock storage portions 91a and 91b, retracting members 92a and 92b, a lock recess 93, and springs 94a and 94b. The lock accommodating portions 91 a and 91 b are formed in the external rotor 3, and the lock recess 93 is formed in the internal rotor 5. The withdrawing / retracting members 92a and 92b enter the locking recess 93 to lock the relative rotation, and the unlocking state to release the locking state by retreating from the locking recess 93 to the lock storage portions 91a and 91b. Displaceable. The withdrawing / retracting members 92a and 92b are always urged so as to enter the locking recess 93 by springs 94a and 84b installed in the locking storage portions 91a and 91b.

[Lock control valve]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the housing 23 is provided with a fluid control valve unit 2 and a lock control valve unit 100 that controls supply or discharge of fluid to or from the intermediate lock channel 99 of the intermediate lock mechanism 9. Has been. The lock control valve unit 100 includes a solenoid 101, a housing 23, and a spool 105. The spool 105 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The housing 23 includes a second spool storage portion 23c that stores the spool 105, and an accumulator storage portion 23d that stores an accumulator 110 described later. A hollow portion 104 for storing the spool 105 is formed in the second spool storage portion 23c. The hollow portion 104 has a cylindrical shape. A spool 105 is accommodated in the hollow portion 104 so as to be linearly movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis of the camshaft 8.

  A communicating portion 107 to the accumulator 110 is formed in the vicinity of the bottom of the hollow portion 104, and a pressing member 108 that opens the accumulator 110 is disposed in the communicating portion 107. A bearing member 109 is provided on the outer periphery of the pressing member 108, and a spring 106 is installed between the spool 105 and the bearing member 109. The spool 105 is biased toward the solenoid 101 side of the hollow portion 104 by the spring 106. The pressing member 108 is held by a spring 106, and the pressing member 108 is held at a position separated from the tip of the spool 105 in a state where the solenoid 101 is not energized.

  A solenoid 101 is installed at the opening side end of the second spool storage portion 23c, and reciprocates the spool 25 in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis direction of the camshaft 8. The rod 102 at the tip of the solenoid 101 is in contact with the bottom of the spool 105. When the solenoid 101 is energized, the rod 102 extends from the solenoid 101 and presses the bottom of the spool 105, and the spool 105 moves downward in FIG. When energization of the solenoid 101 is stopped, the rod 102 is retracted toward the solenoid 101, and the spool 105 moves toward the solenoid 101 following the movement of the rod 102 by the biasing force of the spring 106 described above. The solenoid 101, the rod 102, the spool 105, and the spring 106 constitute a lock control valve unit 100.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the housing 23 includes a spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 in addition to the first spool storage portion 23 a that stores the spool 25 and the convex portion 23 b that is inserted into the concave portion 14. A second spool storage portion 23c for storing and an accumulator storage portion 23d for storing the accumulator 110 are provided. The second spool storage portion 23c is juxtaposed with the first spool storage portion 23a in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the convex portion 23b, that is, a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the camshaft 8. As shown in FIG. 5, the first spool storage portion 23a and the second spool storage portion 23c are positioned on substantially the same plane in the extending direction of the convex portion 23b, that is, in the extending direction of the camshaft 8. Is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, four annular grooves are formed in parallel on the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion 23b of the housing 23, and a seal ring 27 for preventing hydraulic oil leakage is installed in each groove. Has been. Between each of the adjacent grooves, a locking outer peripheral groove 96 is formed in addition to the advance outer peripheral groove 31 and the retard outer peripheral groove 32. The lock outer peripheral groove 96 is always in communication with a lock communication hole 95 connected to the lock recess 93.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate | middle lock flow path 99 is formed along the extension direction of the convex part 23b. One end of the intermediate lock channel 99 opens into the hollow portion 104, and the other end is always in communication with the lock outer peripheral groove 96. The intermediate lock channel 99 constitutes a part of the outer peripheral groove 96 for locking. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a connection channel 48 is formed between the supply side channel 47 and the hollow portion 104.

〔accumulator〕
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an accumulator 110 is disposed via an accumulator control valve portion 120 provided on the extension of the spool 105 of the lock control valve portion 100 in the reciprocating direction. The accumulator 110 is a container that stores fluid (hydraulic oil) supplied to the fluid control valve unit 2 in a pressurized state when the engine is started. The solenoid 101 controls the lock control valve unit 100 and also controls the accumulator control valve unit 120. That is, the valve timing control device shares the solenoid 101 that controls the lock control valve unit 100 and the solenoid 101 that controls the accumulator control valve unit 120. Specifically, the accumulator control valve portion 120 is provided with a partition wall portion 111 of the accumulator 110 in the hollow portion 104. 114. The spherical valve body 113 is positioned at an extension in the reciprocating direction of the spool 105. The spring 114 biases the spherical valve body 113 in the closing direction. Thereby, the backflow of the hydraulic oil in the accumulator 110 is prevented. The accumulator 110 includes a movable wall 116 that moves on an extension line in the reciprocating direction of the spool 105 on the side opposite to the accumulator control valve portion 120 to vary the capacity of the fluid storage portion 115. The movable wall 116 is provided with a spring 117 that biases the movable wall 116 in order to pressurize the hydraulic oil in the fluid reservoir 115.

[Operation of lock control valve]
The operation of the lock control valve unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b), and 6 (c).

  In the lock control valve unit 100, the spool 105 is positioned at an intermediate lock position (FIG. 6A) where the fluid is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path 99 and locked, and the fluid is supplied to the intermediate lock flow path 99. Thus, it is configured to be switchable between a duty position (FIG. 6B) where the lock is released and an accumulator operating position where the accumulator 110 is opened (FIG. 6C).

  FIG. 6A shows the position (intermediate lock position) of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 when the engine is stopped. Here, the solenoid 101 is not energized, and the spool 105 is located closest to the solenoid 101. The hydraulic oil supplied from the supply-side flow path 47 via the connection flow path 48 flows into the spool 105 from the inflow port P1 formed in the spool 105, but the outflow port P2 separately formed in the spool 105 has an intermediate lock. Communication with the flow path 99 is blocked. On the other hand, the intermediate lock channel 99 communicates with the drain hole P4, and the hydraulic oil is discharged to the drain hole P4. Thus, a locked state is achieved in which the relative rotation of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member is locked at an intermediate position between the most retarded angle position and the most advanced angle position. That is, the position of the spool 105 in this state is the intermediate lock position. Further, since the supply-side flow path 47 communicates with the injection flow path 118 for injecting the hydraulic oil into the accumulator 110 via the connection flow path 48, the accumulator 110 is in a state where the hydraulic oil can be injected.

  FIG. 6B shows the position (duty position) of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 during normal operation of the engine. Here, the energization of the solenoid 101 is in an intermediate state, and the position of the spool 105 is located closer to the accumulator 110 than the position of FIG. The outflow port P2 and the intermediate lock channel 99 are in communication with each other, and the hydraulic oil that has flowed into the inflow port P1 from the supply side channel 47 via the connection channel 48 is supplied from the outflow port P2 to the intermediate lock channel 99. ing. On the other hand, the communication between the intermediate lock channel 99 and the drain holes P3 and P4 is blocked. Thus, the unlocked state in which the locked state of the relative rotation of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member is released. Further, since the supply-side flow path 47 communicates with the injection flow path 118 for injecting hydraulic oil into the accumulator 110, the accumulator 110 is in a state where the hydraulic oil can be injected.

  FIG. 6C shows the position (accumulator operation position) of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 when the engine is started. Here, the energization of the solenoid 101 is in a state near the maximum, and the position of the spool 105 is further located on the accumulator 110 side than the position of FIG. The pressing member 108 positioned at the tip of the spool 105 pushes the spherical valve body 113 of the check valve, and the accumulator control valve unit 120 is opened. That is, the position of the spool 105 is the accumulator operating position. At this time, since the engine is being started, hydraulic fluid has not yet been supplied from the supply-side flow path 47 to the inflow port P1 and the injection flow path 118 to the accumulator 110 via the connection flow path 48. Therefore, when the accumulator control valve unit 120 is opened, the hydraulic oil in the accumulator 110 is discharged toward the injection flow path 118. The hydraulic oil discharged from the accumulator 110 is supplied to the fluid control valve unit 2 via the injection flow path 118.

  Thereafter, by switching the position of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 to the duty position, the hydraulic oil stored in the accumulator 110 is used even when the engine is started, and the advance / retard control is performed by the fluid control valve unit 2. Can be done quickly.

  When the position of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 is switched to the accumulator operating position, the intermediate lock flow path 99 is switched to the drain state so that the lock state is established. That is, when the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 is in the accumulator operating position, the intermediate lock channel 99 communicates with the drain hole P3, and the hydraulic oil is discharged to the drain hole P3. As described above, when the position of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 is switched to the accumulator operating position, the fluid is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path 99, and the retracting members 92 a and 92 b of the intermediate lock mechanism are moved to the lock recess 93. It becomes easy to enter. On the other hand, by providing the hydraulic oil from the accumulator 110 to the advance chamber 6a, the intermediate lock mechanism can be reliably operated when the engine is started, and the engine startability is improved.

  Further, as described above, the accumulator control valve unit 120 includes the spherical valve body 113 capable of injecting hydraulic oil to the accumulator 110 when the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 is at the intermediate lock position or the duty position. A pressing member 108 capable of opening and operating the spherical valve body 113 at an accumulator operating position is provided at one end of 105.

  In order to supply the hydraulic oil from the accumulator 110 to the fluid control valve unit 2 when the engine is started, it is necessary that the hydraulic oil has been injected into the accumulator 110 until then. When the hydraulic oil of the accumulator 110 is not discharged and used as in this embodiment, the hydraulic oil is injected into the accumulator 110 by the spherical valve body 113 provided in the accumulator control valve unit 120. The trouble of separately injecting hydraulic oil into 110 becomes unnecessary. As a result, the operation of injecting hydraulic oil into the accumulator 110 in the valve timing control device 1 becomes simple.

  Further, when a pressing member 108 capable of opening and operating the spherical valve body 113 at the accumulator operating position is provided at one end of the spool 105 of the lock control valve section 100, the spool 105 of the lock control valve section 100 is in the accumulator operating position. Then, the pressing member 108 can open the spherical valve body 113 and open the accumulator control valve portion 120. As a result, the fluid can be reliably supplied from the accumulator 110 to the fluid pressure chamber 6 when the engine is started.

[Operation of valve timing control device]
The operation of the valve timing control apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 6a and the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction S1, the solenoid 21 of the fluid control valve unit 2 is not energized. . At this time, due to the biasing force of the spring 26, the spool 25 moves to the solenoid 21 side together with the rod 22 of the solenoid 21. When the hydraulic oil is supplied from the pump P to the supply-side flow path 47 in this non-energized state, the hydraulic oil flows from the supply-side flow path 47 to the supply outer peripheral groove 54, the advance side flow, as shown in FIGS. It is pumped to each advance chamber 6 a via the passage 42, the advance outer peripheral groove 31, and the advance chamber communication hole 17. At this time, the vane 7 relatively moves in the advance direction S1, and the hydraulic oil in each retard chamber 6b is discharged. The hydraulic oil flows from each retarded angle chamber 6b to each retarded angle chamber communication hole 18, retarded outer peripheral groove 32, retarded angle side flow path 43, discharge outer peripheral groove 53a, through hole 55a, drain flow path (not shown). ) Through the outside.

  On the other hand, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the retard chamber 6b and the relative rotation phase is displaced in the retard direction S2, the solenoid 21 of the fluid control valve unit 2 is energized. At this time, the spool 25 is pushed by the rod 22 of the solenoid 21 and moves downward. In this energized state, when hydraulic fluid is supplied from the pump P to the supply side flow path 47, the supply side flow path 47, the supply outer peripheral groove 54, the retard angle side flow path 43, the retard angle outer peripheral groove 32, It is pumped to the retarded angle chamber 6 b through the corner chamber communication hole 18. At this time, the vane 7 relatively moves in the retarding direction S2, and the hydraulic oil in each advance chamber 6a is discharged. The hydraulic oil flows from each advance chamber 6a to each advance chamber communication hole 17, advance angle outer peripheral groove 31, advance angle side channel 42, discharge outer periphery groove 53b, communication hole 55b, drain channel (not shown). ) Through the outside.

  As described above, the fluid control valve unit 2, the lock control valve unit 100, and the accumulator control valve are arranged on the opposite side of the camshaft 8 with the driving side rotating member (external rotor 3) or the driven side rotating member (internal rotor 5) interposed therebetween. Since the portion 120 is provided, the hydraulic oil can be reliably supplied from the accumulator 110 to the fluid control valve portion 2 when the internal combustion engine is started. Thereby, the valve opening / closing characteristic by the fluid control valve unit 2 can be obtained immediately after the engine is started. Further, since the solenoid 101 for controlling the lock control valve unit 100 and the solenoid 101 for controlling the accumulator control valve unit 120 are shared, the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 itself can be made compact.

  In addition, when the spool 105 provided in the lock control valve unit 100 is reciprocated, the position of the spool 105 is changed to a locked state in which hydraulic oil is discharged from the intermediate lock flow path 99, and hydraulic oil is supplied to the intermediate lock flow path 99. The unlocked state can be switched to, and the accumulator control valve unit 120 can be opened. That is, the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 can be used for the control of the lock control valve unit 100 and the accumulator control valve unit 120, and a separate member for controlling the accumulator control valve unit 120 is not required. Thereby, the operation mechanism of the lock control valve unit 100 and the accumulator control valve unit 120 is simplified, and the operation of the lock control valve unit 100 and the accumulator control valve unit 120 is also simplified.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the two recesses 92a and 92b are inserted into the locking recess 93 to enter the locked state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Although not shown, for example, a configuration in which only one retracting member is provided for one locking recess 93 may be employed. In this case, the circumferential width of the locking recess 93 is set to be approximately the same as the circumferential width of the retracting member.

(2) In the above embodiment, the accumulator control valve unit 120 is opened using the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100. However, the operation member of the accumulator control valve unit 120 is used as the spool of the lock control valve unit 100. You may comprise with the member different from 105. FIG.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the accumulator 110 (fluid reservoir 115) is arranged on the extension of the spool 105 of the lock control valve unit 100 in the reciprocating direction has been shown, but the accumulator 110 is the lock control valve unit 100. The spool 105 may be disposed at a position other than the extension in the reciprocating direction.

  The present invention is applicable to a valve opening / closing timing control device for an internal combustion engine such as an automobile.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Valve opening / closing timing control device 2 Fluid control valve part 3 External rotor (drive side rotating member)
5 Internal rotor (driven side rotating member)
6 Fluid pressure chamber 6a Advance angle chamber 6b Delay angle chamber 8 Camshaft 9 Intermediate lock mechanism 21 Solenoid (fluid control valve)
22 Rod (fluid control valve)
23a 1st spool accommodating part 23c 2nd spool accommodating part 23d accumulator accommodating part 25 spool (fluid control valve part)
26 Spring (fluid control valve)
42 Leading-side channel 43 Slow-side channel 47 Supply-side channel 99 Intermediate lock channel 100 Lock control valve unit 105 Spool (lock control valve unit)
108 Pressing member 110 Accumulator 113 Spherical valve element (valve element)
120 Accumulator control valve

Claims (4)

A drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine;
A driven-side rotating member that is coaxially disposed so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the driving-side rotating member, and rotates integrally with a camshaft for opening and closing the valve of the internal combustion engine;
A fluid pressure chamber formed in any one of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member;
A partition provided on the other of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member so as to partition the fluid pressure chamber into an advance chamber and a retard chamber;
A fluid control valve unit that controls supply or discharge of fluid to or from the advance chamber or the retard chamber;
An intermediate lock that switches between a locked state in which the relative rotation of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member is locked at an intermediate position between the most retarded angle position and the most advanced angle position and an unlocked state in which the locked state is released. An intermediate locking mechanism having a flow path;
A lock control valve portion for controlling supply or discharge of fluid to the intermediate lock flow path;
An accumulator control valve unit that controls an accumulator that supplies fluid to the fluid control valve unit when the internal combustion engine is started.
The fluid control valve unit, the lock control valve unit, and the accumulator control valve unit are provided on the opposite side of the camshaft across the drive side rotary member or the driven side rotary member, and the lock control valve unit is controlled. And a valve opening / closing timing control device sharing a solenoid for controlling the accumulator control valve unit.   The accumulator control valve portion is disposed on an extension of the spool provided in the lock control valve portion in the reciprocating direction, and the position of the spool is changed to the locked state by discharging the fluid from the intermediate lock passage. 2. An intermediate lock position, a duty position at which a fluid is supplied to the intermediate lock flow path to enter the unlocked state, and an accumulator operating position at which the accumulator is opened. The valve opening / closing timing control device described.   3. The valve opening / closing timing according to claim 2, wherein when the position of the spool of the lock control valve portion is switched to the accumulator operating position, the intermediate lock flow path is switched to a drain state so as to be in the locked state. Control device.   The accumulator control valve portion includes a valve body capable of injecting fluid into the accumulator when the spool position of the lock control valve portion is at the intermediate lock position or the duty position, and the accumulator operating position is provided at one end of the spool. 4. A valve opening / closing timing control device according to claim 2, further comprising a pressing member capable of opening and operating the valve body.

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