JP4556137B2 - Valve timing control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve opening / closing timing control device for controlling the opening / closing timing of a valve in an internal combustion engine.

  In an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine, the valve timing is appropriately adjusted by displacing the relative rotational phase of the driving side rotating member that rotates synchronously with the crankshaft and the driven side rotating member that rotates synchronously with the camshaft. Valve opening / closing timing control devices that can be adjusted to achieve a suitable operating state are known. As a valve opening / closing timing control device for this type of internal combustion engine, for example, the following configuration is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

As shown in FIG. 14, this valve opening / closing timing control device includes two lock bodies 102 that are provided in an external rotor (drive-side rotating member) 101 and that can operate in the radial direction of the external rotor 101, and each lock body 102. And a lock groove 105 provided in an inner rotor (driven rotation member) 104 and capable of simultaneously entering the two lock bodies 102. In addition, a fluid pressure chamber 114 formed by the outer rotor 101 and the inner rotor 104 is provided. The fluid pressure chamber 114 is partitioned into an advance chamber 111 and a retard chamber 112 by a vane 113 provided in the internal rotor 104. The advance chamber 111 moves the relative rotation phase of the inner rotor 104 with respect to the outer rotor 101 in the advance direction when the fluid is supplied, and the retard chamber 112 moves the relative rotation phase in the retard direction. .
Here, of the two lock bodies 102, one lock body 102 prevents the relative rotational phase of the external rotor 101 and the internal rotor 104 from moving in the advance direction, and the other lock body 102 is the relative rotational phase. This prevents the displacement in the retard direction. Then, when both of the two lock bodies 102 enter the lock groove 105, the relative rotation phase is locked at a predetermined lock phase. Here, the lock phase is set to a phase that is a valve opening / closing timing at which a smooth startability of the internal combustion engine is obtained. In addition, the relative rotation phase can be adjusted so as to improve fuel efficiency, and the relative rotation phase can be adjusted so that the exhaust gas becomes cleaner.

Further, the valve opening / closing timing control device of the cited document 1 performs the following control when starting the internal combustion engine and moving the relative rotational phase in the retarding direction. First, when the internal combustion engine is stopped, fluid is not supplied to the advance chamber 111 and the retard chamber 112 but is drained. Since no fluid is supplied to the lock groove 105, both of the two lock bodies 102 enter the lock groove 105, and the relative rotation phase is locked. In such an initial state, the internal combustion engine is first started. Next, the supply of fluid to the retard chamber 112 and the supply of fluid to the lock groove 105 are performed together. As a result, in a state where the internal combustion engine is operated, the lock of the relative rotation phase is released, and the relative rotation phase moves in the retarding direction.
JP 2004-116412 A (page 5-6, FIG. 2)

  By the way, it is preferable that the valve opening / closing timing (that is, the relative rotation phase) at the start of the internal combustion engine can be appropriately adjusted according to the state of the internal combustion engine such as the temperature of the combustion chamber. However, in the configuration of the valve opening / closing timing control device of the cited document 1, the relative rotational phase can be constrained only by the lock phase set to one phase, and the optimum valve at the time of starting according to the state of the internal combustion engine. The relative rotation phase cannot be locked to a phase at which the opening / closing timing is obtained. Therefore, at the time of starting the internal combustion engine, the priority of the startability of the internal combustion engine, the priority of fuel efficiency, the priority of cleanliness of exhaust gas, etc. Adjustment cannot be made.

Also, for example, when fluid is supplied to the retarded angle chamber and the relative rotational phase is moved in the retarded direction, if there is some resistance to inhibit the movement in the retarded direction, the retarded direction of the relative rotational phase The movement to can be stabilized. Specifically, if the advance chamber is filled with fluid, when the fluid is supplied to the retard chamber and the relative rotational phase is moved in the retard direction, the presence of the fluid in the advance chamber becomes a resistance. The movement of the relative rotational phase in the retard direction is stable.
However, the valve opening / closing timing control device of the cited document 1 supplies the fluid to the retard chamber 112 and supplies the fluid to the retard chamber 112 in a state where the fluid of the advance chamber 111 and the retard chamber 112 is drained after starting the internal combustion engine. The rotational phase is moved in the retard direction and the relative rotational phase is unlocked. At this time, since there is no fluid in the advance chamber 111, the volume of the advance chamber 111 easily fluctuates without playing the role of the resistance. Therefore, when the lock of the relative rotational phase is released, the relative rotational phase moves in the retarding direction while the volume fluctuation of the advance chamber 111 and the retard chamber 112 occurs (that is, the vane 113 flutters). become. Then, there is a problem that a hitting sound is generated when the vane 113 and the external rotor 101 come into contact with each other, and a problem that startability, fuel consumption, and exhaust gas cleanliness deteriorate due to an unstable relative rotational phase. appear.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the start according to the state of the internal combustion engine, and to strike between members at the start. The point is to provide a valve timing control device in which noise is suppressed.

In order to achieve the above object, the characteristic configuration of the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and
A driven-side rotating member that is coaxially disposed 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 retarding chamber formed by the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member, and moving a relative rotation phase of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member in a retarding direction by supplying a fluid; and An advance chamber that moves the relative rotational phase in the advance direction;
A lock mechanism capable of restraining the relative rotation phase with a predetermined lock phase;
A phase displacement regulating mechanism that is operable independently of the lock mechanism, and capable of regulating the relative rotational phase within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range including the lock phase;
Supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism, and discharge of fluid from the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism. A fluid supply / exhaust section to perform,
After starting the internal combustion engine in which the relative rotational phase is constrained by the lock phase, after performing a pre-start filling that fills either the advance chamber or the retard chamber with a fluid before the start of cranking In this configuration, the fluid is supplied to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber, and the fluid for releasing the restriction at the lock phase is supplied to the lock mechanism.

  According to the above characteristic configuration, the relative displacement phase of the driven side rotation member with respect to the drive side rotation member is regulated within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range by setting the phase displacement regulation mechanism in the regulation state, and the control means performs the relative rotation. By controlling the phase to be displaced in any one direction, the relative rotational phase can be constrained to one end of the phase displacement allowable range. That is, the relative rotational phase can be constrained by selecting either one of both ends of the phase displacement allowable range. At this time, since the relative rotational phase is displaced while the phase displacement regulating mechanism is in the restricted state, even when the relative rotational phase is displaced at a high speed, the operation of restraining the relative rotational phase is ensured. High nature. Therefore, it is possible to select the phase at which the optimum valve opening / closing timing at the start is obtained according to the state of the internal combustion engine, and to reliably restrain the relative rotational phase.

  In addition, the relative rotation phase between the drive side rotation member and the driven side rotation member can be restricted even by the lock phase by the lock mechanism. That is, in addition to the phase at both ends or one end of the phase displacement allowable range by the phase displacement regulating mechanism, the lock phase can be selected as the relative rotational phase restraining position. Therefore, when the internal combustion engine is started, the relative rotation phase can be selected so that a more appropriate valve opening / closing timing according to the state of the internal combustion engine can be obtained.

Furthermore, when the fluid is supplied to any one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber by performing the above-mentioned filling before starting, either the advance chamber or the retard chamber is already filled with the fluid. It has become. That is, when trying to increase the volume of the other of the advance chamber and the retard chamber, the fluid filled in either the advance chamber or the retard chamber becomes resistance, and the advance chamber and The rate of increasing the volume of either of the retard chambers is suppressed. Therefore, when the internal combustion engine is started, a sudden volume change of the advance chamber and the retard chamber does not occur. Further, the hitting sound caused by the contact between the members, for example, the hitting sound between the external rotor and the vane hardly occurs.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device that can obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the time of starting according to the state of the internal combustion engine and that suppresses the hitting sound between members at the time of starting.

Another characteristic configuration of the valve opening / closing timing control device according to the present invention is such that the fluid supply / discharge portion includes a fluid control valve that controls supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, and the lock mechanism,
The fluid control valve uses a variable electromagnetic spool valve that displaces a spool that is slidable in the sleeve against the spring in accordance with the energization amount of the solenoid. In the point which is comprised so that supply_amount | feed_rate of the fluid used for filling may increase.

  According to the above characteristic configuration, even when the energization amount to the solenoid cannot be increased, the pre-starting filling that fills either the advance chamber or the retard chamber with the fluid can be performed. For example, when cranking is not yet started when the internal combustion engine is started, that is, when the alternator mounted on the vehicle is not generating power and the output voltage of the battery is low, etc. Even when the energization amount cannot be increased, it is possible to perform pre-starting filling in which either the advance chamber or the retard chamber is filled with a fluid. In particular, in this feature configuration, the pre-starting charging can be performed even when the energization amount of the solenoid is zero.

Another characteristic configuration of the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a driving side rotating member that rotates synchronously with respect to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine,
A driven-side rotating member that is coaxially disposed 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 retarding chamber formed by the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member, and moving a relative rotation phase of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member in a retarding direction by supplying a fluid; and An advance chamber that moves the relative rotational phase in the advance direction;
A lock mechanism capable of restraining the relative rotation phase with a predetermined lock phase;
A phase displacement regulating mechanism that is operable independently of the lock mechanism, and capable of regulating the relative rotational phase within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range including the lock phase;
Supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism, and discharge of fluid from the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism. A fluid supply / exhaust section to perform,
When starting the internal combustion engine in which the relative rotational phase is constrained by the lock phase, a fluid is supplied to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber during a set time before the start of cranking, The present invention is characterized in that the pre-starting filling is performed to fill either the advance chamber or the retard chamber with the fluid leaking from either the advance chamber or the retard chamber.

  According to the above characteristic configuration, the relative displacement phase of the driven side rotation member with respect to the drive side rotation member is regulated within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range by setting the phase displacement regulation mechanism in the regulation state, and the control means performs the relative rotation. By controlling the phase to be displaced in any one direction, the relative rotational phase can be constrained to one end of the phase displacement allowable range. That is, the relative rotational phase can be constrained by selecting either one of both ends of the phase displacement allowable range. At this time, since the relative rotational phase is displaced while the phase displacement regulating mechanism is in the restricted state, even when the relative rotational phase is displaced at a high speed, the operation of restraining the relative rotational phase is ensured. High nature. Therefore, it is possible to select the phase at which the optimum valve opening / closing timing at the start is obtained according to the state of the internal combustion engine, and to reliably restrain the relative rotational phase.

  In addition, the relative rotation phase between the drive side rotation member and the driven side rotation member can be restricted even by the lock phase by the lock mechanism. That is, in addition to the phase at both ends or one end of the phase displacement allowable range by the phase displacement regulating mechanism, the lock phase can be selected as the relative rotational phase restraining position. Therefore, when the internal combustion engine is started, the relative rotation phase can be selected so that a more appropriate valve opening / closing timing according to the state of the internal combustion engine can be obtained.

Furthermore, by performing the pre-starting filling, both the advance chamber and the retard chamber can be filled with fluid. Therefore, the fluid filled in both the advance chamber and the retard chamber becomes resistance, and the speed at which the volume of the advance chamber and the retard chamber is increased or decreased is suppressed. As a result, when the internal combustion engine is started, a sudden volume change of the advance chamber and the retard chamber does not occur. Further, the hitting sound between the members, for example, the external rotor and the vane, hardly occurs.
In addition, according to the present characteristic configuration, when a fluid is supplied to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber, the fluid is supplied to the other due to a leak from one. Therefore, the fluid can be supplied to both the advance chamber and the retard chamber without switching between the control for supplying the fluid to the advance chamber and the control for supplying the fluid to the retard chamber. It can be simplified.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device that can obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the time of starting according to the state of the internal combustion engine and that suppresses the hitting sound between members at the time of starting.

  Another characteristic configuration of the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention is that the set time is changed according to a fluid state.

  According to the above characteristic configuration, the set time is changed according to the state of the fluid, taking into account that the amount of fluid leakage per unit time changes according to the state of the fluid. For example, when the amount of fluid leak per unit time decreases according to the state of the fluid, the set time may be lengthened. When the amount of fluid leak per unit time increases according to the fluid state, the set time may be shortened. As a result, by changing the set time, the amount of fluid leaking from one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber to the other within the set time becomes constant regardless of the state of the fluid. Pre-filling can be performed appropriately.

  Another characteristic configuration of the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention is that the state of the fluid is derived based on the temperature of the fluid.

  According to the above characteristic configuration, since the state of the fluid changes when the temperature of the fluid changes, the set time is changed based on the temperature of the fluid, and the state of the fluid according to the temperature of the fluid is set to the set time. It can be reflected appropriately.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the case where the present invention is applied to the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 of an automobile engine (internal combustion engine) will be described. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the overall configuration of the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. 2 to 5 correspond to the AA cross section of FIG. 1, and are diagrams showing each state of the valve opening / closing timing control device 1. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6.
(Basic configuration)
The valve opening / closing timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment is disposed coaxially with an external rotor 2 as a drive side rotation member that rotates synchronously with an engine crankshaft (not shown), and the external rotor 2. An internal rotor 3 as a driven side rotating member that rotates integrally with a camshaft 11 for opening and closing the valve of the engine is provided.

  The internal rotor 3 is integrally assembled at the tip of a camshaft 11 that constitutes a rotating shaft of a cam that controls opening and closing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of the engine. The camshaft 11 is rotatably assembled to a cylinder head of the engine.

  The outer rotor 2 is packaged so as to be rotatable relative to the inner rotor 3 within a predetermined relative rotatable range. A rear plate 21 is integrally attached to the side to which the camshaft 11 is connected, and a front plate 22 is integrally attached to the side opposite to the side to which the camshaft 11 is connected. A timing sprocket 23 is formed on the outer periphery of the outer rotor 2. A power transmission member 12 such as a timing chain or a timing belt is installed between the timing sprocket 23 and a gear attached to the crankshaft of the engine.

  When the crankshaft of the engine is rotationally driven, rotational power is transmitted to the timing sprocket 23 via the power transmission member 12, and the external rotor 2 is rotationally driven along the rotational direction S shown in FIG. 3 is rotationally driven along the rotational direction S to rotate the camshaft 11, and the cam provided on the camshaft 11 pushes down the intake valve or exhaust valve of the engine to open it.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer rotor 2 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 24 that function as shoes protruding in the radially inward direction and spaced apart from each other along the rotational direction. A fluid pressure chamber 4 defined by the outer rotor 2 and the inner rotor 3 is formed between adjacent protrusions 24 of the outer rotor 2. In the illustrated case, four fluid pressure chambers 4 are provided.

  A vane groove 31 is formed in a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the inner rotor 3 facing each fluid pressure chamber 4, and the fluid pressure chamber 4 is placed in the vane groove 31 in the relative rotation direction (arrow S 1 in FIG. 2). In the S2 direction), the vane 32 that partitions the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 is slidably inserted along the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the vane 32 is urged outward in the radial direction by a spring 33 provided on the inner diameter side thereof.

The advance chamber 41 of the fluid pressure chamber 4 communicates with an advance passage 43 formed in the inner rotor 3, and the retard chamber 42 communicates with a retard passage 44 formed in the inner rotor 3. These advance passage 43 and retard passage 44 are connected to a hydraulic circuit 7 to be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, the advance passage 43 of the advance chamber 41 in the position adjacent to the lock mechanism 5 among the four advance chambers 41 is an engagement recess of the lock mechanism 5. 51 is a flow path formed along a sliding surface of the internal rotor 3 with the external rotor 2 so as to communicate with the advance chamber 41, and is connected to the hydraulic circuit 7 via the lock passage 55. Yes. Then, by supplying or discharging hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 to one or both of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42, the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as “rear rotation phase”) (Also referred to as “relative rotational phase”), the advance direction S1 (the displacement direction of the relative position of the vane 32 is indicated by the arrow S1 in FIG. 2) or the retard direction S2 (the displacement direction of the relative position of the vane 2 is illustrated) 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow S2), or an urging force that is held in an arbitrary phase is generated.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the hydraulic oil corresponds to the “fluid” in the present invention. The relative rotatable range in which the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 can be displaced is a range in which the vane 32 can be displaced in the fluid pressure chamber 4, that is, the most retarded angle phase and the most advanced angle phase. It corresponds to the range between.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a torsion spring 13 is provided between the inner rotor 3 and a front plate 22 fixed to the outer rotor 2. Both end portions of the torsion spring 13 are held by holding portions respectively formed on the inner rotor 3 and the front plate 22. The torsion spring 13 applies a torque that constantly urges the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 in a direction in which the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction S1.

(Configuration of lock mechanism)
Further, between the external rotor 2 and the internal rotor 3, a lock mechanism 5 is provided that can restrain the displacement of the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 with a predetermined lock phase. In the present embodiment, the lock phase is set to the most retarded phase as shown in FIG. As shown in detail in FIG. 6, the lock mechanism 5 includes a slide groove 52 provided in the external rotor 2, a lock member 53 provided slidably along the slide groove 52, and the lock A biasing spring 54 that biases the member 53 radially inward, and an engagement recess 51 that is provided in the inner rotor 3 and is formed so that the lock member 53 can be engaged in a state where the relative rotational phase is the lock phase. Configured. In the present embodiment, the lock member 53 has a flat plate shape, and the shapes of the sliding groove 52 and the engagement recess 51 are formed to match the shape of the lock member 53. In addition, the shape of the lock member 53 can employ | adopt other shapes, such as a pin shape, according to the use.

  The engaging recess 51 is provided in the inner rotor 3 and is formed so that the radially inner end of the lock member 53 can be engaged. The engaging recess 51 is provided at a position where the lock member 53 can be engaged when the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 is in the locked phase state (in this embodiment, the most retarded phase state). ing. Then, when the lock member 53 enters and engages in the engagement recess 51 by the urging force of the urging spring 54, the lock mechanism 5 enters the locked state, and the relative rotation phase becomes the lock phase (the most retarded angle phase). Be bound. Here, the lock phase is set to a phase at which good startability of the engine can be obtained when a certain condition of the engine such as the temperature of the combustion chamber satisfies certain conditions. Here, the lock phase is set to the most retarded angle phase which is the limit angle at which the engine can be started in the temperature range of the combustion chamber.

  The engaging recess 51 communicates with a lock passage 55 formed in the internal rotor 3. The lock passage 55 is connected to a hydraulic circuit 7 described later. In the present embodiment, the lock passage 55 communicates with the advance passage 43 and the advance chamber 41. Then, when the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the engagement recess 51 through the lock passage 55, the lock member 53 is retracted from the engagement recess 51 and the unlocked state is released. Become. That is, when hydraulic oil is supplied and filled in the engagement recess 51 and the force for biasing the lock member 53 radially outward by the pressure of the hydraulic oil is greater than the biasing force of the biasing spring 54, FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the lock member 53 is retracted from the engagement recess 51 to be in a released state that allows displacement of the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2. On the other hand, when the hydraulic oil in the engagement recess 51 is discharged, the lock member 53 enters the engagement recess 51 by the urging force of the urging spring 54 and is locked.

(Configuration of phase displacement regulating mechanism)
Further, between the outer rotor 2 and the inner rotor 3, a restriction that allows the displacement of the relative rotation phase within the predetermined phase displacement allowable range R and restricts the displacement of the relative rotation phase that exceeds the phase displacement allowable range R. A phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 that can be in a state is provided. Here, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is operable independently of the lock mechanism 5. The phase displacement allowable range R is set including the lock phase (the most retarded angle phase). In the present embodiment, the phase displacement allowable range R has one end as an intermediate restriction (intermediate lock) phase (phase shown in FIG. 4) described later and the other end as a lock phase (most retarded angle phase).

  As shown in detail in FIG. 6, the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 includes a projecting member 63 that can project from the outer rotor 2 side to the inner rotor 3 side, and a regulation that is provided on the inner rotor 3 and into which the projecting member 63 can enter. And a recess 61. Here, the protruding member 63 has the same configuration as that of the lock member 53 of the lock mechanism 5, and is provided so as to be slidable along the slide groove 62 provided in the external rotor 2. The spring 64 is urged radially inward. In the present embodiment, the protruding member 63 has a flat plate shape, and the shapes of the sliding groove 62 and the regulating recess 61 are formed in a shape that matches the shape of the protruding member 63. In addition, the shape of the protrusion member 63 can employ | adopt other shapes, such as a pin shape, according to the use.

  The restricting recess 61 is formed so that the protruding member 63 can enter in a state where the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 is within the phase displacement allowable range R. Therefore, the restriction recess 61 has a length L in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the phase displacement allowable range R. Here, the length L in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the phase displacement allowable range R is a protruding member when the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 is displaced within the phase displacement allowable range R. This corresponds to the length in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the range in which both side surfaces of 63 (sliding surface with the sliding groove 62) are relatively displaced. If the allowable phase displacement range R is too narrow, the angular range that allows displacement from the lock phase (the most retarded phase) is also narrowed, and the effectiveness of adjusting the valve opening / closing timing is reduced. It is preferable that the relative rotational phase displacement angle is set to have an angle range of 5 ° or more.

  Moreover, the regulation recessed part 61 is formed in the fixed depth from the outer peripheral surface of the internal rotor 3, and has the bottom face 61a (refer FIG. 6) which becomes circular arc shape in the cross section shown in FIG. As a result, the front end surface of the projecting member 63 that has entered can slide along the bottom surface 61 a, and the relative rotational phase can be displaced within the phase displacement allowable range R when the projecting member 63 enters the restricting recess 61. It has become. On the other hand, in the restricted state where the protruding member 63 has entered the restricting recess 61, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R causes the side surface of the protruding member 63 to abut the end surface 61b (see FIG. 6) of the restricting recess 61. It is regulated by.

  Further, the regulation recess 61 communicates with a regulation passage 65 formed in the internal rotor 3. The restriction passage 65 is connected to a hydraulic circuit 7 described later. In the present embodiment, in order to enable the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 to operate independently of the lock mechanism 5, the regulation passage 65 constitutes a hydraulic oil passage of a system different from the lock passage 55. Then, hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the restriction recess 61 via the restriction passage 65, whereby the protruding member 63 is retracted from the restriction recess 61 and the restriction state is released. That is, when the hydraulic oil is supplied and filled in the regulating recess 61 and the force for biasing the protruding member 63 radially outward by the pressure of the hydraulic oil becomes larger than the biasing force of the biasing spring 64, the protruding member 63. Retreats from the restricting recess 61, and as shown in FIG. 5, a release state is made in which displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is permitted. On the other hand, when the hydraulic oil in the regulating recess 61 is discharged, the projecting member 63 enters the regulating recess 61 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 64 and enters the regulation state.

(Configuration of hydraulic circuit)
Next, the configuration of the hydraulic circuit 7 according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the hydraulic circuit 7 is driven by an engine to supply hydraulic oil, and is provided downstream of the first pump 71. The hydraulic circuit 7 is driven by power different from that of the engine. And a second pump 72 that supplies hydraulic oil, and a hydraulic oil reservoir 73 that is provided between the first pump 71 and the second pump 72 and that can store hydraulic oil. The hydraulic circuit 7 also includes a first control valve 74 that controls the supply of hydraulic oil to the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the lock mechanism 5, and a second control valve 75 that controls the supply of hydraulic oil to the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6. And have. The hydraulic circuit 7 has a control unit 80 that controls the operation of the second pump 72, the first control valve 74, and the second control valve 75 as control means.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the hydraulic circuit corresponds to a “fluid supply / discharge portion” of the present invention, and the first control valve corresponds to a “fluid control valve” of the present invention.

  Here, the first pump 71 is a mechanical hydraulic pump that is driven by transmission of the driving force of the crankshaft of the engine. The first pump 71 sucks the hydraulic oil stored in the oil pan 76 from the suction port, and discharges the hydraulic oil from the discharge port to the downstream side. The discharge port of the first pump 71 communicates with the engine lubrication system 78 and the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 via the filter 77. Here, the engine lubrication system 78 includes all parts that require the supply of the engine and the surrounding hydraulic oil.

  The second pump 72 is a power different from that of the engine, here, an electric pump driven by an electric motor. As a result, the second pump 72 can operate according to the operation signal from the control unit 80 regardless of the operating state of the engine. The second pump 72 sucks the hydraulic oil stored in the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 from the suction port and discharges the hydraulic oil from the discharge port to the downstream side. The discharge port of the second pump 72 communicates with the first control valve 74 and the second control valve 75. The hydraulic circuit 7 has a bypass flow path 79 that communicates the upstream flow path and the downstream flow path of the second pump so as to be parallel to the second pump 72. The bypass channel 79 is provided with a check valve 79a.

  The hydraulic oil reservoir 73 is provided between the first pump 71 and the second pump 72, and has a reservoir chamber 73a capable of storing a certain amount of hydraulic oil. In addition, the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 is provided at a position lower than the first series of openings 73b that communicate the reservoir chamber 73a with the flow path on the downstream side of the first pump 71, and the first series of openings 73b. Is provided at a position higher than the second communication port 73c and the first communication port 73b for communicating with the upstream flow path of the second pump 72, and the lubrication system communication port 73d for communicating the storage chamber 73a with the engine lubrication system 78. have. And the capacity | capacitance of the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic-oil storage part 73 is the capacity | capacitance of the area | region lower than the 1st communicating port 73b and higher than the 2nd communicating port 73c supplied by the 2nd pump 72 in the stop state of the 1st pump 71. Set it so that it is greater than the required amount of hydraulic fluid. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the second pump 72 performs an operation of supplying hydraulic oil to the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the lock mechanism 5 when the engine is stopped, that is, when the first pump 71 is stopped. Do. Accordingly, the capacity of the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil storage section 73 is lower than that of the first communication port 73b and higher than that of the second communication port 73c, and the capacity of the engagement recess 51 of the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the lock mechanism 5 is larger. And the capacity of the piping and the like between these and the second pump 72 is set to be equal to or greater than the combined capacity. As a result, it is possible to displace the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 to the target phase only from the second pump 72 when the first pump 71 is stopped.

  The part of the engine lubrication system 78 that communicates with the lubrication system communication port 73d of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 is a part that communicates with the outside air and has a flow resistance against the flow of the hydraulic oil. Here, the flow resistance by the engine lubrication system 78 is such that the hydraulic oil discharged from the first pump 71 when the first pump 71 is in the operating state and the second pump 72 is in the stopped state is stored in the storage chamber 73a. It is desirable to set the flow resistance so that the hydraulic oil is filled with the hydraulic oil and sufficient hydraulic oil is supplied to the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the like via the bypass flow path 79. For example, in a state where the second pump 72 is stopped and the engine is operating at 2000 [rpm] or more, the flow resistance such that the pressure of the hydraulic oil in the storage chamber 73a is 100 to 400 [kPa]. It is appropriate to have Such engine lubrication system 78 includes, for example, an engine main gallery, a chain tensioner, a piston jet, and the like.

  FIG. 8 shows the state of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 that changes according to each state of the engine. FIG. 8A shows the state of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 when the engine is stopped. When the engine is stopped, no hydraulic oil is supplied from the first pump 71. Here, since the engine lubrication system 78 and the first pump 71 communicate with the outside air, hydraulic oil flows out from the lubrication system communication port 73d and the first series communication port 73b, and air flows into the storage chamber 73a. To do. On the other hand, since the second pump 72 and the check valve 79a have a sealed structure, the hydraulic oil in a region lower than the first series port 73b does not flow out. Therefore, the effective capacity of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 when the engine is stopped is a capacity in a region lower than that of the first communication port 73b and higher than that of the second communication port 73c.

  Then, when the first pump 71 before and after starting the engine is stopped or not operating sufficiently, the second pump 72 is operated to supply the hydraulic oil to the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the like, as shown in FIG. As shown, the hydraulic oil in the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 is sucked into the second pump 72, and the amount of hydraulic oil decreases. At this time, since the portion of the engine lubrication system 78 that communicates with the lubrication system communication port 73d communicates with the outside air, air can flow from the lubrication system communication port 73d via the engine lubrication system 78. Therefore, the hydraulic oil suction resistance by the second pump 72 is small. Therefore, the second pump 72 can operate satisfactorily even when the viscosity of the hydraulic oil is high because the temperature of the hydraulic oil is low.

  On the other hand, after starting the engine, a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8C, the hydraulic oil is filled in the storage chamber 73 a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73. At this time, since the portion of the engine lubrication system 78 that communicates with the lubrication system communication port 73d communicates with the outside air, the air in the storage chamber 73a is released from the lubrication system communication port 73d through the engine lubrication system 78. The Further, since the engine lubrication system 78 has a flow path resistance against the flow of hydraulic oil, after the hydraulic oil is filled in the storage chamber 73a, the flow resistance of the engine lubrication system 78 causes the flow in the storage chamber 73a. The hydraulic oil is kept at a pressure within a certain range. Therefore, even when the second pump 72 is in a stopped state, hydraulic oil with sufficient pressure is supplied to the fluid pressure chamber 4, the lock mechanism 5, the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6, and the like via the bypass flow path 79. In addition, when the number of rotations of the engine becomes low and the first pump 71 cannot supply hydraulic oil with sufficient pressure, the second pump 72 can also be operated to supply hydraulic oil. It is. Thereafter, when the engine is stopped and the second pump 72 is also stopped, the hydraulic oil in the storage chamber 73a returns to the state shown in FIG.

  As the first control valve 74, for example, a variable electromagnetic spool valve that displaces a spool that is slidable in the sleeve by energizing a solenoid from the control unit 80 against the spring can be used. The first control valve 74 is connected to an advance port communicating with the advance passage 43 and the lock passage 55, a retard port communicating with the retard passage 44, and a flow path downstream of the second pump 72. A port and a drain port communicating with the oil pan 76. The first control valve 74 communicates the advance port with the supply port, advances the retard port with the drain port, communicates the retard port with the supply port, and connects the advance port with the drain port. The three-position control valve is capable of performing three state controls, namely, retard angle control that communicates and hold control that closes the advance port and the retard port. The first control valve 74 is controlled and operated by the control unit 80 to control the supply or discharge of the hydraulic oil to or from the advance chamber 41 and the engagement recess 51 of the lock mechanism 5 or the retard chamber 42. Do. Accordingly, the first control valve 74 performs switching control of the lock mechanism 5 in the locked state or the released state, and control of the relative rotation phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2.

  As the second control valve 75, similarly to the first control valve 74, a variable electromagnetic spool valve can be used. The second control valve 75 has a restriction port that communicates with the restriction passage 65, a supply port that communicates with a flow path on the downstream side of the second pump 72, and a drain port that communicates with the oil pan 76. The second control valve 75 is a two-position control valve capable of performing two state controls: a release control for communicating the restriction port with the supply port and a restriction control for communicating the restriction port with the drain port. The second control valve 75 is controlled and operated by the control unit 80, thereby controlling the supply or discharge of the hydraulic oil to the restriction recess 61 of the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6. Thereby, the second control valve 75 performs switching control of the restriction state or the release state of the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6.

(Operation of valve timing control device)
Next, based on the timing chart shown in FIG. 9, an operation example of the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 when an intermediate restriction phase different from the lock phase is selected as a relative rotation phase at the time of engine start will be described. First, in a normal engine stop state, the first pump 71 and the second pump 72 are also stopped. As shown in FIG. 2, the relative rotation phase is a lock phase (most retarded phase), and the lock mechanism 5 is The lock member 53 is in a locked state in which it enters into the engaging recess 51, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in a state in which the protruding member 63 enters into the restricting recess 61. Then, the control unit 80 starts the operation of the second pump 72 by using a signal for predicting the start or start of the engine, such as turning on the ignition key, to start the operation of the second pump 72, and the second control valve 75 to the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6. Is controlled to a restricted control state, which is a control state for setting the state to the restricted state.
In addition, the control unit 80 performs pre-start-up charging in which the first control valve 74 is controlled for a set time T1 in a retard control state in which hydraulic oil is supplied to the retard chamber 42. At this time, since the hydraulic oil is not supplied to the lock mechanism 5, the retard chamber 42 is in a state where the relative rotation phase is constrained by the lock phase, that is, in a state where the volumes of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 are not changed. Only hydraulic fluid is supplied. When the hydraulic oil is supplied only to the retard chamber 42 for the set time T1, the hydraulic oil is filled into the retard chamber 42 even if the retard chamber 42 is filled with the hydraulic oil or not completely filled. A state in which at least exists is formed.

  Further, as described above, the first control valve 74 uses a variable electromagnetic spool valve that displaces a spool slidably disposed in the sleeve in accordance with the energization amount of the solenoid, against the spring. The amount of hydraulic oil supplied to the retard chamber 42 increases as the energization amount decreases. Therefore, even when the energization amount to the solenoid cannot be increased, the retard chamber 42 can be filled with the hydraulic oil. For example, when the engine is started, cranking has not started yet, that is, when the alternator mounted on the vehicle is not generating power and the output voltage of the battery is low. Even when it is not possible to increase (especially even when the energization amount to the solenoid is zero), the retard chamber 42 can be filled with the hydraulic oil.

  Next, the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to an advance angle control state in which hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41 and the engagement recess 51 of the lock mechanism 5. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock mechanism 5 is retracted from the locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes due to the hydraulic oil from the second pump 72 and is released.

  Then, after the lock mechanism 5 is released, the relative rotation phase is displaced in the advance angle direction S1 by the hydraulic oil supplied to the advance chamber 41. At this time, the volume of the advance chamber 41 changes in the increasing direction, and the volume of the retard chamber 42 changes in the decreasing direction. However, as described above, the retarding chamber 42 is already filled with hydraulic oil or at least exists, so that the rate of volume change of the retarding chamber 42 is suppressed. For example, when the retarding chamber 42 is filled with the working oil, the resistance of the retarding chamber 42 is reduced due to the resistance of the working oil when the working oil in the retarding chamber 42 is discharged to reduce the volume of the retarding chamber 42. The rate of volume change is suppressed. If at least the hydraulic oil is present in the retard chamber 42, the rate of volume change of the retard chamber 42 is suppressed compared to when the retard chamber 42 is empty (that is, no hydraulic oil is present). Is done. As a result, sudden volume changes in the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 do not occur while the relative rotational phase in FIG. 9 changes from the lock phase (most retarded phase) to the intermediate restriction phase. And the hitting sound by the members coming into contact with each other, for example, the hitting sound between the external rotor 2 and the vane 32 hardly occurs.

  Further, when the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in the restricted state, so that the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is restricted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the side surface of the projecting member 63 comes into contact with the end surface 61 b (see FIG. 6) of the restricting recess 61, so that the relative rotational phase becomes an intermediate restricting phase (one end of the phase displacement allowable range R). The phase shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, when engine cranking is started, the engine speed increases. Then, the engine is ignited in a state where the relative rotation phase is in the intermediate regulation phase. Thereby, the relative rotation phase at the time of engine start can be set to the intermediate restriction phase. After the engine is started, the control unit 80 sets the second control valve 75 to the release control state and sets the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 to the release state as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to adjust the supply of hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42, and performs control to shift the relative rotation phase to an arbitrary phase. However, the flowchart of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the control unit 80 performs hold control on the first control valve 74. Further, when the engine speed increases and a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71, the control unit 80 stops the second pump 72.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6, it is possible to obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the start according to the state of the engine, and to perform the pre-start filling. By doing so, it is possible to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device in which the hitting sound between members at the time of starting is suppressed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the operation of the valve timing control apparatus in the case where the intermediate restriction phase is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of starting the engine, but the other apparatus configuration is the first embodiment. It is the same. The valve opening / closing timing control device of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a timing chart for explaining the operation at the time of engine start of the valve timing control apparatus of the second embodiment. As in the case of the first embodiment, in the normal engine stop state, the first pump 71 and the second pump 72 are stopped, and the relative rotation phase is the lock phase (the most retarded angle) as shown in FIG. The lock mechanism 5 is in a locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in a restricted state in which the protruding member 63 protrudes. Then, the control unit 80 starts the operation of the second pump 72 by using a signal for predicting the start or start of the engine, such as turning on the ignition key, to start the operation of the second pump 72, and the second control valve 75 to the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 The control state is a control state in which the control state is set to the control state.

  After the start trigger, the control unit 80 performs the pre-start-up charging in which the first control valve 74 is controlled to the advance angle control state in which the hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41 for the set time T2. As a result, hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41 and the lock mechanism 5. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41 in a state where the constraint at the lock phase of the relative rotation phase is released.

  At this time, the volume of the advance chamber 41 changes in the increasing direction, and the volume of the retard chamber 42 changes in the decreasing direction. However, since the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 is in the regulated state, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is regulated. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the relative rotational phase continues to be displaced in the advance direction, and when the set time Ta (<T2) elapses, the relative rotational phase is constrained by the intermediate restriction phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R.

The control unit 80 continues to supply the hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 even after the set time Ta has elapsed since the supply of the hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 has started. At this time, since the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 regulates the displacement of the relative rotational phase in the advance direction, the hydraulic oil pressure to the advance chamber 41 is supplied, but the volume of the advance chamber 41 is reduced. It cannot be increased. As a result, the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil inside the advance chamber 41 increases, and the amount of hydraulic oil leaking from the advance chamber 41 to the outside increases. For example, hydraulic fluid leaks from the advance chamber 41 to the retard chamber 42 via a gap between the radially outer side of the vane 32 that partitions the fluid pressure chamber 40 and the external rotor 2. Then, when the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil inside the advance chamber 41 is high for a set time Tb while the volume change of the advance chamber 41 is regulated by the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6, the leaked hydraulic oil retards the delay angle. Filling the chamber 42 with hydraulic oil is completed.
Here, when the engine is not rotating, the above-described leakage is allowed when the engine is not rotating at a portion outside the radial direction of the vane 32 that partitions the fluid pressure chamber 40 and forms a gap with the external rotor 2. In this case, a structure that does not allow leakage may be used. For example, when the engine is rotating, the vane 32 is pressed against the external rotor 2 by centrifugal force, so that leakage from the advance chamber 41 to the retard chamber 42 is not allowed.

As described above, the control unit 80 fills the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 by performing pre-start-up charging that supplies hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 during the set time T2 (= Ta + Tb). Filling of the hydraulic oil is completed. Therefore, thereafter, when controlling the relative rotation phase, the hydraulic oil filled in both the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 becomes a resistance, and the volumes of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 are increased or decreased. Speed is suppressed. As a result, a sudden volume change of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 does not occur, and a hitting sound due to contact between the members, for example, a hitting sound between the external rotor 2 and the vane 32, etc. is generated. Disappear.
In particular, according to the present embodiment, if hydraulic fluid is supplied to the advance chamber 41, the hydraulic fluid is supplied to the retard chamber 42 due to leakage from the advance chamber 41. Accordingly, the fluid is supplied to both the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 without switching between the control for supplying the hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 and the control for supplying the hydraulic oil to the retard chamber 42. Control can be simplified.

Further, the set time is changed according to the state of the hydraulic oil (the characteristics of the hydraulic oil such as viscosity, which affects the leak state from the advance chamber 41 to the retard chamber 42). That is, if the viscosity of the hydraulic oil changes, the set time is changed according to the state of the hydraulic oil in consideration of the change in the amount of hydraulic oil leaked per unit time according to the viscosity. For example, since the amount of hydraulic oil leakage per unit time decreases as the viscosity of the hydraulic oil increases, the set time T2 may be increased (specifically, the time Tb may be increased). Further, if the viscosity of the hydraulic oil decreases, the amount of hydraulic oil leaked per unit time increases, so the set time T2 may be shortened (specifically, the time Tb may be shortened). As a result, by changing the length of the set time T2, the amount of hydraulic oil that leaks from the advance chamber 41 to the retard chamber 42 within the set time T2 becomes constant regardless of the state of the hydraulic oil. The pre-starting filling can be performed appropriately.
However, it is not necessary to directly measure the viscosity of the hydraulic oil in order to set the set time T2, and the viscosity of the hydraulic oil may be derived based on a factor related to the viscosity of the hydraulic oil. For example, if the temperature of the hydraulic oil is measured, the hydraulic oil viscosity is low if the hydraulic oil temperature is high, and the hydraulic oil viscosity is high if the hydraulic oil temperature is low. Good. Alternatively, the state of the operating oil may be derived on the basis of measuring the outside air temperature, such that if the outside air temperature is high, the viscosity of the operating oil is low, and if the outside air temperature is low, the viscosity of the operating oil is high. However, you may derive | lead-out the said setting time T2 directly from the factor relevant to the viscosity of hydraulic fluid. At this time, if the relationship between the factor and the set time T2 is stored as a table, the control unit 80 can derive the set time T2 only by knowing the outside air temperature, for example.

  Thereafter, when engine cranking is started, the engine speed increases. Then, the engine is ignited in a state where the relative rotation phase is in the intermediate regulation phase. Thereby, the relative rotation phase at the time of engine start can be set to the intermediate restriction phase. After the engine is started, the control unit 80 sets the second control valve 75 to the release control state, sets the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 to the release state as shown in FIG. 5, and controls the first control valve 74 to set the relative rotation phase. Control to shift to an arbitrary phase is performed. However, the flowchart of FIG. 10 shows a state in which the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to be held. Further, when the engine speed increases and a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71, the control unit 80 stops the second pump 72.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6, it is possible to obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the start according to the state of the engine, and to perform the pre-start filling. By doing so, it is possible to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device in which the hitting sound between members at the time of starting is suppressed.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 of the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, in the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the phase displacement allowable range R in which the displacement of the relative rotational phase is allowed by the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is such that the relative rotational phase is controlled by the lock mechanism 5. A lock phase that is constrained is included, and the first intermediate restriction phase set on the advance side and the second intermediate restriction phase set on the retard side with respect to this lock phase are set as a range having both ends. ing. In this case, the lock phase is not set to the most retarded angle phase, but is set to the phase on the advance side only by an angle range larger than the angle between the lock phase and the second intermediate restriction phase. Here, in order to enable the lock mechanism 5 to be released regardless of the displacement direction of the relative rotation phase, the lock passage 55 is a passage independent of the advance passage 43 and the retard passage 44. Is preferred. According to such a configuration of the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6, the relative rotational phase is constrained to the lock phase by setting the lock mechanism 5 to the locked state, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is restricted to the unlocked state. In this state, the relative rotational phase is restrained to the first intermediate restriction phase, and in this state, the relative rotational phase is restrained to the second intermediate restriction phase. Therefore, according to the configuration of the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6, it is possible to select three phases so as to obtain an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the time of starting according to the state of the engine. Other configurations can be the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the hydraulic circuit 7 of the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the hydraulic circuit 7 of the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to this embodiment does not have the second control valve 75 as compared with the first embodiment, but instead, The difference is that a communication flow path 82 is provided that allows the lubrication system communication port 73d of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 to communicate with each other. Specifically, the communication channel 82 branches from a lubrication system communication channel 81 that communicates the lubrication system communication port 73 d of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 and the engine lubrication system 78, and phase shift is performed via the regulation channel 65. It is configured as a hydraulic oil flow path communicating with the restriction recess 61 of the restriction mechanism 6. About another structure, it is the same as that of said 1st and said 2nd embodiment.

  According to the configuration of the hydraulic circuit 7, the hydraulic oil is not filled in the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 when the first pump 71 is stopped or not fully operating before and after the engine is started. The hydraulic fluid does not flow through the lubrication system communication channel 81 and the communication channel 82. However, after that, when the engine is started and a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71, the hydraulic oil fills up in the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73, and then overflows from the storage chamber 73a. The hydraulic fluid fills the lubricating system communication channel 81 and the communication channel 82 as well. As a result, the hydraulic oil is also supplied to the restricting recess 61 of the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is released. Therefore, without using a control valve for controlling the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 such as the second control valve 75 of the first embodiment, the lock mechanism 5 that operates with hydraulic oil from the second pump 72 is used. It is possible to perform an operation for releasing the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 at a timing delayed from the timing, that is, at a timing when a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71.

  Next, based on the timing chart shown in FIG. 13, an operation example of the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus 1 when the intermediate restriction phase is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of engine start will be described. However, FIG. 13 shows a modification of the first embodiment, and the description of the modification of the second embodiment is omitted.

First, in a normal engine stop state, the first pump 71 and the second pump 72 are also stopped. As shown in FIG. 2, the relative rotation phase is a lock phase (most retarded phase), and the lock mechanism 5 is The locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in the restricted state in which the protruding member 63 protrudes. The control unit 80 starts the operation of the second pump 72 using a signal for predicting the start or start of the engine, such as turning on the ignition key, as a start trigger.
In addition, the control unit 80 performs pre-start-up charging in which the first control valve 74 is controlled for a set time T1 in a retard control state in which hydraulic oil is supplied to the retard chamber 42. At this time, since the hydraulic oil is not supplied to the lock mechanism 5, the retard chamber 42 is in a state where the relative rotation phase is constrained by the lock phase, that is, in a state where the volumes of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 are not changed. Only hydraulic fluid is supplied. When the hydraulic oil is supplied only to the retard chamber 42 for the set time T1, the hydraulic oil is filled into the retard chamber 42 even if the retard chamber 42 is filled with the hydraulic oil or not completely filled. A state in which at least exists is formed.

  Next, the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to an advance angle control state in which hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41 and the engagement recess 51 of the lock mechanism 5. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock mechanism 5 is retracted from the locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes due to the hydraulic oil from the second pump 72 and is released. At this time, since the hydraulic oil in the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 is sucked into the second pump 72 and tends to decrease, the hydraulic oil does not flow into the communication channel 82, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 Is held in a restricted state in which the protruding member 63 protrudes.

Then, after the lock mechanism 5 is released, the relative rotation phase is displaced in the advance angle direction S1 by the hydraulic oil supplied to the advance chamber 41. At this time, the volume of the advance chamber 41 changes in the increasing direction, and the volume of the retard chamber 42 changes in the decreasing direction. However, as described above, the retarding chamber 42 is already filled with hydraulic oil or at least exists, so that the rate of volume change of the retarding chamber 42 is suppressed. For example, when the retarding chamber 42 is filled with the working oil, the resistance of the retarding chamber 42 is reduced due to the resistance of the working oil when the working oil in the retarding chamber 42 is discharged to reduce the volume of the retarding chamber 42. The rate of volume change is suppressed. If at least the hydraulic oil is present in the retard chamber 42, the rate of volume change of the retard chamber 42 is suppressed compared to when the retard chamber 42 is empty (that is, no hydraulic oil is present). Is done.
Further, when the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction, the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 is in the regulated state, so that the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is regulated, as shown in FIG. The relative rotational phase is constrained by the intermediate restriction phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R.

  Thereafter, when engine cranking is started, the engine speed increases. Then, the engine is ignited in a state where the relative rotation phase is in the intermediate regulation phase. Thereby, the relative rotation phase at the time of engine start can be set to the intermediate restriction phase. When a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71 after the engine is started, the hydraulic oil fills the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic oil reservoir 73, and the overflowing hydraulic oil flows into the lubrication system communication channel. 81 and the communication channel 82 are also filled. As a result, the hydraulic oil is also supplied to the restriction recess 61 of the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6, the protruding member 63 is retracted, and the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 is released. Thereafter, the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to adjust the supply of hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42, and performs control to shift the relative rotation phase to an arbitrary phase. However, the flowchart of FIG. 13 shows a state in which the control unit 80 controls the first control valve 74 to be held. Further, when the engine speed increases and a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump 71, the control unit 80 stops the second pump 72.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) In the above embodiment, the advance passage 43 for supplying hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 is configured to communicate with the engagement recess 51 of the lock mechanism 5. The example in which the rotational phase is unlocked has been described, but the retard passage 44 for supplying hydraulic oil to the retard chamber 42 may be configured to communicate with the engagement recess 51 of the lock mechanism 5. In this case, when the hydraulic oil is supplied to the retard chamber 42, the lock of the relative rotation phase is released, and even if the hydraulic oil is supplied to the advance chamber 41, the lock is not released. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the pre-starting filling may be executed by supplying hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41. In the second embodiment, the hydraulic oil is supplied from the retard chamber 42 to the advance chamber 41 by supplying the hydraulic oil to the retard chamber 42 for the set time T2, and before the start-up. What is necessary is just to perform filling.

(2) In each of the embodiments described above, the case where the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 are disposed adjacent to the same protrusion 24 has been described. However, the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 are These can be provided at arbitrary positions, and can be arranged on different protrusions 24.

(3) As described in each of the above embodiments, the lock phase that restricts the relative rotation phase by the lock mechanism 5 and the intermediate portion at the end of the phase displacement allowable range R that restricts the displacement of the relative rotation phase by the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6. The regulation phases are merely examples, and these phases are preferably set at appropriate positions according to engine characteristics, use conditions, and the like.

(4) In each of the embodiments described above, the lock member 53 of the lock mechanism 5 and the protruding member 63 of the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 both protrude from the external rotor 2 side to the internal rotor 3 side and to the internal rotor 3 side. Although the description has been given of the case where the engaging recess 51 or the restricting recess 61 is provided, the relationship between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 can be reversed. That is, the lock member 53 of the lock mechanism 5 and the protruding member 63 of the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 protrude from the inner rotor 3 side to the outer rotor 2 side, and enter the engaging recess 51 or the restricting recess 61 provided on the outer rotor 2 side. It is also possible to adopt a structure that enters.

1 is a side sectional view showing an overall configuration of a valve timing control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. AA sectional view of FIG. AA sectional view of FIG. AA sectional view of FIG. AA sectional view of FIG. The enlarged view of the lock mechanism and phase displacement control mechanism which concern on 1st embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the hydraulic circuit which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the state of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid storage part which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. The timing chart which shows an example of operation | movement of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. The timing chart which shows an example of operation | movement of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view of the lock mechanism and phase displacement control mechanism which concern on 3rd embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the hydraulic circuit which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention. The timing chart which shows an example of operation | movement of the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on background art

Explanation of symbols

2 External rotor (drive side rotating member)
3 Internal rotor (driven side rotating member)
41 Advance chamber 42 Delay chamber 5 Lock mechanism 6 Phase displacement regulation mechanism,
7 Hydraulic circuit (fluid supply / discharge section)
74 First control valve (fluid control valve)

Claims (5)

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 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 retarding chamber formed by the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member, and moving a relative rotation phase of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member in a retarding direction by supplying a fluid; and An advance chamber that moves the relative rotational phase in the advance direction;
A lock mechanism capable of restraining the relative rotation phase with a predetermined lock phase;
A phase displacement regulating mechanism that is operable independently of the lock mechanism, and capable of regulating the relative rotational phase within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range including the lock phase;
Supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism, and discharge of fluid from the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism. A fluid supply / exhaust section to perform,
After starting the internal combustion engine in which the relative rotational phase is constrained by the lock phase, after performing a pre-start filling that fills either the advance chamber or the retard chamber with a fluid before the start of cranking A valve opening / closing timing control device configured to supply a fluid to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber and to supply a fluid for releasing the restriction at the lock phase to the lock mechanism . The fluid supply / discharge portion includes a fluid control valve that controls supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, and the lock mechanism,
The fluid control valve uses a variable electromagnetic spool valve that displaces a spool that is slidable in the sleeve against the spring in accordance with the energization amount of the solenoid. The valve opening / closing timing control device according to claim 1, wherein the supply amount of fluid used for filling is increased. 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 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 retarding chamber formed by the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member, and moving a relative rotation phase of the driven side rotating member with respect to the driving side rotating member in a retarding direction by supplying a fluid; and An advance chamber that moves the relative rotational phase in the advance direction;
A lock mechanism capable of restraining the relative rotation phase with a predetermined lock phase;
A phase displacement regulating mechanism that is operable independently of the lock mechanism, and capable of regulating the relative rotational phase within a predetermined phase displacement allowable range including the lock phase;
Supply of fluid to the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism, and discharge of fluid from the advance chamber, the retard chamber, the lock mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism. A fluid supply / exhaust section to perform,
When starting the internal combustion engine in which the relative rotational phase is constrained by the lock phase, a fluid is supplied to one of the advance chamber and the retard chamber during a set time before the start of cranking, A valve opening / closing timing control device configured to perform pre-starting filling that fills either the advance chamber or the retard chamber with a fluid leaked from either the advance chamber or the retard chamber.   The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the set time is changed according to a fluid state.   The valve timing control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the state of the fluid is derived based on a temperature of the fluid.

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