JP4609714B2 - Valve timing control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention includes 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 arranged coaxially with respect to the driving side rotating member and that rotates synchronously with respect to a camshaft, The present invention relates to a valve opening / closing timing control device including a phase control mechanism that variably controls a relative rotation phase between a driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member.

  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. 23, 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. Here, of the two lock bodies 102, one lock body 102 prevents displacement of the relative rotational phase of the external rotor 101 and the internal rotor 104 in the advance direction, and the other lock body 102 performs the relative rotation. This prevents displacement of the phase 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.

JP 2004-116412 A (page 5-6, FIG. 2)

  By the way, the optimal valve opening / closing timing at the start of the internal combustion engine may vary depending on 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 described above, the relative rotational phase can be constrained only by the lock phase set to one phase, and the optimal valve opening / closing at the time of starting according to the state of the internal combustion engine. The relative rotational phase cannot be locked to the phase from which the time is obtained.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to select a phase at which an optimal valve opening / closing timing at the time of starting is obtained according to the state of the internal combustion engine, and to drive side rotating member and driven side The point is to provide a valve opening / closing timing control device capable of restraining the relative rotation phase with the rotating member.

In order to achieve the above object, the characteristic configuration of the valve timing control apparatus according to the present invention includes a driving side rotating member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a coaxial arrangement with the driving side rotating member. is, the most advanced and the driven side rotational member, a phase control mechanism for variably controlling the relative rotational phase between the driven side rotational member and the driven side rotational member, the relative rotation position phase synchronously rotating with a camshaft A lock mechanism that can be restrained by a lock phase that is one of a phase and a most retarded angle phase, and can operate independently of the lock mechanism, and the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle from the lock phase. and a phase displacement restriction mechanism capable restricting the displacement of the relative rotational phase position phase displacement allowable range to a predetermined intermediate restriction phase between the phase, the phase displacement restriction mechanism, the driving-side rotating member and The driven side rotating member Displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the phase displacement allowable range while being provided on the projecting member that can project from either one to the other side and the driving side rotational member or the driven side rotational member on the other side The phase displacement restricting mechanism has a displacement of the relative rotational phase at one end corresponding to the intermediate restricting phase of the restricting recessed portion. The restraint mechanism further includes a restraint recess that is formed in the restricting recess and in which the protruding member can further enter in a state where the relative rotational phase is in the intermediate restricting phase. It is in.

  According to this characteristic configuration, the relative rotation phase between the drive side rotation member and the driven side rotation member can be restricted to the lock phase by the lock mechanism, the lock mechanism is in the released state, and the phase displacement restriction mechanism is in the restricted state. If the relative rotational phase is 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 rotation phase can be constrained by selecting either the lock phase or the phase at both ends of the phase displacement allowable range. Therefore, it becomes possible to constrain the relative rotational phase by selecting a phase at which the optimum valve opening / closing timing at the start is obtained according to the state of the internal combustion engine.

Here, the phase displacement allowable range is set including the lock phase. Therefore, the phase displacement restricting mechanism can be set to the restricted state in a state where the relative rotation phase is restricted to the lock phase by the lock mechanism. Therefore, after releasing the restriction by the lock mechanism, when selecting the phase at either end of the phase displacement allowable range and restricting the relative rotation phase, the relative rotation is performed while the phase displacement restriction mechanism remains in the restricted state. Since the phase can be displaced, even if the relative rotational phase is displaced at high speed, the certainty of the operation for restraining the relative rotational phase can be improved.

Here, the phase displacement regulating mechanism includes a projecting member that can project from one of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member to the other side, and the driving side rotating member or the driven side on the other side. A restricting recess provided on the rotating member and into which the protruding member can enter, and the restricting recess has a length in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the phase displacement allowable range.

According to this structure, it can be set as the control state which controls the displacement of the said relative rotational phase exceeding a phase displacement allowable range by making a protrusion member enter into a control recessed part. That is, when the relative rotational phase is displaced, the displacement of the protruding member and the end of the restricting recess can be reliably restricted within the phase displacement allowable range.

The phase displacement restricting mechanism further includes a restraining mechanism capable of restraining the displacement of the relative rotational phase to an intermediate restricting phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range, and the restraining mechanism is formed in the restricting recess, In the state where the relative rotational phase is in the intermediate restriction phase, the protruding member further includes a constraining recess that can be further inserted.

As a result, the projecting member can be plunged into the constraining recess in the intermediate restriction phase by setting the relative displacement phase to the intermediate restriction phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range with the phase displacement restriction mechanism in the restricted state. The relative rotational phase can be reliably restrained by the mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the relative rotational phase from being unstablely displaced due to a change in the supply state of the working fluid to the phase control mechanism.

Here, the phase displacement restricting mechanism is in a restricting state that allows the displacement of the relative rotational phase within the phase displacement allowable range and restricts the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range, It is preferable that the control mechanism further includes a control unit capable of controlling the relative rotation phase to the intermediate restriction phase by displacing the relative rotation phase in one direction.

If it does in this way, either of the both ends of the phase displacement permissible range can be chosen, and the relative rotation phase can be restrained. At this time, the relative rotation phase can be easily constrained to the intermediate restriction phase only by displacing the relative rotation phase in one direction with the phase displacement restriction mechanism in a restricted state, so that the temperature of the working fluid is low and the viscosity is high. Therefore, even in a state where a sufficient working fluid pressure cannot be obtained, it can be reliably operated and restricted to a predetermined phase. Therefore, the relative rotational phase can be reliably restrained.

Note that if the allowable phase displacement range is too narrow, the angular range that allows the displacement of the relative rotational phase is also narrowed, and the effectiveness of adjusting the valve opening / closing timing is reduced, so the allowable phase displacement range is the relative rotational phase. It is preferable to have an angle range of 5 ° or more at the displacement angle.

Here, the phase control mechanism is provided by a first pump that is driven by the internal combustion engine to supply a working fluid, and is provided downstream of the first pump, and is driven by power different from that of the internal combustion engine. A second pump that supplies the working fluid, and a fluid storage section that is provided between the first pump and the second pump and that can store the working fluid. It is preferable to have a lubricating system communication port communicating with the lubricating system of the internal combustion engine at a position higher than the first series of communication ports communicating with one pump.

Thereby, since the lubrication system of the internal combustion engine communicates with the outside air, air can flow in through the lubrication system communication port, and the suction resistance of the working fluid by the second pump can be reduced. Therefore, even when the viscosity of the working fluid is high because the temperature of the working fluid is low, the second pump can be operated well. Further, when the working fluid is supplied to the fluid reservoir by the first pump, the fluid reservoir from the lubrication system communication port provided at a position higher than the first series port through which the working fluid from the first pump flows The air inside can be discharged to the outside.

Furthermore, since the lubrication system of the internal combustion engine has a flow path resistance against the flow of the working fluid, after the working fluid is filled in the fluid reservoir, the operation inside the fluid reservoir is performed by the flow path resistance. Fluid pressure is kept within a certain range. Therefore, even when the second pump is stopped, a working fluid having a sufficient pressure can be supplied to the downstream side of the fluid reservoir.

Here, it is preferable that the phase control mechanism includes a communication channel that communicates the lubrication system communication port of the fluid reservoir with the phase displacement regulating mechanism.

As a result, when the first pump is stopped before or after the start of the internal combustion engine or is not operating sufficiently, the working fluid does not flow in the communication channel because the working fluid is not filled in the fluid reservoir. . On the other hand, when the internal combustion engine is started and a sufficient amount of hydraulic oil is discharged by the first pump, the working fluid is filled in the fluid reservoir, and then the working fluid overflowing from the fluid reservoir is The communication channel is also filled. As a result, the working fluid is supplied to the phase displacement regulating mechanism, and the phase displacement regulating mechanism can be released. Therefore, without using a control valve or the like for controlling the phase displacement regulating mechanism, an operation for releasing the phase displacement regulating mechanism at a timing delayed with respect to the start of supply of the working fluid by the second pump can be performed. It becomes possible .

The phase control mechanism includes a fluid pressure chamber formed on at least one of the drive side rotation member and the driven side rotation member and capable of generating a biasing force in a direction to displace the relative rotation phase, and the fluid pressure chamber. A second fluid control valve that is operable independently of the first fluid control valve that controls the supply of the working fluid to the phase fluid control valve and that controls the supply of the working fluid to the phase displacement regulating mechanism; This is preferable.

As a result, the supply of the working fluid to the fluid pressure chamber and the supply of the working fluid to the phase displacement regulating mechanism can be controlled by each fluid control valve at an arbitrary timing. Therefore, the certainty of control of the relative rotation phase between the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member can be improved.

The valve opening / closing timing control device constrains the displacement of the relative rotation phase to the lock phase by the lock mechanism when the internal combustion engine is stopped, and permits the displacement of the relative rotation phase to the phase displacement by the phase displacement restriction mechanism. When the internal combustion engine is cranked, the restriction of the displacement of the relative rotational phase by the lock mechanism is released, and the displacement of the relative rotational phase is restricted to the phase displacement allowable range by the phase displacement restriction mechanism. Then, after the internal combustion engine is started and before the fluid pressure chamber is filled with fluid, the displacement restriction of the relative rotational phase by the lock mechanism is released, and the relative displacement phase is controlled by the phase displacement restriction mechanism. The displacement of the rotational phase is constrained to the intermediate regulation phase, and after the internal combustion engine is started and the fluid pressure chamber is filled with fluid, the lock phase is changed. With releasing the restraint of the displacement of the relative rotational phase by mechanism, it is preferable to configured to release restriction and restraint of the displacement of the relative rotational phase by the phase displacement restriction mechanism.

[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 for an automobile 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 synchronously with the camshaft 11 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 the sliding surface of the internal rotor 3 with the external rotor 4 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. In the present embodiment, this hydraulic oil corresponds to the “working 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. The lock mechanism 5 includes a sliding groove 52 provided in the external rotor 2, a lock member 53 provided so as to be slidable along the sliding groove 52, and urging the lock member 53 radially inward. And an engagement recess 51 provided in the inner rotor 3 and formed so that the lock member 53 can be engaged in a state where the relative rotation phase is the lock phase. 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 fluid from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the engagement recess 51 via the lock passage 55, the lock member 53 is retracted from the engagement recess 51 and unlocked. Become. That is, when the 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 release 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 becomes 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).

  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 regulating recess 61 that is provided on the inner rotor 3 and into which the projecting member 63 can enter. 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 enters the restricting recess 61, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is such that the side surface of the projecting member 63 is on one end surface 61b of the restricting recess 61 or the other end surface 61c ( (See FIG. 6).

  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 the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is allowed. 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.

(Operation of lock mechanism and phase displacement regulating mechanism)
Next, the operation of the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 for selecting the phase at which the optimum valve opening / closing timing at the start can be obtained according to the state of the engine will be described based on FIGS. Since no hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic circuit 7 when the engine is stopped, the lock mechanism 5 is in a locked state in which the lock member 53 enters the engagement recess 51 as shown in FIG. The restriction mechanism 6 is in a restricted state in which the protruding member 63 has entered the restriction recess 61.

  Here, when the lock phase (the most retarded angle phase) is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of starting the engine, hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic circuit 7 to the advance passage 43, the lock passage 55 communicating with the advance passage 43, and the restriction passage 65. Is not supplied, and cranking for starting the engine is performed in the state shown in FIG. When the hydraulic oil is supplied to the lock passage 55 and the restriction passage 65 after the engine is started, the lock mechanism 5 is released from the engagement recess 51 by the lock member 53 being retracted, and the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 is protruded. The member 63 is retracted from the restricting recess 61 and is released. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the relative rotational phase can be displaced to an arbitrary phase within the relative rotatable range, that is, within the range between the most retarded angle phase and the most advanced angle phase.

  On the other hand, when a phase different from the lock phase (the most retarded angle phase) (in this embodiment, an intermediate restriction phase that is more advanced than the lock phase) is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of engine start, At the start or before the start of cranking for starting, hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic circuit 7 to the advance passage 43 and the lock passage 55 communicating therewith. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock mechanism 5 enters the released state when the lock member 53 is retracted from the engagement recess 51. At this time, since the hydraulic oil is also supplied to the advance chamber 41 via the advance passage 43, the relative rotational phase is displaced in the advance direction S1 after the lock mechanism 5 is released. However, since the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 remains in the restricted state at this time, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is restricted, and as shown in FIG. By abutting on one end surface 61b (see FIG. 6) of 61, the relative rotational phase is constrained to the intermediate restriction phase (phase shown in FIG. 4) at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R. Here, for example, the intermediate regulation phase is set to a phase at which stable combustion of the engine can be performed when the temperature of the combustion chamber is low. Then, when hydraulic oil is supplied to the restriction passage 65 after the engine is started, the phase displacement restriction mechanism 6 is released from the protruding member 63 withdrawn from the restriction recess 61. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the relative rotational phase can be displaced to an arbitrary phase within the relative rotatable range, that is, within the range between the most retarded angle phase and the most advanced angle phase.

(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 is operable independently of the first control valve 74 and the first control valve 74 for controlling the supply of hydraulic oil to the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the lock mechanism 5, and controls the phase displacement. And a second control valve 75 for controlling the supply of hydraulic oil to the mechanism 6. 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. In the present embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 7, the fluid pressure chamber 4, and the internal structure (vane 32, etc.) constitute the “phase control mechanism” in the present invention. Moreover, in this embodiment, this hydraulic oil storage part 73 comprises the "fluid storage part" in this 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. Therefore, 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. The capacity of the engagement recess 51 of the fluid pressure chamber 4 and the lock mechanism 5 is the same. 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 when the first pump 71 is in the operating state and the second pump 72 is in the stopped state, the hydraulic oil discharged from the first pump 71 is 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. In the present embodiment, the engine lubrication system 78 constitutes the “lubrication system for an internal combustion engine” in the present invention.

  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 that is 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. Accordingly, 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 the intermediate restriction phase is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of starting the engine will be described. First, in a normal engine stop state, the first pump 71 and the second pump 72 are 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. Then, a signal for predicting start or start of the engine such as turning on the ignition key is used as a start trigger, and the control unit 80 starts the operation of the second pump 72 and the second control valve 75 with the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6. The control state is a control state in which the control state is set to the control state. At this time, the first control valve 74 is in 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. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock mechanism 53 is retracted from the locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes by 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 direction. However, since the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in the restricted state, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is restricted, and the relative rotational phase is within the phase displacement allowable range R as shown in FIG. It is constrained to the intermediate restriction phase at one end. Further, cranking is started and 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 controls the first control valve 74 once to be in the retarded angle control state, supplies hydraulic oil to the retarded angle chamber 42, and then returns to the advanced angle control state. Then, the first control valve 74 is set to the hold control state in a state where both the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 are filled with hydraulic oil. This is to prevent a phenomenon in which the relative rotational phase is unstablely displaced by setting the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 in the released state while the retard chamber 42 is empty. Thereafter, 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 to an arbitrary phase. Control (not shown) is performed. 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.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 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 to be constrained is included, and the first restriction phase set on the advance side and the second restriction phase set on the retard side with respect to this lock phase are set as a range having both ends. . 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 in an angle range larger than the angle between the lock phase and the second 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 restricted to the first restriction phase, and in this state, the relative rotational phase is restricted to the retarding direction to be restricted to the second 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 embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views showing a state (FIG. 11) and a state (FIG. 12) in which the relative rotational phase of the valve timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment is in the lock phase (FIG. 11) and in the intermediate regulation phase, respectively. 1 (corresponding to the AA cross section). FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 according to the present embodiment. As shown in these drawings, in this embodiment, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 restricts the displacement of the relative rotational phase to the intermediate restricting phase (phase shown in FIG. 12) that is the phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a possible restraining mechanism 66 is provided. Other configurations can be the same as those of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

(Configuration of phase displacement regulating mechanism)
The basic configuration of the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the phase displacement allowable range R has one end as an intermediate restriction phase (phase shown in FIG. 12) described later, and the other end as a lock phase (phase shown in FIG. 11, the most retarded angle phase). Yes. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 includes a restricting recess 67 that constitutes the restricting mechanism 66 in the restricting recess 61. The constraining recess 67 is formed in the restricting recess 61, and is a recess that can enter further than the protruding member 63 enters the restricting recess 61 in a state where the relative rotational phase is in the intermediate restricting phase. That is, as well shown in FIG. 13, the constraining recess 67 is a stepped recess having a bottom surface 67 a formed deeper than the bottom surface 61 a of the regulation recess 61. Then, in order for the protruding member 63 to be able to enter in a state where the relative rotational phase is at the intermediate restriction phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R, the restraining recess 67 is provided with a displacement direction of the relative rotational phase of the regulation restricting recess 61. And a width w in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase that coincides with the width between both side surfaces of the projecting member 63 (sliding surface with the sliding groove 62). Is formed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, in the restrained state in which the projecting member 63 enters the restraining recess 67, the relative rotational phase is restrained to the intermediate restricting phase.
In the present embodiment, the restraining recess 67 and the protruding member 63 constitute the “restraining mechanism 66” in the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the restriction passage 65 that supplies hydraulic oil for retracting the projecting member 63 communicates with the bottom surface 67 a of the constraining recess 67. Thereby, the operation | movement which retracts the protrusion member 63 which plunged in the restraint recessed part 67 can be performed favorably. Even when the protruding member 63 does not enter the restricting recess 67, the hydraulic oil supplied from the restricting passage 65 fills the restricting recess 61 including the restricting recess 67. It is possible to satisfactorily perform the operation of retracting the projecting member 63 that has entered the space.

(Operation of valve timing control device)
Next, based on the timing chart shown in FIG. 14, the first embodiment of the operation of the valve timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment when the intermediate restriction phase is selected as the relative rotation phase at the time of starting the engine and The differences will be described. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the hydraulic circuit 7 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  After the lock member 53 of the lock mechanism 5 is retracted and released by the advance angle control of the first control valve 74, the relative rotation phase is displaced in the advance direction. At this time, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in a restricting state in which the protruding member 63 has entered the restricting recess 61, so that the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is restricted. Therefore, the displacement of the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 stops at the intermediate restriction phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R, and as shown in FIG. It rushes into the constraining recess 67. As a result, the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 is both the advance direction and the retard direction in the intermediate regulation phase regardless of the supply state of the hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42. It is restrained so as not to be displaced. Then, after the engine is started, the control unit 80 is used to prevent a phenomenon in which the relative rotational phase is unstablely shifted by causing the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 to be released while the retard chamber 42 is empty. 14, the first control valve 74 is once set in the retarded angle control state, and the hydraulic oil is supplied to the retarded angle chamber 42, and then the advanced angle controlled state is controlled again. At this time, in the first embodiment, as shown in the region C of FIG. 9, the relative rotational phase is slightly shifted from the intermediate restriction phase in the retarding direction, but in this embodiment, the relative rotational phase is shown in FIG. Thus, such behavior is completely eliminated, and the relative rotational phase is maintained at the intermediate restriction phase even in the C region. That is, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the relative rotational phase is such that the protruding member 63 has one end surface 61 b (FIG. 6) of the regulating recess 61 by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the advance chamber 41. ) To be restrained by the intermediate regulation phase. For this reason, a behavior has occurred in which the relative rotational phase is slightly pushed back in the retarded direction by the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the retarded chamber 42 and displaced in the retarded direction. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the protruding member 63 enters the constraining recess 67 so that the relative rotational phase is surely prevented from being displaced in both the advance direction and the retard direction. Therefore, such behavior does not occur. After this region C, as shown in FIG. 14, the first control valve 74 is placed in the hold control state in a state where both the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 are filled with hydraulic oil, and the control unit 80 The control valve 75 is set in a release control state, and the protruding member 63 is retracted from the restricting recess 67 and the restricting recess 61. As a result, the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 is released, and control (not shown) is performed to control the first control valve 74 to displace the relative rotational phase to an arbitrary phase.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 15-18 is a figure which shows each state of the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus 1 which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of the first phase displacement restriction mechanism 6A and the second phase displacement restriction mechanism 6B according to the present embodiment. As shown in these drawings, the valve timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment does not include the lock mechanism 5, and the two phases of the first phase displacement restriction mechanism 6A and the second phase displacement restriction mechanism 6B. In the point provided with the displacement control mechanism 6, it differs from said 1st embodiment. Other configurations can be the same as those of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

(Configuration of two phase displacement regulating mechanisms)
The first phase displacement regulating mechanism 6A allows the displacement of the relative rotation phase within a predetermined first phase displacement allowance range R1 (see FIG. 19), and the displacement of the relative rotation phase exceeding the first phase displacement allowance range R1. It is a mechanism that can be regulated. The second phase displacement restricting mechanism 6B is operable independently of the first phase displacement restricting mechanism 6A, and the second phase displacement allowable range set so as to partially overlap the first phase displacement allowable range R1. This is a mechanism that allows the displacement of the relative rotational phase within R2 (see FIG. 19) and restricts the displacement of the relative rotational phase that exceeds the second phase displacement allowable range R2. In the present embodiment, the first phase displacement regulation range R1 has the retard side end as the most retarded phase (phase shown in FIG. 17) and the advance side end as the predetermined first intermediate regulation phase (shown in FIG. 15). Phase). In the second phase displacement regulation range R2, the retard side end is the first intermediate regulation phase, and the advance side end is the predetermined second intermediate regulation phase (phase shown in FIG. 16). Accordingly, the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are set so as to overlap only in the first intermediate restriction phase. Thus, if the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are set so as to overlap only at a predetermined one phase (here, the first intermediate restriction phase), the predetermined one is set. In this phase, both the first phase displacement regulating mechanism 6A and the second phase displacement regulating mechanism 6B are regulated so that the relative rotational phase is restrained from being displaced in either direction. Therefore, the relative rotational phase can be constrained to the predetermined one phase even when hydraulic oil is not supplied.
In the present embodiment, the first intermediate restriction phase, the second intermediate restriction phase, and the most retarded angle phase are either one of the first phase displacement allowable range R1 and the second phase displacement allowable range R2. It becomes a regulation phase.

  The specific configurations of the first phase displacement regulating mechanism 6A and the second phase displacement regulating mechanism 6B are the same as the phase displacement regulating mechanism 6 in the first embodiment. That is, the first phase displacement regulating mechanism 6A includes a first projecting member 63A that can project from the outer rotor 2 side to the inner rotor 3 side, and a first regulation that is provided on the inner rotor 3 and into which the first projecting member 63A can enter. And a recess 61A. Here, the first projecting member 63A is provided so as to be slidable along the sliding groove 62A provided in the outer rotor 2, and is urged radially inward by the urging spring 64A. The second phase displacement regulating mechanism 6B includes a second projecting member 63B that can project from the outer rotor 2 side to the inner rotor 3 side, and a second regulation that is provided on the inner rotor 3 and into which the second projecting member 63B can enter. And a recess 61B. Here, the second projecting member 63B is slidably provided along a sliding groove 62B provided in the outer rotor 2, and is urged radially inward by the urging spring 64B.

  61 A of 1st control recessed parts are formed so that the 1st protrusion member 63A can enter in the state in which the relative rotational phase of the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 exists in 1st phase displacement control range R1. 61 A of 1st control recessed parts have bottom face 61Aa (refer FIG. 19) formed in the fixed depth from the outer peripheral surface of the internal rotor 3, and the front end surface of the protruded 1st protrusion member 63A is a bottom face. It is slidable along 61Aa. Further, in the restricted state where the first projecting member 63A enters the first restricting recess 61A, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the first phase displacement allowable range R1 is such that the side surface of the first projecting member 63A is the first restricting recess 61A. It is regulated by contacting one end surface 61Ab or the other end surface 61Ac (see FIG. 19). The second restricting recess 61B is formed such that the second projecting member 63B can enter in a state where the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 is within the second phase displacement restricting range R2. The second regulating recess 61B is formed to have a bottom surface 61Ba (see FIG. 19) formed at a certain depth from the outer peripheral surface of the inner rotor 3, and the tip surface of the second projecting member 63B that has entered is the bottom surface. It is slidable along 61Ba. Further, in the restricted state where the second projecting member 63B enters the second restricting recess 61B, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the second phase displacement allowable range R2 is such that the side surface of the second projecting member 63B is the second restricting recess 61B. It is regulated by coming into contact with one end surface 61Bb or the other end surface 61Bc (see FIG. 19).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are overlapped only in the first intermediate restriction phase (phases shown in FIGS. 15 and 19). Is set to When this is viewed from a specific mechanism, the relative rotation phase at which the first projecting member 63A enters the first restricting recess 61A and the second projecting member 63B enters the second restricting recess 61B is: The first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are set so that only the first intermediate restriction phase (phase shown in FIGS. 15 and 19) is obtained. Here, for easy visual understanding, the external rotor reference mark on the external rotor 2 side in which the displacement state of the relative rotational phase between the internal rotor 3 and the external rotor 2 coincides with the first intermediate restriction phase shown in FIG. Description will be made using the positional relationship between Ma and the internal rotor reference mark Mb on the internal rotor 3 side. When the external rotor 2 is fixed, the internal rotor reference mark Mb on the internal rotor 3 side is at a position (Mb0) that coincides with the external rotor reference mark Ma in the first intermediate restriction phase, and the most retarded phase (FIG. 17). (Mb1) position, and the second intermediate restriction phase (phase shown in FIG. 16) is the (Mb2) position. Therefore, the relative rotational phase displacement range from the (Mb0) position to the (Mb1) position corresponds to the first phase displacement regulation range R1, and the relative rotational phase range from the (Mb0) position to the (Mb2) position. The displacement range corresponds to the second phase displacement regulation range R2. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are the first intermediate restriction that is a relative rotational phase in a state where the internal rotor reference mark Mb is at the (Mb0) position. It overlaps only in the phase (phase shown in FIGS. 15 and 19).

  The first restriction recess 61A communicates with a first restriction passage 65A formed in the internal rotor 3. The first restriction passage 65A is connected to the hydraulic circuit 7. In the present embodiment, the first restriction passage 65 </ b> A communicates with the advance passage 43 and the advance chamber 41 formed along the sliding surface of the inner rotor 3 with the outer rotor 4. Then, the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the first restriction recess 61A via the first restriction passage 65A, whereby the first projecting member 63A is retracted from the first restriction recess 61A and is restricted. It becomes the released release state. On the other hand, when the hydraulic oil in the first restricting recess 61A is discharged, the first projecting member 63A enters the first restricting recess 61A by the urging force of the urging spring 64A and enters the restricted state. It is also possible to provide the hydraulic oil supply channel to the first restricting recess 61 </ b> A independently of the hydraulic oil supply channel to the advance chamber 41. The second restriction recess 61 </ b> A communicates with a second restriction passage 65 </ b> A formed in the internal rotor 3. The second restriction passage 65B is connected to the hydraulic circuit 7. In the present embodiment, in order to enable the second phase displacement restriction mechanism 6B to operate independently of the first phase displacement restriction mechanism 6A, the second restriction passage 65B is of a different system from the first restriction passage 65A. It constitutes the hydraulic oil passage. Then, the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the second restriction recess 61B via the second restriction passage 65B, whereby the second projecting member 63B is retracted from the second restriction recess 61B and is restricted. It becomes the released release state. On the other hand, when the hydraulic oil in the second restricting recess 61B is discharged, the second projecting member 63B enters the second restricting recess 61B by the urging force of the urging spring 64B and enters a restricted state.

(Operation of valve timing control device)
Next, the operation of the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the hydraulic circuit 7 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  In a state where hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is not supplied to both the first restriction recess 61A and the second restriction recess 61B, as shown in FIG. 15, the first protruding member of the first phase displacement restriction mechanism 6A 63A enters the first restricting recess 61A, and the second projecting member 63B of the second phase displacement restricting mechanism 6B enters the second restricting recess 61B. As a result, the relative rotational phase between the inner rotor 3 and the outer rotor 2 is restricted to the first intermediate restriction phase. For example, the first intermediate regulation phase is preferably a phase that provides stable engine startability in the entire temperature range with respect to the temperature of the combustion chamber of the engine.

  When hydraulic oil from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the first restricting recess 61A and the advance chamber 41 communicating with the first restricting recess 61A via the advance passage 43, the first projecting member 63A is retracted from the first restricting recess 61A. Then, the first phase displacement restricting mechanism 6A enters a released state where the restriction is released, and the relative rotational phase is displaced to the advance side. At this time, no hydraulic oil is supplied to the second restriction recess 61B, and the second phase displacement restriction mechanism 6B remains in a restricted state, so that the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the second phase displacement restriction range R2 is not achieved. Be regulated. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, when the side surface of the second projecting member 63B comes into contact with one end surface 61Bb (see FIG. 19) of the second restricting recess 61B, the relative rotational phase becomes the second phase displacement restricting range R2. It is restrained by the second intermediate restriction phase at the advance side end of the. The second intermediate restriction phase is a phase on the more advanced side than the first intermediate restriction phase, and for example, is preferably a phase at which good combustion characteristics of the fuel can be obtained when the engine is started.

  On the other hand, when hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to the second restricting recess 61B and the retard chamber 42, the second projecting member 63B is retracted from the second restricting recess 61B and the second phase displacement restricting mechanism 6B is restricted. Is released, and the relative rotational phase is shifted to the retard side. At this time, hydraulic fluid is not supplied to the first restricting recess 61A, and the first phase displacement restricting mechanism 6A remains in the restricted state, so that the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the first phase displacement restricting range R1 is not achieved. Be regulated. That is, as shown in FIG. 17, the side surface of the first projecting member 63A comes into contact with the other end surface 61Ac (see FIG. 19) of the first restricting recess 61A, so that the relative rotational phase becomes the first phase displacement restricting range R1. It is restrained by the most retarded angle phase at the end of the retarded angle. This most retarded phase is a phase retarded from the first intermediate restriction phase, and is preferably a phase that is advantageous for generating the maximum output of the engine, for example.

  Further, when hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic circuit 7 is supplied to both the first restriction recess 61A and the second restriction recess 61B, both the first phase displacement restriction mechanism 6A and the second phase displacement restriction mechanism 6B release the restriction. Released. By controlling the supply of hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 in this state, the relative rotation phase can be displaced to an arbitrary phase. Then, by supplying high-pressure hydraulic oil to the advance chamber 41, the vane 32 comes into contact with the side surface of the projection 24 constituting the end surface of the retard chamber 42 as shown in FIG. Is constrained to the most advanced phase. This most advanced angle phase is a phase on the more advanced side than the second intermediate regulation phase, and is preferably a phase that is advantageous for generating low-speed torque of the engine, for example.

  As described above, the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is the first intermediate that is the advance side end of the first phase displacement regulation range R1 and the retard side end of the second phase displacement regulation range R2. The restriction phase (phase shown in FIG. 15), the second intermediate restriction phase (phase shown in FIG. 16) which is the advance side of the second phase displacement restriction range R2, and the retard side end of the first phase displacement restriction range R1 The three most retarded phase (phase shown in FIG. 17) and the most advanced angle phase (phase shown in FIG. 18) and four stable phases are configured. In these stable phases, the relative rotational phase is not displaced by supplying hydraulic oil to at least one of the advance chamber 41 and the retard chamber 42 (without supplying hydraulic oil in the first intermediate regulation phase). It becomes a state restrained by. Therefore, according to the valve opening / closing timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, a high supply pressure of the hydraulic oil cannot be obtained, such as when the temperature of the hydraulic oil is low or when the engine speed is low. In addition, it is possible to stably restrain the relative rotational phase by selecting one of the four stable phases. Therefore, as shown in the above example, the phase that provides the optimal valve opening / closing timing is selected according to conditions such as the state of the engine and the required output characteristics, and the relative rotational phase is constrained to the phase. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the retard side end of the first phase displacement regulation range R1 coincides with the most retarded phase that is the most retarded side of the range in which the relative rotational phase can be displaced. It is set as follows. Therefore, the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to have four stable phases, which are a combination of the three restriction phases and the most advanced angle phase. However, in another preferred embodiment, the first phase displacement regulation range R1 is configured to have five stable phases by setting the retarded side end to the advanced angle side relative to the most retarded phase. is there. That is, by configuring in this way, it becomes possible to provide a third intermediate restriction phase different from the most retarded angle phase at the retarded side end of the first phase displacement restriction range R1. It is possible to realize the valve opening / closing timing control device 1 having five stable phases that are the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase.

  In the present embodiment, the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are set so as to overlap only in the first intermediate restriction phase. For this reason, the phase at the advance side of the first phase displacement regulation range R1 and the phase at the retard side of the second phase displacement regulation range R2 coincide with each other at the first intermediate regulation phase, and there are three regulation phases. It is the composition which has. However, the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 can be set so as to overlap in a phase range having a certain width. In this case, since both end portions of the first phase displacement restriction range R1 and the second phase displacement restriction range R2 are all restriction phases, a configuration having four restriction phases can be obtained.

[Fifth embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 20 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 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 operated by the 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. 21, an operation example of the valve timing control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment when the intermediate restriction phase is selected as the 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, and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 is in a restricted state in which the projecting 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. At this time, the first control valve 74 is in 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. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock mechanism 53 is retracted from the locked state in which the lock member 53 protrudes by 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 direction. However, since the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 remains in the restricted state, the displacement of the relative rotational phase exceeding the phase displacement allowable range R is restricted, and the relative rotational phase is within the phase displacement allowable range R as shown in FIG. It is constrained to the intermediate restriction phase at one end. Further, cranking is started and 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 fluid is discharged by the first pump 71 after the engine is started, the hydraulic fluid fills the storage chamber 73a of the hydraulic fluid reservoir 73, and the overflowing hydraulic fluid 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 shift the relative rotation phase to an arbitrary phase. 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.

[Sixth embodiment]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing 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 the present embodiment uses only the first pump 71 as a pump for supplying hydraulic oil. Therefore, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that it does not have the second pump 72 and accordingly does not have the hydraulic oil reservoir 73 and the bypass flow path 79. About another structure, it is the same as that of said 1st embodiment.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) In each of the above embodiments, 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.

(2) In the first to third embodiments, the case where the phase displacement allowable range R is set including the lock phase has been described. However, the setting of the phase displacement allowable range R is not limited to this. Therefore, it is also one preferred embodiment to configure the lock mechanism 5 and the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 so that the lock phase is set outside the phase displacement allowable range R.

(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 phase such as the restriction phase is merely an example, and it is preferable that these phases are 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.

(5) In the third embodiment, the case where the restraining mechanism 66 is configured by the restraining recess 67 formed in the restraining recess 61 and the protruding member 63 that can enter the restraining recess 67 has been described. However, the configuration of the restraining mechanism 66 is not limited to this. In other words, the restraining mechanism 66 only needs to be configured to restrain the displacement of the relative rotational phase to the restricting phase (the intermediate restricting phase in the third embodiment) that is the phase at one end of the phase displacement allowable range R. Therefore, it is also possible to provide another mechanism for restraining the protruding member 63 that has entered the regulating recess 61 from moving in the circumferential direction. As such a mechanism, for example, an engaging convex portion that is urged by an elastic member such as a spring so as to protrude or retract from the bottom surface 61 a of the restricting concave portion 61, and a tip that contacts the bottom surface 61 a of the protruding member 63. It is also possible to have a configuration including an engagement recess provided in the portion and engaged with the engagement projection. As a result, the displacement of the relative rotation phase is restrained by the engagement concave portion of the protruding member 63 and the engagement convex portion of the restriction concave portion 61 engaging in the restriction phase. Further, when the hydraulic oil is supplied into the regulating recess 61, the protruding member 63 is retracted, so that the engagement between the engagement recess and the engagement projection is also released.

(6) In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, in the configuration including one lock mechanism 5 and one phase displacement restricting mechanism 6, the phase displacement restricting mechanism 6 includes an intermediate restricting phase. The case where the restraint mechanism 66 capable of restraining the displacement of the relative rotational phase is provided has been described. However, the configuration for applying such a restraining mechanism 66 is not limited to this. For example, in the configuration including the two phase displacement regulating mechanisms 6 as in the fourth embodiment, either or It is also a preferred embodiment that both phase displacement regulating mechanisms 6 include a restraining mechanism 66.

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. 1 (1) AA sectional view of FIG. 1 (2) AA sectional view of FIG. 1 (3) AA sectional view of FIG. 1 (4) 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 enlarged view of the lock mechanism and phase displacement control mechanism which concern on 2nd embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing which shows the state in which the relative rotation phase of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention exists in a lock phase. Sectional drawing which shows the state in which the relative rotation phase of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention exists in an intermediate | middle regulation phase. The enlarged view of the lock mechanism and phase displacement control mechanism which concern on 3rd embodiment of this invention. The timing chart which shows an example of operation | movement of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing (1) of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing (2) of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing (3) of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing (4) of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view of the 1st and 2nd phase displacement control mechanism which concerns on 4th embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the hydraulic circuit which concerns on 5th 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 5th embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the hydraulic circuit which concerns on 6th embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the valve timing control apparatus which concerns on background art

Explanation of symbols

1: Valve opening / closing timing control device 2: External rotor (drive-side rotating member)
3: Internal rotor (driven rotation member)
4: Fluid pressure chamber (phase control mechanism)
5: Lock mechanism 6: Phase displacement regulating mechanism 6A: First phase displacement regulating mechanism 6B: Second phase displacement regulating mechanism 7: Hydraulic circuit (phase control mechanism)
32: Vane (phase control mechanism)
61: Restriction recess 63: Protruding member 66: Restraint mechanism 67: Restraint recess 71: First pump 72: Second pump 73: Hydraulic oil reservoir (fluid reservoir)
73b: first communication port 73c: second communication port 73d: lubrication system communication port 74: first control valve 75: second control valve 78: engine lubrication system (lubrication system for internal combustion engine)
79: Bypass channel 80: Control unit (control means)
81: Lubricating system communication channel 82: Communication channel L: Length of the relative rotational phase of the regulating recess in the displacement direction R: Phase displacement allowable range R1: First phase displacement allowable range R2: Second phase displacement allowable range

Claims (7)

A driving-side rotating member that rotates synchronously with respect to 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 that rotates synchronously with respect to the camshaft; and the driving-side rotating member wherein a phase control mechanism for variably controlling the relative rotational phase between the driven side rotational member, the locking can be restrained in either one at a lock phase of the relative rotational position phase and the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phases and a mechanism, the said locking mechanism comprising independently operable, the relative rotation from the lock phase to the position phase displacement allowable range to a predetermined intermediate restriction phase between the most advanced angle phase and the most retarded angle phase A phase displacement regulating mechanism capable of regulating phase displacement ,
The phase displacement regulating mechanism includes a projecting member that can project from one of the driving side rotating member and the driven side rotating member to the other side, and the driving side rotating member or the driven side rotating member on the other side. A regulation recess having a length in the displacement direction of the relative rotational phase corresponding to the phase displacement allowable range, and allowing the projecting member to enter,
The phase displacement restricting mechanism further includes a restraining mechanism capable of restraining the displacement of the relative rotational phase at one end corresponding to the intermediate restricting phase among the restricting recesses,
The valve opening / closing timing control device comprising a restraining recess formed in the restricting recess and capable of further entering the projecting member in a state where the relative rotation phase is in the intermediate restricting phase . The phase displacement restricting mechanism is set to a restricting state that allows the displacement of the relative rotational phase within the allowable range of phase displacement and restricts the displacement of the relative rotational phase that exceeds the allowable range of phase displacement. 2. The valve opening / closing timing control device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit capable of performing control to constrain the relative rotation phase to the intermediate restriction phase by displacing the relative rotation phase in one direction. The valve opening / closing timing control device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the phase displacement allowable range has an angle range of 5 ° or more in terms of a displacement angle of the relative rotational phase. The phase control mechanism is driven by the internal combustion engine to supply a working fluid, and is provided downstream of the first pump, and is driven by power different from that of the internal combustion engine. A second pump that supplies the fluid, and a fluid storage section that is provided between the first pump and the second pump and that can store the working fluid.
The fluid reservoir is according to any one of claims 1-3 having the lubricating system communicating port communicating with the lubricating system of the internal combustion engine at a position higher than the first communication port to the first pump and communicating Valve timing control device. The phase control mechanism, the valve timing control apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a communication passage for communicating the front KiJun lubricating system communicating opening and said phase displacement restriction mechanism. The phase control mechanism includes a fluid pressure chamber formed on at least one of the driving side rotation member and the driven side rotation member and capable of generating a biasing force in a direction to displace the relative rotation phase, and a fluid pressure chamber to the fluid pressure chamber. A second fluid control valve that is operable independently of a first fluid control valve that controls the supply of the working fluid and that controls the supply of the working fluid to the phase displacement regulating mechanism. The valve opening / closing timing control device according to any one of claims 5 to 6. When the internal combustion engine is stopped, the displacement of the relative rotation phase is restricted to the lock phase by the lock mechanism, and the displacement of the relative rotation phase is restricted to the phase displacement allowable range by the phase displacement restriction mechanism,
When cranking the internal combustion engine, the restriction of the displacement of the relative rotation phase by the lock mechanism is released, and the displacement of the relative rotation phase is restricted to the phase displacement allowable range by the phase displacement restriction mechanism,
After the internal combustion engine is started and before the fluid pressure chamber is filled with fluid, the displacement of the relative rotational phase by the lock mechanism is released, and the relative rotational phase is controlled by the phase displacement restricting mechanism. To the intermediate restriction phase,
After the internal combustion engine is started and after the fluid pressure chamber is filled with fluid, the displacement restriction of the relative rotation phase by the lock mechanism is released, and the relative rotation phase by the phase displacement restriction mechanism is released. The valve opening / closing timing control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the restriction and restriction of the displacement are released.

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