JP6015366B2 - Valve timing adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve timing adjusting device that adjusts the valve timing of an intake valve that opens and closes a cylinder of an internal combustion engine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a hydraulic valve timing adjusting device that adjusts the valve timing of an intake valve by the pressure of hydraulic fluid is widely known. In general, a hydraulic valve timing adjusting device includes a housing rotor and a vane rotor that rotate in conjunction with a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, respectively. The rotation phase changes between. As a result of this rotational phase change, the valve timing is adjusted.

  As a kind of hydraulic valve timing adjusting device, Patent Document 1 discloses that a rotational phase advanced from the most retarded phase in an internal combustion engine is an intermediate phase, and the rotational phase reaching the intermediate phase is determined when the internal combustion engine is started. Locking is disclosed. According to such a lock function, the timing of closing the intake valve is made as early as possible, so that the actual compression ratio in the cylinder is increased, so that the temperature of the gas in the cylinder rises due to compression heating, and fuel vaporization is promoted. Will be. Therefore, for example, when the internal combustion engine is left in a stopped state in a low temperature environment such as an extremely low temperature, the startability can be ensured.

  However, in the hydraulic valve timing adjustment device of Patent Document 1 in which the closing timing of the intake valve is early, due to the high actual compression ratio in the cylinder, the warm start of the internal combustion engine in a relatively high temperature environment such as room temperature, for example Occasionally, the following problems may occur: One of the problems is the occurrence of knocking. Another one is that when the internal combustion engine applied to the idle stop system or the hybrid system is restarted, or when the engine is restarted immediately after the ignition is turned off, the temperature during compression of the in-cylinder gas becomes too high. The preignition that self-ignites before ignition is caused, and the fluctuation of cranking rotation is increased due to a large compression reaction force, thereby causing unpleasant vibration or noise.

  Therefore, in the hydraulic valve timing adjustment device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the retard phase for closing the intake valve at a timing later than the piston in the cylinder reaches the bottom dead center, and the retard phase One of the advanced intermediate phases is selected when the internal combustion engine is started. According to such selection of the rotational phase, it is possible to realize starting suitable for the temperature of the internal combustion engine (hereinafter referred to as “engine temperature”).

Japanese Patent No. 4161356 JP 2002-256910 A

  However, in the hydraulic valve timing adjusting device of Patent Document 2, the retarded phase is selected not by locking the rotational phase but by applying the pressure of the hydraulic fluid to the vane rotor in the housing rotor when the internal combustion engine is warmly started. doing. For this reason, at the time of start-up when the pressure of the hydraulic fluid is reduced, the vane rotor rotates relative to the advance side with respect to the housing rotor by the action of the variable torque from the cam shaft, and the rotation phase is easily shifted from the retard phase.

  Further, in the hydraulic valve timing adjusting device of Patent Document 2, since the rotational phase change to the intermediate phase is caused by the fluctuation torque when the internal combustion engine is cold started, the hydraulic fluid that applies pressure to the vane rotor in the housing rotor is drained. ing. As a result, since the hydraulic fluid that applies pressure to the lock body is also drained, the lock body moves to the lock release position, making it difficult to lock in the intermediate phase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic valve timing adjusting device that realizes starting suitable for engine temperature.

The present invention relates to a housing rotor that rotates in conjunction with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine in a valve timing adjustment device that adjusts the valve timing of an intake valve (9) that opens and closes a cylinder (7) of the internal combustion engine by the pressure of hydraulic fluid. (11) and a vane rotor (14) that rotates in conjunction with the camshaft (2) of the internal combustion engine and receives the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the housing rotor, so that the rotational phase with respect to the housing rotor changes, and a main lock member (160) and a main lock hole (162), and a main lock phase (Pm) which is a rotation phase for closing the intake valve at a timing later than the piston (8) in the cylinder reaches the bottom dead center , The main lock member is inserted into the main lock hole, and thereby the main lock means (16) for locking the rotational phase, the sub lock member (170), and the sub lock Sub-lock means for locking the rotation phase by inserting the sub-lock member into the sub-lock hole in the sub-lock phase (Ps), which is a rotation phase advanced from the main lock phase. (17) and a lock control means (18) for controlling the movement of the main lock member, and the main lock member is inserted into the main lock hole (Li), and the escape position is escaped from the main lock hole. (Le), the lock control means generates a control restoring force, whereby the control elastic member (182) for urging the main lock member toward the escape position and the temperature of the stopped internal combustion engine are In the main lock phase in the warm stop state during which the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the set temperature (Ts), the temperature changes to the expanded state (Se) for urging the main lock member toward the fitting position, while the temperature of the stopped internal combustion engine is Below set temperature In the main locking phase of cold stop state after it, temperature sensitive body which changes contracted state to mitigate bias of the main locking member to the fitting position side (Sc) and (183), possess, The main lock means has a main elastic member (163) that urges the main lock member toward the fitting position side by generating a main restoring force, and is made of a shape memory material. The temperature sensing element that is arranged across the main elastic member and has elasticity, thereby generating a temperature-sensitive restoring force for urging the main locking member toward the fitting position side, in a warm stop state, by shape restoration, While changing to an expanded state in which the temperature-sensitive restoring force is increased, in a cold stop state, it is changed to a contracted state in which the temperature-sensitive restoring force is decreased by the action of the control restoring force .

  According to such a feature of the present invention, in the main lock phase in the warm stop state while the engine temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature in the stopped internal combustion engine, the temperature sensing body changes to the expanded state, The lock member is biased toward the insertion position into the main lock hole. As a result, the main lock member moves to the insertion position against the control restoring force from the control elastic member, thereby realizing the rotation phase lock in the main lock phase. Here, in the main lock phase in which the intake valve is closed at a timing later than the in-cylinder piston reaches the bottom dead center, the cylinder according to the lift of the piston after the bottom dead center is reached at the next start of the internal combustion engine The internal compression of the inner gas into the intake system reduces the actual compression ratio. Therefore, at the time of a warm start after a warm stop at a set temperature or higher, the rotation phase lock at the main lock phase is maintained and a start failure such as knocking, pre-ignition, unpleasant vibration or noise (hereinafter simply referred to as “ The occurrence of “starting failure”) can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, in the main lock phase in the cold stop state after the engine temperature becomes less than the set temperature in the stopped internal combustion engine, the temperature sensing body changes to the contracted state, so that the insertion position with respect to the main lock member The urging to the side is eased. Accordingly, the main lock member receives the control restoring force from the control elastic member and moves to the escape position from the main lock hole, so that the rotation phase lock in the main lock phase can be released. Therefore, at the next start-up of the internal combustion engine, the vane rotor rotates relative to the advance side with respect to the housing rotor by the action of the variable torque from the camshaft. As a result, when the rotation phase changes to the sub lock phase advanced from the main lock phase, the sub lock member is inserted into the sub lock hole and the rotation phase is locked to the sub lock phase, thereby closing the intake valve. The timing is as early as possible. As a result, the amount of in-cylinder gas pushed out decreases and the temperature of the gas rises with the actual compression ratio, improving ignitability even during cold start after a cold stop below the set temperature. And startability can be secured.

  According to the features of the present invention as described above, it is possible to realize starting suitable for the engine temperature.

It is a figure which shows the basic composition of the valve timing adjustment apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: It is the II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the operation state different from FIG. It is the IV-IV sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows one operation state of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation state different from FIG. 5 of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation state different from FIG.5, 6 of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the operation state different from FIGS. 5-7 of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view corresponding to an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5. It is a schematic diagram equivalent to the enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. It is a schematic diagram equivalent to the enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the characteristic of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a characteristic view for demonstrating the characteristic of the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a graph which shows the characteristic of the temperature sensing body of FIGS. It is a characteristic view for demonstrating the fluctuation | variation torque which acts on the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. It is a graph for demonstrating one operation example about the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG. FIG. 17 is a graph for explaining an operation example different from FIG. 16 for the valve timing adjusting device of FIG. 1. It is a graph for demonstrating an effect about the valve timing adjustment apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a valve timing adjusting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. In the present embodiment, the stop and start of the internal combustion engine are realized not only in response to the off command and on command of the engine switch SW but also in response to the idle stop command and restart command of the idle stop system ISS.

(Basic configuration)
First, the basic configuration of the valve timing adjusting device 1 will be described. The valve timing adjusting device 1 is a hydraulic type that uses the pressure of hydraulic oil as “pressure of hydraulic fluid”, and an intake valve 9 (described later in detail) as “valve” that opens and closes the camshaft 2 by transmission of engine torque. The valve timing (see FIG. 13) is adjusted. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the valve timing adjusting device 1 includes a rotary drive unit 10 installed in a transmission system that transmits engine torque output from a crankshaft (not shown) to the camshaft 2 in an internal combustion engine, A control unit 40 that controls the entry and exit of hydraulic oil to drive the drive unit 10 is provided.

(Rotation drive part)
In the rotary drive unit 10, the metal housing rotor 11 is formed by fastening a rear plate 13 and a front plate 15 to both ends of the shoe ring 12 in the axial direction. The rear plate 13 has lock holes 162 and 172 that open toward the shoe ring 12 in a cylindrical hole shape.

  The shoe ring 12 includes a cylindrical housing body 120, a plurality of shoes 121, 122, 123 and a sprocket 124. As shown in FIG. 2, each shoe 121, 122, 123 protrudes inward in the radial direction from a portion of the housing body 120 that is spaced by a predetermined interval in the rotation direction. A storage chamber 20 is formed between the shoes 121, 122, and 123 adjacent in the rotation direction. The sprocket 124 is connected to the crankshaft via a timing chain (not shown). With this connection, while the internal combustion engine is rotating, engine torque is transmitted from the crankshaft to the sprocket 124, whereby the housing rotor 11 rotates in a fixed direction (clockwise in FIG. 2) in conjunction with the crankshaft.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal vane rotor 14 is coaxially accommodated in the housing rotor 11, and slides both ends in the axial direction to the rear plate 13 and the front plate 15, respectively. The vane rotor 14 includes a cylindrical rotating shaft 140 and a plurality of vanes 141, 142, and 143. The rotating shaft 140 is fixed coaxially with the cam shaft 2. With this fixing, the vane rotor 14 can rotate relative to the housing rotor 11 while being able to rotate in the same direction as the housing rotor 11 (clockwise in FIG. 2) in conjunction with the camshaft 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the vanes 141, 142, and 143 protrude radially outward from the rotation shaft 140 at predetermined intervals in the rotation direction, and are stored in the corresponding storage chambers 20. The vanes 141, 142, and 143 divide the corresponding storage chambers 20 in the rotation direction, thereby converting the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the retard chambers 26, 27, 28 into which the hydraulic oil enters and exits the housing rotor 11. It is partitioned within. Specifically, an advance chamber 22 is formed between the shoe 121 and the vane 141, an advance chamber 23 is formed between the shoe 122 and the vane 142, and an advance angle is formed between the shoe 123 and the vane 143. A chamber 24 is formed. On the other hand, a retard chamber 26 is formed between the shoe 122 and the vane 141, a retard chamber 27 is formed between the shoe 123 and the vane 142, and a retard chamber 28 is formed between the shoe 121 and the vane 143. Is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vane 141 supports a cylindrical metal main lock member 160 that is eccentric with respect to the rotation shaft 140 so as to be reciprocally movable in the axial direction. At the same time, the vane 141 forms an annular space-shaped main lock release chamber 161 through which the hydraulic oil enters and exits around the main lock member 160. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the main lock member 160 is fitted into the cylindrical main lock hole 162 when the hydraulic oil is discharged from the main lock release chamber 161. By such insertion, the main lock member 160 locks the rotation phase of the vane rotor 14 with respect to the housing rotor 11 (hereinafter simply referred to as “rotation phase”) to the main lock phase Pm of FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the main lock member 160 escapes from the main lock hole 162 by receiving the pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced into the main lock release chamber 161. By such escape, the main lock member 160 releases the rotation phase lock at the main lock phase Pm.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vane 142 supports a cylindrical metal sub-lock member 170 that is eccentric with respect to the rotation shaft 140 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction. At the same time, the vane 142 forms an annular space-like sub-lock release chamber 171 through which the hydraulic oil enters and exits around the sub-lock member 170. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the sub-lock member 170 is fitted into the cylindrical sub-lock hole 172 by discharging the hydraulic oil from the sub-lock release chamber 171. With this insertion, the sub-lock member 170 locks the rotation phase to the sub-lock phase Ps in FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, the secondary lock member 170 escapes from the secondary lock hole 172 by receiving the pressure of the hydraulic oil introduced into the secondary lock release chamber 171. By such escape, the secondary lock member 170 unlocks the rotational phase in the secondary lock phase Ps.

  In the rotary drive unit 10 described above, the vane rotor 14 receives the pressure of the hydraulic oil that enters and exits the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the retard chambers 26, 27, 28 in the housing rotor 11. At this time, under the release of the rotational phase lock by the lock members 160, 170, the hydraulic oil is introduced into the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the hydraulic oil is discharged from the retard chambers 26, 27, 28. The phase changes to the advance side (for example, change from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3). As a result, the valve timing is adjusted to advance. On the other hand, under the release of the rotational phase lock by the lock members 160, 170, the hydraulic oil is introduced into the retard chambers 26, 27, 28 and the hydraulic oil is discharged from the advance chambers 22, 23, 24. The phase changes to the retard side (for example, change from FIG. 3 to FIG. 2). As a result, the valve timing is adjusted to be retarded. In addition, under the release of the rotational phase lock by the lock members 160, 170, the working oil is confined in the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the retard chambers 26, 27, 28, so that changes in the rotational phase are suppressed. The valve timing is kept substantially constant.

(Control part)
In the control unit 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the main advance passage 41 is formed in the rotation shaft 140 and communicates with the advance chambers 22, 23, and 24. The main retardation passage 45 is formed in the rotating shaft 140 and communicates with the retardation chambers 26, 27, and 28. The unlocking passage 49 is formed in the rotating shaft 140 and communicates with both the unlocking chambers 161 and 171.

  A main supply passage 50 formed in the rotary shaft 140 communicates with the pump 4 as a supply source via the conveyance passage 3. Here, the pump 4 is a mechanical pump that is driven by receiving engine torque during normal operation of the internal combustion engine, and continuously discharges the hydraulic oil sucked from the drain pan 5 during the normal operation. Further, the conveyance passage 3 penetrating the cam shaft 2 and its bearing can always communicate with the discharge port of the pump 4 regardless of the rotation of the cam shaft 2. From these facts, as the internal combustion engine starts by cranking and completes explosion, the supply of hydraulic oil to the main supply passage 50 is started, while the supply is reduced as the internal combustion engine stops. Stop.

  The sub supply passage 52 is formed in the rotating shaft 140 and branches from the main supply passage 50. The sub supply passage 52 receives the hydraulic oil supplied from the pump 4 through the main supply passage 50. The drain collection passage 54 is provided outside the rotation drive unit 10 and the cam shaft 2. The drain collecting passage 54 is opened to the atmosphere together with the drain pan 5 as a drain collecting portion, and the hydraulic oil can be discharged to the drain pan 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control valve 60 is a spool valve that uses a driving force generated by the linear solenoid 62 and a restoring force generated by the biasing member 64 in a direction opposite to the driving force. The inner spool 68 is reciprocated in the axial direction. When the spool 68 moves to the lock region Rl in FIGS. 5 to 7, the hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is introduced into the retard chambers 26, 27, 28, and the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the lock release chamber 161. , 171 hydraulic oil is discharged to the drain pan 5. When the spool 68 moves to the retard angle region Rr in FIG. 8, the hydraulic oil in the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 is discharged to the drain pan 5, and the hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is retarded by the retard chambers 26, 27, 28. And the lock release chambers 161 and 171. When the spool 68 moves to the advance angle region Ra in FIG. 8, the hydraulic oil in the retard chambers 26, 27, 28 is discharged to the drain pan 5, and the hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is advanced into the advance chambers 22, 23, 24. And the lock release chambers 161 and 171. When the spool 68 moves to the holding region Rh in FIG. 8, the hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is introduced into the lock release chambers 161 and 171, while entering the advance chambers 22, 23, 24 and the retard chambers 26, 27, 28. Hydraulic fluid is trapped.

  The control circuit 80 is a microcomputer that is electrically connected to the linear solenoid 62, the engine switch SW, and various electrical components of the internal combustion engine shown in FIG. 1, and constitutes an idle stop system ISS. The control circuit 80 controls the operation of the internal combustion engine including energization to the linear solenoid 62 and idle stop according to a computer program.

(Main lock mechanism)
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the main lock mechanism 16 as “main lock means” in which a main elastic member 163 and stoppers 164 and 165 are combined with a set of main lock elements 160, 161 and 162 will be described in detail. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bottomed cylindrical main lock member 160 has a flange portion 160 b that protrudes in an annular plate shape from the outer peripheral surface. The flange portion 160b forms a main unlocking chamber 161 between the vane 141 and the spring receiving portion 141a on the rear plate 13 side. The main lock member 160 causes the bottom end 160a on the rear plate 13 side to enter and exit from the main lock hole 162 in accordance with the pressure in the main lock release chamber 161 and the like. Here, in the present embodiment, the position where the main lock member 160 fits the bottom end portion 160a into the main lock hole 162 as shown in FIG. 5 is referred to as an insertion position Li, and the main lock member 160 as shown in FIGS. A position where the bottom end portion 160a is escaped from 162 is referred to as an escape position Le.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the main elastic member 163 is a metal coil spring and is accommodated in the vane 141. The main elastic member 163 is interposed in the axial direction between the movable member 181 described in detail later and the bottom end portion 160a of the main lock member 160. The main elastic member 163 in the interposed state generates a main restoring force Fm so as to urge the main lock member 160 toward the rear plate 13 as shown in FIGS. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the main restoring force Fm acts on the main lock member 160 toward the fitting position Li side which is the main lock hole 162 side in the main lock phase Pm. Further, due to the pressure action from the main lock release chamber 161, the driving force Ff that drives the main lock member 160 against the main restoring force Fm acts on the main lock member 160 toward the escape position Le as shown in FIG. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the insertion stopper 164 is formed in a flat surface on the bottom surface of the main lock hole 162 having a bottomed cylindrical hole shape. The insertion stopper 164 makes surface contact with the bottom end portion 160a of the main lock member 160 moved to the insertion position Li. By this contact, the main lock member 160 is locked at the insertion position Li.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the escape stopper 165 is formed in a flat surface on the tip surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 141 b on the opposite side of the vane 141 from the rear plate 13. The escape stopper 165 comes into surface contact with the flange portion 160b of the main lock member 160 moved to the escape position Le. By such contact, the main lock member 160 is locked at the escape position Le.

  Under the above configuration, the main lock phase Pm realized by fitting the main lock member 160 into the main lock hole 162 is preset to the most retarded phase as shown in FIGS. In particular, the main lock phase Pm of the present embodiment closes the intake valve 9 at a timing later than the timing at which the piston 8 in the cylinder 7 of the internal combustion engine reaches the bottom dead center BDC, as shown in FIG. The rotation phase is preset.

(Lock control mechanism)
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the lock control mechanism 18 as “lock control means” assembled on the main lock member 160 side will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lock control mechanism 18 includes a movable member 181, a control elastic member 182, and a temperature sensor 183 in order to control the movement of the main lock member 160.

  The metal movable member 181 is formed in an annular plate shape, and is accommodated coaxially on the inner peripheral side of the main lock member 160. The movable member 181 can be reciprocated in the axial direction and can be moved relative to the main lock member 160 by being inserted into the main lock member 160. At the same time, the movable member 181 receives the main restoring force Fm from the main elastic member 163 toward the side opposite to the rear plate 13 as shown in FIGS. Note that the inner circumferential space of the movable member 181, the inner circumferential space of the main lock member 160, and the inner circumferential space of the bottomed cylindrical portion 141 b are open to the atmosphere through an atmospheric passage (not shown). Due to the release to the atmosphere, the compression / expansion of air that becomes a load (disturbance) during operation of the movable member 181 and the main lock member 160 is reduced to a negligible level.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control elastic member 182 is a metal coil spring, and is arranged coaxially on the outer peripheral side of the movable member 181 in the vane 141. The control elastic member 182 is interposed in the axial direction between the flange portion 160b and the spring receiving portion 141a. The interposed control elastic member 182 generates the control restoring force Fc so as to urge the main lock member 160 to the side opposite to the rear plate 13 as shown in FIGS. That is, the control restoring force Fc acts on the main lock member 160 toward the escape position Le.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature sensing element 183 is formed in a coil spring shape by a shape memory material that recovers its shape as the temperature rises, such as a nickel-titanium (Ni—Ti) alloy, and has elasticity. Yes. The temperature sensing body 183 is coaxially inserted into the inner peripheral side of the main lock member 160 in the vane 141. The temperature sensing body 183 is interposed in the axial direction between the bottom surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 141b and the movable member 181. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the temperature sensor 183 in the interposed state is configured to urge the main elastic member 163 and the movable member 181 sandwiched between the main lock member 160 and the rear plate 13. A temperature-sensitive restoring force Ft is generated.

  In the present embodiment, the temperature sensing body 183 expands and contracts according to the engine temperature T (see FIG. 14), thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature sensing restoring force Ft. Specifically, at the engine temperature T equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts, the temperature-sensitive restoring force Ft is increased to the set value Fts or higher as shown in FIG. 14 in the expanded state Se expanded and changed by the shape restoration as shown in FIGS. On the other hand, at the engine temperature T lower than the set temperature Ts, the temperature sensing body 183 reduces the thermosensitive restoring force Ft to less than the set value Fts as shown in FIG. 14 in the contracted state Sc changed by contraction as shown in FIG. .

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, when the engine temperature T becomes equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts in a state where the hydraulic oil can be discharged from the lock release passage 49 to the drain pan 5 in accordance with the stop and start of the internal combustion engine, The temperature sensing body 183 changes to the expanded state Se. At this time, the main locking member 160 is attached to the insertion position Li side against the control restoring force Fc due to the generation of the thermosensitive restoring force Ft increasing to the set value Fts or more and the main restoring force Fm having a magnitude corresponding thereto. Be forced. As a result, the main lock member 160 that moves to the insertion position Li side can be positioned at the insertion position Li by being locked by the insertion stopper 164 in the main lock phase Pm.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, when the engine temperature T is lower than the set temperature Ts in a state where the hydraulic oil can be discharged from the lock release passage 49 to the drain pan 5 according to the stop and start of the internal combustion engine, The thermosensitive body 183 is compressed by the action of the main restoring force Fm and the control restoring force Fc and changes to the contracted state Sc. At this time, the main lock member 160 is relaxed from being biased toward the insertion position Li by the generation of the temperature-sensitive restoring force Ft that decreases below the set value Fts and the main restoring force Fm having a magnitude corresponding thereto. As a result, the main lock member 160 that receives the control restoring force Fc and moves to the escape position Le side is locked by the escape stopper 165 so that it can be localized at the escape position Le (also in FIG. 7). reference).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, under the condition in which hydraulic oil can be introduced from the pump 4 to the lock release passage 49 in accordance with the normal operation of the internal combustion engine, the engine temperature T becomes higher than the set temperature Ts by the normal operation. Then, the temperature sensing body 183 changes to the expanded state Se. At this time, a temperature-sensitive restoring force Ft that increases beyond the set value Fts and a main restoring force Fm of a magnitude corresponding thereto are generated, but the main lock that receives the driving force Ff raised by the introduction of hydraulic oil together with the control restoring force Fc. The member 160 moves to the escape position Le side. As a result, the main lock member 160 can be localized at the escape position Le by being locked by the escape stopper 165.

  In the lock control mechanism 18 described above, the set value Fts shown in FIG. 14 is 25.4 N, for example, and the set temperature Ts corresponding to the value Fts is, for example, a temperature within a range of 40 to 60 ° C. Pre-set. Moreover, the range which attached | subjected the code | symbol X in FIG. 14 has shown the variable range of the bending amount which the temperature sensing body 183 bends between state Se and Sc.

(Sub lock mechanism)
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the sub-lock mechanism 17 as “sub-lock means” in which the sub-elastic member 173 and the restriction groove 174 are combined with the sub-lock elements 170, 171 and 172 will be described in detail. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, the secondary elastic member 173 is a metal coil spring and is accommodated in the vane 142. The secondary elastic member 173 is interposed in the axial direction between the spring receiving portion 142 a on the opposite side of the rear plate 13 in the vane 142 and the spring receiving portion 170 a of the secondary lock member 170. The auxiliary elastic member 173 generates a restoring force so as to urge the auxiliary lock member 170 toward the rear plate 13 by the interposed state. Therefore, the restoring force of the secondary elastic member 173 acts on the secondary lock member 170 toward the secondary lock hole 172 in the secondary lock phase Ps shown in FIGS. Further, the force for driving the sub-lock member 170 by the pressure action from the sub-lock release chamber 171 acts on the sub-lock member 170 against the restoring force of the sub-elastic member 173.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the restriction groove 174 is formed in a bottomed long hole shape extending in the rotation direction in the rear plate 13. A sub-lock hole 172 opens at the groove bottom in the middle of the restriction groove 174. With such an opening structure, when the sub lock member 170 enters the restriction groove 174 on both sides of the sub lock hole 172 in the rotation direction, the rotation phase is limited to a predetermined rotation phase region sandwiching the sub lock phase Ps. In addition, when the rotational phase reaches the secondary lock phase Ps, when the secondary lock member 170 in the restriction groove 174 is fitted into the secondary lock hole 172, the rotational phase lock is realized at the secondary lock phase Ps in FIG. The

  Under the above configuration, the secondary lock phase Ps realized by fitting the secondary lock member 170 into the secondary lock hole 172 is preset to an intermediate phase advanced from the primary lock phase Pm as shown in FIGS. ing. In particular, the sub-lock phase Ps of the present embodiment is such that, as shown in FIG. 13, the intake valve 9 is set at the timing when the piston 8 in the cylinder 7 of the internal combustion engine reaches the bottom dead center BDC or at a timing close thereto. The rotation phase for closing is preset.

(Variable torque action on the vane rotor)
Next, the variable torque that acts on the vane rotor 14 from the camshaft 2 will be described.

  During the rotation of the internal combustion engine, fluctuating torque acts on the vane rotor 14 due to a spring reaction force from the intake valve 9 that the camshaft 2 is driven to open and close. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the fluctuating torque alternates between a negative torque acting on the advance side with respect to the housing rotor 11 and a positive torque acting on the retard side with respect to the housing rotor 11. Regarding the fluctuation torque of the present embodiment, the peak torque of the positive torque is larger than the peak torque of the negative torque due to the friction between the camshaft 2 and its bearing, and the average torque thereof is on the positive torque side. It is biased toward (retarded side).

(Van rotor energizing structure)
Next, a biasing structure for biasing the vane rotor 14 toward the sub lock phase Ps will be described.

  In the rotary drive unit 10 shown in FIG. 1, the rotors 11 and 14 are provided with locking pins 110 and 146, respectively. The first locking pin 110 is formed in a cylindrical shape that protrudes in the axial direction opposite to the shoe ring 12 in the front plate 15. The second locking pin 146 is formed in a columnar shape protruding from the arm plate 147 substantially parallel to the front plate 15 on the rotating shaft 140 toward the plate 15 in the axial direction. These locking pins 110 and 146 are arranged so as to be offset from each other in the axial direction at locations that are eccentric by substantially the same distance from the rotation center lines of the rotors 11 and 14.

  An advance elastic member 19 is disposed between the front plate 15 and the arm plate 147. The advance elastic member 19 is a spiral spring formed by winding a metal wire on substantially the same plane, and the center of the spiral is aligned with the rotation center line of the rotors 11 and 14. The inner peripheral side end of the advance angle elastic member 19 is wound around the outer peripheral portion of the rotating shaft 140. The outer peripheral side end of the advance angle elastic member 19 is bent in a U shape to form a locking portion 190. The locking part 190 can be locked by a pin corresponding to the rotation phase of the locking pins 110 and 146.

  With the above configuration, when the rotational phase is changed from the sub-lock phase Ps to the retard side, that is, between the lock phases Ps and Pm, the locking portion 190 of the advance angle elastic member 19 is connected to the first locking pin 110. Locked. At this time, since the second locking pin 146 is detached from the locking portion 190, the restoring force generated by the torsional elastic deformation of the advance angle elastic member 19 is applied to the vane rotor 14 as a rotation torque on the advance angle side with respect to the housing rotor 11. Works. That is, the vane rotor 14 is urged toward the advance lock side sub-lock phase Ps. Here, between the lock phases Ps and Pm, the restoring force of the advance elastic member 19 is preset so as to be larger than the average value of the fluctuation torque (see FIG. 15) biased to the retard side. . On the other hand, in a state where the rotation phase has changed to the advance side with respect to the sub lock phase Ps, the locking portion 190 is locked to the second locking pin 146. At this time, since the first locking pin 110 is detached from the locking portion 190, the biasing action of the vane rotor 14 by the advance elastic member 19 is limited.

(Operation)
Next, the operation of the device 1 will be described in detail.

(1) Normal operation During normal operation of the internal combustion engine after a complete explosion at start-up, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the supply of hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is continued at a high pressure corresponding to the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. Is done. As a result, the lock members 160 and 170 escape from the lock holes 162 and 172 by the pressure action of the hydraulic oil introduced into the lock release chambers 161 and 171, respectively, so that the rotation phases at the lock phases Pm and Ps are obtained. The unlocked state is maintained (FIGS. 8 and 11). In particular, the unlocked state at the main lock phase Pm is maintained by the pressure action from the main lock release chamber 161 to the main lock member 160 regardless of the state of the temperature sensing body 183. In such a state, the valve timing is adjusted as appropriate by changing the moving position of the spool 68 to one of the regions Rr, Ra, and Rh.

(2) Stop / Start In response to a stop command such as an engine switch SW off command or an idle stop command of the idle stop system ISS, as shown in FIGS. Before putting the internal combustion engine into the inertial rotation state, the spool 68 is moved to the lock region Rl. At this time, the hydraulic oil supply from the pump 4 is continued at a high pressure corresponding to the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. Therefore, the rotation phase lock at each lock phase Pm, Ps is released on the same principle as in (1) above, and the rotation phase is set as the most retarded angle phase by the hydraulic oil pressure in the retard angle chambers 26, 27, 28. Changes to the main lock phase Pm.

  After the change to the main lock phase Pm, when the internal combustion engine is brought into the inertial rotation state, the supply pressure of the hydraulic oil from the pump 4 gradually decreases according to the speed of the inertial rotation, as shown in FIGS. . As a result, the pressures in the lock release chambers 161 and 171 disappear, and the internal combustion engine is stopped at the main lock phase Pm.

  While the internal combustion engine is stopped, in the warm stop state in which the engine temperature T becomes equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts as shown in FIG. 16, the temperature sensing body 183 changes to the expanded state Se, and the temperature sensitive restoring force Ft becomes the set value Fts. More than that. Therefore, the main lock member 160 moves to the insertion position Li by being biased against the control restoring force Fc in the state where the pressure in the main lock release chamber 161 is lost (FIGS. 5 and 9). At this time, the secondary lock member 170 receiving the restoring force of the secondary elastic member 173 in the state where the pressure of the secondary lock release chamber 171 is lost contacts the rear plate 13 outside the secondary lock hole 172 and the restriction groove 174 (FIG. 5). ). As a result of such movement and contact, the rotational phase is locked to the main lock phase Pm.

  Thereafter, in a warm start in which cranking of the internal combustion engine is started at the set temperature Ts or higher in response to a start command such as an on command of the engine switch SW or a restart command of the idle stop system ISS, as shown in FIG. The temperature sensing body 183 is maintained in the expanded state Se. At this time, the moving position of the spool 68 is held in the lock region Rl, and the supply of hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is substantially stopped. From these things, the main lock member 160 maintains the insertion position Li in the pressure disappearance state of the main lock release chamber 161 (FIGS. 5 and 9). At the same time, the sub-lock member 170 that receives the restoring force of the sub-elastic member 173 when the pressure in the sub-lock release chamber 171 disappears contacts the rear plate 13 outside the sub-lock hole 172 and the restriction groove 174 (FIG. 5). . As a result of such insertion maintenance and contact, the internal combustion engine is completely detonated with the rotational phase locked to the main lock phase Pm.

  On the other hand, in the cold stop state after the engine temperature T becomes lower than the set temperature Ts as shown in FIG. 17 while the internal combustion engine is stopped, the temperature sensing body 183 changes to the contracted state Sc, and the temperature sensing stability is increased. Ft decreases below the set value Fts. Therefore, the main lock member 160 moves to the escape position Le in order to reduce the bias against the control restoring force Fc when the pressure in the main lock release chamber 161 is lost (FIGS. 6 and 10). At the same time, the sub-lock member 170 that receives the restoring force of the sub-elastic member 173 when the pressure in the sub-lock release chamber 171 disappears contacts the rear plate 13 outside the sub-lock hole 172 and the restriction groove 174 (FIG. 6). . As a result of such movement and contact, the rotation phase lock at each lock phase Pm, Ps is released.

  Thereafter, in the cold start in which the cranking of the internal combustion engine is started below the set temperature Ts in response to a start command such as an on command of the engine switch SW or a restart command of the idle stop system ISS, as shown in FIG. The temperature sensing body 183 is maintained in the contracted state Sc. At this time, the moving position of the spool 68 is held in the lock region Rl, and the supply of hydraulic oil from the pump 4 is substantially stopped. From these things, the main lock member 160 maintains the escape position Le in the pressure disappearance state of the main lock release chamber 161 (FIGS. 6 and 10). At the same time, the sub-lock member 170 that receives the restoring force of the sub-elastic member 173 when the pressure in the sub-lock release chamber 171 disappears comes into contact with the rear plate 13 outside the sub-lock hole 172 and the restriction groove 174 ( FIG. 6).

  The vane rotor 14 at the cold start in which the rotational phase lock at the lock phases Pm and Ps is released in this way is relatively rotated toward the advance side with respect to the housing rotor 11 by the action of the negative torque. The rotational phase is advanced from the lock phase Pm. As a result, the secondary lock member 170 that receives the restoring force of the secondary elastic member 173 in the state where the secondary lock release chamber 171 has lost its pressure first enters the restriction groove 174. Thereby, even if the vane rotor 14 at the time of positive torque action rotates relative to the retard side with respect to the housing rotor 11, the return of the rotational phase to the main lock phase Pm is limited as shown in FIG.

  After that, when the rotational phase is further advanced to the secondary lock phase Ps by the action of the negative torque, the secondary lock member 170 that receives the restoring force of the secondary elastic member 173 in the state where the secondary lock release chamber 171 loses pressure is: It fits into the sub-lock hole 172 (FIG. 7). At this time, the main lock member 160 maintains the escape position Le in the pressure disappearance state of the main lock release chamber 161 (FIG. 7). As a result of the insertion and escape maintenance, the internal combustion engine is completely exploded in a state where the rotation phase is locked to the sub lock phase Ps as shown in FIG.

(Function and effect)
According to the apparatus 1 described above, in the main lock phase Pm in the warm stop state while the engine temperature T is equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts in the stopped internal combustion engine, the temperature sensing body 183 changes to the expanded state Se. Thus, the main lock member 160 is urged toward the insertion position Li in the main lock hole 162. Accordingly, the main lock member 160 can move to the insertion position Li against the control restoring force Fc from the control elastic member 182, thereby realizing the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm. Here, in the main lock phase Pm in which the intake valve 9 is closed at a timing later than the piston 8 in the cylinder 7 reaches the bottom dead center BDC, the piston 8 after the bottom dead center is reached at the next start of the internal combustion engine. When the cylinder 7 gas is pushed out to the intake system in accordance with the lift-up, the actual compression ratio is reduced (decompression effect). Therefore, at the time of the warm start after the warm stop at the set temperature Ts or higher, for example, even when the restart by the idle stop system ISS is frequently repeated as shown in FIG. 18, the main lock member 160 is localized at the insertion position Li. Thus, by maintaining the rotation phase lock at the main lock phase Pm, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a starting failure.

  On the other hand, in the main lock phase Pm in the cold stop state after the engine temperature T becomes lower than the set temperature Ts in the stopped internal combustion engine, the temperature sensing body 183 changes to the contracted state Sc. The urging | biasing to the insertion position Li side with respect to the lock member 160 is relieve | moderated. Accordingly, the main lock member 160 receives the control restoring force Fc from the control elastic member 182 and moves to the escape position Le from the main lock hole 162, thereby releasing the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm. Therefore, at the next start-up of the internal combustion engine, the vane rotor 14 rotates relative to the advance side with respect to the housing rotor 11 by the negative torque action of the variable torque action from the camshaft 2. As a result, when the rotational phase changes to the secondary lock phase Ps advanced from the primary lock phase Pm, the secondary lock member 170 is fitted into the secondary lock hole 172, and the rotational phase is locked to the secondary lock phase Ps. The timing for closing the intake valve 9 is as early as possible. As a result, the amount of extrusion of the gas in the cylinder 7 decreases and the temperature of the gas rises with the actual compression ratio. Therefore, at the time of cold start after a cold stop below the set temperature Ts, for example, in a cryogenic environment Even when the vehicle is left standing for a long time or when the vehicle is restarted after being stopped by the idle stop system ISS, the ignitability can be improved and the startability can be ensured.

  According to the apparatus 1 as described above, it is possible to realize starting suitable for the engine temperature T.

  Here, the temperature sensing body 183 that changes to the expanded state Se in the main lock phase Pm in the warm stop state is a temperature-sensitive restoring force Ft generated by elasticity to urge the main lock member 160 toward the insertion position Li side. Is increased. As a result, the main lock member 160 can surely move toward the insertion position Li against the control restoring force Fc, so that the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm can be realized. On the other hand, in the main lock phase Pm in the cold stop state, the temperature sensing body 183 that changes to the contracted state Sc decreases the temperature sensing restoring force Ft, so that the main lock member 160 is biased toward the fitting position Li side. Alleviated. As a result, the main lock member 160 can reliably move toward the escape position Le where the control restoring force Fc is directed, so that the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm can be released. According to these, it is possible to accurately switch to a rotation phase suitable for each of the warm start and the cold start.

  Further, the temperature sensing element 183 made of a shape memory material is surely changed to the expanded state Se by the shape restoration at the main lock phase Pm in the warm stop state. Therefore, it is possible to realize the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm by causing the main lock member 160 to be biased toward the insertion position Li in a timely manner. On the other hand, in the main lock phase Pm in the cold stop state, the temperature sensing body 183 is surely changed to the contracted state Sc by the action of the control restoring force Fc. Therefore, the urging | biasing with respect to the main lock member 160 is relieve | moderated timely, and the rotation phase lock | rock in a main lock phase can be cancelled | released. According to these, it is possible to increase the reliability with respect to switching to the rotation phase suitable for each of the warm start and the cold start.

  Further, the temperature sensing body 183 made of a shape memory material is disposed between the main lock member 160 and the main elastic member 163. As a result, in the main lock phase Pm in the warm stop state, the main restoring force Fm that urges the main lock member 160 toward the insertion position Li of the main elastic member 163 is the temperature sensing element 183 that has been restored to the expanded state Se. It becomes the magnitude | size according to the temperature-sensing restoring force Ft which increases by. As a result, the main lock member 160 can surely move toward the insertion position Li against the control restoring force Fc, so that the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm can be realized. On the other hand, in the main lock phase Pm in the cold stop state, the main restoring force Fm that changes the temperature sensing body 183 to the contracted state Sc by acting on the temperature sensing body 183 together with the control restoring force Fc is It becomes the magnitude | size according to the thermosensitive restoring force Ft which decreases with the warm body 183. FIG. As a result, the main lock member 160 can reliably move toward the escape position Le where the control restoring force Fc is directed, so that the rotational phase lock at the main lock phase Pm can be released. According to these, it is possible to further increase the reliability with respect to switching to the rotation phase suitable for each of the warm start and the cold start.

  In addition, in the rotational phase between the main lock phase Pm and the sub lock phase Ps, the vane rotor 14 is urged by the advance elastic member 19 toward the advance side with respect to the housing rotor 11. Therefore, the vane rotor 14 that receives the biasing action of the advance angle elastic member 19 at the time of cold start of the internal combustion engine can quickly change the rotation phase with respect to the housing rotor 11 to the sub-lock phase Ps in combination with the action of the variable torque. . According to this, since the time required from the start of cranking for generating the fluctuating torque in the internal combustion engine at the time of cold start until the rotation phase is locked at the secondary lock phase Ps can be shortened, particularly after the cold stop It is possible to improve the reliability of the cold startability.

(Other embodiments)
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not construed as being limited to the embodiment, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention. it can.

  Specifically, as a first modification of the above-described embodiment, as long as the rotation phase closes the intake valve 9 at a timing later than the timing at which the piston 8 in the cylinder 7 reaches the bottom dead center BDC, the most retarded phase. The main lock phase Pm on the more advanced side may be employed. As a second modification of the above embodiment, the lock members 160 and 170 may be supported by the housing rotor 11, while the lock holes 162 and 172 may be formed in the vane rotor 14. Furthermore, as a third modification of the above-described embodiment, in addition to a metal spring other than a coil spring, for example, rubber members or the like may be adopted as the elastic members 163, 173, and 182. Furthermore, as a fourth modification of the above-described embodiment, an electric pump that can start supplying hydraulic oil with a complete explosion of the internal combustion engine or at an arbitrary time may be adopted for the pump 4.

  As a modified example 5 of the above embodiment, a configuration in which the advance elastic member 19 is not provided may be employed. In this case, the order in which the spool 68 moves to the lock region Rl and the inertial rotation of the internal combustion engine is executed. Reverse. Further, as a sixth modification of the above embodiment, when the internal combustion engine stops in response to an engine switch SW off command or an idle stop system ISS idle stop command, the rotational phase is locked to the sub-lock phase Ps, When the internal combustion engine is started in response to an on command of the engine switch SW or a restart command of the idle stop system ISS, the rotational phase lock at the phase Ps may be realized as it is. Furthermore, as a modified example 7 of the above embodiment, a temperature sensor 183 is used, such as a bimetal that expands to the expanded state Se at the engine temperature T equal to or higher than the set temperature Ts and contracts to the contracted state Sc at the engine temperature T lower than the set temperature Ts. May be adopted. Furthermore, as a modified example 8 of the above embodiment, the temperature sensing body 183 may be formed in a block shape, for example, to generate a drag instead of the temperature sensing restoring force Ft.

1 valve timing adjusting device, 2 camshaft, 7 cylinder, 8 piston, 9 intake valve, 11 housing rotor, 14 vane rotor, 16 main lock mechanism, 17 sub lock mechanism, 18 lock control mechanism, 19 advance angle elastic member, 160 main Lock member, 161 Main lock release chamber, 162 Main lock hole, 163 Main elastic member, 164 Insertion stopper, 165 Escape stopper, 170 Sub lock member, 172 Sub lock hole, 181 Movable member, 182 Control elastic member, 183 Temperature sensor , BDC bottom dead center, Fc control restoring force, Ff driving force, Fm main restoring force, Ft thermosensitive restoring force, Le escape position, Li insertion position, Pm main locking phase, Ps secondary locking phase, Sc contracted state, Se expansion State, Ts Set temperature

Claims (2)

In the valve timing adjusting device for adjusting the valve timing of the intake valve (9) for opening and closing the cylinder (7) of the internal combustion engine by the pressure of the hydraulic fluid,
A housing rotor (11) that rotates in conjunction with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine;
A vane rotor (14) that rotates in conjunction with the camshaft (2) of the internal combustion engine and receives the pressure of hydraulic fluid in the housing rotor, so that the rotational phase of the housing rotor changes.
The rotation phase for closing the intake valve at a later timing than the piston (8) in the cylinder reaches the bottom dead center, which has a main lock member (160) and a main lock hole (162). In the main lock phase (Pm), the main lock member (16) for locking the rotation phase by fitting the main lock member into the main lock hole;
The secondary lock member (170) and the secondary lock hole (172) have the secondary lock phase (Ps), which is the rotational phase advanced from the primary lock phase, and the secondary lock member enters the secondary lock hole. Sub-locking means (17) for locking the rotational phase by inserting,
Lock control means (18) for controlling the movement of the main lock member,
The main lock member is
Reciprocating between an insertion position (Li) to be inserted into the main lock hole and an escape position (Le) to escape from the main lock hole;
The lock control means includes
A control elastic member (182) for biasing the main lock member toward the escape position by generating a control restoring force;
In the main lock phase in a warm stop state while the temperature of the stopped internal combustion engine becomes equal to or higher than a set temperature (Ts), the expanded state (Se) for energizing the main lock member toward the insertion position side. On the other hand, in the main lock phase in the cold stop state after the temperature of the stopped internal combustion engine becomes lower than the set temperature, the urging force of the main lock member toward the insertion position is reduced. temperature sensing element which varies in a contracted state (Sc) and (183), possess,
The main lock means is
A main elastic member (163) for biasing the main lock member toward the insertion position by generating a main restoring force;
It is made of a shape memory material, is disposed with the main elastic member sandwiched between the main lock member, and has elasticity, thereby providing a temperature-sensitive restoring force for urging the main lock member toward the fitting position. The generated temperature sensor is
In the warm stop state, the shape is restored to change to the expanded state to increase the temperature sensitive restoring force,
In the cold stop state, the valve timing adjusting device changes to the contracted state in which the temperature-sensitive restoring force is reduced by the action of the control restoring force . In the main lock phase and the rotational phase between the sub locking phase, claim 1, characterized in that said advance angle elastic member that urges the vane rotor to the advance side relative to the housing rotor (19), comprising The valve timing adjusting device according to 1.

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