JPH11294120A - Variable valve system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent unintentional unlock by storing a vane member rotated in a body with a cam shaft in a storing member rotated in a body with a rotation transmitting member interlocking with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and fitting a movable element in a lock hole when the vane member is turned to a designated lag position. SOLUTION: In a lock state where a lock pin 70 is fitted in a lock hole 22b, when the engine rotating speed is increased, and an oil control valve 50 is switched to a spark advance position 50b so that pressure oil from an oil pump 62 flows into a hollow part 14a of a bolt 14, and then supplied to a spark advance side oil chamber 47 through an oil path 41 or the like. Therefore, the vane is moved to the spark advance direction in a vane housing 30 while discharging oil in the lag side oil chamber 48, so that the cam phase is advanced. At this time, the oil supplied to the spark advance side oil chamber 47 is further supplied to the pressure receiving surface on the tip 70a side of the lock pin 70 through an oil path 44c of the vane, whereby the lock pin 70 is energized in the unlocking direction to keep the unlock state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a variable valve mechanism for variably adjusting the rotation phase of a camshaft with respect to a rotation transmitting member rotatable synchronously with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine by hydraulic pressure.

[0002]

2. Related Background Art A hydraulic vane type cam phase changing device has a housing member rotatable integrally with a rotation transmitting member that rotates synchronously with a crankshaft, and a vane housed in the housing member. A possible vane member, and a cam phase is changed by supplying and discharging pressure oil to and from an oil chamber formed between the vane and the housing member, thereby changing a valve overlap period between the intake valve and the exhaust valve. It is variably adjusted and contributes to the improvement of engine startability and engine output. The hydraulic vane type cam phase variable device has an advantage that it can be manufactured relatively inexpensively, but has a disadvantage that the cam phase fluctuates when the engine is started.

That is, when the supply of pressurized oil to the oil chamber of the variable cam phase device is stopped due to the stoppage of the operation of the engine, the pressurized oil in the oil chamber located at the upper part of the engine escapes into the cylinder head, and the vane through the pressurized oil The connection between the and the receiving member is released, and the vane can freely rotate in the receiving member. During engine start in such a state, during the period from opening of the intake valve or exhaust valve to the maximum lift, a negative driving torque that suppresses cam rotation is applied to the camshaft via the cam, and from the maximum lift to the valve closing. During this period, a positive drive torque that promotes cam rotation is applied to the camshaft. As a result, the vane that is not restricted by the pressure oil moves in the housing member, the cam phase fluctuates, and misfiring easily occurs.

In order to prevent a cam phase shift due to a driving torque, a valve timing adjusting device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-60508 is described with reference numerals described in this document. A shoe housing 3 forming a housing member together with the plate 4, and vanes 9a and 9b accommodated in a fan-shaped space formed by the shoes 3a and 3b of the shoe housing.
And a lock mechanism for locking the vane rotor at the most retarded position.

The lock mechanism includes a stopper piston 7 having a large-diameter portion accommodated in an accommodation hole 8 formed in one of the vanes 9a and a small-diameter portion fitted in a stopper hole 20 formed in the front plate 4, and an accommodation hole. And a guide ring 1 interposed between the small diameter portion of the piston and the inner wall of the vane.
9, when there is no pressure oil supply to the hydraulic chambers 23 and 24 formed on the vane rotor and the front plate and communicated with the retard hydraulic chamber and the advance hydraulic chamber, respectively, and the vane is at the most retarded position. The piston 7 is fitted into the stopper hole 20 by the urging force of the spring 18, and when pressure oil is supplied to any of the hydraulic chambers, the piston is released from the stopper hole.

The above-mentioned lock mechanism needs to be provided with two hydraulic chambers for unlocking, two hydraulic oil supply systems to both hydraulic chambers, and a guide ring for separating the two hydraulic chambers, in addition to the spring for locking. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the vane or increase the strength of the vane by forming the vane from an iron-based material or the like, thereby increasing the dimensions of the apparatus and the rotational inertia of the vane rotor. Further, at the time of assembling the device, the stopper piston must be pushed in against the urging force of the spring.

[0007] In order to solve the problems in the above conventional apparatus, the present applicant has disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-10594,
Locks and unlocks the vane member without using a spring that urges a movable body such as a lock pin or a stopper piston in the locking direction or multiple hydraulic oil supply systems for unlocking. We have proposed a variable valve mechanism that maintains the locked state even if oil escapes from the chamber and prevents misfires at the next engine start.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to smoothly start an internal combustion engine equipped with a variable valve mechanism according to the above proposal when the internal combustion engine is operated for the first time in a final inspection step or the like.
The variable valve mechanism is assembled so as to establish a locked state in which the movable body is fitted into the lock hole. Although this variable valve mechanism automatically establishes a locked state each time the engine operation is stopped after the internal combustion engine has been once operated, the variable valve mechanism has to be mounted on the internal combustion engine before the first operation. Conveyed from the valve mechanism assembly line to the internal combustion engine assembly line,
During the transfer from the internal combustion engine assembly line to the inspection line for inspection after mounting on the internal combustion engine, the variable valve mechanism is subjected to vibration or placed in various postures, and the locked state is unwillingly It may be canceled. Then, when the lock state is released, if the variable valve mechanism is mounted on the internal combustion engine while the lock release state is left, the startability of the internal combustion engine at the time of the first operation is impaired. In order to solve such a problem, it takes time and effort to inspect whether or not the lock mechanism is in the locked state before and after mounting on the internal combustion engine and to return to the locked state once released.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable valve mechanism of the type proposed above which reliably prevents unintentional unlocking due to vibration or the like after assembling the lock mechanism in a locked state. It is to provide a mechanism.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A variable valve mechanism according to the present invention includes a housing member rotatable integrally with a rotation transmitting member to which torque is transmitted from a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and a vane disposed in the housing member. A vane member having a portion and rotatable integrally with the camshaft and rotatable relative to the housing member, and a movable body when the vane member rotates to a predetermined retard position by supplying pressure oil to the retard side oil chamber. A lock mechanism for disengaging the movable body from the lock hole by supplying hydraulic pressure to the advance side oil chamber while being fitted into the lock hole, and a disengagement suppressing means for suppressing detachment of the movable body from the lock hole. I do.

In the variable valve mechanism of the present invention, when the lock mechanism is assembled so as to be in the locked state, the release of the locked state is suppressed by the detachment suppressing means, and the locked state is favorably maintained. Therefore, during the period after the assembly of the variable valve mechanism and the first operation of the internal combustion engine equipped with the variable valve mechanism, the variable valve mechanism may be subjected to vibration or may take various postures. Even when the variable valve mechanism is disposed, the locked state of the lock mechanism is not unintentionally released. This eliminates the need to check whether or not the lock mechanism is in a locked state before and after mounting the variable valve mechanism on the internal combustion engine, thereby simplifying the inspection of the variable valve mechanism. The startability in the first operation is good, and the inspection efficiency and the production efficiency of the internal combustion engine are improved.

In the present invention, the detachment suppressing means has various structures. For example, the detachment suppressing means may use a frictional force to suppress the detachment of the movable body from the lock hole. This type of detachment suppressing means includes, for example, an annular groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of a movable body or an opposing peripheral surface of a housing member or a vane member, and an annular member arranged in the annular groove. The annular member is preferably formed of a C-shaped or O-shaped elastic ring. In this case, the annular member has a resilient force, is easily mounted in the annular groove, and is hard to be detached from the annular groove. The annular member can be made of a rubber material, a resin material, or the like. The disengagement suppressing means may have an effect of suppressing the release of the locked state for a short period of time after the assembly of the variable valve mechanism until the first operation of the internal combustion engine. For example, when the detachment suppressing means is made of a material that is easily worn, the detachment suppressing means wears as the number of operations of the internal combustion engine increases, and the movable body moves smoothly in the locking direction and the unlocking direction. . The annular groove formed in the movable body, the housing member, or the vane member is formed in a longitudinal position region facing the housing member, the vane member, or the movable body regardless of the moving position of the movable body. Preferably, the annular groove is formed in a longitudinal position area opposite the lock hole. The movable body portion on the side close to the lock hole does not have an annular groove, and therefore does not suffer from a decrease in strength and well withstands the rotational torque applied during engine operation in a state where the locked state is established.

[0013] The detachment suppressing means may be means for suppressing detachment of the movable body from the lock hole by using an adhesive force.
This type of detachment suppressing means includes, for example, an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the movable body or the opposing peripheral surface of the housing member or the vane member, and an adhesive filled in the annular groove.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vane type cam phase changing device as a variable valve mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The cam phase variable device of the present embodiment is attached to the intake camshaft of the DOHC engine and variably controls the amount of overlap of the intake valve with the exhaust valve. In the following description, the configuration on the intake valve side will be mainly described. I do. However, this device can be arranged on both the exhaust side and the intake / exhaust side of the engine.

In FIG. 1, a cam journal 15 for rotatably supporting a camshaft 10 on the intake side is provided at a joint portion between a cylinder head of a DOHC engine and a rocker cover 2 disposed above the cylinder head. A cam 4 is formed on the camshaft 10 to contact the intake valve via a rocker arm, and the intake valve opens and closes as the camshaft rotates.

The crankshaft of the engine is connected to a rotation transmission member (for example, cam pulley 20) on the intake side via a rotation force transmission element (for example, a synthetic resin toothed belt) not shown. The cam pulley 20 includes a disc-shaped main body 22.
, A toothed flange 24 meshing with the toothed belt, and a boss 26 externally fitted to the end of the camshaft 10. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20a indicates a mark used for determining the phase difference of the camshaft 10 with respect to the crankshaft, and reference numeral 22a indicates a slot formed on the outer peripheral side of the cam pulley main body 22 for weight reduction. .

An oil seal 17 is arranged between the boss 26 of the cam pulley 20 and the peripheral surface of the cam journal 15 facing each other. Oil used for lubrication around the camshaft 10 is returned to the engine via the oil passage 15c of the cam journal 15. The variable cam phase device is a bolt 23
A vane housing (accommodating member) 30 fixed to the outer end face of the cam pulley main body 22 and rotatable with the cam pulley 20 by (FIG. 4), and fixed to the end face of the camshaft 10 by bolts 14 and integrated with the camshaft 10. And a rotatable vane rotor (vane member) 40.

The cam pulley 20 is rotatable relative to the camshaft 10, and the vane rotor 40 is rotatable within a predetermined angle range inside the housing 30. Specifically, the vane rotor 40 has a cylindrical main body 42 and, for example, four vanes 44 provided at equal angular intervals on the peripheral surface of the rotor main body 42 (FIG. 2). The vane 44 extends radially outward from the vane rotor main body 42 and is formed in a tapered shape when viewed in a longitudinal section. The pins 8 arranged in the pin holes 42b of the rotor main body 42 and the pin holes formed in the camshaft 10 in alignment therewith.
Thereby, the vane rotor 40 is positioned with respect to the camshaft 10.

The vane housing 30 has a housing body 32 and a housing end wall 34. The housing main body 32 has the same number of peripheral wall portions 32a as the number of vanes, and a pair of partition walls 32b and 32c extend from each housing peripheral wall portion 32a. The partition walls 32c adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the vane rotor are connected to each other via a partition connection portion 32d.
The inner peripheral surface of 2d is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the vane rotor main body 42 to rotatably support the vane rotor 40. A bolt hole 23 through which the bolt 23 is inserted is formed in the partition joint portion 32d.
a is formed.

Each pair of partition walls 32 of the vane housing 30
b and 32c define a vane accommodating chamber for accommodating the vane 44 in cooperation with the housing end wall 34 and the cam pulley main body 22. In other words, the cam pulley main body 22 is
Together with the housing elements 32 and 34, they form a receiving member. The vane accommodating chamber is divided into two, an advance-side oil chamber 47 and a retard-side oil chamber 48, by the seal 49 and the vane 44 disposed between the vane 44 and the housing peripheral wall 32a.

Next, supply and discharge of pressure oil to and from the oil chambers 47 and 48 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the cam journal 15 has first and second camshafts substantially perpendicular to the camshaft axis.
Oil passages 15a and 15b are formed. Oil passage 15a, 1
5b communicates with the first and second outlet ports 51, 52 of the oil control valve (OCV) 50, respectively. The first inlet port 53 of the OCV 50 is connected to the oil tank 60
The second inlet port 54 is connected to a return pipe 64, which is connected to an oil supply pipe 63 communicating with an oil pump 62 that pressurizes oil from the oil pump 62. The first oil passage 15a communicates with the retard-side oil chamber 47, and when the OCV 50 assumes the retard position 50a shown in FIG. 1, pressure oil is supplied to the retard-side oil chamber 48. I have. On the other hand, the OCV 50 is at the advanced position 50.
When b is taken, the supply of pressure oil to the advance side oil chamber 47 is performed. When the OCV 50 is at the neutral position 50c, the rotational phase is maintained. That is, the OCV, together with the oil pump 62 and the like, constitutes a hydraulic pressure supply unit that rotates the vane rotor 40 to the retard side or the advance side by hydraulic pressure.

The inner ends of the first and second oil passages 15a and 15b are formed on first and second oil passages formed on the peripheral surface of the camshaft 10.
Openings are formed in the annular grooves 11a and 11b, respectively. The camshaft 10 has a first radial hole 12a extending from the first annular groove 11a to a position short of the camshaft axis, and a second radial hole 12b extending from the second annular groove 11b to the camshaft axis. . The number of holes 12a is equal to the number of vanes. Regardless of the rotational position of the camshaft 10, the hole 12a communicates with the first annular groove 11a,
b communicates with the second annular groove 11b. Also, the camshaft 10 has first and second longitudinal holes 13a, 13b extending from the inner ends of the holes 12a, 12b to the camshaft end face.
Are formed. One hole 13b is provided on the camshaft axis, and the number of holes 13a is equal to the number of vanes at a radial position offset from the camshaft axis.

The second longitudinal hole 13b has a small diameter portion communicating with the hole 12b and a large diameter portion into which the hollow bolt 14 is screwed. The bolt 14 is disposed in a stepped through-hole 42 a formed coaxially with the vane rotor main body 42. The bolt hollow portion 14a is provided with a bolt 3 screwed into the screw hole 35 of the vane rotor main portion 42 and the housing end wall 34.
6 and an oil passage 41 defined by the bolt 14 (FIG. 1).

In connection with the pressure oil supply / discharge path to the oil chambers 47 and 48, the rotor main body 42 has four short first longitudinal holes 45a aligned with the four holes 13a of the camshaft 10.
And four first radial holes 46a respectively corresponding to these holes 45a (FIG. 1). Hole 46a
Of the rotor main body 42 near the root of the vane 44.
And communicates with the retard-side oil chamber 48.

Further, at the vane rotor thickness direction position deviated toward the camshaft side with respect to the first radial hole 46a, the second radial hole 46 is formed in the vane rotor main body 42.
b is formed. The inner end of the hole 46b is
In the camshaft axial position on the side opposite to the camshaft, the stepped through hole 42a
The outer end of 6 b is open to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor main body 42 near the root of the vane 44 and communicates with the advance side oil chamber 47.

The above-mentioned annular groove, radial hole and longitudinal hole constitute a retard-side oil passage or an advance-side oil passage for communicating the oil passage 15a or 15b with the oil chamber 48 or 47. The variable cam phase device has a lock mechanism for locking the vane 44 at the most retarded rotation position. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the device of the present embodiment has the same number of lock mechanisms as the number of vanes. A lock pin (movable body) 70 of each lock mechanism is movably disposed in a lock pin hole 44a formed through the vane 44 in the vane thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lock pin 70 is supplied to the cam pulley main portion 22 by supplying pressurized oil to the advance side oil chamber 47.
Side (lock release direction) while the retard side oil chamber 48 moves.
Is moved toward the housing end wall 34 (locking direction) by the supply of pressure oil to the housing. When the lock pin 70 moves to the vicinity of the most retarded rotation position, the tip 70 a of the lock pin 70 on the side of the cam pulley main portion is locked with the lock hole 22 formed on the opposite end face of the cam pulley main portion 22.
The lock pin 70 is locked by fitting into the lock pin 70.

A first oil passage 44c is formed in the end face of each vane 44 on the cam pulley main body 22 side for applying pressure oil from the advance side oil chamber 47 to the lock pin 70. The unlocking pressure oil from the advance-side oil chamber 47 is supplied to the first oil passage 4.
The pin 4c is applied to the pressure receiving surface of the distal end 70a of the lock pin 70 on the cam pulley main body 22 side via the pin 4c, and acts to move the lock pin 70 in the unlocking direction.

A second oil passage 44d is formed in the end face of each vane 44 on the housing end wall 34 side to apply pressure oil from the retard chamber side oil chamber 48 to the lock pin 70. The pressure oil for locking from the retarding oil chamber 48 is applied to the pressure receiving surface of the base end 70b of the lock pin 70 on the housing end wall 34 side via the second oil passage 44d, and the lock pin 70 is moved in the locking direction. Acts to move to.

The variable cam phase device has a detachment inhibiting means for inhibiting detachment of the lock pin 70 from the lock hole. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the detachment suppressing means of the present embodiment includes an annular groove 71 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lock pin 70 and a C-shaped or O
(FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 do not show the elements 71, 72). The elastic ring 72 is made of, for example, a rubber material or a resin material. The elastic ring 72 has a resilient force and has good mountability in the annular groove 71, and is hardly detached from the annular groove 71 once mounted. The annular groove 71 is formed in a longitudinal position region that always faces the peripheral surface of the lock pin hole 44a formed in the vane 44 regardless of the moving position of the lock pin 70. In the present embodiment, the annular groove 71 is
It is formed in the longitudinal position area (the base end 70b side area) opposite to 2b.

When the cam phase variable device having the elastic ring 72 in the annular groove 71 is assembled so that the lock mechanism is in the locked state (FIG. 9), the release of the locked state is suppressed by the elastic ring 72 and the lock is released. The condition is well maintained. That is, the lock hole 2 formed in the vane 44
Between the time when the cam phase variable device is assembled with the tip portion 70a of the lock pin 70 fitted in 2b and the first operation of the engine, the lock pin tip portion 70a is detached from the lock hole 22b by vibration application to the device. At this time, the elastic ring 72 moves the lock pin 7 between the outer peripheral surface of the lock pin 70 and the lock pin hole forming surface of the vane 44.
A frictional force sufficient to prevent the zero separation is generated. On the other hand, the movement of the lock pin 70 in the lock release direction or the lock direction accompanying the supply of the pressure oil to the oil passages 44c or 44d is not hindered by the frictional force of the elastic ring 72, and the lock pin 70 moves smoothly ( 8 and 9).

The annular groove 71 is provided at the base 70 of the lock pin 70.
Formed on the b side, in other words, the portion 70a of the lock pin 70 on the side close to the lock hole 22b does not decrease in strength because the annular groove 71 is not formed. For this reason,
The lock pin 70, in particular, the lock pin tip portion 70a bears a rotational torque when the engine rotates in a state where the locked state is established (at the time of starting the engine). However, the lock pin 70 well withstands a shear load and a bending load at this time.

Preferably, the elastic ring 72 is made of a material that is easily worn to prevent the lock pin 70 from being detached from the lock hole 22b from after the cam phase variable device is assembled until the first engine operation. Gradually, the lock pin 70 moves smoothly in the locking direction and the unlocking direction. Hereinafter, the operation of the variable cam phase device having the above configuration will be described.

During the operation of the engine, if the engine speed is substantially constant and the current cam phase is appropriate, the oil control valve 50 is held at the neutral position 50c, and the camshaft is maintained while the cam phase is maintained. The cam pulley 20, the vane housing 30, and the vane rotor 4 are synchronized with the rotation.
0 and the camshaft 10 rotate, and the cam 4 opens and closes the intake valve.

When the engine speed rises, the oil control valve 50 is switched to the advanced position 50b, and the pressure oil from the oil pump 62 is applied to the oil passage 1 of the cam journal 15.
The fluid flows into the hollow portion 14a of the bolt 14 via 5b and the like, and is further supplied to the advance side oil chamber 47 via the oil passage 41 and the like.
By supplying the pressure oil to the oil chamber 47, the vane 44 moves in the advance direction in the vane housing chamber of the vane housing 30 while discharging the oil in the retard oil chamber 48, and the cam phase is advanced.

During the movement of the vane 44 in the advance direction, the oil in the retard-side oil chamber 48 is filled with holes 46 in the vane rotor main body 42.
a, 45a and the like and the oil control valve 50 to discharge into the cylinder head and return to the oil tank 60. Further, when the pressure oil is supplied to the advance-side oil chamber 47 as described above, the pressure oil is supplied from the oil chamber 47 to the pressure receiving surface of the lock pin distal end portion 70a through the oil passage 44c of the vane 44, and the lock is performed. The pin 70 is urged in the unlocking direction. At this time, since the lock pin 70 is already in the unlocked state, this unlocked state is maintained (FIG. 2).

When the engine speed decreases, the oil control valve 50 is switched to the retard position 50a shown in FIG. 1, and the pressure oil from the oil pump 62 is supplied to the retard oil chamber 48. By supplying the pressurized oil to the oil chamber 48, the vane 44
Moves in the retard direction in the vane housing chamber of the vane housing 30 while discharging the oil in the advance side oil chamber 47, and the cam phase is retarded.

When supplying pressure oil to the retard-side oil chamber 48, pressure oil is supplied from the oil chamber 48 to the pressure receiving surface of the lock pin base end 70b through the oil passage 44d of the vane 44, and the lock pin 70 Is urged in the locking direction.
Is not aligned with the lock hole 22b, and the lock pin 70 is maintained in the unlocked state (FIG. 2). During idling immediately before the engine is stopped, pressure oil is supplied from the oil pump 62 to the retard oil chamber 48 via the oil control valve 50 at the retard position shown in FIG. 1, and the lock pin 70 is locked. Substantially aligned with the hole 22b. At this time, since the pressure oil is supplied from the oil chamber 48 to the pressure receiving surface of the lock pin base end 70b, the lock pin 70 is urged in the locking direction, and the lock pin 70 fits into the lock hole 22b,
The vane 44 is locked in the most retarded position (FIGS. 6 and 7).

While the engine is stopped, the lock pin 70 remains fitted in the lock hole 22b (FIG. 6).
And FIG. 7), the vane 44 is locked at the most retarded position. At the next start of the engine, the vane 44 is locked at the most retarded position suitable for starting the engine, and the engine starts smoothly without occurrence of misfire. The device of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be variously modified.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the four-vane type cam phase variable device in which each vane is provided with a lock mechanism. However, the number of vanes is not limited to four. Further, the lock mechanism may be provided on at least one vane. Further, in the above embodiment, the elastic ring 72 is disposed in the annular groove 71 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lock pin 70, and the frictional force of the elastic ring 72 is used to separate the lock pin 70 from the lock hole 22b. Although the case of the suppression has been described, as shown in FIG. 10, an annular groove 71 may be formed on the lock pin hole forming surface side of the vane 44, and the elastic ring 72 may be disposed in the annular groove 71. Further, instead of the separation suppressing means using the frictional force, a device using the adhesive force may be used. This type of detachment suppressing means includes, for example, an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lock pin or the lock pin hole forming surface of the vane, and an adhesive filled in the annular groove.

[0041]

According to the variable valve operating mechanism of the present invention, when the lock mechanism is assembled so as to be in the locked state, the locking state is favorably maintained by the release suppressing means. Even if the variable valve mechanism is subject to vibration during the first operation of the internal combustion engine equipped with the variable valve mechanism, or if the variable valve mechanism is arranged to take various postures, the locked state is maintained. It is not necessary to check whether the lock mechanism is locked before and after mounting the variable valve mechanism on the internal combustion engine without being unintentionally released. Simplified, and good startability in the first operation of the internal combustion engine,
The inspection efficiency and production efficiency of the internal combustion engine are improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a variable cam phase device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, taken along line II of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the variable cam phase device taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the variable cam phase device in the unlocked state, taken along line III-III of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the variable cam phase device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the variable cam phase device.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6, showing the cam phase variable device in a locked state;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a lock pin formed with an annular groove for accommodating an elastic ring in an unlocked state.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a lock pin formed with an annular groove for accommodating an elastic ring in a locked state.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a modification in which an annular groove for accommodating an elastic ring is formed in a vane.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 cam 10 camshaft 20 cam pulley 30 vane housing 40 vane rotor 44 vane 47 advance side oil chamber 48 retard side oil chamber 50 oil control valve 62 oil pump 70 lock pin 71 annular groove 72 elastic ring

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A housing member rotatable integrally with a rotation transmitting member to which a rotational force is transmitted from a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, a retard-side oil chamber disposed between the housing member and the housing member, and A camshaft having a vane portion defining an advance-side oil chamber, and having a cam portion for opening and closing one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine; Hydraulic supply for supplying a hydraulic pressure to the rotatable vane member and the retard-side oil chamber or the advance-side oil chamber to cause the vane member to rotate relatively to the retard side or the advance side with respect to the rotation transmitting member. Means, when the vane member is relatively rotated to a predetermined retard position by the supply of pressurized oil to the retard-side oil chamber, the movable member disposed in the hole formed in the vane member or the accommodation member is the accommodation member or Lock formed on the vane member A lock mechanism that fits into the hole and releases the movable body from the lock hole by supplying hydraulic pressure to the advance-side oil chamber; and a detachment suppressing unit that suppresses detachment of the movable body from the lock hole. A variable valve mechanism characterized by the following.