Valve timing control apparatus and its assembling method

Abstract

In valve control apparatus for an internal combustion engine and its assembling method, a positioning section is interposed between a predetermined position of a housing member at which a shoe is positioned so as to be opposed against a side surface of a vane in which a lock piston is arranged and one of a front cover and a rear plate on which a lock hole is formed, to perform a housing circumferential directional positioning of the lock piston and the lock hole.

1 . A valve timing control for an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a cylindrical housing to which a revolution of a crankshaft is transmitted and having radially projected shoes;    a plate configured to close at least one end of the housing;    a plurality of vanes linked with a camshaft or linked with a linkage member linked with the camshaft to be relatively pivoted to the housing;    a lock pin disposed on at least one of the vanes;    a lock hole disposed on the plate to be engaged with the lock pin; and    a positioning section configured to determine circumferential directional positions of the housing and the plate at a position at which the lock pin is engaged with and released from the lock hole, the positioning section being interposed between one of the shoes of the housing contacted on at least one of the vanes having the lock pin and the plate.    
   
   
       2 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the positioning section comprises: a positioning pin disposed at one of the shoes contacted with one of the vanes having the lock pin; and a positioning recess disposed on the plate.  
   
   
       3 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the positioning section comprises: a positioning recess disposed at one of the shoes contacted on one of the vanes having the lock pin; and another positioning recess disposed on the plate.  
   
   
       4 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of the shoes contacted on one of the vanes having the lock pin is the shoe disposed at a retardation angle side.  
   
   
       5 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one of the shoes contacted one of the vanes having the lock pin is the shoe disposed at an advance angle side.  
   
   
       6 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein either the positioning pin of the positioning section or the positioning recess thereof is installed at a raise portion of one of the shoes on which one of the vanes having the lock pin is contacted.  
   
   
       7 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein five shoes and five vanes are provided within the housing.  
   
   
       8 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the shoes and the vanes provided within the housing form retardation angle oil chambers and advance angle oil chambers.  
   
   
       9 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plate comprises two sheets of plates closing both ends of the housing and the two sheets of plates are axially coupled together via the shoes of the housing by means of bolts.  
   
   
       10 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein a thickness of one of the two sheets of plates having female screw holes receiving male screws of the bolts is thicker than the other of the two sheets of plates.  
   
   
       11 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a sprocket is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the housing and whole parts of the sprocket and the housing are formed of a sintered alloy material.  
   
   
       12 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vanes and shoes have seal grooves into which seal members are fitted.  
   
   
       13 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vanes are mutually arranged at approximately equal intervals.  
   
   
       14 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, from among intervals between the vanes, at least two intervals are arranged at different internals.  
   
   
       15 . A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a cylindrical housing to which a revolution of a crankshaft is transmitted and having radically projected five shoes;    a plate configured to close at least one end of the housing;    five vanes linked with a camshaft or linked with a linkage member linked with the camshaft to be relatively pivoted to the housing and to be pivoted between the shoes;    a lock pin disposed on at least one of the five vanes;    a lock hole disposed on the plate to be engaged with the lock pin; and    a positioning section configured to determine circumferential directional positions of the housing and the plate at a position at which the lock pin is engaged with and released from the lock hole, the positioning section being one of a positioning pin and a positioning hole disposed one of the shoes contacted on at least one of the vanes having the lock pin and having the other of the positioning pin and the positioning hole installed on the plate.    
   
   
       16 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein one of the shoes contacted on one of the vanes having the lock pin is the shoe disposed at a retardation angle side.  
   
   
       17 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein one of the shoes contacted on one of the vanes having the lock pin is the shoe disposed at an advance angle side.  
   
   
       18 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the positioning pin of the positioning section or the positioning hole thereof is provided on a raise portion of one of the vanes on which one of the vanes having the lock pin is contacted.  
   
   
       19 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the shoes and vanes installed within the housing form retardation angle oil chambers or advance angle oil chambers.  
   
   
       20 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the shoes and the vanes have seal grooves in which seal members are fitted.  
   
   
       21 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the vanes are mutually arranged at approximately equal intervals.  
   
   
       22 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein, from among intervals between the vanes, at least two intervals are arranged at different intervals.  
   
   
       23 . A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a cylindrical housing to which a revolution of a crankshaft is transmitted and having radially projected shoes;    a first plate configured to close one end of the housing;    a second plate configured to close the other end of the housing;    a plurality of vanes linked with a camshaft or lined with a linkage member linked with the camshaft to be relatively pivoted to the housing;    a lock pin disposed on at least one of the vanes;    a lock hole disposed on the plate and engaged with the lock pin; and    a positioning section configured to determine circumferential directional positions of the housing and the plate at a position at which the lock pin is engaged with and released from the lock hole, the positioning section being interposed between one of the shoes of the housing contacted on at least one of the vanes having the lock pin and one of the first and second plates.    
   
   
       24 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein bolts penetrating through the shoes of the housing unite the first plate, the housing, and the second plate in an axial direction of the camshaft.  
   
   
       25 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein female screw holes to receive male screws of the bolts are installed on either one of the first plate or the second plate and a thickness of the one of the first and second plates on which the female screw holes is thicker than that of the other plate.  
   
   
       26 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein a sprocket is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the housing and whole parts of the sprocket and the housing are formed of a sintered alloy material.  
   
   
       27 . The valve timing control apparatus for the internal combustion engine as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the first plate and the second plate is installed at a front side remote from an end portion of the camshaft and the other of the first plate and the second plate is installed at the end portion of the camshaft.