Valve timing adjusting device

Abstract

A seal plate partitions a sectorial space which houses a vane and a circumferential groove which houses a torsion spring, so that the sectorial space is formed to prevent the communication between an advance angle pressure chamber and a retard angle pressure chamber regardless of the space of the circumferential groove. As a result, by setting the inner diameter of the vane smaller than the outer diameter of the torsion spring, the outer diameter of the vane can be made relatively small without lowering the engine performance. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the actuator in size without lowering the engine performance, to reduce the weight of a valve timing adjusting device and to obtain a mounting space easily for mounting the valve timing adjusting device on the engine.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A valve timing adjusting device for an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft, an intake valve, an exhaust valve and a driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, comprising: 
 a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;    a housing chamber formed in said housing;    a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference;    an advance angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in an advancing direction by a fluid pressure;    a retard angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in a retarding direction by said fluid pressure;    a hydraulic pump for supplying a working fluid to said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber;    first bias means housed in a housing space formed in said housing, for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft; and    a partition member for separating said housing chamber from said housing space.    
     
     
         2 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , wherein said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing one end of said first bias means.  
     
     
         3 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 2   , wherein; 
 said partition member includes a through hole for passing said one end of said first bias means; and    said through hole communicates with one of said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber.    
     
     
         4 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 3   , wherein said through hole communicates with said advance angle fluid pressure chamber.  
     
     
         5 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , wherein said partition member includes seal means for preventing a fluid from leaking from said housing chamber or said housing space to an outside thereof.  
     
     
         6 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 5   , wherein said seal means includes a corrugation formed on said partition member.  
     
     
         7 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 5   , wherein said seal means includes an elastic member disposed on at least one of side faces of said partition member.  
     
     
         8 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , wherein said partition member includes guide means for guiding an end of said first bias means.  
     
     
         9 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 8   , wherein; 
 said guide means includes a fixing hole provided at said vane for fixing said end of said first bias means and includes a through hole provided at said partition member for passing said end of said first bias means; and    said guide means is arranged such that a width of said fixing hole in diametrical direction of said vane is larger than a width of said through hole in diametrical direction of said partition member.    
     
     
         10 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 an abutting portion and an abutted portion individually formed at said housing and said vane for restraining said vane from rotating relatively to said housing by abutting against each other when said vane is positioned at one circumferential end portion in said housing chamber;    second bias means for biasing said abutting portion in an abutting direction to abut against said abutted portion; and    restraint means including said second bias means for displacing said abutting portion in a direction opposite to said abutting direction against a biasing force of said second bias means;    wherein said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing an end of said first bias means.    
     
     
         11 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , wherein; 
 said vane includes regulation means for regulating at least one of the most advanced position and the most retarded position of said vane when retained on an inner wall of said housing forming said housing chamber; and    said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing an end of said first bias means.    
     
     
         12 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 1   , wherein said working fluid is supplied to a sliding portion between said housing and at least one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft from said housing space.  
     
     
         13 . A valve timing adjusting device for an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft, an intake valve, an exhaust valve and a driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, comprising: 
 a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;    a housing chamber formed in said housing;    a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference;    an advance angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in an advancing direction by a fluid pressure;    a retard angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in a retarding direction by said fluid pressure;    a hydraulic pump for supplying a working fluid to said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber;    first bias means housed in a housing space formed in said housing, for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft;    an abutting portion and an abutted portion individually formed at said housing and said vane for restraining said vane from rotating relatively to said housing by abutting against each other when said vane is positioned at one circumferential end portion in said housing chamber;    second bias means for biasing said abutting portion in an abutting direction to abut against said abutted portion; and    restraint means including said second bias means for displacing said abutting portion in a direction opposite to said abutting direction against a biasing force of said second bias means;    wherein said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing an end of said first bias means.    
     
     
         14 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 13   , wherein said working fluid is supplied to a sliding portion between said housing and at least one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft from said housing space.  
     
     
         15 . A valve timing adjusting device for an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft, an intake valve, an exhaust valve and a driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, comprising: 
 a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;    a housing chamber formed in said housing;    a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference;    an advance angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in an advancing direction by a fluid pressure;    a retard angle fluid pressure chamber for rotating one of said housing and said vane relatively to the other one of said housing and said vane in a retarding direction by said fluid pressure;    a hydraulic pump for supplying a working fluid to said advance angle fluid pressure chamber and said retard angle fluid pressure chamber; and    first bias means housed in a housing space formed in said housing, for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft, wherein;    said vane includes regulation means for regulating at least one of the most advanced position and the most retarded position of said vane when retained on an inner wall of said housing forming said housing chamber; and    said vane includes a fixing hole for fixing an end of said first bias means.    
     
     
         16 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 15   , wherein said working fluid is supplied to a sliding portion between said housing and at least one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft from said housing space.  
     
     
         17 . A valve timing adjusting device for an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft, an intake valve, an exhaust valve and a driven shaft which opens and closes at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve, comprising: 
 a housing which rotates together with one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;    a housing chamber formed in said housing;    a vane housed in said housing chamber to rotate together with the other one of the drive shaft and the driven shaft relatively to said housing within a predetermined rotational phase difference, said vane dividing said housing chamber into an advance angle pressure chamber and a retard angle pressure chamber; and    first bias means for biasing said vane in an advancing direction of the driven shaft relatively to the drive shaft.    
     
     
         18 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 17   , wherein; 
 a biasing force of said first bias means is between 10% of an average torque in an idling rotation range of the driven shaft and an average torque in an inertial rotation range of the driven shaft.    
     
     
         19 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 17   , further comprising: 
 an abutting portion and an abutted portion individually formed at said housing and said vane for restraining said vane from rotating relatively to said housing by abutting against each other when said vane is positioned at one circumferential end portion in said housing chamber;    second bias means for biasing said abutting portion in an abutting direction to abut against said abutted portion;    restraint means including said second bias means for displacing said abutting portion in a direction opposite to said abutting direction against a biasing force of said second bias means; and    a first pressure receiving surface formed on said abutting portion for receiving a first fluid pressure such that said vane rotates in said advancing direction relatively to said housing to release a restraint between said housing and said vane, wherein;    releasing pressure for releasing said restraint between said housing and said vane by said first fluid pressure is less than minimum working pressure necessary for rotating said vane in said advancing direction relatively to said housing.    
     
     
         20 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 17   , wherein; 
 a biasing force of said first bias means is between an average torque in an inertial rotation range of the driven shaft and a maximum torque in said inertial rotation range of the driven shaft.    
     
     
         21 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 17   , further comprising: 
 an abutting portion and an abutted portion individually formed at said housing and said vane for restraining said vane from rotating relatively to said housing by abutting against each other when said vane is positioned at one circumferential end portion in said housing chamber;    second bias means for biasing said abutting portion in an abutting direction to abut against said abutted portion;    restraint means including said second bias means for displacing said abutting portion in a direction opposite to said abutting direction against a biasing force of said second bias means; and    a second pressure receiving surface formed on said abutting portion for receiving a second fluid pressure such that said vane rotates in a retarding direction relatively to said housing to release a restraint between said housing and said vane.    
     
     
         22 . A valve timing adjusting device as in    claim 17   , wherein; 
 a biasing force of said first bias means is between 10% of an average torque in an idling rotation range of the driven shaft and a maximum torque in an inertial rotation range of the driven shaft.