Oil control valve and installing method thereof

Abstract

An oil control valve ( 60 ) that controls a variable valve timing gear for adjusting operation timing of at least one of exhaust and intake camshafts mounted on a cylinder head ( 1 ) of an internal combustion engine. The oil control valve comprises a housing ( 3 ) provided with plural oil lines; a spool type valve ( 5 ) that moves in the housing to open and close said oil lines; and a solenoid ( 31 ) having a metal case ( 33 ) that forms a part of a magnetic circuit and driving the spool type valve; and this housing ( 3 ) is mounted on the cylinder head ( 1 ) of said internal combustion engine. At least a part of the metal case ( 33 ) passes through a through hole ( 183 ) provided through a cylinder head cover ( 18 ) covering the cylinder head ( 1 ) and is disposed outside the cylinder head cover ( 18 ). As a result, all the essential part of the oil control valve ( 60 ) is disposed inside the head cover ( 18 ), and therefore space factor is improved. Even in case of oil leakage out of the solenoid ( 31 ), the oil flows in the head cover, and the oil does not leak out of the engine.

1 . An oil control valve ( 60 ) that controls a variable valve timing gear for adjusting operation timing of at least one of exhaust and intake camshafts mounted on a cylinder head ( 1 ) of an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a housing ( 3 ) provided with plural oil lines;    a spool type valve ( 5 ) that moves in said housing to open and close said oil lines; and    a solenoid ( 31 ) having a metal case ( 33 ) that forms a part of a magnetic circuit and driving said spool type valve;    wherein said housing ( 3 ) is mounted on the cylinder head ( 1 ) of said internal combustion engine, and at least a part of said metal case passing through a through hole ( 183 ) provided through a cylinder head cover ( 18 ) covering said cylinder head is disposed outside said cylinder head cover.    
   
   
       2 . The oil control valve according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical seal cover ( 61 ) for covering at least a part of an outside of the metal case ( 33 ), and an oil seal ( 62 ) between an outer circumferential face of said seal cover and an inner wall face of the through hole ( 183 ) of said cylinder head cover.  
   
   
       3 . The oil control valve according to  claim 2 , further comprising oil sealing means ( 233 ) for sealing oil formed with a corrugated face is disposed in at least a part of the outer circumferential face of the metal case ( 33 ) where said metal case is in contact with the seal cover ( 61 ).  
   
   
       4 . The oil control valve according to  claim 2 , wherein the seal cover ( 61 ) is integrally formed with a connector ( 32 ) for applying an electric current to the solenoid ( 31 ) within an external diameter of said seal cover.  
   
   
       5 . The oil control valve according to  claim 4 , wherein the connector ( 32 ) is inserted in a direction crossing an axial direction of the solenoid ( 31 ) at an approximately right angle.  
   
   
       6 . An oil control valve that controls a variable valve timing gear for adjusting operation timing of at least one of exhaust and intake camshafts mounted on a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, comprising: 
 a housing provided with plural oil lines;    a spool type valve that moves in said housing to open and close the oil lines; and    a solenoid having a metal case that forms a part of a magnetic circuit, and being in contact with an end of said spool type valve, drives said spool type valve; and    a connector ( 632 ) disposed on an outside of said solenoid on a side where the solenoid is not in contact with the spool type valve;    wherein said housing ( 3 ) is mounted on said cylinder head ( 1 ) of the internal combustion engine, and at least a part of said connector ( 632 ) passing through a through hole provided through a cylinder head cover covering the cylinder head is disposed outside said cylinder head cover ( 18 ).    
   
   
       7 . The oil control valve according to  claim 1  or  6 , wherein the metal case comprises a fixing leg ( 15 ) welded to a side face of said metal case and having a reinforcing portion inclined to a surface of said metal case.  
   
   
       8 . An installing method for installing an oil control valve including the steps of: 
 providing preliminarily a housing installation hole ( 72 ) in a cam cap ( 71 ) serving as a bearing of a camshaft;    installing said cam cap on a cylinder head;    inserting and installing a housing ( 3 ) of the oil control valve in the housing installation hole of said cam cap; and    installing a cylinder head cover ( 18 ) by passing at least a part of the oil control valve through a through hole ( 183 ) of a cylinder head cover after installing said oil control valve ( 60 ).