Valve timing controller

Abstract

A valve timing controller includes a filter arranged between a check valve and one of a driving shaft and a driven shaft of an engine. The filter has a first plate and a second plate stacked with each other in a thickness direction. The first plate has a plurality of first holes located adjacent to the check valve. The second plate has a plurality of second holes located adjacent to the one of the driving shaft and the driven shaft and overlapped with a part of the first hole. A communication part at which the first hole and the second hole communicate with each other defines a minute opening having a minimum width that is smaller than those of the first hole and the second hole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A valve timing controller arranged in a power train system in which a driving force is transmitted from a driving shaft to a driven shaft of an internal combustion engine to control valve timing of a valve driven to open and close by the driven shaft, the valve timing controller comprising:
 a housing that is integrally rotatable with one of the driving shaft and the driven shaft;   a vane rotor arranged in the housing and integrally rotatable with the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, the vane rotor having
 a vane which divides an interior space of the housing into an advance chamber and a retard chamber, 
 an advance passage communicated to the advance chamber, 
 a retard passage communicated to the retard chamber, and 
 a second supply passage that is able to communicate with a first supply passage located outside; 
   a passage switch valve arranged at a central part of the vane rotor to define
 an advance port communicated to the advance passage, 
 a retard port communicated to the retard passage, and 
 a supply port communicated to the second supply passage, the passage switch valve connecting the supply port and the advance port with each other when the vane rotor is rotated relative to the housing on advance side and connecting the supply port and the retard port when the vane rotor is rotated relative to the housing on retard side; 
   a check valve arranged inside the vane rotor or between the vane rotor and the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, the check valve allowing operation oil to flow from the first supply passage to the supply port and prohibiting operation oil from flowing to the first supply passage from the supply port; and   a filter arranged between the check valve and the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft,   the filter has a first plate and a second plate stacked with each other in a thickness direction,   the first plate has a plurality of first holes located adjacent to the check valve and communicated to the second supply passage,   the second plate has a plurality of second holes located adjacent to the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft and overlapped with a part of the first hole when seen from the thickness direction, and   a communication part at which the first hole and the second hole communicate with each other defines a minute opening having a minimum width that is smaller than those of the first hole and the second hole.   
     
     
         2 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first hole and the second hole are long holes extending in a predetermined direction, and   the minute opening has a slit shape defined by a long side of the first hole and a long side of the second hole.   
     
     
         3 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first hole and the second hole have rectangle shape,   the plurality of first holes are arranged in a grid array,   the plurality of second holes are arranged in a grid array, and   the minute opening has a rectangle shape defined by a corner part of the first hole and a corner part of the second hole.   
     
     
         4 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second plate has a shape corresponding to the first plate when seen from the thickness direction in case where the second plate is rotated around an axial center of the vane rotor by a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         5 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second plate has a shape corresponding to the first plate when seen from the thickness direction in case where the second plate is made reversed relative to an orthogonal axis that is perpendicular to an axial center of the vane rotor.   
     
     
         6 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least a part of the vane rotor is made of a stacked object in which a plurality of metal plates are stacked with each other in an axial direction, and   the first plate and the second plate are included in the stacked object.