Valve timing controller

Abstract

A valve timing controller includes a filter having a first end plate, a middle plate, and a second end plate that are stacked in this order in the thickness direction. The first end plate is located adjacent to a driving shaft or a driven shaft, and has plural inlet holes. The second end plate is located adjacent to a check valve, and has plural outlet holes distanced from the inlet hole when seen from the thickness direction. The middle plate has plural middle holes communicated to one of the inlet holes and one of the outlet holes. The middle plate has a thickness which is smaller than a minimum opening width of the inlet holes and the outlet holes.

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 end plate, a middle plate, and a second end plate that are stacked with each other in a thickness direction,   the first end plate is located adjacent to the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, and has a plurality of inlet holes communicated to the first supply passage,   the second end plate is located adjacent to the check valve, and has a plurality of outlet holes communicated to the second supply passage and distanced from the inlet hole when seen from the thickness direction,   the middle plate is located between the first end plate and the second end plate, and has a plurality of middle holes communicated to one of the inlet holes and one of the outlet holes, and   the middle plate has a thickness which is smaller than a minimum opening width of the inlet hole and the outlet hole.   
     
     
         2 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the middle plate is one of a plurality of middle plates,   a middle hole of one of the middle plates is overlapped with a middle hole of another of the middle plates when seen from the thickness direction, and   the middle plates have thicknesses which are made to become smaller toward the second end plate.   
     
     
         3 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first end plate has a shape corresponding to the second end plate when seen from the thickness direction in case where the first end plate is rotated around an axial center of the vane rotor by a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         4 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first end plate has a shape corresponding to the second end plate when seen from the thickness direction in case where the first end plate is made reversed relative to an orthogonal axis that is perpendicular to an axial center of the vane rotor.   
     
     
         5 . The valve timing controller according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first end plate has a shape corresponding to the middle plate when seen from the thickness direction in case where the first end plate is rotated around an axial center of the vane rotor by a predetermined angle.   
     
     
         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, the middle plate, and the second plate are included in the stacked object.