Camshaft phaser including locking part or rotor having groove

Abstract

A camshaft phaser includes for an internal combustion engine includes a stator, a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator, a locking cover non-rotatably fixed to the stator and a locking assembly including a locking part configured for engaging with the locking cover to selectively lock the rotor with respect to the stator. The locking part is configured for being movable via hydraulic fluid in a hole in the rotor. The locking part or a surface of the hole including a groove configured for receiving contaminant particles in the hydraulic fluid.

1 : A camshaft phaser for an internal combustion engine comprising:
 a stator;   a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator;   a locking cover non-rotatably fixed to the stator; and   a locking assembly including a locking part configured for engaging with the locking cover to selectively lock the rotor with respect to the stator, the locking part being configured for being movable via hydraulic fluid in a hole in the rotor, a surface of the hole including a groove configured for receiving contaminant particles in the hydraulic fluid.   
     
     
         2 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 1  wherein the groove is in an inner circumferential surface of the hole. 
     
     
         3 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 2  wherein the groove is an annular groove extending continuously in the inner circumferential surface. 
     
     
         4 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 1  wherein the locking assembly includes a spring axially biasing the locking part. 
     
     
         5 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 4  wherein the spring is configured for forcing the locking part into the locking cover in a locking orientation of the locking assembly and the camshaft phaser is configured such that the hydraulic fluid compresses the spring to hold the spring axially away from the locking cover in an unlocking orientation of the locking assembly. 
     
     
         6 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 4  wherein the locking assembly includes a base, the spring being sandwiched axially between the base and the locking part. 
     
     
         7 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 4  wherein the locking part includes an end section configured for abutting the locking cover and a cylindrical section delimiting a blind hole receiving a portion of the spring. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 1  wherein the locking assembly is configured such that an outer circumferential surface of locking part is slidable axially along the surface of the hole in the rotor. 
     
     
         10 : The camshaft phaser as recited in  claim 9  wherein an axial contact surface of the locking part is configured for contacting an axial contact surface of the locking cover, the groove being spaced from the axial contact surface of the locking part. 
     
     
         11 : A method of constructing a camshaft phaser for an internal combustion engine comprising:
 providing a stator and a rotor rotatable inside the stator;   non-rotatably fixing a locking cover to the stator; and   providing a locking assembly including a locking part configured for engaging with the locking cover to selectively lock the rotor with respect to the stator, the locking part configured for being movable via hydraulic fluid in a hole in the rotor, a surface of the hole including a groove configured for receiving contaminant particles in the hydraulic fluid.   
     
     
         12 : The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the providing of the locking assembly includes inserting the locking assembly into the hole in the rotor. 
     
     
         13 : The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the providing of the locking assembly includes fixing a bushing of the locking cover over the hole in the rotor after the inserting of the locking assembly into a hole in the rotor, the locking assembly configured for axially forcing the locking part against the bushing in a locking orientation of the locking assembly. 
     
     
         14 : The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein the locking assembly is inserted in the hole such that an outer circumferential surface of locking part is slidable axially along the surface of the hole in the rotor. 
     
     
         15 : The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the locking assembly is inserted in the hole such that an axial contact surface of the locking part is configured for contacting an axial contact surface of the locking cover and the groove is spaced from the axial contact surface of the locking part. 
     
     
         16 : The method as recited in  claim 11  further comprising forming the groove in an inner circumferential surface of the hole. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 : The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the providing of the locking assembly includes arranging a spring of the locking assembly axially between a base of the locking assembly and the locking part such that the spring axially biases the locking part away from the base.