Patent ID: 9260985
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: F01L

Claim Text:
1. A valve timing control apparatus which controls opening-and-closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve driven by a driven shaft by changing a rotation phase of the driven shaft to a driving shaft of an internal combustion engine, the valve timing control apparatus comprising: a shoe housing which rotates with one of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, the shoe housing having a pipe part and a plurality of shoe parts projected inward in a radial direction from an inner wall of the pipe part, wherein the shoe housing has a shoe front surface which is a first axial end surface of the shoe housing and a shoe rear surface which is a second axial end surface of the shoe housing; a vane rotor which rotates with the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, the vane rotor having a boss part which is coaxial with the pipe part of the shoe housing and a plurality of vane parts projected radially from the boss part, wherein the vane part is accommodated between the shoe parts in the shoe housing so that the vane part is able to rotate relative to the shoe part; a front plate fixed to the shoe housing in a state where the front plate is in contact with the shoe front surface, the front plate having a seat surface with a concave taper shape at a position corresponding to the shoe part; a rear plate fixed to the shoe housing in a state where the rear plate is in contact with the shoe rear surface; and a flat head bolt having a head and a seat surface which is seated on the seat surface of the front plate, the seat surface of the flat head bolt having a convex taper shape, wherein the flat head bolt passes through a through hole defined in the shoe part of the shoe housing such that the front plate and the rear plate are tightened with each other, or the flat head bolt is engaged with a female thread hole defined in the shoe part such that the front plate and the shoe housing are directly tightened with each other, the seat surface of the flat head bolt and the seat surface of the front plate are in contact with each other at an axial tension action point to which a tightening axial tension is applied in an axial cross-section, a normal vector which is perpendicular to the seat surface of the front plate and passes through the axial tension action point in the axial cross-section intersects the shoe front surface at an axial tension reach point, which is included in a range of the shoe part, wherein the seat surface of the flat head bolt has the axial tension action point at which the seat surface of the flat head bolt is in contact with the seat surface of the front plate is located between the first outer wall and the second outer wall, the first outer wall has a convex taper angle which is larger than a concave taper angle of the seat surface of the front plate, the second outer wall has a convex taper angle which is smaller than the concave taper angle of the seat surface of the front plate, and a clearance is defined between the first outer wall of the seat surface of the flat head bolt and the seat surface of the front plate.