Patent ID: 7059286
Filing Date: 2006-06-13
Classification: F01L

Abstract:
1. A valve timing control apparatus that is provided to a power train system, which transmits driving force from a driveshaft of an internal combustion engine to a driven shaft that opens and closes at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve, the valve timing control apparatus controlling at least one of open-close timing of the intake valve and open-close timing of the exhaust valve, the valve timing control apparatus comprising: a driver-side rotating member that rotates in conjunction with the driveshaft of the internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotating member that rotates in conjunction with the driven shaft, wherein one of the driver-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member defines a chamber; a vane that is provided to the other of the driver-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member, the vane received in the chamber such that the vane partitions the chamber into a retarding chamber and an advancing chamber, in which fluid pressure is applied to the driven-side rotating member so that the driven-side rotating member is rotated to a retarding angular side and an advancing angular side with respect to the driver-side rotating member, wherein one of the driver-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member defines an engaging hole; an engaging member that is received in the other of the driver-side rotating member and the driven-side rotating member, wherein the engaging member engages with the engaging hole to restrict the driven-side rotating member from rotating with respect to the driver-side rotating member when the driven-side rotating member is at a predetermined angular position with respect to the driver-side rotating member; a restrictively biasing means that biases the engaging member in a direction in which the engaging member engages with the engaging hole; a restricting means that has at least one of a first hydraulic chamber, which communicates with the retarding chamber, and a second hydraulic chamber, which communicates with the advancing chamber, to define a releasing chamber in which fluid pressure is applied to the engaging member in a direction in which engagement between the engaging member and the engaging hole is released; a switching valve that includes a solenoid actuator and a valve member, wherein the valve member is displaced by driving force generated by the solenoid actuator to switch following two operations, in which working fluid is supplied to all of the retarding chamber, the advancing chamber and the releasing chamber, and working fluid is drained from all of the retarding chamber, the advancing chamber and the releasing chamber; and a control means that controls current supplied to the solenoid actuator, wherein the control means duty-controls current supplied to the solenoid actuator to control the phase of the driven-side rotating member with respect to the driver-side rotating member such that working fluid is supplied to all of the retarding chamber, the advancing chamber and the releasing chamber, when the driven-side rotating member approaches the predetermined angular position, which corresponds to a target phase with respect to the driver-side rotating member.