Patent ID: 8327813
Filing Date: 2012-12-11
Classification: F01L

Abstract:
1. A valve timing control apparatus for an engine, according to which a driven shaft is rotated by a driving force from a driving shaft of the engine to open and close an intake valve and an exhaust valve of the engine, and according to which a valve opening and/or closing timing for the intake valve and/or the exhaust valve is controlled by changing a rotational phase of the driven shaft relative to the driving shaft, comprising: a housing to be rotated together with one of the driving shaft and the driven shaft; a vane rotor connected to the other of the driving shaft and the driven shaft and rotatably supported by and in the housing, the vane rotor having multiple vanes respectively accommodated in multiple accommodating spaces of the housing to define pressure chambers at both sides of each vane, the vane rotor being capable of rotating relative to the housing depending on fluid pressure of working fluid supplied into the respective pressure chambers; an elastic member fixed to the vane rotor at one end and fixed to the housing at the other end and for applying a spring force to the vane rotor and the housing so that a relative movement between them is realized; a fixing member provided at an outside of the housing, which corresponds to a front side of the housing in an axial direction of the vane rotor, and for fixing the other end of the elastic member to the housing; and a signal member fixed to the vane rotor at a side of the elastic member, which is provided at the front side of the housing, in the axial direction of the vane rotor, so that a rotational angle of the vane rotor is detected by a sensor provided at an outer peripheral side of the signal member in a radial direction, wherein the elastic member and the fixing member are provided in an area which is inside of an outer periphery of the signal member in the radial direction.