Patent GB-1509413-A (GB)
Title: Self-adjustable camshaft drive mechanism
IPC: F16H35/08
Filed: 1975-06-10
Abstract: 1509413 Driving valve gear NISSAN MOTOR CO Ltd 10 June 1975 [10 June 1974] 24777/75 Heading F1B I.C. engine cam-shaft drive mechanism comprises a cam-shaft drive member 42 rotatable about an axis co-linear with the rotational axis of the camshaft 12 and adapted to be driven from the engine crank-shaft, a differential reduction gear unit 56 coaxially rotatable in its entirety with the drive member 42 and operatively connected to the camshaft, drive means 62 coaxially rotatable in its entirety with the cam-shaft drive member and reduction gear unit and having an output shaft 98 drivingly connected to the reduction gear unit and rotatable relative to the cam-shaft 12 and drive member 42 about an axis co-linear with the camshaft axis, the gear unit 56 being operative to transmit therethrough driving torque from the shaft 98 to drive member 42 with reduction of speed of revolution at a predetermined ratio for producing relative rotation between the cam-shaft 12 and drive member 42 by an angle and in a direction which are related to the angle and direction of rotation of shaft 98, sensing means associated with the cam-shaft 12 and the drive member 42 for detecting an angle and direction of relative rotation between the cam-shaft and drive member and producing an output signal representative of the angle and direction of detected rotation and control means responsive to the output signal of the sensing means and to preselected operational parameters of the engine for producing a control signal effective to actuate the drive means for causing the shaft 98 to rotate a number of turns and in a direction which are dictated by the control signal. Cam-shaft 12 is rotatably supported in bearing block 16 and is counterbored to receive the boss 34 of sprocket support member 32. Sprocket 42, which is the cam-shaft drive member is supported on ball bearing 44 and secured by bolts 58 to one end-face of rotatable inner housing 56. Bolted to the other end-face is a support member 64 for an electric motor 66 comprising rotor 104 and stator 100. Shaft 98 of the motor carries an elliptical toothed wheel 88 which meshes with a first internally toothed ring 78 which is bolted to the sprocket support member 32 and a second internally toothed ring 80 which is bolted to the rotatable inner housing 60. The first ring 78 has a smaller number of teeth, N 1 , than the second ring 80 which has N 3  teeth. When motor 66 is de-energized the sprocket 42, gear unit 78, 80 and 88, and the cam-shaft rotate as one. When motor 66 is driven there is angular movement of the cam-shaft relative to sprocket 42, so that the opening and closing points of the valves are altered in relation to the piston position. Sensing means to determine the relative positions of the sprocket 42 and cam-shaft 12 are provided and consist of three point contacts 110a, 110b, 110c mounted on the sprocket support member 32, Fig. 2, and three arcuate contact strips 112a, 112b, 112c Fig. 3, mounted on sprocket 42 and staggered so that five different combinations of connections are available. The contacts are connected to a slip ring assembly 122 and hence to the inputs of three "AND" gates, which also receive signals representative of pre-selected engine operating conditions, e.g. speed, intake manifold vacuum and temperature. The outputs of the gates are connected to a computing circuit which provides a signal if the actual relative positions of the sprocket 42 and cam-shaft 12 differs from an optimum position. The signal closes a switch, which is also connected to a polarity control device, to energize motor 66 to produce relative angular motion in the appropriate direction between the sprocket and cam-shaft. In a modification, the elliptical wheel 88 is replaced by two planet pinions (168) Fig. 5 (not shown) mounted on a carrier 62' which is rotated by the output shaft of motor 66. In a modification of the sensing means, Fig. 6 (not shown) the sprocket and cam-shaft each carry permanent magnets which each react with associated pick-ups to produce trains of pulses Pc and Pd, Fig. 7, which correspond to full revolutions of the cam-shaft and sprocket respectively. These pulses are fed to pulse generator 208 which produces a train of pulses Pg, indicative of the detected relative angular positions of the cam-shaft and sprocket, and which are fed to comparator 204. A function generator 198 receives signals Er and Es representative of engine speed and intake manifold vacuum respectively and provides a signal to pulse generator 202 which provides an output signal Pf related to the inputs Er and Es, which is also fed to comparator 204. The inputs to the comparator 204 result in an output signal S representative of the difference between the actual and optimum relative positions of the cam-shaft 12 and sprocket 42 and actuate a driver circuit 210 to energize motor 66. In a further modification of the sensing means, the arcuate contacts 112a, b and c are replaced by a continuous length of resistive conductor arranged in an arc on member 50 secured to sprocket 42, and a single sliding contact arranged on the sprocket support member 32, which forms a rheostat with the resistive member to provide a continuous indication of the relative angular positions of the cam-shaft and sprocket.