Patent ID: 8047170

Claim:
Method for controlling a device for variably adjusting the control times of gas-exchange valves of an internal combustion engine with an external rotor and an internal rotor arranged such that it can rotate relative to the external rotor, wherein one of the internal rotor and the external rotor is drivingly connected to a crankshaft and the other of the internal rotor and the external rotor is drivingly connected to a camshaft, wherein at least one pressure space is provided and each of the pressure spaces is divided into two pressure chambers acting against each other, wherein one of the pressure chambers of each of the pressure spaces acts as an advancing chamber and the other pressure chamber acts as a retarding chamber, wherein by supplying pressure medium to the advancing chambers, while simultaneously withdrawing pressure medium from the retarding chamber, the rotor interacting with the camshaft is rotated relative to the rotor interacting with the crankshaft in a direction of a maximum advanced position, wherein by supplying pressure medium to the retarding chamber, while simultaneously withdrawing pressure medium from the advancing chamber, the rotor interacting with the camshaft is rotated relative to the rotor interacting with the crankshaft in a direction of a maximum retarded position, wherein at least one first rotational angle limiting device and one second rotational angle limiting device are provided, wherein each of the rotational angle limiting devices can assume an unlocked state and a locked state, wherein the locked state can be set by supplying pressure medium to or withdrawing pressure medium from the respective rotational angle limiting devices, wherein for a locked first and second rotational angle limiting device the internal rotor is fixed relative to the external rotor in a locking position, and the supply of pressure medium to or the withdrawal of pressure medium from the pressure chambers and the rotational angle limiting devices can be set by a control valve that has at least one inflow port, at least one outflow port, at least two work ports, and at least one separate control port, the inflow port communicates with a pressure medium source, the outflow port communicates with a tank, the first work port communicates with the advancing chamber, the second work port communicates with the retarding chamber, and the control port communicates with at least one of the rotational angle limiting devices, the method comprising: during a startup phase of the internal combustion engine, one of the retarding chamber or the advancing chamber is connected neither to the tank nor to the pressure medium source and connecting the other of the retarding or advancing pressure chambers and the rotational angle limiting devices to the tank, and moving the control valve to an unlocking position in which the control port communicates with an inflow port of at least one of the rotational angle limiting devices and the work ports do not communicate with the inflow port.