Patent ID: 6976460

Claim:
A variable valve timing control device, comprising: a driving side rotational member rotating synchronized with a crankshaft; a driven side rotational member positioned coaxially with the driving side rotational member, the driven side rotational member rotating with a camshaft; a rotational phase holding mechanism for holding a relative rotational phase between the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member at a locked phase; a rotational phase restriction mechanism for allowing a relative rotation that the relative rotational phase approximate to the locked phase and for restricting the relative rotation that the relative rotational phase being separated from the locked phase; a groove formed at one of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member; a restriction body provided at the rotational phase restriction mechanism for restricting the relative rotation by moving from the other of the driving side rotational member and the driven side rotational member to be received at the groove; a step portion provided at the groove serving as a part of at least one of the rotational phase restriction mechanisms being engaged with the restriction body for restricting the relative rotation in the predetermined direction; the rotational phase restriction mechanism including the step portion for restricting the relative rotation in the predetermined direction at the plural relative rotational phases; wherein the rotational phase restriction mechanism includes a first rotational phase restriction mechanism and a second rotational phase restriction mechanism serving as a pair of rotational phase restriction mechanisms; and wherein the relative rotational restriction is consecutively applied at different relative rotational phases in order of the step portion of the first rotational phase restriction mechanism, the step portion of the second rotational phase restriction mechanism, and the groove portion configured to be deeper than the step portion of the first rotational phase restriction mechanism.