Patent ID: 7347173

Claim:
A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a driving rotator to which a torque is transmitted from crankshaft of the engine; a driven rotator that transmits the torque to a camshaft of the engine; a plate including at least one groove having a diameter that varies when followed circumferentially of the plate; at least one link that swingably couples the driving rotator and the driven rotator; a protrusion provided at the link and fitted in the groove such that when the plate is driven to rotate, the protrusion moves along the groove and also moves radially to cause a relative phase angle between the driving rotator and the driven rotator; an actuator that drives the plate to rotate; and a controller that controls the actuator, wherein: the groove includes first and second regions providing different change characteristics of the relative phase angle, and the controller controls the actuator so as to position the protrusion within the first region of the groove during cranking operation of the engine, and to position the protrusion within the second region of the groove after cranking operation of the engine.