Patent ID: 7721692

Claim:
A camshaft phaser for varying the phase of a combustion valve in an internal combustion engine, comprising: a) a stator; b) a rotor disposed within said stator and having an annular well and a pocket formed in an axial side thereof and having a range of rotational authority within said stator including a first full authority position, a second full authority position opposite the first full authority position, and an intermediate position between said first and second full authority positions; c) a cover plate for enclosing said rotor within said stator; d) a spring retainer fixed to said cover plate for rotation with said stator; and e) a bias spring having first and second tangs and being disposed within said spring retainer, wherein said spring retainer includes first and second axially-extending slots for receiving said first and second tangs, respectively, said second slot also having a circumferential portion having an end wall, and wherein said first tang is grounded in said first slot and said second tang is rotatable within said circumferential portion, and wherein said second tang engages an axial wall of said pocket to bias said rotor toward said intermediate position when said rotor is in a position between said intermediate position and one of said first or second full authority positions, and wherein said second tang engages said end wall of said circumferential portion to prevent bias of said rotor when said rotor is in a position between said intermediate position and the other of said first or second full authority positions.