Patent ID: 8387578

Claim:
A camshaft phaser for use with an internal combustion engine for controllably varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in said internal combustion engine, said camshaft phaser comprising: a stator having a plurality of lobes and connectable to said crankshaft of said internal combustion engine to provide a fixed ratio of rotation between said stator and said crankshaft; a rotor coaxially disposed within said stator, said rotor having a plurality of vanes interspersed with said lobes defining alternating advance chambers and retard chambers, wherein said advance chambers receive pressurized oil in order to change the phase relationship between said crankshaft and said camshaft in the advance direction and said retard chambers receive pressurized oil in order to change the phase relationship between said camshaft and said crankshaft in the retard direction, said rotor being attachable to said camshaft of said internal combustion engine to prevent relative rotation between said rotor and said camshaft; a primary lock pin disposed within one of said rotor and said stator for selective engagement with a primary lock pin seat for limiting a change in phase relationship between said rotor and said stator to a range between full advance and full retard when said primary lock pin is engaged with said primary lock pin seat, wherein pressurized oil is selectively supplied to said primary lock pin in order to disengage said primary lock pin with said primary lock pin seat, and wherein oil is selectively vented from said primary lock pin in order to engage said primary lock pin with said primary lock pin seat; a secondary lock pin disposed within one of said rotor and said stator for selective engagement with a secondary lock pin seat for preventing a change in phase relationship between said rotor and said stator at a predetermined position within said range when said secondary lock pin is engaged with said secondary lock pin seat, wherein pressurized oil is selectively supplied to said secondary lock pin in order to disengage said secondary lock pin with said secondary lock pin seat, and wherein oil is selectively vented from said secondary lock pin in order to engage said secondary lock pin with said secondary lock pin seat; a cap disposed axially adjacent said rotor to define a bridging lock pin oil passage between said rotor and said cap, said bridging lock pin oil passage providing fluid communication between said primary lock pin and said secondary lock pin.