Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Michael James Fox

Pierre Kimus

Pascal David

Thomas Howard Lichti

Daniel Richard Cuatt

Mark James Spath

Nick J Hendriksma

Thomas Huntington Fischer

Wayne S Harris

Jason M Urckfitz

Sebastien Stoltz-Douchet

Mark A Shost

Dominic Borraccia

Gary John Deangelis

John J Krieg

Timothy M Nieves

Matthew T Scott

Cynthia Ann Greene

Christopher M De Minco

Thomas H Lichti

Ronald A Waydelis

Daniel R Cuatt

Steven F Lowe

Sebastian Stoltz-Douchet

A vane-type camshaft phaser for an internal combustion engine includes an intermediate locking pin and seat for locking the camshaft phaser at a position intermediate of its full advanced and retard positions. A feature is provided for radially orienting the locking pin with the seat.

Camshaft phaser intermediate locking pin and seat

A camshaft phaser includes a housing with an array of internal splines formed within a bore. A harmonic gear drive unit is disposed within the housing and includes a circular spline and a dynamic spline, a flexspline disposed radially within the circular spline and the dynamic spline, a wave generator disposed radially within the flexspline, and a rotational actuator connectable to the wave generator. One of the circular spline and the dynamic spline is fixed to the housing. A hub is rotatably disposed radially within the housing and attachable to the camshaft and fixed to the other of the circular spline and the dynamic spline. A back plate has an array of external splines engaged in a sliding fit with the array of internal splines for transmitting torque from the back plate to said housing. The back plate also has an input sprocket for receiving rotational motion, in use.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser with a compact drive sprocket

An eVCP camshaft phaser comprising a harmonic gear drive unit having a circular spline and a dynamic spline linked by a common flexspline, and a single wave generator disposed within the flexspline. The circular spline is connectable to either of a crankshaft-connectable sprocket or an engine camshaft, the dynamic spline being connectable to the other thereof. The wave generator is driven selectively by an eMotor to cause the dynamic spline to rotate past the circular spline, thereby changing the phase relationship between the crankshaft and the camshaft. A coaxial coil spring is connected to the sprocket and to the phaser hub and is positioned and tensioned to bias the phaser and camshaft to a stop position wherein the engine can run or be restarted after the eMotor is de-energized. Preferably, the spring comprises a spring cassette for easy assembly into the eVCP.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser with bias spring

A camshaft phaser controllably varies the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in an internal combustion engine. The camshaft phaser includes an input member rotatable by the crankshaft. The input member is connected through a gear drive to an output member which is fixed to the camshaft. A rotational actuator acting on the gear drive unit causes relative rotation between the input member and the output member. A first stop member is rotatable with the input member in a one-to-one relationship. A second stop member is rotatable with the output member in a one-to-one relationship to limit relative angular travel between the input member and the output member. A torque absorption means is provided for limiting the rate at which torque is applied from the rotational actuator to the gear drive unit when the second stop member makes contact with the first stop member.

Electric drive camshaft phaser with torque rate limit at travel stops

A camshaft phaser includes a housing with a harmonic gear drive unit disposed therein. The harmonic gear drive unit includes a circular spline and a dynamic spline, a flexspline disposed radially within the circular spline and the dynamic spline, a wave generator disposed radially within the flexspline, and a rotational actuator connectable to the wave generator. One of the circular spline and the dynamic spline is fixed to the housing. A hub is rotatably disposed radially within the housing and attachable to the camshaft and fixed to the other of the circular spline and the dynamic spline. An anti-rotation means is provided for temporarily fixing the circular spline to the dynamic spline in order to prevent relative rotation therebetween when the hub is being attached to the camshaft. The anti-rotation means prevents damage to the harmonic gear drive unit while the camshaft phaser is being installed onto the camshaft.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser and method for using

Improved stiffening and minimized distortion of a housing for an eVCP achieved by forming a plurality of radial housing stiffeners into the housing around the motor mount end and into the eVCP's hub. A back plate is press fit into the rear of the housing, and a straight axial knurl is applied to the surface of the back plate or housing, which knurl permits a larger tolerance-higher press fit class to be used without resulting in significant deformation of the housing. The knurled back plate is harder than the housing, causing the high points of the knurl to plastically deform or plow the housing material during assembly, resulting in less radial deformation of the bore and the journal bearing. An interface between the housing and the hub provides a journal bearing interface to improve axial stability between the hub and housing.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser with improved radial stability

A camshaft phaser includes a housing with a harmonic gear drive unit disposed therein. The harmonic gear drive unit includes a circular spline and a dynamic spline, a flexspline disposed radially within the circular spline and the dynamic spline, a wave generator disposed radially within the flexspline, and a rotational actuator connectable to the wave generator. One of the circular spline and the dynamic spline is fixed to the housing. A hub is rotatably disposed radially within the housing and attachable to the camshaft and fixed to the other of the circular spline and the dynamic spline. A first arcuate input stop member is rotatable with one of the circular spline and the dynamic spline and is received within a first arcuate output opening defined by at least a first arcuate output stop member rotatable with the other of the circular spline and the dynamic spline.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser with phase authority stops

A vane-type camshaft phaser for an internal combustion engine, in which an intermediate locking pin and seat are provided for locking the camshaft phaser at a position intermediate of its full advanced and retard positions, one of the locking pin and seat having a non-circular cross section, and the cross-sectional shapes of the locking pin and seat being substantially dissimilar to each other.

A valve lifter assembly for deactivating a cylinder in an internal combustion engine. The valve lifter assembly is provided with a plunger movably disposed within a bore of a main body member to controllably isolate the cam lift from the rocker arm and valve of the engine. The plunger is normally locked in an extended position to transmit cam lift to reciprocatingly operate the valve. At least one locking pin is moveably disposed within the plunger to engage an inner annular groove of the main body member. Pressurized oil is provided to dislodge the locking pins from the annular groove and allow the plunger to move within the main body member, thereby isolating the cam lift from the rocker arm and valve. The deactivating lifter is preferably disposed within the recess conventionally provided for hydraulic valve lifters.

Valve lifter assembly for selectively deactivating a cylinder

A torque bias coil spring for a camshaft phaser disposed in an annular well formed in the phaser rotor and having a central arbor for supporting the spring. The radius of the central arbor is such that the spring has radial operating clearance of 5-10%, as in the prior art. However, the improved arbor includes regions of higher radius at the arbor ends supporting the innermost and outermost coils of the spring. These regions serve to prevent the spring from being laterally displaced during torsional motion, thus minimizing the relative motion at the spring contact points, reducing stress on the spring, and improving the efficiency of the spring by reducing frictional hysteresis.

Bias spring arbor for a camshaft phaser

A fast-acting rotor-locking mechanism for a vane-type camshaft phaser. A straight-sided locking pin is disposed in a bushing in the rotor and is urged into a sprocket well by a return spring. A pad disposed at the bottom of the well is a travel stop for the pin. When the pin is fully seated against the pad, the pad covers a portion of the end of the pin. The uncovered portion of the pin end, exposed to oil pressure for unlocking the pin when it is fully seated, is decreased over the prior art pin, permitting use of a lighter locking spring having a lower spring rate. Because of the lighter locking spring, the pin accelerates more rapidly and unlocks significantly faster than in a comparable prior art phaser.

Fast-acting lock pin assembly for a vane-type cam phaser

A cam phaser wherein the stator is integral with either the back plate or the front cover plate. The integral stator may be formed by any desired forming technique, such as, for example, by machining, casting, welding, or injection molding. Preferably, however, the integral stator is formed in a single molding step by powdered metal forming using powdered aluminum. Cap seals are provided for sealing the hydraulic chambers of the cam phaser.

Cam phaser apparatus having a stator integral with a back plate or a front cover plate

An improved splined cam phaser includes four assemblies: a sprocket assembly, an inner hub assembly, a cover assembly, and a piston assembly. The joined assemblies provide phaser function at reduced manufacturing cost. The cover assembly, at least in part, is stamped from sheet stock and is net formed to receive a seal.

Cam phaser cover assembly

A modular vane cam phaser assembly for controllably and continuously varying the rotational phase between a camshaft and the crankshaft of a reciprocating internal combustion engine. The module includes a housing mountable to the front of an engine head, the housing supporting on an outer surface thereof a programmably-controllable spool valve for directing pressurized oil to an oil commutator extending into both the housing and a vane phaser wherein a rotor is bolted to the camshaft and a stator is bolted to a timing sprocket. The oil is distributed by the spool valve to opposite sides of the rotor vanes in response to signals generated by an induction cam rotation sensor and by other engine components and processed by a powertrain control module to advance or retard the opening of intake and/or exhaust valves in the engine. The housing is provided with internal passages for supplying oil from an engine port to the spool valve. Preferably, the oil is filtered by a thimble screen as it enters the housing.

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Stafford, NY, United States of America

Michael James Fox