US-12618345-B1 - Timing adjuster

Abstract

A timing adjuster device and a method for operating the timing adjuster. The timing adjuster includes a driver and an anchor fixed with respect to a frame. The timing adjuster can include four gears, three links, four shafts and a driver. The driver can drive at least one of the gears to move a timing member of an engine.

Inventors

• John J. Serpe

Assignees

• John J. Serpe

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250820

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A timing adjuster device comprising: a driver, an anchor fixedly mounted with respect to a frame; a first gear, a second gear, a third gear and a fourth gear; a first link, a second link and a third link; a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft and a fourth shaft; the first shaft and the fourth shaft fixed with respect to the anchor, the second shaft and the third shaft movably mounted with respect to the anchor; a first end portion of the first link rotatably mounted about the first shaft, a second end portion of the fourth link rotatably mounted about the fourth shaft; a second end portion of the first link movably mounted with respect to the anchor, a first end portion of the fourth link movably mounted with respect to the anchor; the second link movably mounted with respect to the anchor; the first gear rotatably mounted with respect to the anchor, the fourth gear rotatably mounted with respect to the anchor; the second gear rotatably mounted about the second shaft, the third gear rotatably mounted about the third shaft; and the driver driving at least one of the first link, the second link, and the third link, and the driver driving a timing member.
2. 2 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein anchoring the links at any point along a path will force a timing between the shafts to remain unchanged resulting in an entire assembly being rigid, changing a position of where the links are anchored forces the shafts to change a timing and/or phasing, the changes are made dynamically resulting in dynamically changing the timing and/or phasing, and moving the anchor dynamically along the path dynamically changes the timing and/or phasing between the shafts.
3. 3 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein the driver is connected to and drives any one or more of the first link, the second link, and the third link to move the timing member.
4. 4 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the driver, a second driver connected to a rotating shaft, the timing member, a collar connected to the rotating shaft and the rotating shaft operates to dynamically change a timing and/or a phasing of an engine of the device.
5. 5 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein a second driver is connected to and drives any one or more of the first gear, the second gear, the third gear and the fourth gear to move the timing member.
6. 6 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein the links move through all possible link positions and establish a path and a timing or phasing between rotating shafts of the device changes at different rates along the path, and restricting the link positions about a relatively high rate area produces a relatively large amount of timing or phasing adjustment.
7. 7 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 6 , wherein anchoring the links at any point along the path will force the timing or phasing between the shafts to remain unchanged and/or locked in and will make the entire assembly rigid, or changing a position of where the links are anchored forces the shafts to change their timing or phasing and changes are made which will result in changing the timing or phasing.
8. 8 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein moving any one of the three links and rotating a driven gear of the gears creates a time offset between a driving gear of the gears and the driven gear.
9. 9 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein as the device moves through different link positions of the links, the device provides different levels of timing adjustments and the device is a timing adjuster with a geometry of a path.
10. 10 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 1 , wherein the links move through all possible positions and establish a path and the timing and/or the phasing between the rotating shafts changes at different rates along the path, by restricting link positions about an area where a rate is high and produces a large amount of timing and/or phase adjustment.
11. 11 . A timing adjuster device comprising: a driver, an anchor fixed with respect to a frame; a first gear, a second gear, a third gear and a fourth gear; a first link, a second link and a third link; a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft and a fourth shaft; the first shaft and the fourth shaft fixed with respect to the anchor, the second shaft and the third shaft movably mounted with respect to the anchor; and the driver connected to and driving any one or more of the first link, the second link, and the third link to move a timing member.
12. 12 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 11 , wherein a second driver is connected to and drives any one or more of the first link, the second link, and the third link to move the timing member.
13. 13 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the driver, a second driver connected to a rotating shaft, the timing member, a collar connected to the rotating shaft and the rotating shaft operates to dynamically change a timing and/or a phasing of an engine of the device.
14. 14 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 11 , wherein the links move through all possible link positions and establish a path and a timing or phasing between rotating shafts of the device changes at different rates along the path, and restricting the link positions about a relatively high rate area produces a relatively large amount of timing or phasing adjustment.
15. 15 . The timing adjuster device according to claim 11 , wherein as the device moves through different link positions of the links, the device provides different levels of timing adjustments and the device is a timing adjuster with a geometry of a path.
16. 16 . A method for operating a timing adjuster, including the steps of: fixing an anchor with respect to a frame; forming a first gear, a second gear, a third gear and a fourth gear; forming a first link, a second link and a third link; forming a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft and a fourth shaft; fixing the first shaft and the fourth shaft with respect to the anchor; movably mounting the second shaft and the third shaft with respect to the anchor; and driving at least one of the first link, the second link, and the third link to move a timing member.
17. 17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein a timing driver is connected to and drives any one or more of the first link, the second link, and the third link to move the timing member.
18. 18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of a driver, a second driver connected to a rotating shaft, the timing member, a collar connected to the rotating shaft and the rotating shaft operates to dynamically change a timing and/or a phasing of an engine of a device.
19. 19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the links move through all possible link positions and establish a path and a timing or phasing between rotating shafts of a device changes at different rates along the path, and restricting the link positions about a relatively high rate area produces a relatively large amount of timing or phasing adjustment.
20. 20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein as a device moves through different link positions of the links, the device provides different levels of timing adjustments and the device is a timing adjuster with a geometry of a path.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a timing adjuster device, such as a dynamic timing adjuster that can be used to dynamically change the timing and/or phasing of an engine, and a method for operating the timing adjuster device. Discussion of Related Art Variable valve timing (VVT) is existing and known technology that is used to adjust the openings and closings of the valves of an engine, for example, as a function of or based upon the operating conditions of the engine. VVT can be used, for example, to improve the performance, the fuel economy and/or the undesirable emissions of the engine. In some conventional and known VVT systems, the timing of the valves of the engine are adjusted to suit the speed and/or a load of the engine. For example, some conventional and known VVT systems can be used to advance or retard the valve events based upon a direction of a piston in the engine. Other conventional and known VVT systems employ interpolated virtual angles on a flywheel. Existing VVT systems can be used to improve the performance and/or the fuel economy of the engine, reduce undesirable emissions, and/or increase the torque and/or smoothness of the engine. For example, VVT systems are conventionally used with mechanical devices, electro-hydraulic systems and/or camless systems to achieve desired results. Some relatively early and known VVT systems use a variator to change a phase of a camshaft and the corresponding valves of the engine. Other later known VVT systems use a helical camshaft and/or movable fulcrum systems. Some known VVT systems are used in automotive engines, particularly in view of increasingly strict emissions regulations, for example, for automotive engines. It is apparent that there is a need to enhance the capabilities and applications for conventional and known VVT systems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of this invention to provide a device that has a controlled timing offset between two rotating shafts of an engine, for example. There are no size restrictions thus making the device of this invention fully scalable upwards and/or downwards. According to some embodiments of this invention, the device is made up of or includes two shafts and four gears that are all held in place by three links, for example, all positioned on or in a same plane. In some embodiments of this invention, the links hold the gears constantly engaged and maintain a geometry of physical relationships between the elements. In other embodiments of this invention, the two shafts are not required to have any lateral or axial movement and/or need only to rotate. According to some embodiments of this invention, each shaft also has one gear and one end of a link. In some embodiments of this invention, the other ends of the links extending from the shafts connect to additional shafts on a center link. In some embodiments of this invention, the middle of the three links, sometimes called the center link, has a gear mounted at each end. In other embodiments of this invention, each center link gear engages the gear on the shaft adjacent to it. In some embodiments of this invention, the sums of the pitch diameters of the two gears on the center link are greater than a distance between the pitch diameters of the gears on the shafts. According to some embodiments of this invention, this formula for pitch diameters dictate that the links and gears assume a non-linear position remaining on the same plane. In some embodiments of this invention, when the gears assume different positions the center link must move and moving the center link will move the gears, and as this movement occurs the timing of the gears on the shafts can vary. In some embodiments of this invention, because the gears and shafts are mechanically linked, the timing can vary as the timing of the gears on the shafts varies. In some embodiments of this invention, the nature of this geometric configuration will dictate or require a non-linear variation of a timing change with respect to a center link position. In other embodiments of this invention, different link positions can provide different levels of timing adjustments. According to some embodiments of this invention, as the device moves through different link positions, it will provide different levels of timing adjustments. In some embodiments of this invention, the device of this invention has a 3 link timing adjustment device which can provide different technical features that take advantage of the geometry described. In some embodiments of this invention, as the links move through all possible positions, a path is or can be established and the timing, also known as phasing, between the shafts will change at different rates along this path. According to some embodiments of this invention, by restricting the link positions about an area where this rate is high will produce a relatively large amount of timing (phase) adjustment. In some embodiments of th