US Patent 7661399 Camshaft adjusting device

In a camshaft adjusting device including a positioning actuator for adjusting a phase position of a camshaft with respect to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, wherein the camshaft is driven by the crankshaft via a drive input, and a base drive torque of the camshaft is provided by a positioning actuator, a spring element is arranged between the camshaft and the crankshaft and has a spring torque selected so as to compensate for at least part of a mean load torque of a load unit connected to the camshaft to be driven thereby and at most only a part of the base drive torque.