Thermoregulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10007281-B2
Application number	US-201314419912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2013
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A thermostatic valve includes a housing internally provided with a receiving cavity and a thermostatic actuating element mounted in the receiving cavity. The receiving cavity is in communication with the exterior through at least three ports such as a first connecting port, a second connecting port, and a third connecting port. The thermostatic actuating element is mounted in the housing via two elastic members. An annular sealing collar which is fixedly mounted is provided in the receiving cavity. At least most of the thermostatic actuating element is located between the third port and the sealing collar. Such arrangement may ensure the temperature of the transmission oil when having a low temperature can rise rapidly and ensure the lubrication performance of a transmission. In addition, a processing precision requirement for components and parts can be reduced and manufacturing and mounting are more convenient.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermostatic valve, comprising a housing in which a receiving cavity is provided, and a thermostatic actuating element mounted in the receiving cavity, wherein the receiving cavity is in communication with an outside of the housing through at least three connecting ports comprising a first connecting port, a second connecting port and a third connecting port; the thermostatic actuating element comprises a main body of the thermostatic actuating element in which a thermosensitive substance is provided, and the thermostatic actuating element is mounted in the receiving cavity of the housing via two elastic members; and an annular sealing collar which is fixedly mounted is provided in the receiving cavity, and the first connecting port and the second connecting port are located at two sides of the annular sealing collar, respectively;
a first passage is opened in a case that the second connecting port, an inner hole of the annular sealing collar and the first connecting port are in communication with each other, and a second passage is opened in a case that the first connecting port and the third connecting port are in communication with each other;
in a case that a fluid has a first temperature, the thermosensitive substance in the thermostatic actuating element contracts, the main body of the thermostatic actuating element is moved towards the annular sealing collar under an action of an elastic force of the two elastic members, which enables a second engaging portion of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element, to abut against the annular sealing collar or cover the inner hole of the annular sealing collar, to block the first passage and open the second passage, wherein the second engaging portion maybe fixedly provided on the main body of the thermostatic element; and
in a case that the fluid has a second temperature, the thermosensitive substance in the thermostatic actuating element expands, the main body of the thermostatic actuating elements moves towards the third connecting port, until a first engaging portion of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element abuts against an end surface of a part of the housing where the third connecting port is located or covers the third connecting port, to block the second passage and open the first passage, wherein the first engaging portion maybe fixedly provided on the main body of the thermostatic element;
wherein a first valve opening is provided in the housing at a position where the third connecting port is provided; and
the housing has an open end which is in communication with the receiving cavity, the open end of the housing is sealed by a cap which is fixedly and hermetically mounted; the thermostatic actuating element further comprises a piston which is slidably mounted at a first end of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element, and one end of the piston is located outside the main body of the thermostatic actuating element and passes through an annular hole of the annular sealing collar; and
the two elastic members comprise a first elastic member and a second elastic member; the first elastic member is arranged at the cap or at a side adjacent to the cap, and the first elastic member has one end abutting against the cap, and another end abutting against or indirectly abutting against the piston at least during movement of the thermostatic actuating element; the second elastic member is arranged at the third connecting port or a side adjacent to the third connecting port, and the second elastic member has one end abutting against an inner wall or a bottom wall of the receiving cavity of the housing, and another end abutting against the main body; an initial deformation force of the first elastic member is greater than or equal to a pressure applied to the second elastic member when the first engaging portion abuts against a part where the first valve opening is located.

2. The thermostatic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the first valve opening is a port communicating the third connecting port with a second cavity where the main body of the thermostatic actuating element is provided; in a case that the first valve opening is closed, the second passage is blocked and the first passage is opened; a second valve opening is provided on the annular sealing collar to communicate the first connecting port with the second connecting port, and the second valve opening is a port of the annular sealing collar that faces the third connecting port or a port of the inner hole of the annular sealing collar; and in a case that the second valve opening is closed, the second passage is opened and the first passage is blocked.

3. The thermostatic valve according to claim 2 , wherein the thermosensitive substance expands when the thermostatic actuating element is heated, and after the piston abuts against or indirectly abuts against the first elastic member, the main body is moved with respect to the piston, such that moves towards the third connecting port, until the first engaging portion abuts against the part where the first valve opening is located, and then the piston compresses the first elastic member and moves towards the cap.

4. The thermostatic valve according to claim 1 , wherein a third passage in communication with the third connecting port is provided in the housing, a shoulder portion is formed at a junction of the third connecting port and the third passage, and the second elastic member abuts against the shoulder portion formed at the junction between the third connecting port and the third passage; in a case that the fluid has the second temperature, the thermosensitive substance in the thermostatic actuating element expands, the main body of the thermostatic actuating element moves towards the third connecting port against the elastic force of the second elastic member, until the first engaging portion is in pressingly contact with the part where the first valve opening is located to block the third connecting port; and a distance from a bottom of the third passage to a bottom of the third connecting port is L, and a diameter of the passage is R, wherein 1>L/R≥ 1/16.

5. The thermostatic valve according to claim 3 , wherein a retaining member is provided at a circumferential side of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element, an outer diameter of the retaining member is greater than an inner diameter of the third connecting port; one end, which is between the retaining member and the third connecting port, of the main body has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the third connecting port, the second elastic member has one end in pressingly contact with the retaining member, and the other end in pressingly contact with the inner wall or the bottom wall of the receiving cavity of the housing, and the retaining member is fixedly mounted or integrally formed with the main body of the thermostatic actuating element; in a case that the thermostatic actuating element is heated, the main body moves downwards to drive the retaining member to move, until the first engaging portion, facing the third connecting port, of the retaining member abuts against the part where the first valve opening is located, to block the third connecting port; and then a force generated by the expansion of the thermosensitive substance of the thermostatic actuating element when being heated is enough to continue compressing the first elastic member.

6. The thermostatic valve according to claim 3 , wherein a mounting portion is provided at the second end of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element, a diameter of an outer side wall of the main body of the thermostatic actuating element is greater than an inner diameter of the third connecting port, and one end of the second elastic member is fixed by

Assignees

• Zhejiang Sanhua Automotive Components Co Ltd

Inventors

• Qiu Haoming
• Yin Bin
• Zhang Jianmin
• Wang Hui

Classifications

• F16K31/002

  actuated by temperature variation (thermo-electric F16K31/025) · CPC title

• F01M5/007 Primary

  Thermostatic control · CPC title

• G05D23/1333

  measuring the temperature of incoming fluid · CPC title

• F16K11/044 Primary

  with movable valve members positioned between valve seats · CPC title

• G05D23/022 Primary

  the sensing element being placed within a regulating fluid flow · CPC title