Valve assembly with vent port between supply port and control port

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054245-B2
Application number	US-201615380071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a housing with a bore, a supply port in fluid communication with the bore, a control port in fluid communication with the bore, and a vent port in fluid communication with bore such that the vent port is located at a location of the housing that is between the supply port and the control port. A valve seat assembly with a valve seat body is disposed within the housing and defines a control chamber in constant fluid communication with the control port, a vent path from the control port to the vent port, and a supply passage which provides constant fluid communication from the supply port to the control chamber. A vent valve member is selectively seated and unseated with the vent valve seat to selectively prevent and permit fluid communication from the control port to the vent port respectively.

First claim

We claim:

1. A valve assembly which receives working fluid from a working fluid source and then communicates said working fluid to and from a working device that is switchable from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation at a predetermined pressure of said working fluid, said valve assembly comprising:
a housing with a housing control bore extending along an axis, a supply port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which receives said working fluid from said working fluid source, a control port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which communicates said working fluid to and from said working device, and a vent port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which selectively returns said working fluid to said working fluid source, wherein said vent port is located at an axial position of said housing that is between said supply port and said control port;
a valve seat assembly including a valve seat body disposed coaxially within said housing control bore, said valve seat body defining:
a control chamber in constant fluid communication with said control port;
a vent path from said control port to said vent port; and
a vent valve seat in said vent path;

a supply passage which provides constant fluid communication from said supply port to said control chamber; and
a vent valve member which is selectively seated and unseated with said vent valve seat such that said working fluid passes from said control chamber to said vent port through said vent path when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat and such that said working fluid is prevented from being communicated to said vent port when said vent valve member is seated with said vent valve seat.

2. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said supply passage is defined by said valve seat body and by said housing control bore.

3. A valve assembly as in claim 2 wherein said supply passage is radially between said valve seat body and said housing control bore.

4. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said supply passage is laterally offset from said axis.

5. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said supply port is in fluid communication with said control port when said vent valve member is seated with said vent valve seat and said supply port is in fluid communication with said control port when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat.

6. A valve assembly as in claim 1 further comprising a solenoid which seats said vent valve member with said vent valve seat and which unseats said vent valve member with said vent valve seat, wherein said control port is proximal to said solenoid and said supply port is distal from said solenoid.

7. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said vent valve member is centered about said axis.

8. A valve assembly which receives working fluid from a working fluid source and then communicates said working fluid to and from a working device that is switchable from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation at a predetermined pressure of said working fluid, said valve assembly comprising:
a housing with a housing control bore extending along an axis, a supply port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which receives said working fluid from said working fluid source, a control port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which communicates said working fluid to and from said working device, and a vent port in fluid communication with said housing control bore which selectively returns said working fluid to said working fluid source, wherein said vent port is located at an axial position of said housing that is between said supply port and said control port;
a valve seat assembly including a valve seat body disposed coaxially within said housing control bore, said valve seat body defining:
a control chamber in constant fluid communication with said control port;
a vent path from said control port to said vent port; and
a vent valve seat in said vent path;

a supply passage which provides constant fluid communication from said supply port to said control chamber; and
a vent valve member which is selectively seated and unseated with said vent valve seat such that said working fluid passes from said control chamber to said vent port through said vent path when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat and such that said working fluid is prevented from being communicated to said vent port when said vent valve member is seated with said vent valve seat;
wherein said valve seat body further defines a pressure regulating valve seat in said vent path fluidly between said vent valve seat and said vent port, said valve assembly further comprising:
a pressure regulating valve member which is selectively seated and unseated with said pressure regulating valve seat based on pressure within said control chamber when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat such that said working fluid passes from said control chamber to said vent port through said vent path when said pressure regulating valve member is unseated with said pressure regulating valve seat and such that said working fluid is prevented from being communicated to said vent port when said pressure regulating valve member is unseated with said pressure regulating valve seat.

9. A valve assembly as in claim 8 further comprising a pressure regulating valve spring which urges said pressure regulating valve member toward said pressure regulating valve seat, wherein, when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat, said pressure regulating valve spring maintains the pressure of said working fluid within said control chamber below said predetermined pressure by seating and unseating said pressure regulating valve member with said pressure regulating valve seat.

10. A valve assembly as in claim 9 wherein, said pressure regulating valve spring has a spring force which, when said vent valve member is unseated with said vent valve seat, keeps said pressure regulating valve member seated with said pressure regulating valve seat when the pressure within said control chamber is below a second predetermined pressure that is less than said predetermined pressure and allows said pressure regulating valve member to be unseated with said pressure regulating valve seat when the pressure within said control chamber is greater than said second predetermined pressure.

11. A valve assembly as in claim 10 wherein said vent path is defined in part by a valve seat bore which is centered about said axis such that said valve seat bore extends through said valve seat body, said valve seat assembly further comprising a spring seat within said valve seat bore which grounds said pressure regulating valve spring to said valve seat body.

12. A valve assembly as in claim 9 wherein said vent path is defined in part by a valve seat bore which is centered about said axis such that said valve seat bore extends through said valve seat body, said valve seat assembly further comprising a spring seat within said valve seat bore which grounds said pressure regulating valve spring to said valve seat body.

13. A valve assembly as in claim 12 wherein said spring seat is sealed to said valve seat body such that said spring seat prevents said working fluid from passing from said supply port to said vent port through said valve seat bore without passing through said vent valve seat.

14. A valve assembly as in claim 12 wherein said vent path is further defined by a valve seat vent passage which extends through said radially through said valve seat body from sai

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Ip Ltd

Inventors

• Muzquiz Guillermo
• Chavez Cesar C

Classifications

• F16K31/0637

  with ball shaped valve members · CPC title

• F16K31/0662 Primary

  with a ball-shaped valve member · CPC title

• Y10T137/7922

  Spring biased · CPC title

• Y10T137/86678

  Combined disk or plug and gate or piston · CPC title

• F01L2001/3443

  Solenoid driven oil control valves · CPC title