Electronic throttle control assembly with default airflow adjustment pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138820-B2
Application number	US-201615333733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An excentric pin for an electronic throttle control assembly, which is used to adjust the default position of at least one spring used to control the position of a valve plate, where the valve plate is located in an opening of a housing in the electronic control assembly. The excentric pin is used to adjust the default angle of the valve plate to have an angular tolerance of +/−0.10°. The excentric pin is slideably pressed into an aperture of the housing of the electronic throttle control assembly, and turned using some type of driver. The electronic throttle control assembly may be a one-spring design, or a two-spring design, where the two-spring design requires only one spring pin and the excentric pin. Also, the excenter pin may be used to adjust the position of the sector gear, e.g., function as the lower mechanical stop to provide a minimum opening angle for low leakage, and a minimum opening angle to avoid throttle plate corking into opening of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a throttle control assembly, including:
a housing defining a central port;
a valve plate disposed in the central port and mounted on a shaft;
an actuator for controlling the rotation of the valve plate and the shaft;
at least one gear, the rotation of the at least one gear controlled by the actuator, the rotation of the at least one gear controls the rotation of the shaft;
an opening spring having a first end;
a closing spring having a first end separated from and abutting the first end of the opening spring; the opening and closing springs being operable for biasing the at least one gear, such that the valve plate is placed in a default flow position; and
at least one adjustment pin attached to the housing such that the at least one adjustment pin contacts only the first end of the opening spring;
wherein the adjustment pin is constructed and arranged to be movable to change a position of the first end of the opening spring causing a position of the abutting first end of the closing spring to change relative to the housing to adjust the default flow position of the valve plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising:
a main body;
a cam integrally formed with the main body;
wherein the at least one adjustment pin is rotated to adjust the position of the cam relative to the at least one spring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising:
a knurled portion adjacent the cam; and
a press-zone portion adjacent the knurled portion;
wherein the at least one adjustment pin is inserted into a mounting aperture of the housing such that the press-zone portion is disposed in the aperture, the at least one adjustment pin is then rotated to adjust the default flow position of the valve plate, and the at least one adjustment pin is then further pressed into the aperture to fixedly mounted the at least one adjustment pin to the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising a ribbed portion, wherein the ribbed portion is inserted into a mounting aperture formed as part of the housing to fixedly mount the at least one adjustment pin to the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive portion integrally formed with the main body;
wherein the drive portion is rotated to rotate the at least one adjustment pin and place the at least one adjustment pin is the desired position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , the drive portion further comprising an external drive portion having a plurality of external splines.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , the drive portion further comprising an internal drive portion having a plurality of internal splines.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing mounted to the pin, wherein an outer diameter of the bushing contacts the at least one spring.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second adjustment pin fixedly mounted to the housing adjacent the at least one gear; and
a gear stop integrally formed as part of the at least one gear;
wherein the second adjustment pin is positioned to adjust the position of the at least one gear and the position of the valve plate.

10. A throttle control assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a central port formed as part of the housing;
a valve plate mounted on a shaft such that the valve plate is disposed in the central port;
a gear assembly;
a sector gear being part of the gear assembly, the sector gear mounted on the shaft;
an actuator engaged with the gear assembly,
an opening spring having a first end, the opening spring being operable for biasing the sector gear towards an open position;
a closing spring having a first end separated from and abutting the first end of the opening spring, the opening spring being operable for biasing the sector gear towards a closed position; and
at least one adjustment pin operable for adjusting the position of the opening spring and the closing spring, the adjustment pin contacting only the first end of the opening spring;
wherein the adjustment pin is constructed and arranged to be movable relative to the housing to adjust the position of the opening spring causing a position of the abutting the closing spring to change, which changes the position of the sector gear, the shaft, and the valve plate.

11. The throttle control assembly of claim 10 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising:
a main body; and
a cam integrally formed with the main body;
wherein the at least one adjustment pin is rotated such that the cam changes the position of the opening spring and the closing spring.

12. The throttle control assembly of claim 11 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising a drive portion, wherein the drive portion is used to rotate the at least one adjustment pin.

13. The throttle control assembly of claim 11 , the drive portion further comprising an external drive portion having a plurality of external splines.

14. The throttle control assembly of claim 11 , the drive portion further comprising an internal drive portion having a plurality of internal splines.

15. The throttle control assembly of claim 10 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising:
a knurled portion integrally formed with the main body adjacent the cam; and
a press-zone portion adjacent the knurled portion;
wherein the at least one adjustment pin is inserted into a mounting aperture of the housing such that the press-zone portion is disposed in the aperture, the at least one adjustment pin is then rotated to adjust the default flow position of the valve plate, and the at least one adjustment pin is then further pressed into the aperture to fixedly mounted the at least one adjustment pin to the housing.

16. The throttle control assembly of claim 10 , the at least one adjustment pin further comprising a ribbed portion formed as part of the main body adjacent the cam, wherein the ribbed portion is inserted into a mounting aperture formed as part of the housing to fixedly mount the at least one adjustment pin to the housing.

17. The throttle control assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second adjustment pin fixedly mounted to the housing adjacent the sector gear; and
a gear stop integrally formed as part of the sector gear;
wherein the second adjustment pin is positioned to adjust the position of the sector gear and the position of the valve plate.

18. The throttle control assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a bushing mounted to the pin, wherein an outer diameter of the bushing contacts the at least one spring.

19. A throttle control assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a central port formed as part of the housing;
a valve plate mounted on a shaft such that the valve plate is disposed in the central port;
a gear assembly;
a sector gear being part of the gear assembly, the sector gear mounted on the shaft;
an actuator engaged with the gear assembly,
a mounting aperture integrally formed as part of the housing;
at least one adjustment pin disposed in the mounting aperture;
an opening spring having a first end in contact with the at least one adjustment pin, and a second end engaged with the sector gear;
a closing spring having a first end separated from and abutting the first end of the opening spring, and a second end engaged with the housing;
a main body being part of the at least one adjustment pin;
a cam integrally formed with the main body, the cam being in contact

Assignees

• Continental automotive systems inc

Inventors

• Köhler Stefan
• Burkhard Stefan
• Stockbridge John Norman

Classifications

• F16H19/001

  for conveying reciprocating or limited rotary motion · CPC title

• F02D41/0002

  Controlling intake air · CPC title

• F02D2009/0269

  Throttle closing springs; Acting of throttle closing springs on the throttle shaft · CPC title

• F02D9/1065 Primary

  Mechanical control linkage between an actuator and the flap, e.g. including levers, gears, springs, clutches, limit stops of the like · CPC title

• F02D11/04

  characterised by mechanical control linkages (F02D11/06 takes precedence) · CPC title