Wax element with linear gear actuated four-way valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222813-B2
Application number	US-201314424066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2013
Priority date	Sep 5, 2012
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A four-way hall valve includes a linear gear for operating the ball element in the valve and a temperature responsive wax element connected to the linear gear for moving the linear gear and rotating the ball in response to temperature change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve for use in a vehicle cooling system, said valve comprising:
a valve body including a fluid flow path within said valve body, wherein said valve body is configured for connection to fluid conduits in the vehicle cooling system, said valve body including a valve actuator channel within said fluid flow path, said valve body defining a plurality of connection features forming at least one inlet and at least one outlet from said valve body, wherein said fluid flow path includes said at least one inlet fluidly connected to said at least one outlet;
a valve seat in said valve body;
a valve element operable with said valve seat to control fluid flow between and among said plurality of connection features, wherein said valve element includes a valve gear; and
a valve actuator including:
a temperature-responsive wax element operatively connected to a shroud that is disposed within and configured to move within said valve actuator channel, wherein said temperature-responsive wax element is responsive to temperature changes of an environment surrounding said temperature-responsive wax element; and
a linear gear extending from said shroud, wherein said linear gear is configured to be moved by said wax element and is connected to said valve element, wherein said linear gear is drivingly connected to said valve gear.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein said valve element is a ball element having flow channels in a surface thereof.

3. The valve of claim 1 , said shroud having a shutoff member for selectively closing flow through at least one of said plurality of connection features.

4. The valve of claim 1 , wherein said linear gear extends from said shroud to said valve element, and said temperature-responsive wax element is anchored in said valve actuator channel and is disposed against an end of said shroud.

5. The valve of claim 4 , further including a spring operatively disposed against said shroud in opposition to said temperature-responsive wax element.

6. The valve of claim 5 , said shroud having a shutoff member for selectively closing flow through at least one of said plurality of connection features.

7. A valve for use in a vehicle cooling system, said valve comprising:
a valve body having a valve actuator channel within a fluid flow path within said valve body, said valve body defining a plurality of connection features forming at least one inlet and at least one outlet from said valve body, wherein said fluid flow path includes said at least one inlet fluidly connected to said at least one outlet;
a valve seat in said valve body;
a ball element operable with said valve seat to control fluid flow between and among said plurality of connection features, said ball element including a gear directly fixed thereto;
a shroud disposed within and configured to move within said valve actuator channel;
a linear gear extending from said shroud and drivingly engaged with said gear of said ball element; and
an actuator connected to said linear gear for moving said linear gear to rotate said ball element, wherein said actuator is a temperature-responsive wax element that is responsive to temperature changes of an environment surrounding said temperature-responsive wax element.

8. The valve of claim 7 , wherein said temperature-responsive wax element is anchored in said channel.

9. The valve of claim 8 , wherein said shroud includes a shutoff member for selectively opening and closing flow through at least one of said plurality of connection features upon movement of said shroud.

10. The valve of claim 9 , including a spring in said actuator channel, said spring acting against said shroud in opposition to said wax element.

11. A four-way valve for use in a vehicle cooling system, said four-way valve comprising:
a valve body defining a valve actuator channel within a fluid flow path within said valve body, wherein said fluid flow path includes at least two inlets fluidly connected to at least two outlets;
a valve seat in said valve body;
a rotatable ball element operable against said valve seat to control fluid flow between and among said inlets and said outlets, said ball element including a gear;
a shroud disposed within and configured to move within said valve actuator channel;
a linear gear extending from said shroud and drivingly engaged with said gear of said ball element; and
a temperature-responsive wax element operably connected to said linear gear for movement of said linear gear wherein said temperature-responsive wax element is responsive to temperature changes of an environment surrounding said temperature-responsive wax element.

12. The four-way valve of claim 11 , wherein said shroud includes a shutoff member having positions to open and close flow through at least one of said at least two inlets and said at least two outlets.

13. The four-way valve of claim 12 including a spring disposed against said shroud in opposition to said temperature-responsive wax element.

14. The four-way valve of claim 12 , said temperature-responsive wax element being anchored in said channel and operable against said shroud.

15. The four-way valve of claim 14 , including a spring disposed against said shroud in opposition to said temperature-responsive wax element.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Carns Christopher A

Classifications

• G05D23/023 Primary

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

• F16K31/002

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

• G05D23/1333 Primary

  measuring the temperature of incoming fluid · CPC title

• F16K31/54

  with pinion and rack · CPC title

• F16K31/535

  for rotating valves (F16K31/54 takes precedence) · CPC title