Valve assembly integrated into a coolant pump and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227987-B2
Application number	US-201715827450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A pump assembly is fluidly coupled to a vehicle engine for moving a fluid. The pump assembly includes a pump housing and an impeller disposed in the pump housing for moving the fluid in the pump housing towards an outlet. Additionally, the pump assembly includes a valve assembly integrated with the pump housing. The valve assembly includes a barrel disposed in the pump housing and having at least one inlet, wherein the at least one inlet is configured to provide controlled flow of the fluid into the pump housing. A sleeve is rotatably coupled to the barrel for selectively controlling the flow of the fluid into the at least one inlet of the barrel. Additionally, the valve assembly includes an actuator assembly operably coupled to the sleeve and configured to rotate the sleeve between a first position and a second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pump assembly fluidly coupled to an engine of a vehicle for moving a fluid, said pump assembly comprising:
a pump housing defining an outlet;
an impeller disposed in said pump housing for moving the fluid in said pump housing towards said outlet; and
a valve assembly integrated with said pump housing, said valve assembly comprising:
a barrel disposed in said pump housing and defining at least one inlet configured to provide controlled flow of the fluid into said pump housing;
a sleeve disposed in said barrel and rotatably coupled to said barrel for selectively controlling the flow of the fluid into said at least one inlet of said barrel, wherein said sleeve is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position;
an actuator assembly operably coupled to said sleeve and configured to rotate said sleeve between said first position and said second position; and
an adaptor seal disposed about said barrel for preventing leakage of the fluid between said barrel and said pump housing.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said valve assembly is at least partially disposed in said pump housing.

3. The pump assembly of claim 2 , wherein said pump housing defines a hot bottle port for inletting fluid from a coolant reservoir of the vehicle, an EGR port for inletting fluid from an exhaust gas recirculation system of the vehicle, a bypass port for inletting fluid from the engine of the vehicle, and a radiator port for inletting fluid from a radiator of the vehicle, and wherein each of said ports correspond to at least one of said plurality of inlets.

4. The pump assembly of claim 3 , wherein at least two of said ports are controlled ports.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said barrel and said sleeve are enclosed within said pump housing.

6. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one inlet of said barrel comprises a plurality of inlets.

7. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said pump housing defines a hot bottle port for inletting fluid from a coolant reservoir of the vehicle, an EGR port for inletting fluid from an exhaust gas recirculation system of the vehicle, a bypass port for inletting fluid from the engine of the vehicle, a heater core port for inletting fluid from a heater core of the vehicle, and a radiator port for inletting fluid from a radiator of the vehicle, and wherein each of said ports correspond to at least one of said plurality of inlets.

8. The pump assembly of claim 7 , wherein said sleeve is configured such that said radiator port and said bypass port are both controlled ports.

9. The pump assembly of claim 7 , wherein when said sleeve is in said first position, said radiator port is open and said bypass port is closed.

10. The pump assembly of claim 9 , wherein when said sleeve is in said second position, said radiator port is closed and said bypass port is open.

11. The pump assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a radiator seal disposed at said radiator port for preventing leaks of the fluid when said sleeve is in said first position, in said second position, or therebetween.

12. The pump assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a bypass seal disposed at said bypass port for preventing leaks of the fluid when said sleeve is in said first position, in said second position, or therebetween.

13. The pump assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cover for enclosing said valve assembly and an adaptor plate for engaging said valve assembly to said cover.

14. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said actuator assembly further comprises an actuator shaft configured to rotate said sleeve between said first position and said second position.

15. The pump assembly of claim 1 , wherein said impeller and said pump housing comprise a dual mode coolant pump.

16. A cooling system comprising:
an engine;
a coolant reservoir;
an exhaust gas recirculation system;
a heater core;
a radiator;
a pump assembly fluidly coupled to said engine for moving a fluid, said pump assembly comprising:
a pump housing;
an impeller disposed in said pump housing for moving the fluid in said pump housing towards an outlet; and
a valve assembly integrated with said pump housing, said valve assembly comprising:
a barrel disposed in said pump housing and defining at least one inlet configured to provide controlled flow of the fluid into said pump housing;
a sleeve disposed in said barrel and rotatably coupled to said barrel for selectively controlling the flow of the fluid into the at least one inlet of said barrel, wherein said sleeve is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position;
an actuator assembly operably coupled to said sleeve and configured to rotate said sleeve between said first position and said second position; and
an adaptor seal disposed about said barrel for preventing leakage of the fluid between said barrel and said pump housing.

17. The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein said valve assembly is at least partially disposed in said pump housing.

18. The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein said barrel and said sleeve are enclosed within said pump housing.

19. The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein said pump housing defines a hot bottle port for inletting fluid from said coolant reservoir, an EGR port for inletting fluid from said exhaust gas recirculation system, a bypass port for inletting fluid from said engine, a heater core port for inletting fluid from said heater core, and a radiator port for inletting fluid from said radiator.

20. The cooling system of claim 16 , wherein at least two of said ports are controlled ports.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc
• Borgwarner Emissions Systems Llc

Inventors

• Hill Chris Andrew
• Leblanc Daniel Robert
• Herrmann Christian Theodor
• Auer Markus Josef

Classifications

• F16K31/535

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

• F16K31/528

  with pin and slot · CPC title

• F16K5/12

  Arrangements for modifying the way in which the rate of flow varies during the actuation of the valve · CPC title

• F16K31/041

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K11/0856

  having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title