Exhaust gas recirculation valve actuator device (EGR) in an internal combustion engine and related exhaust gas recirculation valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634101-B2
Application number	US-201715632975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Exhaust gas recirculation valve actuator device in an internal combustion engine, comprising an actuator body housing where the stem of an exhaust gas recirculation valve, extends along an axial direction. A motor acts to move the recirculation valve along the axial direction X-X, to pass from an open configuration to a closed configuration. A transmission is interposed between the motor and the exhaust gas recirculation valve. The device also includes support and guide mechanism and a sealing mechanism, in correspondence of a connection interface of the actuator body with an associable valve body, which houses an exhaust gas passage duct, wherein the actuator body is mechanically separable/connectable from/to said associable valve body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An exhaust gas recirculation valve device in an internal combustion engine, comprising a valve body, and an actuator body housing
a stem of an exhaust gas recirculation valve, extending along an axial direction,
a motor of said exhaust gas recirculation valve that moves the exhaust gas recirculation valve along said axial direction, to pass from an open configuration to a closed configuration,
a transmission, interposed between the motor and the exhaust gas recirculation valve,
a support and guide mechanism of the exhaust gas recirculation valve,
a heat reducing and sealing mechanism, in correspondence with a connection interface of the actuator body which is in contact with the valve body, which houses an exhaust gas passage duct, wherein the actuator body is mechanically separable from said valve body,
wherein the stem of exhaust gas recirculation valve is made of a single integral piece with a closure valve head or poppet of the same valve,
wherein the actuator device comprises a contactless position sensor, facing a portion of said stem provided with an emissive element, so as to detect its axial position, said contactless position sensor being housed in the actuator body; and
wherein said connection interface of the actuator body comprises a recess which forms an expansion chamber or escape route for leaking exhaust gases coming from the valve body and reduces a contact surface between the connection interface and the valve body.

2. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said emissive element is a magnetic element.

3. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the motor includes a rotary electric motor, and the transmission includes mechanisms that transform rotary motion of the rotary electric motor into reciprocating rectilinear motion of the stem of the exhaust gas recirculation valve, said transmission including a pinion, kinematically connected to the motor and a rack fixed to the stem, the rack meshing with said pinion.

4. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the motor and the pinion are arranged on opposite sides with respect to the stem provided with the rack.

5. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the transmission includes an elastic return mechanism, housed inside the actuator body.

6. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said elastic return mechanism includes a spring, arranged coaxially to the stem, on the side opposite the closure head or poppet of the exhaust gas recirculation valve, inside the actuator body.

7. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the spring is arranged so as to work in compression, pre-loading the exhaust gas recirculation valve in closing and opposing the opening action exerted by the motor.

8. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the spring exerts an elastic return force that varies as a function of its degree of compression.

9. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the elastic return mechanism is positioned so as to influence directly a portion of the stem of the valve itself, on an opposite end from the closure valve head or poppet.

10. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the contactless sensor and the motor are positioned on opposite sides with respect to the stem of the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

11. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the actuator body is made of plastic material.

12. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the support and guide mechanism of the exhaust gas recirculation valve comprises at least one anti-friction bushing that houses and guides the stem coaxially to it, housed in the actuator body.

13. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the heat reducing and sealing mechanism, in correspondence with the connection interface of the actuator body which is in contact with the valve body, comprises at least one gasket, arranged coaxially to the stem of the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

14. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein the valve body houses the closure head or the poppet of said exhaust gas recirculation valve and houses the exhaust gas passage duct, intercepted by said closure head or poppet of the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

15. The exhaust gas recirculation valve device as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the valve body, in correspondence with an upper face, facing the connection interface of the actuator body, comprises a recess that creates an exhaust gas vent channel, said vent channel being aligned, at least partially, with the recess formed on the connection interface of the actuator body.

Assignees

• Magneti Marelli Spa

Inventors

• Bartolotta Giancarlo
• Domma Stefano
• Avanzi Matteo
• Musolesi Stefano

Classifications

• F02M26/48

  EGR valve position sensors (details of the sensor installation in the valve housing F02M26/72) · CPC title

• F02M26/74

  Protection from damage, e.g. shielding means · CPC title

• F02M26/54 Primary

  Rotary actuators, e.g. step motors · CPC title

• F02M26/58

  Constructional details of the actuator; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• F16K31/54

  with pinion and rack · CPC title