Flow control valve and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690040-B2
Application number	US-201715585791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2017
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a technology that can simultaneously control the flow rate of a coolant and perform variable separate cooling by controlling the opening rate of a flow control valve. The flow control valve has an inlet port connected to a coolant outlet of a cylinder block and a plurality of outlet ports connected to a cooling inlet port of an engine such that the opening rate of a first outlet port is symmetrically changed in a first direction and a second direction from a mid-operation angle of the entire operation section of the flow control valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow control valve that is independently connected to a coolant outlet of a cylinder block and a coolant outlet of a cylinder head, has an inlet port connected to the coolant outlet of the cylinder block, and has at least three outlet ports for discharging the coolant from an engine,
wherein the at least three outlet ports include a first outlet port connected to a radiator,
the flow control valve is configured that an opening rate of the first outlet port is symmetrically changed in a first direction and a second direction from a mid-operation angle of an entire operation angle of the flow control valve,
the opening rate of the first outlet port is maximized in the mid-operation angle of the flow control valve,
the entire operation angle of the flow control valve includes a first operation limit angle, the mid-operation angle, and a second operation limit angle, and
the first operation limit angle is an angle at a first end of the entire operation angle of the flow control valve, the second operation limit angle is an angle at a second end of the entire operation angle of the flow control valve, and the mid-operation angle is an angle in a range between the first operation limit angle and the second operation limit angle such that the first outlet port is symmetrically opened and closed in the first direction and the second direction from the mid-operation angle.

2. The flow control valve of claim 1 , wherein the opening rate of the first outlet port gradually decreases, as the flow control valve is operated such that an operation angle of the flow control valve enters the first direction or the second direction from a maximum cooling section including the mid-operation angle.

3. The flow control valve of claim 2 , wherein the opening rate of the first outlet port is minimized before the operation angle of the flow control valve reaches the first end and the second end from the maximum cooling section.

4. The flow control valve of claim 2 , wherein an opening rate of the inlet port becomes minimum and maximum, as the flow control valve is operated in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, from the mid-operation angle of the flow control valve.

5. The flow control valve of claim 4 , wherein the at least three outlet ports include a second outlet port connected to an oil heat exchanger or an EGR cooler, and a third outlet port connected to a heater core, and
opening rates of the second outlet port and the third outlet port are set such that the second outlet port and the third outlet port are partially opened in the maximum cooling section.

6. The flow control valve of claim 4 , wherein the at least three outlet ports include a second outlet port connected to an oil heat exchanger or an EGR cooler, and a third outlet port connected to a heater core, and
the opening rates of all of the first outlet port, the second outlet port, the third outlet port, and the inlet port are set to be minimum in a flow stop section including the first operation limit angle.

7. The flow control valve of claim 6 , wherein when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in a warming-up section between the flow stop section and the mid-operation angle, the opening rates of the first outlet port and the inlet port are minimum, the opening rate of the second outlet port is changed between the minimum and the maximum, depending on an operation angle change of the flow control valve, and the opening rate of the third outlet port is changed, depending on the operation angle change of the flow control valve.

8. The flow control valve of claim 7 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in the warming-up section, the opening rate of the second outlet port gradually increases, as the flow control valve is operated from the first operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle, and
the opening rate of the third outlet port is gradually increased and then maintained at a predetermined opening rate that is smaller than a maximum opening rate, as the flow control valve is operated from the first operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle.

9. The flow control valve of claim 7 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in a first variable operation section between the warming-up section and the maximum cooling section, the opening rate of the first outlet port is changed between the minimum and the maximum, depending on the operation angle change of the flow control valve, the opening rate of the second outlet port is maximum, the opening rate of the third outlet port is set such that the third outlet port is partially opened, and the opening rate of the inlet port is minimum.

10. The flow control valve of claim 9 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in the first variable operation section, the opening rate of the first outlet port gradually increases, as the flow control valve is operated along a direction from the first operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle.

11. The flow control valve of claim 9 , wherein the at least three outlet ports include the third outlet port connected to the heater core, and
an opening rate of the third outlet port is maximum in a heating priority operation section including the second operation limit angle.

12. The flow control valve of claim 11 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in the heating priority operation section, the opening rate of the first outlet port is minimum, the opening rate of the second outlet port is changed between the minimum and the maximum, depending on the operation angle change of the flow control valve, and the opening rate of the inlet port is maximum.

13. The flow control valve of claim 12 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in the heating priority operation section, the opening rate of the second outlet port gradually increases, as the flow control valve is operated along a direction from the second operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle.

14. The flow control valve of claim 12 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in a second variable operation section between the heating priority operation section and the maximum cooling section, the opening rate of the first outlet port is changed between the minimum and the maximum, depending on the operation angle change of the flow control valve, and
the opening rates of the second outlet port and the third outlet port are changed, depending on the operation angle change of the flow control valve, and the opening rate of the inlet port is maximum.

15. The flow control valve of claim 14 , wherein, when the operation angle of the flow control valve is in the second variable operation section, the opening rate of the first outlet port gradually increases, as the flow control valve is operated along a direction from the second operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle, the opening rate of the second outlet port is maintained at the maximum opening rate and then gradually decreased over the minimum opening rate, and the opening rate of the third outlet port gradually decreases over the minimum opening rate, as the flow control valve is operated along the direction from the second operation limit angle to the mid-operation angle.

16. The flow control valve of claim 14 , further comprising a controller that maintains the operation angle of the flow control valve in the flow stop section when the engine is started and coolant temperature is a reference temperature or higher.

17. The flow co

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Jang Jae Soo
• Park Cheol Soo
• Han Bong Hoon
• Chae Dong Suk
• Park Jun Sik
• Lee Phil Gi
• Yi Jea Woong

Classifications

• F16K5/12

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

• F01P7/167 Primary

  by adjusting the pre-set temperature according to engine parameters, e.g. engine load, engine speed · CPC title

• F16K11/0876

  one connecting conduit having the same axis as the spindle · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F01P2011/0228

  Sealing · CPC title