Heat exchanger assembly with integrated valve with pressure relief feature for hot and cold fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10900557-B2
Application number	US-201816189166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An assembly includes a valve integration unit attached to a transmission oil heater. The valve integration unit includes a valve mechanism and a housing having first to sixth fluid ports for oil input and output. The interior space of the housing has three portions, including a second portion defining a valve chamber and a third portion defining a bypass flow passage between the first and second portions. The valve mechanism has a temperature responsive actuator and first, second and third valve members. The movement of the first and second valve members is actuated by the temperature responsive actuator. The third valve member and the third valve opening are located in the second portion of the interior space. The third valve member is actuatable in response to a pressure differential between the first and second portions of the interior space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
(a) a heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of alternating first and second fluid flow passages in heat exchange relation;
a first manifold and a second manifold interconnected by the plurality of first fluid flow passages, for flow of a first fluid through the heat exchanger;
a third manifold and a fourth manifold interconnected by the plurality of second fluid flow passages, for flow of a second fluid through the heat exchanger;
(b) a valve integration unit fixedly attached to the heat exchanger, wherein the valve integration unit comprises a housing and a valve mechanism;
(i) the housing comprising:

first to sixth fluid ports, three of said fluid ports being provided for input of the first fluid into the valve integration unit, and three of said fluid ports being provided for output of the first fluid from the valve integration unit;
an interior space comprising a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the interior space defining a longitudinal axis of the housing;
wherein the second portion of the interior space defines a valve chamber;
wherein the third portion of the interior space defines a bypass flow passage between the first and second portions of the interior space;
wherein the first and second fluid ports provide fluid communication between the interior space of the housing and the first and second manifolds of the heat exchanger, wherein one of the first and second fluid ports is provided for input of the first fluid from the heat exchanger to the valve integration unit, and the other of the first and second fluid ports is provided for output of the first fluid from the valve integration unit to the heat exchanger;
wherein the third and fourth fluid ports provide fluid communication between the interior space of the housing and a first remote vehicle component, wherein one of the third and fourth fluid ports is provided for input of the first fluid from the first remote vehicle component to the valve integration unit, and the other of the third and fourth fluid ports is provided for output of the first fluid from the valve integration unit to the first remote vehicle component;
wherein the fifth and sixth fluid ports provide fluid communication between the interior space of the housing and a second remote vehicle component, wherein one of the fifth and sixth fluid ports is provided for input of the first fluid from the second remote vehicle component to the valve integration unit, and the other of the fifth and sixth fluid ports is provided for output of the first fluid from the valve integration unit to the second remote vehicle component;
wherein the first, fourth and sixth fluid ports of the housing are in fluid communication with each other through the first portion of the interior space; and
wherein the second, third and fifth fluid ports of the housing are in fluid communication with each other through the second portion of the interior space;
(ii) the valve mechanism oriented along the longitudinal axis and comprising:

a temperature responsive actuator;
a first valve member being movable along the longitudinal axis for opening and closing a first valve opening located in the second portion of the interior space, the first valve member and the first valve opening being located between the third fluid port and the fifth fluid port which are longitudinally spaced apart from one another, wherein the movement of the first valve member is actuated by the temperature responsive actuator;
a second valve member being movable along the longitudinal axis for opening and closing a second valve opening located in the second portion of the interior space, the second valve member and the second valve opening being located between the second fluid port and the fifth fluid port which are longitudinally spaced apart from one another, wherein the movement of the second valve member is actuated by the temperature responsive actuator;
a third valve member being movable along the longitudinal axis for opening a third valve opening, the third valve member and the third valve opening being located within the second portion of the interior space, and between the second interior portion and the third interior portion of the interior space;
wherein the third valve member is actuatable to open the third valve opening in response to a fluid pressure differential between the first and second portions of the interior space.

2. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fifth fluid port is located along the longitudinal axis between the second and third fluid ports.

3. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second valve members are connected to the temperature responsive actuator.

4. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the temperature responsive actuator comprises a generally cylindrical actuator body having a first end and a second end, wherein the first valve member is provided at the first end of the actuator and the second valve member is provided at the second end of the actuator.

5. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first valve member comprises an annular disc carried on the first end of the temperature responsive actuator.

6. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second valve member is slidably received on an outer cylindrical surface of the valve actuator, and is biased toward the second end of the actuator by a first spring member comprising a coil spring which is provided around the outer cylindrical surface of the actuator.

7. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a transmission oil heater;
wherein the first fluid is transmission oil;
wherein the first remote vehicle component which is in fluid communication with the interior space through the third and fourth fluid ports comprises a transmission oil cooler; and
wherein the second remote vehicle component which is in fluid communication with the interior space through the fifth and sixth fluid ports comprises a transmission.

8. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a unitary, one-piece construction, and includes a base plate connected to the heat exchanger;
wherein the base plate has a bottom surface which is sealingly joined to a first end plate of the heat exchanger; and
wherein the first and second fluid ports extend through the base plate from the bottom surface to the interior space, to provide fluid communication between the interior space and the first and second manifolds of the heat exchanger.

9. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the interior space of the housing are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis and are fluidly separated from one another, except through the heat exchanger and through the third portion of the interior space; and
wherein the third portion of the interior space comprises said bypass flow passage and is in the form of an internal, longitudinally extending bore inside the housing.

10. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a valve insertion opening at one end of the interior space, to permit insertion of the valve mechanism into the second portion of the interior space; and
wherein the valve mechanism includes a valve cap which sealingly closes the valve insertion opening.

11. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve mechanism comprises a spool member having an annular end portion on which the first valve seat is provided; and
wherein each of the second valve seat and the third valve seat comprise an annular shoulder formed by a reduction in diameter in the second portion of t

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Muhammad Anis
• Tonellato Silvio

Classifications

• F01M5/001

  Heating · CPC title

• F28F2280/06

  Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections · CPC title

• F01P2060/04

  Lubricant cooler · CPC title

• F28D2021/0089

  Oil coolers · CPC title

• F16H57/0475

  Engine and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof · CPC title