Wastegate assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313271-B2
Application number	US-202017019820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A wastegate assembly for controlling flow of exhaust gas includes a valve element having a valve body and a valve shaft. The wastegate assembly further includes a spindle. The wastegate assembly further includes a washer coupled to the valve shaft and spaced from the spindle for securing the spindle to the valve shaft. A plurality of cup springs is disposed between the spindle and the washer. The plurality of cup springs includes at least a first cup spring and a second cup spring, with the first cup spring supported on the spindle head and the second cup spring orientated substantially identical to the first cup spring and disposed directly on the first cup spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wastegate assembly for controlling a flow of exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine and through a wastegate channel of a turbocharger, said wastegate assembly comprising:
a valve element having a valve body and a valve shaft extending away from said valve body, with said valve shaft extending along an axis, and with said valve element moveable between a first position and a second position to control the flow of exhaust gas through the wastegate channel of the turbocharger;
a spindle having a head defining an opening for receiving said valve shaft for moving said valve element between said first position and said second position;
a washer coupled to said valve shaft and spaced from said spindle along said axis such that said spindle is disposed between said valve body and said washer for securing said spindle to said valve shaft; and
a plurality of cup springs disposed between said spindle and said washer;
wherein said plurality of cup springs comprises a first cup spring and a second cup spring, with said first cup spring supported on said spindle head and said second cup spring disposed directly on said first cup spring in a parallel stacked configuration.

2. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second cup springs are identical.

3. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of cup springs consists of said first cup spring and said second cup spring.

4. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each cup spring in said plurality of cup springs comprises;
a first plateau having a first plateau upper surface and a first plateau bottom surface with said first plateau upper surface facing said washer and said first plateau bottom surface opposite said first plateau upper surface and facing said spindle head,
a second plateau spaced from said first plateau having a second plateau upper surface and a second plateau bottom surface with said second plateau upper surface facing said washer and said second plateau bottom surface opposite said second plateau upper surface and facing said spindle head, and
a riser extending from said first plateau to said second plateau with said riser having an upper riser surface extending from said first plateau upper surface to said second plateau upper surface and a bottom riser surface extending from said first plateau bottom surface to said second plateau bottom surface.

5. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein;
(i) at least a portion of said first plateau upper surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said first plateau bottom surface of said second cup spring;
(ii) at least a portion of said upper riser surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said bottom riser surface of said second cup spring; and
(iii) at least a portion of said second plateau upper surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said second plateau bottom surface of said second cup spring.

6. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
(i) at least 80% of the surface area of said first plateau upper surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said first plateau bottom surface of said second cup spring;
(ii) at least 80% of the surface area of said upper riser surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said bottom riser surface of said second cup spring; and
(iii) at least 80% of the surface area of said second plateau upper surface of said first cup spring is in contact with said second plateau bottom surface of said second cup spring.

7. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first cup spring contacts said spindle head but does not contact said washer, and wherein said second cup spring contacts said washer but does not contact said spindle head.

8. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first plateau bottom surface of said first cup spring contacts said spindle head, and said second plateau upper surface of said second cup spring contacts said washer.

9. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the height of each cup spring in said plurality of cup springs increases as said riser extends from said first plateau towards said second plateau, such that the height of each cup spring is greater at said second plateau than at said first plateau.

10. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second plateau upper surface of said second cup spring contacts said washer but said first plateau upper surface of said second cup spring does not contact said washer, and wherein said first plateau bottom surface of said first cup spring contacts said spindle head but said second plateau bottom surface of said second plateau of said first cup spring does not contact said spindle head.

11. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said valve shaft includes at least a first diameter (D 1 ) and a second diameter (D 2 ), with said first diameter (D 1 ) less than said second diameter (D 2 ) for aligning said spindle head and said washer with said valve shaft.

12. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said valve shaft further includes a third diameter (D 3 ) adjacent said washer and defines a shaft support surface adjacent said flat surface of said spindle head, wherein at least a portion of said second plateau of each cup spring in said plurality of cup springs is disposed between said shaft support surface and said flat region of said washer.

13. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle head comprises a flat surface facing said washer, and said washer comprises a bottom washer surface facing said flat surface of said spindle head, with said bottom washer surface comprising a flat region and a beveled region, and wherein said flat region of said washer is substantially parallel with said flat surface of said spindle head and configured to contact said plurality of cup springs, and wherein said beveled region extends oblique relative to said flat region for minimizing contact between said washer and said plurality of cup springs beyond said flat region.

14. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said beveled region extends obliquely away relative to said flat region at an angle of from 1 to 15°.

15. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle comprises an axial stop extending from said spindle head towards said washer with said axial stop configured to prevent over-compression of said plurality of cup springs as said plurality of cup springs is compressed between said washer and said spindle.

16. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle head includes a raised lip extending from said flat surface of said spindle to a distal end.

17. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said bottom washer surface is located entirely between a plane, which extends from said distal end of said raised lip and perpendicular to said valve shaft, and said flat surface of said spindle head for shielding said plurality of cup springs from exhaust gas.

18. The wastegate assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said plurality of cup springs is disposed between said raised lip of said spindle head and said valve shaft.

19. A turbocharger comprising:
a wastegate assembly for controlling a flow of exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine and through a wastegate channel of said turbocharger, said wastegate assembly further comprising:
a valve element having a valve body

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Depaoli Dominic William
• Date Aaron
• Cola Michael Daniel
• Scholz Georg
• Werner Marc
• Cossmann Christian
• Penth Jakob
• MüLLER CHRISTOPH
• Patil Ravi

Classifications

• F02B37/186

  Arrangements of actuators or linkage for bypass valves · CPC title

• F16K47/023

  for preventing water-hammer, e.g. damping of the valve movement · CPC title

• F16F1/32

  Belleville-type springs (friction-clutch diaphragm springs F16D13/583) · CPC title

• F16F3/02

  with springs made of steel or of other material having low internal friction · CPC title

• F16K1/20

  with axis of rotation arranged externally of valve member · CPC title