Seal for coolant control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326696-B2
Application number	US-201715632941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A rotary valve seal for a coolant control valve is provided that offers improved sealing with a rotary valve body. The rotary valve seal includes a central axis, a cylindrical seal body, and a seal skeleton. The cylindrical seal body has a first stiffness and a first end that is configured with a radially outwardly extending flange. The seal skeleton, having a second stiffness and embedded within the cylindrical seal body, has a plurality of fingers circumferentially arranged within the flange. The second stiffness can be greater than the first stiffness. The plurality of fingers and flange can define alternating stiffness zones. The first end of the seal body and the flange define a bottom surface configured for sealing engagement with a rotary valve body. The rotary valve body can be shaped in the form of at least one spherical segment.

First claim

What I claim is:

1. A rotary valve seal for a coolant control valve, the rotary valve seal comprising:
a central axis;
a cylindrical seal body having:
a first end configured with a radially outwardly extending flange; and,
a first stiffness; and,

a seal skeleton at least partially embedded within the cylindrical seal body, the seal skeleton having:
a plurality of fingers circumferentially arranged within the flange; and,
a second stiffness different than the first stiffness; and,

the first end of the seal body and the flange define a bottom surface configured for sealing engagement with a rotary valve body; and
the plurality of fingers and flange define alternating stiffness zones.

2. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the rotary valve body is shaped in a form of at least one spherical segment.

3. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness.

4. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal skeleton is constructed from metal.

5. The rotary valve seal of claim 4 , wherein the seal skeleton is constructed from spring steel.

6. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal body is constructed from plastic.

7. The rotary valve seal of claim 6 , wherein the seal body is injection molded.

8. The rotary valve seal of claim 7 , wherein the seal skeleton is overmolded by the seal body.

9. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal body is constructed from an elastomer.

10. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the seal skeleton further comprises a top lip extending through a medial portion of the seal body.

11. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein a second end of the cylindrical seal body is engaged with a spring, the spring configured to provide a force along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical seal body, and the second end arranged opposite the first end.

12. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the skeleton is arranged in a radial outward portion of the cylindrical seal body.

13. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface is angled.

14. The rotary valve seal of claim 13 , wherein the bottom surface further comprises at least one relief that separates the bottom surface into at least two segments.

15. The rotary valve seal of claim 14 , wherein the bottom surface comprises a first relief that separates the bottom surface into a first segment and a second segment.

16. The rotary valve seal of claim 15 , wherein a first angle of the first segment is different than a second angle of the second segment.

17. The rotary valve seal of claim 15 having:
a first uninstalled state with the first segment having a first angle and the second segment having a second angle; and
a second sealed state with the bottom surface sealingly engaged with the rotary valve body, with the first segment having a third angle less than the first angle.

18. The rotary valve seal of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface is configured to overlap with a fluid opening of the rotary valve body to manage fluid flow within the coolant control valve.

19. A rotary valve seal for a coolant control valve, the rotary valve seal comprising:
a central axis;
a cylindrical seal body having:
a first end configured with a radially outwardly extending flange; and,
a first stiffness; and,

a seal skeleton at least partially embedded within the cylindrical seal body, the seal skeleton having:
a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers arranged within the flange; and,
a second stiffness different than the first stiffness; and,
the flange configured for direct sealing engagement with a rotary valve body.

20. A rotary valve seal for a coolant control valve, the rotary valve seal comprising:
a central axis;
a cylindrical seal body having:
a first end configured with a radially outwardly extending flange; and,
a first stiffness; and,

a seal skeleton at least partially embedded within the cylindrical seal body, the seal skeleton having:
a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally within the flange; and,
a second stiffness different than the first stiffness; and,
the flange configured for direct sealing engagement with a rotary valve body.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Russalian Vigel

Classifications

• F16K5/0678 Primary

  in which only one of the components of the composite packing is contacting the plug · CPC title

• F16K11/0873

  the plug being only rotatable around one spindle · CPC title

• F16K5/202

  with conical surfaces · CPC title

• F01L7/16

  Sealing or packing arrangements specially therefor · CPC title

• F16J15/3296 Primary

  Arrangements for monitoring the condition or operation of elastic sealings (F16J15/326 takes precedence); Arrangements for control of elastic sealings, e.g. of their geometry or stiffness · CPC title