Flow rate control valve and cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378189-B2
Application number	US-201716084684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A flow rate control valve has a housing including a valve body and a main communication hole and auxiliary communication holes. The valve body includes a fluid inflow portion, a main opening portion and auxiliary opening portions formed on the valve body circumferential wall and establish fluid communication. A seal member is provided between the main communication hole and the valve body, and configured to seal between the valve body and the main communication hole. The valve body establishes the communication between one auxiliary communication hole and one auxiliary opening portion regardless of a rotational position of the valve body. In addition, the valve body changes a communication state between the main communication hole and the main opening portion and a communication state between another auxiliary communication hole and another auxiliary opening portion according to the rotational position of the valve body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow rate control valve provided in a cooling circuit of an engine comprising:
a housing including:
a valve body containing portion hollowly formed by a housing circumferential wall;
a main communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, and configured to allow fluid to flow between the valve body containing portion and the engine;
a first auxiliary communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, and configured to allow the fluid to flow between the valve body containing portion and a heat exchanger for a heater provided in the cooling circuit; and
a third auxiliary communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, and configured to allow the fluid to flow between the valve body containing portion and a radiator provided in the cooling circuit;

a valve body including:
a fluid inflow portion hollowly formed by a valve body circumferential wall;
a main opening portion formed on the valve body circumferential wall, and configured to establish communication between the fluid inflow portion and the main communication hole;
a first auxiliary opening portion formed on the valve body circumferential wall, and configured to establish communication between the fluid inflow portion and the first auxiliary commination hole; and
a third auxiliary opening portion formed on the valve body circumferential wall, and configured to establish communication between the fluid inflow portion and the third auxiliary communication hole,
the valve body including a space portion between an inner peripheral surface of the valve containing portion and an outer peripheral surface of the valve body circumferential wall;

a motor system configured to rotationally drive the valve body; and
a seal member provided between the main communication hole and the valve body, and configured to seal between the valve body and the main communication hole by abutting against the outer peripheral surface of the valve body circumferential wall,
wherein the valve body establishes the communication between the first auxiliary communication hole and the first auxiliary opening portion regardless of a rotational position of the valve body,
wherein the valve body changes a communication state between the main communication hole and the main opening portion and a communication state between the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion according to the rotational position of the valve body,
wherein the valve body includes a rotational position in which the main communication hole and the main opening portion do not overlap with each other and the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion do not overlap with each other, and a rotational position in which the main communication hole and the main opening portion overlap with each other while the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion do not overlap with each other according to the rotational position of the valve body,
wherein the space portion causes a pressure drop of the fluid leaked out from the valve body containing portion into the third auxiliary communication hole via the space portion at the rotational position in which the main communication hole and the main opening portion overlap with each other while the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion do not overlap with each other, and
wherein an amount of the fluid leaked out into the third auxiliary communication hole is set according to an allowable amount for cooling of the engine to which the main communication hole is connected at the rotational position in which the main communication hole and the main opening portion overlap with each other while the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion do not overlap with each other.

2. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure drop is set according a length of a portion extending in a radial direction with respect to a rotational axis of the valve body in a length of the space portion.

3. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure drop is set according a length of a portion extending in a direction along a rotational axis of the valve body in a length of the space portion.

4. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the main communication hole and the first auxiliary communication hole are in communication with each other without intervention of the space portion when the main communication hole and the main opening portion are in communication with each other.

5. The flow rate control valve according to claim 4 , wherein the main communication hole and the third auxiliary communication hole are in communication with each other via the space portion when the main communication hole and the main opening portion are in communication with each other and the third auxiliary communication hole and the third auxiliary opening portion are out of communication with each other.

6. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the main communication hole is provided at an axially central portion of the housing in a direction along a rotational axis of the valve body.

7. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the motor system includes:
a drive shaft configured to rotate integrally with the valve body;
an insertion hole configured to penetrate through a bottom portion of the valve body containing portion and configured to allow the drive shaft to be inserted therethrough; and
a support member configured to rotatably support the drive shaft at each of both axial ends of the insertion hole.

8. The flow rate control valve according to claim 1 , wherein the motor system slows down an output of a motor with use of a pair of spur gears, and transmits the slowed output to the valve body as a rotational drive force.

9. A cooling system comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to cool down inflowing fluid;
a circuit provided so as to extend through the heat exchanger, and configured to serve to cool down an engine by circulating the fluid cooled down at the heat exchanger; and
a flow rate control valve configured to control a flow rate of the fluid circulated in the circuit,
the flow rate control valve including:
a housing including:
a valve body containing portion hollowly formed by a housing circumferential wall;
a main communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, the main communication hole being configured to establish communication between the valve body containing portion and the engine and to allow the fluid to flow therethrough;
a first auxiliary communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, and configured to establish the communication between the valve body containing portion and the heat exchanger for a heater and to allow the fluid to flow therethrough; and
a third auxiliary communication hole formed on the housing circumferential wall, and configured to establish the communication between the valve body containing portion and a radiator and to allow the fluid to flow therethrough;

a valve body including:
a fluid inflow portion hollowly formed by a valve body circumferential wall;
a main opening portion provided on the valve body circumferential wall, and configured to establish communication between the fluid inflow portion and the main communication hole;
a first auxiliary opening portion provided on the valve body circumferential wall, and configured to establish communication between the fluid inflow portion and the first auxiliary commination hole; and
a third auxiliary opening portion provided on the valve body circumferen

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd
• Hitachi Astemo Ltd

Inventors

• Shen Zhenyu
• Nakamura Hideaki

Classifications

• F16K11/08 Primary

  comprising only taps or cocks · CPC title

• F16K11/085

  with cylindrical plug · CPC title

• F16K31/041

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/535

  for rotating valves (F16K31/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/065

  with cylindrical plugs · CPC title