Fluid supply system having shutoff valve with stabilized electrical valve actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566592-B2
Application number	US-202117319202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2021
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A fluid supply system for a machine such as an internal combustion engine includes a shutoff valve having an electrical actuator that includes a solenoid subassembly, and a stabilizer for the electrical valve actuator. The stabilizer includes a fitting structured to couple the shutoff valve to adjacent hardware in the fluid supply system, and a strongarm extending between the fitting and the solenoid assembly and clamped to the solenoid subassembly. A vibration-damping reinforced grommet may be clamped between the solenoid subassembly and the clamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration-limiting stabilizer system for an electrical valve actuator in a shutoff valve of a fluid supply system comprising:
a stabilizer including a fitting having a tube section forming a fluid supply conduit and extending between a first mounting flange structured to couple with a valve housing of the shutoff valve and a second mounting flange;
the stabilizer further including a strongarm attached to the fitting and including a first side wall connected to the first mounting flange, and a second side wall connected to the second mounting flange, and the first side wall and the second side wall extending outwardly from the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange, respectively, to a clamp mount; and
the stabilizer further including a clamp positionable upon the clamp mount and including at least one clamping element structured for clamping a solenoid assembly of the electrical valve actuator to the strongarm.

2. The stabilizer system of claim 1 wherein the second mounting flange is oriented diagonally relative to the first mounting flange.

3. The stabilizer system of claim 2 wherein the strongarm further includes a plurality of stiffening walls extending between the first side wall and the second side wall at locations between the fitting and the clamp mount.

4. The stabilizer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one clamping element includes at least one clamping strap.

5. The stabilizer system of claim 4 further comprising a vibration-limiting grommet positionable between the at least one clamping strap and the solenoid assembly.

6. The stabilizer system of claim 5 wherein the vibration-limiting grommet includes a silicone body and at least one reinforcing layer within the silicone body.

7. A vibration-limiting stabilizer comprising:
a fitting including a tube section forming a fluid supply conduit and having a first tube section end and a second tube section end, a first mounting flange extending peripherally around the fluid supply conduit and connected to the first tube section end, and a second mounting flange extending peripherally around the fluid supply conduit and connected to the second tube section end; and
a strongarm attached to the fitting and including a clamp mount, a first side wall extending between the first tube section end and the clamp mount, a second side wall extending between the second tube section end and the clamp mount, and at least one stiffening wall extending between the first side wall and the second side wall.

8. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 7 wherein the first side wall is elongate and originates at the first mounting flange and terminates at the clamp mount, and the second side wall is elongate and originates at the second mounting flange and terminates at the clamp mount.

9. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 7 wherein the first side wall and the second side wall define a vertical height direction, and a plurality of bolt holes are formed in the clamp mount and extend in the vertical height direction through the clamp mount.

10. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 9 wherein the clamp mount includes an outer peripheral surface, and a mounting face oriented horizontally and extending peripherally outward from the plurality of bolt holes to the outer peripheral surface.

11. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of bolt holes has an oval shape.

12. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 7 wherein the first side wall and the second side wall are oriented diagonally to one another and together form a side wall angle opening in a direction of the tube section.

13. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 12 wherein the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange are oriented diagonally to one another and together form a mounting flange angle opening in a direction of the clamp mount.

14. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 13 wherein the fluid supply conduit opens within each of the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange.

15. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 7 wherein a first connection point is formed between the strongarm and the first mounting flange, a second connection point is formed between the strongarm and the second mounting flange, and the first connection point, the second connection point, and the clamp mount are arranged in a triangular pattern.

16. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 15 wherein each of the first side wall and the second side wall has a height that is decreased in a direction of the clamp mount.

17. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 16 wherein the tube section and the strongarm are formed integrally in a one-piece casting.

18. A vibration-limiting stabilizer comprising:
a one-piece casting including a fitting having a tube section forming a fluid supply conduit and extending between a first tube section end and a second tube section end;
a first mounting flange connected to the first tube section end and extending peripherally around the fluid supply conduit;
a second mounting flange connected to the second tube section end and extending peripherally around the fluid supply conduit;
a strongarm attached to the fitting and including a clamp mount, a first side wall extending between the first mounting flange and the clamp mount, and a second side wall extending between the second mounting flange and the clamp mount and oriented diagonally relative to the first side wall.

19. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 18 wherein the first mounting flange is oriented diagonally relative to the first mounting flange.

20. The vibration-limiting stabilizer of claim 18 wherein the strongarm further includes a plurality of stiffening walls extending between the first side wall and the second side wall at locations between the fitting and the clamp mount.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Lawrence Rodney Allen
• Stack Brandyn Anthony
• Stabnik Joseph John
• Igoe Keith Thomas
• Ferguson Eric

Classifications

• F02D41/0007

  for control of turbo-charged or super-charged engines (control of the pumps per se F02B37/12) · CPC title

• F16K1/2007

  specially adapted operating means therefor (operating means per se F16K31/00) · CPC title

• F16F7/104

  the inertia member being resiliently mounted {(F16F7/1022 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16K1/304

  Shut-off valves with additional means · CPC title

• F02D11/04

  characterised by mechanical control linkages (F02D11/06 takes precedence) · CPC title