Actuator assembly for an electromagnetically actuatable valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12276351-B2
Application number	US-202117914131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2021
Priority date	Mar 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

An actuator arrangement ( 10 ) for an electromagnetically actuatable valve ( 42, 66, 72 ) is disclosed. The actuator arrangement ( 10 ) comprises: a housing having a first housing wall ( 12 ) and having a second housing wall ( 14 ) situated opposite the first housing wall ( 12 ), a solenoid armature ( 16 ) which is arranged in the housing between the first housing wall ( 12 ) and the second housing wall ( 14 ) and which is movable between the first housing wall ( 12 ) and the second housing wall ( 14 ) along an axis ( 18 ), wherein the solenoid armature ( 16 ) has a first axial armature end surface ( 20 ), which faces toward the first housing wall ( 12 ), and a second axial armature end surface ( 22 ), which faces toward the second housing wall ( 14 ), and the solenoid armature ( 16 ) is movable between a first position, in which the first armature end surface ( 20 ) makes contact with the first housing wall ( 12 ), and a second position, in which the first armature end surface ( 20 ) has been moved away from the first housing wall ( 12 ). The actuator arrangement ( 10 ) furthermore comprises a damping element ( 24, 24 A, 24 B) which is arranged on the second armature end surface ( 22 ) and which extends from the second armature end surface ( 22 ) in the direction of the second housing wall ( 14 ) and which is composed of an elastomer material, wherein the at least one damping element ( 24, 24 A, 24 B) makes contact with the second housing wall ( 14 ) both in the first position and in the second position of the solenoid armature ( 16 ), and at least one stop element ( 26, 30, 30 A, 30 B) which is arranged on the second armature end surface ( 22 ) and which extends from the second armature end surface ( 22 ) in the direction of the second housing wall ( 14 ) and which is composed of an elastomer material and which, in the first position of the solenoid armature ( 16 ), has been moved away from the second housing ( 14 ) and, in the second position of the solenoid armature ( 16 ), makes contact with the second housing wall ( 14 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator arrangement for an electromagnetically actuatable valve, comprising:
a housing comprising a first housing wall and a second housing wall situated opposite the first housing wall,
a solenoid armature arranged in the housing between the first housing wall and the second housing wall and movable between the first housing wall and the second housing wall along an axis, wherein the solenoid armature has a first axial armature end surface, which faces toward the first housing wall, and a second axial armature end surface, which faces toward the second housing wall, and the solenoid armature is movable between a first position, in which the first axial armature end surface makes contact with the first housing wall, and a second position, in which the first axial armature end surface has been moved away from the first housing wall,
at least one damping element which is arranged on the second axial armature end surface and which extends from the second axial armature end surface in a direction of the second housing wall and which comprises an elastomer material with progressive spring characteristic, wherein the at least one damping element makes contact with the second housing wall both in the first position and in the second position of the solenoid armature, and
at least one stop element which is arranged on the second axial armature end surface and which extends from the second axial armature end surface in the direction of the second housing wall and which comprises an elastomer material and which, in the first position of the solenoid armature, has been moved away from the second housing wall and, in the second position of the solenoid armature, makes contact with the second housing wall,
wherein the at least one damping element has a first extent dimension in an axial direction of the solenoid armature, has a second extent dimension in a circumferential direction of the solenoid armature, and has a third extent dimension in a radial direction of the solenoid armature, and a ratio of the first extent dimension to the second extent dimension lies in a range between approximately 1 and approximately 2, and a ratio of the first extent dimension to the third extent dimension lies in a range between approximately 1 and approximately 2.

2. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one damping element and the at least one stop element are formed from same elastomer material.

3. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the first position of the solenoid armature, an axial extent of the at least one damping element is greater than an axial extent of the at least one stop element.

4. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a difference between the axial extent of the at least one stop element and the axial extent of the at least one damping element is not substantially larger than a range of a stroke of the solenoid armature.

5. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second housing wall has a fluid opening which extends through the second housing wall, and the at least one stop element, in the second position of the solenoid armature, makes fluid-tight contact with a sealing seat of the fluid opening.

6. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second housing wall has a fluid opening which extends through the second housing wall, and the at least one damping element is arranged spaced apart from the at least one stop element such that, both in the first position of the solenoid armature and in the second position of the solenoid armature, a fluid channel for a fluid flowing radially at the second axial armature end surface and through the fluid opening is formed between the at least one damping element and the at least one stop element.

7. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one damping element has an axial damping element end surface, and a size of the at least one damping element end surface is in a range between approximately 5% and approximately 50% of a size of the second axial armature end surface.

8. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the first position of the solenoid armature, an extent of the at least one stop element in a circumferential direction of the solenoid armature is at least twice as great as an extent of the at least one damping element in the circumferential direction of the solenoid armature.

9. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , furthermore having:
at least one further damping element which is arranged on the second axial armature end surface and which extends from the second axial armature end surface in the direction of the second housing wall and which makes contact with the second housing wall both in the first position and in the second position of the solenoid armature,
wherein the at least one further damping element is arranged spaced apart from the at least one damping element such that, at least in the first position of the solenoid armature, a fluid channel for a fluid flowing radially at the second axial armature end surface is formed between the at least one damping element and the at least one further damping element.

10. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one damping element and the at least one further damping element have an equal radial spacing to the axis.

11. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second housing wall is configured at least partially as an electromagnetic core.

12. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first housing wall has a fluid opening that extends through the first housing wall, and the actuator arrangement further comprises:
a sealing element which is arranged on the first axial armature end surface and which extends from the first axial armature end surface in a direction of the first housing wall and which, in the first position of the solenoid armature, makes fluid-tight contact with a sealing seat, arranged at the first housing wall, of the fluid opening.

13. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sealing element, the at least one damping element and the at least one stop element are formed from same elastomer material.

14. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuator arrangement further comprises a restoring element which is configured to preload the solenoid armature into the first position in absence of actuation.

15. The actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one damping element has an axial damping element end surface, and a size of the at least one damping element end surface is in a range between approximately 10% and approximately 20% of a size of the second axial armature end surface.

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Beuschel Michael
• Bauer Stefan
• Fernengel Holger
• Wedell Jürgen
• Kerler Alexander

Classifications

• H01F7/1607

  Armatures entering the winding · CPC title

• H01F7/088

  provided with means for absorbing shocks · CPC title

• F16K31/0679

  with more than one energising coil · CPC title

• B60N2/914

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/665

  using inflatable bladders · CPC title