Valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9428164-B2
Application number	US-201313781083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A valve assembly includes a plate defining a wall of a housing and a valve component included in the housing. A position of the valve component sets a state of the valve assembly. A channel is defined through the wall of the housing. A channel groove is defined along a wall of the channel. A sensor housing includes a sensor detecting a state of the valve assembly. A sensor groove is along the sensor housing. A seal cooperates with both the channel groove and the sensor groove when the sensor housing is seated in the channel to both create a pneumatic seal between the sensor housing and the wall of the channel and retain the sensor housing in the channel.

First claim

We claim:

1. A valve assembly, comprising:
a plate defining a wall of a housing, a valve component included in the housing, a position of the valve component setting a state of the valve assembly;
a channel defined through the wall of the housing;
a channel groove defined in a wall of the channel;
a sensor housing including a sensor detecting the state of the valve assembly;
a sensor groove along the sensor housing, a diameter of the sensor housing at a first end of the sensor groove being substantially equal to a diameter of the sensor housing at a second end of the sensor groove, the first and second ends being at opposite ends of the sensor groove along the sensor housing, and the sensor housing is substantially frusto-conically shaped along a portion of the housing adjacent to and extending away from the first end of the sensor groove; and
a seal cooperating with both the channel groove and the sensor groove when the sensor housing is seated in the channel to both create a pneumatic seal between the sensor housing and the wall of the channel and retain the sensor housing in the channel.

2. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the channel is substantially cylindrically shaped and sized to receive the sensor housing;
the channel groove defines a circle along the wall of the channel;
the sensor groove defines a circle along an exterior of the sensor housing; and
the seal seats in both the channel groove and the sensor groove when the sensor housing is seated in the channel to both create the pneumatic seal between the seal and the wall of the channel and retain the sensor housing in the channel.

3. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
the seal is an o-ring.

4. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
a width of the sensor groove is about 0.090″;
a width of the channel groove is about 0.150″; and
a diameter of a cross-section of the o-ring is about 0.103″.

5. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
an internal diameter of the o-ring is about 0.362″.

6. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
an internal diameter of the o-ring is about 0.8 to 0.9 times a diameter of an end of the sensor housing proximate to the valve component.

7. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
a width of the sensor groove is about 0.090″;
a width of the channel groove is greater than about 150% of a width of the sensor groove; and
a diameter of a cross-section of the o-ring is greater than the width of the sensor groove.

8. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
the o-ring simultaneously engages a wall of the channel groove and a wall of the sensor groove for creating the pneumatic seal between the o-ring and the wall of the channel and retaining the sensor housing in the channel.

9. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the valve component includes a ferrous material; and
the sensor detects a position of the valve component.

10. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
a width of the channel groove is greater than about 150% of the width of the sensor groove.

11. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
respective diameters of the housing at both ends of the channel groove are substantially equal.

12. A sensor, comprising:
a housing around the sensor, the housing being sized to be received in a channel of a valve assembly; and
a sensor groove along the sensor housing sized to receive a seal, the seal also being received in a channel groove in the channel and cooperating with both the sensor groove and the channel groove for creating a pneumatic seal between the seal and a wall of the channel and retaining the sensor housing in the channel, a diameter of the sensor housing at a first end of the sensor groove being substantially equal to a diameter of the sensor housing at a second end of the sensor groove, the first and second ends being at opposite ends of the sensor groove along the sensor housing, and the sensor housing is substantially frusto-conically shaped along a portion of the housing adjacent to and extending away from the first end of the sensor groove.

13. The sensor as set forth in claim 12 , wherein:
the sensor groove extends circularly around the housing.

14. The sensor as set forth in claim 13 , wherein:
a width of the sensor groove is about 0.090″; and
the width of the sensor groove is smaller than a width of the channel groove.

15. The sensor as set forth in claim 14 , wherein:
the width of the channel groove is greater than about 1½times the width of the sensor groove.

16. The sensor as set forth in claim 15 , wherein:
the seal is an o-ring; and
a diameter of a cross-section of the o-ring is greater than the width of the sensor groove.

17. A valve assembly, comprising:
a valve housing;
a shuttle included in the housing, a position of the shuttle setting a state of the valve assembly;
a channel defined through the valve housing;
a circular channel groove defined in a wall of the channel;
a sensor housing, including a sensor detecting the position of the shuttle, sized to be received in the channel;
a circular sensor groove along an exterior surface of the sensor housing, a diameter of the sensor housing at a first end of the sensor groove being substantially equal to a diameter of the sensor housing at a second end of the sensor groove, the first and second ends being at opposite ends of the sensor groove along the sensor housing, and the sensor housing is substantially frusto-conically shaped along a portion of the housing adjacent to and extending away from the first end of the sensor groove; and
an o-ring cooperating with both the channel groove and the sensor groove when the sensor housing is received in the channel to both create a pneumatic seal between the seal and the wall of the channel and retain the sensor housing in the channel.

18. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 17 , wherein:
the sensor senses the position of the shuttle for confirming operation of the valve assembly.

19. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 17 , wherein:
the shuttle includes ferrous material; and
the sensor is a non-contacting sensor that senses a change in a magnetic field created by a proximity of the shuttle to the sensor.

20. The valve assembly as set forth in claim 17 , wherein:
the valve housing is metallic; and
the sensor is positioned within about 0.05 inches to the shuttle.

21. A method of assembling a valve assembly, the method comprising:
positioning an o-ring in a channel defined in a housing of the valve assembly;
inserting a sensor housing, including a sensor, into the channel so that the sensor housing engages the o-ring;
seating the o-ring in a channel groove in a wall of the channel;
seating the o-ring in a sensor groove, along the sensor housing, a diameter of the sensor housing at a first end of the sensor groove being substantially equal to a diameter of the sensor housing at a second end of the sensor groove, the first and second ends being at opposite ends of the sensor groove along the sensor housing, the sensor housing is substantially frusto-conically shaped along a portion of the housing adjacent to and extending away from the first end of the sensor groove, and once the o-ring is seated in both the channel groove and the sensor groove, the o-ring creating a pneumatic seal between the sensor housing and the wall of the channel and retaining the sensor housi

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Ho Thanh
• Herbst Robert J
• Taneyhill David J

Classifications

• B60T8/362 Primary

  in pneumatic systems (B60T8/3655, B60T8/3675 and B60T8/369 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K27/041

  cylindrical slide valves · CPC title

• B60T13/683

  in pneumatic systems or parts thereof (in vacuum systems B60T13/72) · CPC title

• B60T15/36

  Other control devices or valves characterised by definite functions {(electrically controlled valves in fluid-pressure brake systems B60T15/027, B60T15/028)} · CPC title

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title