Thermal management valve module with isolated flow chambers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9500299-B2
Application number	US-201414336280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A thermal management valve module having separate first and second flow chambers is provided, with one or more respective inlets and outlets connected to each of the flow chambers. A first valve body is rotatably positioned in the first flow chamber, and includes a fluid pathway that connects a first and/or third inlet to a first outlet, which allows separate or mixed flows, or blocks the flow, based on the valve body position. A second valve body is rotatably positioned in the second flow chamber, and includes a fluid pathway that connects a second and/or fourth inlet to a second outlet, which allows separate or mixed flows, or blocks the flow, based on the valve body position. At least one actuator controls the positions of the first and second valve bodies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management valve module, comprising:
a housing;
an isolating wall located in the housing that separates the housing into a first flow chamber and a second flow chamber that are isolated from one another;
a first inlet on the housing that connects to the first flow chamber;
a first outlet on the housing that connects to the first flow chamber;
a second inlet on the housing that connects to the second flow chamber;
a second outlet on the housing that connects to the second flow chamber;
a first valve body rotatably positioned in the first flow chamber, the first valve body including a fluid pathway that, in a first rotational position, connects the first inlet and the first outlet, and in a second rotational position, prevents flow from the first outlet, and in an intermediate position, throttles the flow from the first inlet to the first outlet;
a second valve body rotatably positioned in the second flow chamber, the second valve body including a fluid pathway that in a first rotational position of the second valve body connects the second inlet and the second outlet, and in a second rotational position of the second valve body, prevents flow from the second outlet, and in an intermediate position of the second valve body throttles the flow from the second inlet to the second outlet; and
a single actuator that controls the positions of the first and second valve bodies, with the first valve body being movable by a first rotational distance between the first and the second rotational positions of the first valve body while the second valve body remains in one of the first or second rotational positions of the second valve body or rotates a second rotational distance that is less than the first rotational distance.

2. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein an additional inlet is located on the housing that connects to the first flow chamber, and the first valve body is rotatably moveable in the first flow chamber to a third rotational position in which the fluid pathway connects the additional inlet and the first outlet, and the first valve body is rotatably movable to a second intermediate position to provide a flow path from the first inlet and the additional inlet which allows the inlet flows to mix in the first chamber and the mixed flow is delivered to the first outlet.

3. The thermal management valve module of claim 2 , wherein an additional inlet is located on the housing that connects to the second flow chamber, and the second valve body is rotatably movable in the second chamber to a third rotational position in which the fluid pathway connects the additional inlet of the second flow chamber and the second outlet, and the second valve body is rotatably movable to a second intermediate position to provide a flow path from the second inlet and the additional inlet of the second flow chamber which allows the inlet flows to mix in the second chamber and the mixed flow is delivered to the second outlet.

4. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an internal shoulder at a medial position and the isolating wall comprises a disk that is seated on the shoulder.

5. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second valve bodies are spheroid bodies and the inlet and outlet openings in the housing that engage the spheroid bodies have a complementary sealing seat located around the respective inlet and outlet openings that engage the spheroid bodies.

6. The thermal management valve module of claim 5 , wherein the spheroid bodies have hollow centers.

7. The thermal management valve module of claim 6 , wherein the first outlet is an axial outlet that is in fluid communication with the hollow center of the first valve body.

8. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of inlets or outlets can be provided for one or both of the flow chambers.

9. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein the isolating disk has a thermal insulating property.

10. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein an actuator shaft extends through the housing and is connected to the valve bodies for positioning of the valve bodies between the first and second rotational positions.

11. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein the single actuator includes an actuator shaft that extends through the housing and is fixed to one of the valve bodies for positioning of the one of the valve bodies between the first and second rotational positions, and is releasably connectable to the other of the valve bodies for independent positioning of the other of the valve bodies between the first and second rotational position of the other of the valve bodies.

12. The thermal management valve module of claim 11 , wherein the actuator shaft extends through an opening in the isolating wall, and a seal is located around the opening.

13. The thermal management valve module of claim 12 , wherein the seal includes a bearing to support the actuator shaft.

14. The thermal management valve module of claim 12 , wherein the housing further includes an end disk with inwardly extending arms or supports that end in a central support for one end of the actuator shaft.

15. The thermal management valve module of claim 12 , wherein the housing includes a base with a centering feature with a bearing for the actuator shaft.

16. The thermal management valve module of claim 12 , wherein a seal is located in a base of the housing for the actuator shaft.

17. The thermal management valve module of claim 1 , wherein the inlets and the outlets have mounting flanges for connection to a wall of the housing.

18. A thermal management valve module, comprising:
a housing;
an isolating wall located in the housing that separates the housing into a first flow chamber and a second flow chamber that are isolated from one another;
a first inlet on the housing that connects to the first flow chamber;
a first outlet on the housing that connects to the first flow chamber;
a second inlet on the housing that connects to the second flow chamber;
a second outlet on the housing that connects to the second flow chamber;
a first valve body rotatably positioned in the first flow chamber, the first valve body including a fluid pathway that, in a first rotational position, connects the first inlet and the first outlet, and in a second rotational position, prevents flow from the first outlet, and in an intermediate position, throttles the flow from the first inlet to the first outlet;
a second valve body rotatably positioned in the second flow chamber, the second valve body including a fluid pathway that in a first rotational position of the second valve body connects the second inlet and the second outlet, and in a second rotational position of the second valve body, prevents flow from the second outlet, and in an intermediate position of the second valve body throttles the flow from the second inlet to the second outlet; and a separate actuator is connected to each of the valve bodies that separately position the first and second valve bodies.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Morein Alexander Joseph
• Hurst Sebastian
• Constantin Daniel

Classifications

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F16K11/0876 Primary

  one connecting conduit having the same axis as the spindle · CPC title

• F16K41/026 Primary

  for rotating valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/87153

  Plural noncommunicating flow paths · CPC title

• F16K11/0853

  having all the connecting conduits situated in a single plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title