Thermostat valve for a combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841115-B2
Application number	US-201414910321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Sep 3, 2013
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A thermostat valve includes a housing with several cooling fluid connections, at least two hollow valve elements mounted rotatably next to one another in the housing on a common rotational shaft, each having at least one opening selectively couplable to one or more of the cooling fluid connections by way of rotation of the valve elements, and a rotational drive for a first of the valve elements can be driven rotationally in the housing, a second of the valve elements can be selectively coupled to or decoupled from the first valve element, the second valve element driven rotationally, when it is coupled to the first valve element, and a coupling element mounted axially movably on the rotational shaft, and a coupling drive by way of which the coupling element can be moved axially on the rotational shaft between a coupling position and a decoupling position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Thermostat valve for a combustion engine, comprising a housing with several cooling fluid connections, and comprising at least two hollow valve elements, which are arranged in the housing adjacent to one another and rotatable on a common rotational shaft that extends through the housing and the valve elements, wherein the valve elements each comprise at least one opening formed in the area of their shell surface, wherein the openings can be selectively connected with one or several of the cooling fluid connections of the housing through rotation of the valve elements, wherein a first of the at least two valve elements is fixed for rotation with the rotational shaft and a second of the at least two valve elements is not fixed for rotation with the rotational shaft, and wherein rotational drive means are provided with which to rotate the rotational shaft and the first valve element in the housing, characterized in
that the second valve element can be selectively coupled with the first valve element or decoupled from the first valve element, wherein the second valve element, when coupled with the first valve element, is also rotatably driven upon a rotation of the first valve element,
that a coupling element is provided axially moveable on a portion of the rotational shaft between the first valve element and the second valve element, and that coupling drive means are provided with which the coupling element is axially moveable on the rotational shaft between a coupling position and a decoupling position,
wherein the coupling element provides a torque-proof coupling between the first valve element driven by the rotational drive means and the second valve element in the coupling position and releases this torque-proof coupling in the decoupling position.

2. Thermostat valve according to claim 1 , characterized in that the coupling element engages in a form-fit manner into the first valve element in the coupling position as well as in the decoupling position.

3. Thermostat valve according to claim 2 , characterized in that the coupling element engages in a form-fit manner in the second valve element in the coupling position.

4. Thermostat valve according to claim 3 , characterized in that the coupling element can engage in a form-fit manner into the second valve element in several rotational positions of the first valve element.

5. Thermostat valve according to claim 3 , characterized in that the coupling element is a coupling bushing provided axially moveable on the rotational shaft between the first and second valve element, wherein a coupling section is provided on the side of the coupling bushing facing towards the second valve element, which engages in a form-fit manner in a corresponding coupling section of the second valve element in the coupling position.

6. Thermostat valve according to claim 5 , characterized in that the coupling drive means comprises a coupling drive and a cam element with a control cam and moveable through the coupling drive perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational shaft, that the coupling bushing comprises a guide groove extending in circumferential direction over its outer surface, and that a control pin is provided which is guided moveably in an elongated hole of the housing in axial direction of the rotational shaft, which control pin is guided with its one end in the guiding groove and with its other end in the control cam such that the control pin, upon a movement of the cam element transverse to the rotational axis of the rotational shaft is moved in axial direction of the rotational shaft and thereby also moves the coupling bushing in axial direction of the rotational shaft.

7. Thermostat valve according to claim 5 , characterized in that the coupling drive means comprises a coupling drive and an engagement lever pivotable through the coupling drive about a pivoting axis extending perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational shaft, which engagement lever engages with the coupling bushing such that the coupling bushing is axially moved on the rotational shaft upon a pivoting of the engagement lever.

8. Thermostat valve according to claim 7 , characterized in that the engagement lever comprises at least one engagement projection which is guided in a guiding groove extending in circumferential direction over the outer surface of the coupling bushing, or that the coupling bushing comprises a guiding collar extending in circumferential direction over the outer surface of the coupling bushing, which guiding collar is guided in at least one guiding reception provided on the engagement lever.

9. Thermostat valve according to claim 8 , characterized in that blocking means are provided which, after a decoupling of the second valve element from the first valve element, hold the second valve element in its rotational position present upon the decoupling.

10. Thermostat valve according to claim 9 , characterized in that the blocking means comprise a blocking element provided axially moveable and rotationally fixed on the side facing away from the first valve element between the second valve element and a housing section, and being biased by spring means in the direction of the second valve element into a blocking position, which blocking element in the blocking position engages in a form-fit manner into the second valve element and thus inhibits a rotation of the second valve element, and which blocking element can be pushed against the bias of the spring means into a release position in which the form fit with the second valve element is released such that the second valve element is rotatable.

11. Thermostat valve according to claim 10 , characterized in that the coupling bushing on its end facing away from the first valve element comprises an extension surrounding the rotational shaft in a bushing manner, on which extension the second valve element is rotatably provided and which extension, in the coupling position of the coupling bushing, pushes the blocking element against the bias of the spring means into the release position.

12. Thermostat valve according to claim 1 , characterized in that stops are provided on the housing which engage with corresponding stops on the first and second valve element and thus define end positions of the rotational movement of the first and second valve element.

13. Thermostat valve according to claim 1 , characterized in that the rotational drive means and the coupling drive means are separately engagable drive means.

14. A thermostat valve for a combustion engine, comprising a housing with multiple cooling fluid connections, and comprising at least a first valve element that is hollow and a second valve element that is hollow, which are arranged in the housing adjacent to one another and rotatable on a common rotational shaft extending through both the first valve element and the second valve element, wherein each of the first valve element and the second valve element comprises at least one opening formed in a shell surface of the respective valve element, wherein each opening can be selectively connected with one or more of the cooling fluid connections of the housing through rotation of the respective valve element, and wherein the first valve element is fixed for rotation with the rotational shaft and the second valve element is not fixed for rotation with the rotational shaft, wherein:
the second valve element can be selectively coupled with the first valve element or decoupled from the first valve element via movement of a coupling element located on the rotational shaft between the first valve element and the second valve element and axially mo

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Gramss Rainer
• Hauk Torsten

Classifications

• F16K31/04

  using a motor · CPC title

• F16D11/00

  Clutches in which the members have interengaging parts (arrangements for synchronisation F16D23/02) · CPC title

• F16K11/08

  comprising only taps or cocks · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F16K31/025 Primary

  actuated by thermo-electric means · CPC title