FR2600394A1 - Valve for vehicle heating installations - Google Patents

Abstract

THE ADJUSTING VALVE FOR RADIATORS OF MOTOR VEHICLE HEATING SYSTEMS IS EQUIPPED WITH A ROTATING DRIVE DRUM 20, IN CERAMIC, CAPABLE OF COOPERATION WITH A CORRESPONDING SEAT 22 ALSO IN CERAMIC. THE INVENTION IS APPLIED IN PARTICULAR TO RADIATORS MOUNTED IN A WAY TO BE ABLE TO TURN INSIDE THE AIR INLET DUCT AND IN WHICH THE ROTATING SHUTTER OF THE VALVE IS SOLIDARITY OF THE RADIATOR.

Description

VALVE FOR VEHICLE HEATING INSTALLATIONS

  The invention relates to a valve for radiators of motor vehicle heating installations capable of regulating the flow rate of the heating fluid through the radiator, said valve further comprising a movable control member internal to the body and associated with two

  tubular fluid inlet and outlet fittings.

  The valve of the above type currently has, in order to guarantee the seal between the movable member and the fixed seat, one or more sealing rings of elastomeric material which, to perform this sealing function correctly, need '' a determined elastic crushing. Such a crushing causes the increase of the effort necessary to control the movement of the mobile control member, and makes it necessary to use expensive gearmotors in order to

  overcome this high friction effort.

  The friction seat can deteriorate over time as a result of the impurities contained in the coolant, moreover they can cause cases of axial blockage of sealing discs.

with a risk of leakage.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a valve for radiators which does not have the

  disadvantages above and which is of a simple and economical embodiment.

  According to the invention, this object is achieved thanks to the fact that the movable control member comprises a deflection drum rotating around its own axis, capable of both allowing progressively, following the rotation of the drum, communication between said tubular connections and the radiator, only to gradually put in direct communication said tubular connections so as to obtain a bypass of the radiator on the part of the heating fluid; said iO drum comprising a ceramic sealing portion; said valve further comprising a ceramic sealing seat capable of cooperating with said sealing portion of the deflection or deflection drum and

  having openings in communication with said tubular connectors.

  Thanks to said characteristics, the "dynamic" seal is produced at the location of the drum / seat coupling which, these elements being both made of ceramic, guarantees low friction, either static or dynamic, perfect sealing and a self-cleaning effect. The invention is particularly advantageous for radiators rotatably supported inside

  of an air supply line and in which the movable valve control member is integral with the radiator.

  The radiators are illustrated in patent application No. 68195-A / 81 presented by the applicant and to

  which we will refer to for a more detailed description

  detailed such types of radiators.

  In the case of radiators mounted so as to be able to rotate, the deflection drum is keyed to the rotating radiator and has axial pass-through holes arranged practically opposite with respect to the axis of the drum and a diametrical recess molded in a 35 face of the drum facing said fittings; in addition, said sealing seat comprises a fixed ceramic disc integral with said tubular connections fixed to the

vehicle structure.

  According to another characteristic, still for radiators supported so as to be able to rotate, the shutter drum comprises a deflector disc pierced with ceramic in contact, in the mounted configuration of the valve, of said fixed disc and in addition a cylindrical element integral with said disc deflection and in which said through holes and said holes are provided

  recesses, coming from molding of the drum.

  Thanks to such a characteristic reducing the size of the ceramic components, it also reduces

the cost of the valve.

  According to another embodiment, particularly for radiators fixedly supported inside an air intake pipe, the valve comprises a fixed base in which the sealing seat is housed, in contact with the drum deflector; and to which are connected said two inlet and outlet tubular connections and the two auxiliary connections for connection to the radiator; further said deflection drum has two recesses molded and arranged side by side, capable of gradually allowing, at the time of rotation of the drum, either the communication between the tubular inlet and outlet fittings and the auxiliary fittings, either direct communication between the two inlet and outlet tubular connections; to said deflection drum is fixed a central pivot capable of being controlled by actuating means to cause rotation thereof when the valve is put into operation. Other advantages and characteristics of the valve according to the present invention will emerge in a way

  evident from the detailed description which follows, and given

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  only by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view partially in section of a radiator provided with the valve according to the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the valve of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, which illustrates another embodiment of the valve; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the valve of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a partially sectional view of a valve according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the valve of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is an enlarged detail partially in

section of figure 3.

  Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a radiator 20 of a heating installation of a motor vehicle, supported so as to be able to rotate inside an air inlet pipe 12. The radiator 10 comprises two tanks respectively lO0a and lO0b; the tank 10a is integral with a tubular part 13 in which are provided radial annular ribs 14 for support. Coaxial with the tubular part 13, the pipe 12 has a base portion 12a to support in

  letting it run, the radiator 10.

  On the side opposite to the tubular part 14, the tank 10b 30 of the radiator 10 has a pivot 15 supported by a seat

  complementary 16 provided in the wall of the pipe 12.

  In this way, we identify an axis X-X of rotation of the radiator 10, around which we can rotate this

  the latter by means of a manual or mechanical control (not shown).

  In association with the tubular element 13, the radiator 10 has an adjustment valve designated as a whole by 18, provided with a deflection drum 20 made of ceramic rotating with the radiator 10 around the axis XX and with a seat sealing formed by a ceramic disc 22, integral with a portion 18a of the valve which comprises tubular connections inlet 23 and outlet 24 of the heating fluid. The deflection drum 20 has a first force 20a facing the portion 18a of the valve and a second face 20b facing the tank 10a of the radiator 10. The deflection drum 20 is furthermore provided with through holes 26 coming from molding arranged at diametrically opposite with respect to the axis XX of the valve and a recess 28, molded in, with widened ends with respect to the face 20a of the drum 20 and essentially arranged along a diameter of said drum (FIG. 8). In order to make the deflection drum 20 integral with the tank loa of the radiator, the drum is provided, with respect to its side wall 20c, radial projections 29 complementary to the seats 30 and protruding from the wall of the tank loa . This tank has, in correspondence with the through holes 26 of the deflection drum, openings 32 allowing

  the communication between the valve 18 and the interior of the radiator 10.

  The sealing disc 22 has a face 22a facing the tubular connections 23 and 24 of the valve and an opposite face 22b facing and in contact with the face 20a of the deflection drum 20. The disc 22 30 also has holes 32 coming from molding and of complementary shape to the holes 26 of the deflection drum and in communication with the tubular inlet and outlet fittings 23 and 24. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the holes 26 and 32 have a shape 35 substantially in the circular sector and the connections 23 and 24 have in the vicinity of the sealing disc 22 a section corresponding to the shape of the holes 32 and 26 of the

  disc 22 and deflection drum 20.

  Between the deflection drum 20 and the tank 10a of the radiator 10, in correspondence with the openings 32, there are provided annular linings 35> made of silicone rubber, housed in suitable annular seats 35a arranged in the tank loa of the radiator around the

  openings 32. The seals 35 are in contact with the face 20b of the deflection drum 20.

  In an entirely analogous manner, between the portion 18a of the valve 18 with which the tubular connections 23 and 24 are associated and the disc 22, are interposed annular linings 37 made of silicone rubber, housed in seats 37a fitted out in the portion 18a, of the valve around the passages, coming from molding, of the tubular connections 23 and 24. The portion 18a of the valve is fixed at 38 to the structure of the motor vehicle (not shown) and the disc 22 is integral with the portion 20 18a of the valve 18 by means of radial appendages 39 housed in suitable seats 40 projecting

  axially of the portion 18a in question.

  The portion 18a of the valve is assembled to the remaining portion of the valve by means of an internally threaded collar 41- and screwed to the tubular portion 13 of the tank 10a with the interposition of a ring 42 with an L-shaped profile and split and a washer 43 of material with a low coefficient of friction, such as polytetrafluoroethylene. In this way, the collar 41 30 secured to the radiator 10 can rotate with low friction relative to the split ring 42 secured to

the portion 18a of the valve 18.

  In the position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the valve 18 allows maximum communication between the pipes 23 and 24 and the interior of the radiator 10, at

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  through the holes 32 and 26 of the disc 22 and of the deflection drum 20, this situation corresponding to the case in which the radiator 10 is in the position of maximum obstruction of the air inlet pipe 12. By the rotation of the radiator 10 around the axis XX, since the portion 18a of the valve 18 is fixed to the structure of the vehicle, there is a relative friction between the ceramic disc 22 and the ceramic deflection drum 20. In this way, the holes 32 of the disc 22 are gradually placed in communication with the recess 28 allowing the heating fluid a progressive bypass of the radiator 10. In the position (not shown) in which the radiator 10 has rotated 90 around its axis XX relative to at the position illustrated 15 in FIG. 1 (minimum obstruction position on the part of the radiator 10 of the inlet pipe 12), the heating fluid will pass from the inlet fitting 23 directly to the outlet fitting 24 through the obviously di molded metal 28, thus allowing a total bypass 20 of the radiator 10. Naturally, there is an unlimited possibility of operating conditions between the positions of maximum and minimum obstruction of the pipe 12 on the part of the corresponding radiator 10

  the various degrees of heating of the passenger compartment.

  It is obvious that the contact between the face 20a of the deflection drum 20 and the face 22b of the disc 22 provides both static and dynamic sealing at the time of rotation of the radiator 10, while the sealing produced by the annular linings 35 and 30 37 are exclusively static, moreover allowing, given their elasticity, a determined contact pressure between the deflection drum 20 and the disc

sealing 22.

  In FIGS. 4 and 5, a second embodiment of the invention is illustrated, also usable for

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  radiators mounted so that they can rotate in the air supply line. In these figures, the same reference numbers have been kept as in Figures 1, 2 and 3 when these references relate to similar elements. This embodiment differs from the previous one in that, in place of the deflection drum 20 in one piece, said drum 20 comprises a ceramic deflection disc 50 and a cylindrical element 51 made of plastic secured to the deflection disc 50. The cylindrical element 51 is of a shape substantially similar to that of the drum according to the first embodiment of the invention, and it is provided with a prismatic appendage 52 capable of being introduced into an appropriate seat 52 of the tank 10a so as to make the element 51 itself integral with the rotation integral with the radiator 10. The cylindrical element 51 has a face 51a facing the tubular connections 23 and 24, on which is disposed a molded lining of rubber which, in the mounted configuration, is in contact with the deflection disc 50. The deflection disc 50 has four through holes 56, identical and of a shape complementary to the holes 26 of the cylindrical element 51, and e n additionally it has radially outer appendages or ribs 57 inserted into seats

  suitable 58 projecting into the cylindrical element 51.

  The operation of such a valve is quite similar to that already described in the case where the drum 20 is formed in one piece of ceramic; during the rotation of the radiator 10, the cylindrical element 51 made of plastic and the deflection disc 50 which is associated therewith, rotate integrally with each other, while the sealing disc 22 remains fixed integrally with the

tubular connections 23 and 24.

  In Figures 6 and 7 is illustrated a third

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  embodiment of the invention, particularly suitable for traditional radiators whose position

  is fixed relative to the air supply line.

  In this embodiment, the valve 18 has a circular base 60 to which are connected, with respect to its front surface 60a, two tubular connections for the inlet and outlet of the fluid to the radiator 62 and 64 respectively, and two auxiliary tubular connections 66 and 68 respectively communicating with the radiator 10 and fixed at 69 on the

tank 10a.

  Both the tubular fittings 62 and 64 as well as the auxiliary fittings 66 and 68 are fixed to the base 60 in correspondence with adjacent quadrants between them. The base 60 has an externally threaded end portion 60b on which is screwed, in the mounted configuration of the valve 18, a collar

tightening 70.

  Between the clamp 70 and the base 60 are interposed, in order, an annular packing 71 made of anti-friction material, a cup-shaped element 72 made of plastic, a sealing packing 73 made of elastomeric material. , a ceramic deflection disc 74, a ceramic sealing disc 75 and four rubber sealing rings 96

silicone.

  The element 72 has a diametrical internal wall 76 which defines two recesses 77 of semi-circular plane and is further provided with seats 78 complementary to radial appendages 79 of the deflection disc 74. In a similar manner, the disc of sealing 75 has radial appendages 80 complementary to seats 81 making

protruding axially on the base 60.

  The deflection disc 74 has four holes 82, 35 from molding and a flat sealing surface 74a in

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  face of and in contact with a corresponding flat surface a of the sealing disc 75. The latter has four holes configured and molded 83 opening into the face 75b facing towards the base 60 and from which extend ring gaskets 96 in silicone rubber, inserted in ring seats 85 of

the base 60.

  In the bucket-shaped element 72 is fixed in the center a pivot 86 which, by means of a lever 87, controls the rotation of the element 72 and the deflection disc 74

who is keyed to it.

  In the mounted configuration of valve 18, the annular packings 96 provide a predetermined contact force between the surfaces 75a and 74a of the sealing disc 75 and the deflection disc 74, of

  in order to guarantee the required hydraulic seal.

  In FIGS. 6 and 7, the condition of the valve 18 is indicated, in which a bypass is made between the tubular inlet and outlet fittings 62 and 20 64; In fact, the water which enters opposite the fittings 62 reverses its current opposite the recess 77 and leaves opposite the outlet fitting 64. By rotating the bucket element 72 by means of the lever 87 so that '' it rotates 900 compared to the configuration illustrated in the drawing, the inlet tubular connector 62 is placed directly in communication, via one of the recesses 77, with the auxiliary fitting 68 at the inlet of the radiator, and the auxiliary connection 68, at the outlet of the radiator 10, is put into communication by means of the other recess 77, with a tubular outlet connection 64. In this way there is a maximum heating condition

of the passenger compartment.

  Naturally, between these two extreme positions, it is possible, as in the other embodiments, to practice a multitude of positions which define

  each a different degree of heating of the passenger compartment.

Claims (12)

  1. Valve for radiators of heating installations for motor vehicles, capable of regulating the flow of the heating fluid through the radiator, comprising a body and a movable member for internal control of the body and associated with two tubular inlet and exit from said fluid, characterized in that said movable control member comprises a deflection drum (20; 72; 74) rotating about its axis XX, capable either of gradually allowing, following its rotation, the communication between said tubular connections (23; 24; 62; 64) and the radiator (10), either to put said tubular connections (23; 24; 62; 64) gradually in direct communication so that the heating fluid bypasses the radiator (10) ; said drum comprising a sealing portion (20a;; 74) of ceramic; said valve (18) comprising a sealing seat (22, 22b; 75, 75a) made of ceramic, capable of cooperating with said portion. sealing (20a; 20 74a) of the deflection drum (20; 72; 74), and having openings (32; 83) in communication with said   tubular connections (23, 24; 62, 64).   2. Adjustment valve according to claim 1, in particular for radiators supported so as to be able to rotate inside an air intake pipe and in which the movable valve control member is integral with the radiator, characterized in that the deflection drum (20) is keyed to the rotating radiator (10) and has axial through holes (26) disposed substantially opposite to the axis XX of the drum (20) and a diametrical recess (28) coming from molding, in one face (20a) of the drum (20) turned towards said fittings (23, 24), and by the fact that said sealing seat comprises a fixed ceramic disc (22) , integral with said fittings   tubular (23, 24) fixed to the vehicle structure.   3. Adjustment valve according to claim 2, characterized in that the deflection drum (20) comprises a deflector-drilled disc (50) made of ceramic, in contact, in the mounted configuration of the valve 18, with said fixed disc (22) and a cylindrical element (51) keyed to said obturating disc (50) and in which are made said through holes (26) and said recess   (28), molded from the drum.   4. Valve according to claim 2, characterized   by the fact that between the deflection drum (20) and the radiator (10a) and between the deflection drum (2) and the tubular connections (23, 24) are interposed annular seals (35, 37 ) made of elastomeric material in a shape substantially complementary to that   through holes (26) of the drum (20).   5. Adjustment valve according to claim 3, characterized in that between said cylindrical portion (51) and the radiator (10a), between said cylindrical portion (51) and said deflection disc (50) and between said fixed disc (22) and said tubular connections (23, 24) are interposed with the linings   seal (35, 54, 37) made of elastomeric material.   6. Adjustment valve according to claim 1, in particular for radiators fixedly supported inside an air intake pipe, characterized in that it comprises a fixed base (60) in which is provided the sealing seat (74) in contact with the deflection drum (72, 74) and to which are connected said two tubular inlet and outlet fittings (62, 64) and the two auxiliary fittings (66, 68) for connection to the radiator (10), and by the fact that said deflection drum (72, 74) has two recesses molded and arranged side by side (77) capable of gradually allowing, at the time of rotation of the drum (72, 74) or the communication between the inlet and outlet tubular fittings (62, 64) and the auxiliary fittings (66, 68), or the direct communication between the two inlet and outlet tubular fittings ( 62, 64), a central pivot (86) being keyed onto said deflection drum (72, 74), said pivot can be controlled by actuating means (87) to cause its   rotation upon actuation of the valve (18).   7. Adjustment valve according to claim 6, characterized in that said two recesses (77), coming from molding, have a semi-circular shape and by the fact that said fixed base (60) has a circular shape, both inlet and outlet connections (62, 64) and respectively the two auxiliary connections (66, 68) for connection to the radiator (10) being joined to the circular base in correspondence with respective quadrants adjacent to each other.   8. Adjustment valve according to claim 7, characterized in that said sealing seat is constituted by a fixed ceramic disc (75), embedded in said base (60) and having four pass-through holes (83) communicating with said tubular inlet and outlet fittings (62 and 64) and said auxiliary fittings (66, 68) and in that said deflection drum (72, 74) comprises a perforated deflection disc (74) made of ceramic contact of said fixed disc (75) and a cylindrical element (72) integral with said deflection disc (74), in which said said are provided recesses (77).   9. Adjustment valve according to claim 8, characterized in that said fixed disc (75) and   deflection disc (74) are identical to each other.   10. Adjustment valve according to claim 8, characterized in that between said base (60) and the fixed disc (75) and between the deflection disc (74) and the cylindrical element (72) are interposed toppings   seal (56, 73) made of elastomeric material.   11. Adjustment valve according to any one of   Claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it further comprises a clamp (70) capable of cooperating with said base (60) in order to keep the base (60) and the deflection drum (72) clamped together. ,   74) an annular lining (71) of material   anti-friction being interposed between the fixed base (70) 10 and the rotating drum (72, 74).   12. Valve according to any one of   Claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the valve body comprises a tubular element (13)   integral with the radiator (10) in which said deflection drum (20) is mounted coaxially, onto which is screwed a collar (41) capable of keeping tight between   them, by means of the interposition of a lining (42) of anti-friction material, a portion (18a) of the valve (18) in which are provided said tubular connections 20 (23, 24) and the deflection drum (20 ).