Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01P7/00—Controlling of coolant flow
  • F01P7/14—Controlling of coolant flow the coolant being liquid
  • F01P7/16—Controlling of coolant flow the coolant being liquid by thermostatic control
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
  • F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
  • F16K11/06—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
  • F16K11/072—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members
  • F16K11/074—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members with flat sealing faces
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
  • F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
  • F16K11/06—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
  • F16K11/072—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members
  • F16K11/076—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
  • F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
  • F16K11/08—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only taps or cocks
  • F16K11/085—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only taps or cocks with cylindrical plug
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
  • F16K31/02—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic
  • F16K31/04—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a motor
  • F16K31/041—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a motor for rotating valves
  • F16K31/043—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a motor for rotating valves characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01P7/00—Controlling of coolant flow
  • F01P7/14—Controlling of coolant flow the coolant being liquid
  • F01P2007/146—Controlling of coolant flow the coolant being liquid using valves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01P—COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES
  • F01P2060/00—Cooling circuits using auxiliaries
  • F01P2060/08—Cabin heater

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an electrically controlled valve for a fluid circulation circuit, as well as to circuits equipped with such a valve.
• Such a cooling circuit is traversed by a cooling fluid, usually water with an antifreeze added, which circulates in a closed circuit under the action of a circulation pump.
• a cooling fluid usually water with an antifreeze added
• such a cooling circuit comprises several branches, including a branch which contains a cooling radiator, a branch which constitutes a bypass of the cooling radiator and a branch which contains a radiator called "air heater", used for heating the passenger compartment. .
• thermostatic valve which comprises a fluid inlet connected to the engine outlet and two fluid outlets which correspond respectively to the branch containing the cooling radiator and to the branch containing one air heater.
• the valve circulates the coolant in a branch branch by shorting the cooler. As soon as the coolant temperature reaches and exceeds the above threshold, the coolant through the cooling radiator and bypasses the branch branch.
• the cooling fluid circulates permanently in the branch which contains the heating radiator, the heating of the passenger compartment being then obtained by mixing a flow of cold air and a flow of hot air which has swept the heating radiator. It is also known to provide a separate valve on the heating radiator to regulate the flow of cooling fluid passing through it.
• valves generally used for this application are of the type with shutter rotating inside the valve body, as taught for example by US Pat. No. 5,950,576.
• the shutter is driven in its movement rotation by a shaft coupled to an actuator, such as an electric motor of the stepping or continuous type, located outside the valve body. Sealing with the outside of the valve is ensured by a rotary seal surrounding the shaft and pressed between the drive shaft and the valve body.
• an actuator such as an electric motor of the stepping or continuous type
• Sealing with the outside of the valve is ensured by a rotary seal surrounding the shaft and pressed between the drive shaft and the valve body.
• repeated rotations of the shutter drive shaft cause, over time, a leakage of the coolant at the passage of the drive shaft in the valve body, which is due to wear of the friction seal on the surfaces with which it is in contact with both the shaft and the valve body.
• the assembly constituted by the valve body and the actuator has a large bulk.
• One of the aims of the invention is to improve the tightness of the rotary shutter valves driven by electric motors in order to prevent any leakage of the coolant. More particularly, the invention aims to provide a control valve of reduced size and excellent robustness, intended for a fluid circulation circuit which, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, constitutes a cooling circuit d 'a motor vehicle heat engine.
• the subject of the invention is a control valve for a fluid circulation circuit comprising a valve body or housing closed by a cover, the valve comprising at least one fluid inlet and one or more outlet pipes fluid, as well as a movable shutter having at least one fluid passage opening, the shutter being driven by the rotor of an electric motor comprising a rotor and a stator.
• the rotor is placed inside the valve body and the stator is located outside the valve body.
• the rotor is separated from the stator in a sealed manner to the fluid circulating in the valve body by a layer of material permeable to the magnetic field.
• the rotor is encapsulated inside the valve body over all or part of its length inside a cylindrical housing inside the valve body, of substantially constant wall thickness, projecting from the wall of the valve body outward from the valve body in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation rotor.
• the stator is housed outside the valve body in a second cylindrical housing, surrounding the cylindrical housing of the rotor included in the space formed between a partition concentrically surrounding the wall of the cylindrical housing of the rotor and the outside of the wall of the cylindrical housing of the rotor.
• the walls of the cylindrical housing receiving the rotor and the wall forming the valve body are advantageously molded together so as to form only one piece.
• the walls of the cylindrical housing are formed by a metal ring attached to the valve body.
• the shutter is constituted by a disc comprising a fluid passage opening allowing a controlled flow of the fluid between the inlet orifice and the fluid outlet pipes when the shutter disc is driven in rotation by the motor.
• the obturator disc is advantageously formed from a material with a low coefficient of friction and high mechanical resistance, for example ceramic.
• the obturator is constituted by a hollow cylinder comprising at least one fluid passage opening allowing a controlled flow of the fluid between the inlet orifice and the fluid outlet pipes when the shutter is controlled in rotation by the motor.
• the shutter is constituted by a truncated solid cylinder. It is thus possible to manage the flow of fluid through the various outputs of the valve, and this as a function of the angular position given to the movable disc or to the cylindrical shutter of the valve.
• the distribution of the fluid can be controlled according to a predefined law.
• Such a valve can thus equip a fluid circulation circuit, and in particular a cooling circuit of a motor vehicle engine, to independently manage the coolant flow rates in the various pipes of the circuit.
• the circuit is produced in the form of a cooling circuit of a heat engine of a motor vehicle which is traversed by a cooling fluid under the action of a circulation pump.
• the control valve is a three-way valve, the fluid inlet of which is connected to a coolant inlet from the engine, and the three fluid outlets of which are respectively connected to the fluid inlets an engine cooling radiator and an air heater for heating the passenger compartment as well as a bypass line for the cooling radiator facilitating the cold start of the engine.
• control valve comprises at least one fluid outlet pipe and at least one fluid inlet, one of the fluid outlets being connected to the inlet of the heat engine.
• FIG. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a first embodiment of a control valve according to the invention
• FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views respectively in profile and below of the control valve shown in Figure 1;
• FIGS. 5 to 7 are views respectively from below in profile and from above of the control valve of Figure 1;
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a control valve according to the invention.
• FIG. 11 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment without reducer of the valve produced according to the second embodiment
• FIG. 12 is a view. in section along line XII-XII of Figure 11;
• FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of a control valve according to the invention.
• FIG. 14 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the control valve of Figure 13; and /
• FIG. 15 shows a cooling circuit of a thermal engine of a motor vehicle equipped with a control valve or regulation according to the invention.
• control valve shown comprises a valve body 1 or box forming a plug, made of an electrically insulating and non-magnetic material, therefore permeable to the magnetic field, for example polyamide type or
• the body 10 polypropylene.
• the body 10 is internally limited by a bottom wall 2 and a lateral cylindrical wall 3 of axis of revolution XX '.
• the bottom wall 2 supports the pipes 4 and
• the body 1 is closed by a cover or flange 8 pierced with an opening fluid inlet 9, centered on the axis XX '( Figure 3).
• the cover 8 rests on bosses 11 and 12 of the shutter disc 10, projecting from the surface opposite that of the shutter disc 10 which rests on the bottom wall 2.
• the shutter disc 10 has a fluid passage opening 13 allowing a controlled flow of fluid between the inlet orifice 9 and the fluid outlet pipes 4 and 0 5 when the shutter disc rotates around the axis XX '.
• the shutter disc 10 is made of a material with a low coefficient of friction and a high resistance to wear. Ceramic materials can be used for this, but the use other materials are also possible.
• the seal between the shutter disc 10 and the outlet orifices of the outlet pipes 4 and 5 is ensured, when the shutter disc 10 closes these orifices, by seals 6a, 6b, 7a surrounding each of the outlet orifices 6 and 7, arranged inside housings of the bottom wall 2.
• the obturator disc 10 is rotated about the axis XX 'by an electric motor 14 comprising a rotor 15 and a stator 16 by means of a reduction gear composed of a first toothed wheel 17 driven by the rotor 15 and a second toothed wheel 18 centered around the axis XX 'and disposed on the shutter disc 10 at its periphery.
• the electric motor 14 is, for example, a stepping type motor or a DC brushless type.
• the toothed wheel 18 can be produced either directly by molding the disc 10 or by machining.
• the rotor 15 is encapsulated inside the valve body 1 over all or part of its length inside a blind cylindrical housing 19 inside the body 1, of substantially constant wall thickness, projecting from the wall 2 it extends to the outside of the body 1 in a direction parallel to the axis XX '. It is immobilized in translation in the housing 19 by the first toothed wheel 17 which is fixed at its end in an interior space to the valve body 1 comprised between the bottom wall 2, the cover 8 and the toothed wheel 18.
• the stator 16 is housed outside the body 1 in a second cylindrical housing 20 surrounding the cylindrical housing 19 in the space between a partition 21 disposed concentrically with the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical housing 19 and the outside of the wall of the cylindrical housing 19.
• the cylindrical housing 20 is closed by a cover 22 which fits onto the free end edge of the cylindrical wall 21.
• This embodiment seals between the stator 16 and the rotor 15, the latter being embedded in the liquid circulating in the valve body 1.
• the reducer formed by the toothed wheels 17 and 18 the torque transmitted by the motor to the shutter disc 10 can be adjusted.
• the reducer makes it possible to reduce the opening resolution of the shutter disc 10 and to make the flow rates in the outlet pipes 4 and 5 more progressive upon opening. A compromise can be found to adapt the opening time and opening resolution of the shutter disc.
• the shutter 10 has the form d 'an elongated hollow cylinder movable in rotation about its longitudinal axis XX' inside a valve body 1 of generally cylindrical shape with axis XX 'and delimited by a bottom wall 2.
• three fluid outlet pipes 4, 5, 5a open into the valve body 1 at axial heights and at selected angular positions relative to the axis XX '.
• the. outlet pipes open radially on the cylindrical wall of the valve body 1 and have different diameters.
• two fluid outlet pipes 4 and 5a are arranged in two diametrically opposite directions and an outlet pipe 5 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other two.
• a flange or cover 8 traversed by a fluid inlet pipe 9 directed into the. direction of the axis XX ′ is fixed to the open end of the cylindrical wall of the valve body 1 opposite the bottom 2.
• the shutter cylinder 10 is produced in the form of a hollow cylinder capable of rotating around the axis of rotation XX '. It is crossed in its cylindrical part by orifices 13, 13a of determined dimensions to allow a controlled flow of fluid between the inlet pipe 9 and the outlet pipes 4, 5, 5a.
• the shutter cylinder 10 is rotated about the axis XX 'by an electric motor, for example of the stepping type or of the brushless DC type, comprising ' a rotor 15 and a stator 16.
• a reduction gear composed of a first toothed wheel 17 and a second toothed wheel 18 centered on the axis XX 'and produced by molding or machining in the thickness of the bottom wall of the shutter cylinder 10, is coupled between the rotor 15 and the shutter cylinder 10.
• the rotor 15 is housed, similar to the embodiment of the disc valve described above, inside the valve body 1 over all or part of its length inside a cylindrical housing 19 inside the body 1, of substantially constant wall thickness, projecting from the wall 2 which it extends towards the outside of the body 1 in a direction parallel to the axis XX '. It is immobilized in translation in the housing 19 by the first toothed wheel 17 which is fixed at its end in an interior space to the valve body 1 comprised between the bottom wall 2 of the valve body, the bottom wall of the shutter 10 and the toothed wheel 18.
• the stator 16 is housed outside the body 1 in a second cylindrical housing 20 surrounding the cylindrical housing 19 and determined by the space between a partition 21 concentrically surrounding the wall of the cylindrical housing 19 and the outside of the wall of the cylindrical housing 19.
• the cylindrical housing 20 is closed by a cover 22 which fits on the free end edge of the cylindrical wall 21.
• particular care will be taken to use a reasonable thickness of material to form the first cylindrical housing 19 so that the air gap between the rotor 15 and the stator 16 is as small as possible, in order to obtain sufficient engine torque while using as few amps / turn as possible in the stator 16.
• the torque transmitted by the motor 14 to the shutter disc 10 can be adjusted.
• This makes it possible to choose, for example, a motor with low torque and therefore less bulky, by adopting a greater reduction ratio.
• the reducer makes it possible to reduce the opening resolution of the cylindrical shutter 10 and to make the flow rates in the outlet pipes 4, 5 and 5a more progressive upon opening. As in the example of. previous achievement a compromise can be found to adapt the opening times and the opening resolution of the shutter disc.
• the shutter 10 has the shape of a solid and truncated cylinder, mounted movable in rotation around its longitudinal axis XX 'inside a body of valve 1 of generally cylindrical shape, of axis XX '. and delimited by a bottom wall 2.
• three fluid outlet pipes 4, 5, 5a open into the valve body 1 at axial heights and at selected angular positions relative to the axis XX '.
• the outlet pipes open radially on the cylindrical wall 3 of the valve body 1 and have different diameters.
• two fluid outlet pipes 4 and 5a are arranged in two diametrically opposite directions, while the outlet pipe 5 (not visible in Figure 12) is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the other two.
• the shutter cylinder 10 has a cut plane 23 forming an acute angle with a plane perpendicular to the axis XX 'and it is surrounded by a sealing ring 24 of generally cylindrical shape which is attached externally.
• the shutter cylinder 10 is rotated about the axis XX 'by an electric motor 14, for example of the stepping type or of the brushless DC type, comprising a rotor 15 and a stator 16.
• the shaft of the motor is parallel to axis XX 'and the shutter is driven by a reducer 25.
• the reduction gear 25 is composed of a first toothed wheel 26 wedged on the motor shaft and meshing with a second toothed wheel 27 wedged on a shaft 28.
• This shaft carries a third toothed wheel 29 meshing with a fourth toothed wheel 30 wedged on a shaft 31 which carries the shutter cylinder 10.
• the reduction gear 25 is housed in a housing 32 formed in the valve body, attached to the bottom wall 2 and closed by a molded block 33 which integrates the motor 14.
• the molded block 33 also incorporates a printed circuit 34 used to control the motor and having connection pins 35 suitable for being connected to an appropriate supply circuit.
• a position sensor 36 is mounted on the shaft 31 to determine the angular position of the shutter cylinder 10.
• the rotor 15 is housed, similarly to the previous embodiments, inside the valve body 1, and more specifically inside the molded block 33 .
• the stator 16 is housed in a second cylindrical housing 20 surrounding the cylindrical housing 19.
• the walls of the cylindrical housing 19 and of the valve body, in particular of the molded block 33, are molded together to form a single piece.
• the valve according to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 14 is very close to that of FIG. 13. It is distinguished by the fact that the walls of the cylindrical housing 19 separating the stator from the rotor are not molded together with the valve body . Indeed, the separation between the stator and the rotor is achieved by a ring 37 attached to the valve body. It is, for example, a thin metal ring, permeable to the magnetic field, and molded into the valve body. The advantage is to be able to further reduce the air gap. Indeed, for equivalent mechanical strength, the thickness of the metal layer may be less than the thickness of the plastic layer.
• a control valve 39 ensures the distribution of the cooling fluid which circulates under the action of a pump 40.
• the fluid which is typically water with antifreeze added, is heated by the engine 38 and leaves the latter via an outlet 41 which is connected to the fluid inlet 9 of the valve 39.
• the outlet pipes 4 and 5 respectively supply via conduits 42 and 43 a cooling radiator 44 and an air heater 45 for heating, of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. After passing through the cooling radiator 44 and the air heater 45, the fluid returns to the pump 40 by return pipes 46 and 47.
• a pipe 48 directly connects the outlet 5a of the valve to the pump 40.
• the valve makes it possible to independently manage the flow of fluid in the aforementioned conduits and thus makes it possible to optimize the temperature of the heat engine 38 and the heating of the passenger compartment.
• the valve 39 can be located at the inlet of the heat engine 38.
• it comprises at least one fluid outlet pipe and one or more fluid inlet pipes.
• One of the valve outlet pipes is then connected to the engine inlet.
• valve of the invention is susceptible of numerous variant embodiments. It is of course not limited to a three-way valve as in the embodiment described above. It is also not limited to an application for the cooling circuit of a thermal engine of a motor vehicle and can be used for other uses in different fields.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Electrically Driven Valve-Operating Means (AREA)
• Details Of Valves (AREA)
• Multiple-Way Valves (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=27839201

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (8)

Families Citing this family (8)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2002
  • 2002-03-26 FR FR0203767A patent/FR2837897B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-03-25 DE DE10392436T patent/DE10392436T5/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-03-25 JP JP2003578711A patent/JP2005520974A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-03-25 AU AU2003239655A patent/AU2003239655A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-25 WO PCT/FR2003/000951 patent/WO2003081003A2/fr active Application Filing

Patent Citations (1)

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