WO2005078255B1 - Fail-safe thermostat device for vehicular cooling systems - Google Patents
Fail-safe thermostat device for vehicular cooling systemsInfo
- Publication number
- WO2005078255B1 WO2005078255B1 PCT/US2005/004287 US2005004287W WO2005078255B1 WO 2005078255 B1 WO2005078255 B1 WO 2005078255B1 US 2005004287 W US2005004287 W US 2005004287W WO 2005078255 B1 WO2005078255 B1 WO 2005078255B1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- fail
- safe
- operating temperature
- engine operating
- resilient member
- Prior art date
Links
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
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- 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
- F01P11/00—Component parts, details, or accessories not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups F01P1/00 - F01P9/00
- F01P11/14—Indicating devices; Other safety devices
- F01P11/16—Indicating devices; Other safety devices concerning coolant temperature
-
- 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
- F01P2031/00—Fail safe
- F01P2031/16—Fail safe using melting materials
-
- 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
- F01P2031/00—Fail safe
- F01P2031/32—Deblocking of damaged thermostat
-
- 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
- F01P2070/00—Details
- F01P2070/02—Details using shape memory alloys
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Temperature-Responsive Valves (AREA)
Abstract
A fail-safe thermostat device (19) for a vehicle cooling system includes a main spring (40) and a valve assembly (37) disposed on an end portion of the main spring (40). A spring retainer (30) is affixed to a thermal actuator (32) and bonded to a poppet valve portion (34) by an eutectic alloy interface (36). A fail-safe spring (38) is compressively disposed between the spring retainer (30) and the poppet valve portion (34). When an engine temperature reaches a value greater than a pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature, the eutectic alloy interface (36) degrades. The compressive force stored in the fail-safe spring (38) overcomes a shear strength associated with the degraded eutectic alloy interface (36) and is sufficiently greater than a tensile force exerted by the main spring (40) on the poppet valve assembly (37). The fail-safe spring (38) then actuates to compress the main spring (40), opening the fail-safe thermostat device (19). This allows coolant to flow freely through the vehicular cooling system, preventing engine damage.
Claims
1. A fail-safe thermostat device for a vehicular cooling system comprising: a thermostat including a main resilient member and a fail-safe resilient member, wherein the main resilient member is operable to actuate the thermostat to an open position to allow a fluid to flow through the system when an engine operating temperature exceeds a first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature and to actuate the thermostat to a closed position to prevent the fluid from flowing through the system when the engine operating temperature falls below a pre-determined minimum engine operating temperature; and a heat-responsive element that activates when the engine operating temperature exceeds a second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature that is greater than the first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature, wherein activation of the heat-responsive element allows the fail-safe resilient member to actuate to allow the fluid to flow through the system.
2. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 1, wherein the thermostat includes the heat-responsive element and the heat responsive element is an eutectic alloy interface that degrades at the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature to actuate the fail-safe thermostat device to the open position and maintain the fail-safe thermostat device in the open position.
3. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 2, further comprising a poppet valve, a thermal actuator, and a resilient member retainer affixed to the thermal actuator and bonded to the poppet valve by the eutectic alloy interface, wherein the main resilient member includes an end portion and the poppet valve is disposed on the end portion of the main resilient member.
4. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 3, wherein the fail-safe resilient member is disposed between the resilient member retainer and the poppet valve.
5. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 4, wherein a first force is associated with the fail-safe resilient member and a second force is associated with the main resilient member, wherein the first force is greater than the second force.
6. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 5, wherein the first force of the fail-safe resilient member overcomes a shear strength associated with the eutectic alloy interface when the eutectic alloy degrades at the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature to open the fail-safe thermostat device.
7. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 1, wherein the main resilient member is a main spring and the fail-safe resilient member is a fail-safe spring.
8. A fail-safe thermostat device for a vehicular cooling system comprising: a thermostat that opens to allow a fluid to flow through the system when an engine operating temperature exceeds a first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature and closes to prevent the fluid from flowing through the system when the engine operating temperature falls below a pre-determined minimum engine operating temperature; and a fail-safe plate including a heat-responsive element that activates when the engine operating temperature exceeds a second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature that is greater than the first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature, wherein the heat-responsive element is activated to allow fluid flow through the system.
9. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 8, wherein the fail-safe plate further includes a by-pass port to allow the fluid to flow though the system, and a cover having an open position and a closed position, wherein the cover is positioned in communication with the by-pass port and is operable to allow flow through the by-pass port when the cover is in the open position and to prevent flow through the by-pass port when the cover is in the closed position.
16
10. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 9, wherein the heat-responsive element is operable to move the cover to the open position when the engine operating temperature exceeds the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature.
11. The fail-safe thermostat as recited in Claim 10, further including a re-set mechanism that is operable to move the cover from the open position to the closed position.
12. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 11, wherein the re-set mechanism includes a manual push-button device.
13. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 11, wherein the re-set mechanism includes a re-set spring, wherein the re-set spring is operable to move the cover to the closed position when the engine operating temperature drops below the first pre-determined maximum operating temperature.
14. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 9, wherein the heat-responsive element includes a heat-responsive mechanism and a latch portion, wherein the heat- responsive mechanism interacts with the latch portion to move the cover to the open position when the engine operating temperature exceeds the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature.
15. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 14, further including a resilient member associated with the latch portion, wherein the resilient member is operable to engage the latch portion with the cover to hold the cover in the closed position when the engine operating temperature is below the second pre-determined maximum operating temperature.
16. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 15, wherein the resilient member is a spring.
17
17. A fail-safe thermostat device for a vehicular cooling system comprising: a main resilient member including an end portion; a poppet valve disposed on the end portion of the main resilient member; a thermal actuator; a resilient member retainer affixed to the thermal actuator and bonded to the poppet valve by an eutectic alloy interface; and a fail-safe resilient member disposed between the resilient member retainer and the poppet valve.
18. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 17, wherein a first force is associated with the fail-safe resilient member and a second force associated with the main resilient memeber, wherein the first force is greater than the second force.
19. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 18, wherein the first force overcomes a shear strength associated with the eutectic alloy interface when the eutectic alloy degrades at the pre-determined temperature.
20. The fail-safe thermostat device as recited in Claim 17, wherein the main resilient member is a main spring and the fail-safe resilient member is a fail-safe spring.
18
21. A method of preventing an engine overheat condition comprising the steps of: activating a main spring to actuate a thermostat to an open position when an engine operating temperature exceeds a first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature; activating the main spring to actuate the thermostat to a closed position when the engine operating temperature drops below a pre-determined minimum engine operating temperature; activating a heat-responsive element when the engine operating temperature exceeds a second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature that is higher than the first pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature to actuate a failsafe thermostat device to an open position and allow a fluid to flow through a system; and maintaining the fail-safe thermostat device in the open position when the heat- responsive element is activated to allow the fluid to flow thorough the system.
22. The method as recited in Claim 21, wherein the step of activating further comprises the steps of degrading an eutectic alloy interface within the thermostat when the engine operating temperature exceeds the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature, releasing a compressive force associated with a fail-safe spring after the step of degrading, and actuating the thermostat to the open position.
23. The method as recited in Claim 21, wherein the step of activating further comprises the step of: activating the heat-responsive element of a heat-responsive mechanism within a fail-safe plate when the engine operating temperature exceeds the second pre-determined maximum engine operating temperature.
19
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US54353004P | 2004-02-11 | 2004-02-11 | |
| US60/543,530 | 2004-02-11 |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2005078255A2 WO2005078255A2 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
| WO2005078255A3 WO2005078255A3 (en) | 2005-10-13 |
| WO2005078255B1 true WO2005078255B1 (en) | 2005-12-29 |
Family
ID=34860437
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2005/004287 WO2005078255A2 (en) | 2004-02-11 | 2005-02-11 | Fail-safe thermostat device for vehicular cooling systems |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2005078255A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102008059613B4 (en) * | 2008-11-28 | 2010-12-30 | Itw Automotive Products Gmbh | Cooling system for an internal combustion engine |
| FR3016198B1 (en) * | 2014-01-09 | 2016-01-15 | Vernet | THERMOSTATIC VALVE |
| JP7136667B2 (en) * | 2018-11-19 | 2022-09-13 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | internal combustion engine cooling system |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3045918A (en) * | 1958-11-06 | 1962-07-24 | Standard Thomson Corp | Actuator |
| US3498537A (en) * | 1968-08-26 | 1970-03-03 | Standard Thomson Corp | Fail-safe thermostatic fluid valve structure |
| US4453668A (en) * | 1982-11-10 | 1984-06-12 | Caltherm Corporation | Fail-safe thermostatic valve |
| US4883225A (en) * | 1988-03-18 | 1989-11-28 | S.T.C., Inc. | Fail-safe thermostat for vehicular cooling systems |
| US5381952A (en) * | 1993-10-15 | 1995-01-17 | Standard-Thomson Corporation | Fail-safe thermostat |
| FR2816358A1 (en) * | 2000-11-07 | 2002-05-10 | Alain Bourgin | Fusible valve for motor vehicle internal combustion engine cooling circuit has reaction chamber with locking spring and piloted control for forced cooling by full opening of valves |
-
2005
- 2005-02-11 WO PCT/US2005/004287 patent/WO2005078255A2/en active Application Filing
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2005078255A3 (en) | 2005-10-13 |
| WO2005078255A2 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
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