Fluid handling – Processes – Cleaning – repairing – or assembling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-24
2003-09-02
Gartenberg, Ehud (Department: 3754)
Fluid handling
Processes
Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
C029S890132, C029S890127, C123S336000, C251S308000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06612325
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a control valve assembly comprising at least two control valves produced by assembly injection molding, a process in which a molded part is produced assembled to another part by injection molding it in place in the other part. The invention further relates to a control valve module comprising a plurality of such control valve assemblies.
The use of control valves that are injection molded at the time of assembly is known, for example, in the automotive field. Karlsson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,336 (=EP 482 272) in
FIG. 5
illustrates the production process for assembly-injection-molded control valves. These control valves are produced in a mold. Core inserts
3
,
4
,
7
,
8
can be moved within the mold in such a way that the valve blades and the shaft can be produced in one piece in the previously injection molded valve frame. Since the plastics of the valve blades and the valve frame do not adhere to one another, the vanes and frame can be moved relative to each other in the finished assembly.
Assembly-injection-molded control valves can be used as individual components or can be combined into an assembly, e.g., in internal combustion engine air intake pipes. For example, published European patent application no. EP 747 587 A1 proposes a series connection of assembly-injection-molded control valves which have a common axis of rotation (compare FIG.
3
). These control valves are connected with one another by cranks
17
,
18
, with a plug-in connection
19
,
20
provided at the ends of the cranks. By providing cranks, it is possible to transmit sufficiently large torques to actuate the control valve. Furthermore, relocating the connection outside the axis of rotation makes it possible to obtain sufficient angular accuracy between the control valves. Such a control valve assembly has drawbacks, however. Providing cranks increases the material required for the component and ultimately also the component costs. In addition, the cranks, as movable components, require room for action, which must be available at the mounting location. This is feasible in the described application since the control valves are adjacent to the plenum of a suction pipe (compare FIG.
1
). There are applications, however, where installation space is severely limited.
Particularly if the control valves are to be arranged in the intake channels of an air suction pipe just ahead of the cylinder inlets, the available space is very limited due to the large number of functional components, such as the intake valves. If there is more than one intake channel per cylinder, it is frequently desirable to be able to selectively shut off some of the channels. In this case, the cranks, assuming a common axis of rotation of all valves, would be located precisely in the area of the second, non-closable intake channel where, depending on their position, they would have an adverse effect on the flow within the intake channel. In these cases one would therefore have to resort to constructing the valve assembly of metal, since the greater rigidity of this material makes it possible to arrange the control valves on a shaft. Such an arrangement is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,269. The control valves are mounted on the shaft, for instance by means of screws. This causes higher production costs, however, compared to a control valve assembly that is injection molded at the time of assembly. In addition, assembly is more complex, since the suction pipe housing must be divided in the plane of rotation of the valves to facilitate installation of the valve assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an assembly-injection-molded control valve assembly which permits actuation of said assembly in a very limited installation space.
This and other objects of the invention are achieved by the invention as described and claimed hereinafter.
The control valve assembly according to the invention comprises a plurality of control valves or valve modules that are suitable, for instance, to throttle intake channels of an air intake manifold for an internal combustion engine. In the following discussion, it should be understood that control valves may be constructed as valve modules, e.g., constructed of assembly injection-molded control units. The control valves are produced by assembly injection molding techniques and comprise valve blades, which should be understood to refer to the entire part which is movable in the valve frame, including the shaft extensions by which the flap is rotatably mounted. In order to transmit an actuating force from one valve blade to another, a shaft is provided that can be turned to simultaneously rotate the valve blades. Because this shaft must lie precisely in the axis of rotation of the valve blades, little space is required for the control valve assembly. Thus, such an assembly can be installed, for example, in the intake channels of an internal combustion engine air intake manifold leading to the engine cylinders so as to save space. It is also possible to achieve selective inlet closure if there are several intake channels per cylinder. In this case, the valve shaft extends through each of the non-closable intake channels without blocking them.
According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one of the bearings in the valve frame on both sides of the valve blades has a conical configuration. These conical bearings are formed by the valve shaft and the mounting hole or receptacle in the valve frame. The conical outer contour of the valve shaft in the area of the bearings is preferably formed by the injection-molded component that also produces the valve blade. The receptacle hole in the valve frame need not necessarily be produced by drilling. It is also possible to originally form this hole by using appropriate core inserts in the injection mold in which the mounting frame is formed. In this case, the mounting holes in the valve frame must have a conical configuration that corresponds to the conical configuration on the valve shaft.
The base of the cone may face either the exterior of the valve frame or the interior of the valve frame. Which of the two directions of the opening is more appropriate in the individual case depends on the material selected, as will be described in greater detail below.
Normally, when the temperature or the air humidity decreases, the valve will shrink more than the valve frame. In such a case it is better to provide a conical bearing configuration which diverges toward the exterior of the frame. Shrinkage of the valve shaft has an axial and a radial component. The radial shrinkage component enlarges or produces a gap between the conical seat in the valve frame and the conical surface on the valve shaft. At the same time, however, axial shrinkage of the valve shaft causes the axis to be shortened so that the gap thus produced is compensated. It is therefore necessary to fix the valve shaft axially. This can advantageously be accomplished by providing a second conical area at the other end of the valve shaft. However, a shoulder on the shaft can also ensure axial fixation. Of course, the valve blades also provide axial fixation of the valve shaft. They limit the axial play of the valve shaft in the opening of the valve frame.
The angle of divergence of the cone can be selected as a function of the materials used and the dimensions of the control valve such that the axial and radial shrinkage component of the valve shaft is compensated. Alternatively, the angle of divergence can also be selected in such a way that a slight axial stressing (tensioning) of the valve shaft is achieved when the temperature decreases. This makes it possible to compensate tolerances in the valve shaft and the valve frame while ensuring a play-free bearing arrangement of the valve shaft in the valve frame throughout the tolerance range. Valve shaft undersizing in the low temperature range will simultaneously compensate wear.
A significant advantage of the co
Neuschwander Helmut
Rentschler Klaus
Bastianelli John
Crowell & Moring LLP
Filterwerk Mann & Hummel GmbH
Gartenberg Ehud
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