Fluid handling – With repair – tapping – assembly – or disassembly means – Assembling or disassembling rotary valve
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-07-10
Lee, Kevin (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
Assembling or disassembling rotary valve
C137S315250, C251S129110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257271
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrically operated valves of the type having a rotatable valve member received in the valving chamber in a valve body for, upon rotation, controlling flow between an inlet and outlet passage communicating with the valving chamber. Electric servo operated valves have found particular application in controlling flow of hot water to heat exchangers such as the heater core for heating the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
Currently it is necessary to offer an electrically controlled climate control system for the motor vehicle passenger compartment to be competitive in the automotive marketplace. This type of system has necessitated servo operation of the heater core water valve; and, in order to minimize the manufacturing costs of the motor and valve assembly, and to improve reliability and reduce the risk of leakage of the hot water circulated to the heater core, it has been desired to provide a permanently sealed assembly.
Heretofore, servo operated water valves for controlling flow of hot water to a motor vehicle passenger compartment heater core required a separate seal between the motor drive unit and the valve body and the use of separate fasteners to attach the motor drive unit to the valve body. This arrangement required separate assembly fixtures and additional operations in installing the fasteners, all of which resulted in relatively high manufacturing costs. Such fasteners, typically formed of metallic material, have been a source of metal corrosion and swelling which has resulted in rupture of the valve body and motor housing which are typically formed of plastic material. It has thus long been desired to find a way or means of assembling a servo operated rotary water valve for controlling flow in response to an electrical control signal and which does not require fasteners during assembly and is robust and relatively low in manufacturing costs enabling the valve to be competitive in high volume mass production.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a servo motor operated rotary valve having the valve body and servo motor housing formed of plastic material, the valve being suitable for electrically actuated control of fluid flow in a system; and, the valve is particularly suitable for the control of hot water flow to a motor vehicle passenger compartment heater core. The valve employs a barrel type rotary valve member and has a servo motor drive unit pre-assembled in a housing to form a subassembly which is then attached and permanently sealed to the valve body by sonic welding. In the preferred form, the servo motor housing includes a motor and speed reducer and the motor housing is formed as a subassembly with a shell and cover attached by sonic welding. The construction of the servo operated valve assembly of the present invention provides a sealed unit which is quite easy to fabricate in high volume mass production, such as for automotive applications. The valve body and motor housing are formed of plastic materials as is common in automotive heater core water valve applications and thus provides a robust assembly for such applications.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4592505 (1986-06-01), Brunninga et al.
patent: 5083745 (1992-01-01), Tischer
Babin Christopher J.
Green Timothy J.
Eaton Corporation
Johnston Roger A.
Lee Kevin
LandOfFree
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