Multi-port valve with multiple operation modes
AssigneeTesla Motors, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Albert Roche, Joseph Stratford Maxwell Mardall, Jan Kopitz, Curt Raymond O'Donnell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-port, multi-mode valve includes: a valve housing; multiple ports on the valve housing, a spacing between first and second ports being smaller than a spacing between third and fourth ports; and a stemshell positioned at least partly inside the valve housing, the stemshell having at least two channels configured for selectively coupling one or more of the ports to a selected at least other one of the ports.
Claims18
A multi-port, multi-mode valve comprising:
- a valve housing;
- at least a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port on the valve housing;
- and
- a stemshell positioned at least partly inside the valve housing, the stemshell including a first channel and a second channel configured for selectively coupling either the first port or the second port to the third port while the fourth port remains continuously coupled to the fifth port, each of the first channel and the second channel having a first end and a second end, wherein the stemshell is a single and unitary actuated component of the multi-port, multi-mode valve and each side of the first channel and each side of the second channel are formed by the stemshell such that any fluid flow between coupled ports of the valve housing occurs internal to the stemshell via the first channel and the second channel.
A method performed with regard to a multi-port, multi-mode valve having at least a first port, a second port, a third port, a fourth port, and a fifth port, the method comprising:
- orienting, in the multi-port, multi-mode valve, a stemshell thereof so that a first channel of the stemshell couples the first port to the third port, and so that a second channel of the stemshell couples the fourth port to the fifth port, each of the first channel and the second channel having a first end and a second end, wherein the stemshell does not couple the second port to any of the other ports;
- receiving a signal corresponding to an instruction to instead couple the second port to the third port;
- and
- in response to the signal, orienting the stemshell so that the first channel of the stemshell couples the second port to the third port, while the second channel of the stemshell continuously couples the fourth port to the fifth port, wherein the stemshell does not couple the first port to any of the other ports, and wherein the stemshell is a single and unitary component of the multi-port, multi-mode valve and each side of the first channel and each side of the second channel are formed by the stemshell such that any fluid flow between coupled ports of the multi-port, multi-port valve occurs internal to the stemshell via the first channel and the second channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.