Oil control valve to control a cam phaser with a spool positioned by an external actuator and having a groove
AssigneeECO Holding 1 GmbH
InventorDaniel Stanhope
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oil control valve for a cam phaser of an internal combustion engine where the spool is positioned by an external actuator. The valve includes a spool assembly including a spool that is axially movable in a central opening, and there is at least one groove in the spool. The groove substantially increases fluid flow through the hydraulic valve when opened. By controlling the size and position of the groove, the amount of the fluid flow may be controlled. Further fluid flow control may be had by controlling the size of holes in the spool. The increase of fluid flow attributable to the groove may be at least 50%, 100% or even 200% compared with the at least one groove being absent.
Claims17
A hydraulic valve for a cam phaser, the hydraulic valve comprising:
- a spool assembly including a spool that moves axially in a central opening of a valve housing;
- and
- at least one groove on an outside of the spool, the at least one groove including a plurality of radial openings,
- wherein the spool assembly has at least a first position, a second position corresponding to a hold position, and a third position,
- wherein fluid flows through the hydraulic valve when the spool assembly is in either the first position or third position, and
- wherein a circumference of at least a portion of the plurality of radial openings partially cuts into an axial side wall of the at least one groove thereby providing an increased fluid flow through the hydraulic valve when the at least one groove is opened while in either the first position or the third position or both the first and third positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.