Back to results
US 2003/0141474 A1Published application
Longer stroke control valve and actuator
AssigneeSiemens VDO Automotive Corporation
InventorFrederic Gagnon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric actuated control valve, such as an EGR valve, has a solenoid that can deliver useful force over a longer stroke for operating a valve element.
Claims21
An electric-actuated control valve for controlling flow of fluid in an automotive vehicle engine system comprising:
- a valve body comprising a passage having an inlet port for receiving fluid and an outlet port for delivering fluid;
- a valve element that is selectively positioned to selectively restrict the passage;
- and
- a mechanism for selectively positioning the valve element comprising a solenoid actuator comprising a bobbin having ferromagnetic pole pieces spaced axially apart and joined by a tubular core of non-ferromagnetic metal, and an electromagnet coil comprising a length of magnetic wire wound on the tubular core between the pole pieces;
- the pole pieces forming portions of a magnetic circuit for magnetic flux created by electric current in the coil and comprising hubs that protrude into the tubular core and have juxtaposed ends defining an air gap within the tubular core through which the magnetic flux passes between the pole piece hubs;
- the mechanism further comprising an armature that is guided for motion axially of the tubular core for positioning the valve element and that comprises ferromagnetic material for conducting magnetic flux created at the air gap when electric current flows in the coil to cause an axial component of electromagnetic force to be exerted on the armature for positioning the valve element.
3 more elements
A solenoid actuator for an electric-actuated control valve comprising:
- a bobbin having pole pieces spaced axially apart and joined by a tubular core of non-magnetically conductive material;
- an electromagnet coil comprising a length of magnetic wire wound on the tubular core between the pole pieces;
- the pole pieces forming portions of a magnetic circuit for magnetic flux created by electric current in the coil and comprising hubs that protrude into the tubular core and have juxtaposed ends defining an air gap within the tubular core through which the magnetic flux passes between the pole piece hubs;
- and
- an armature that is guided for motion axially of the tubular core and conducts magnetic flux created at the air gap when electric current flows in the coil to cause an axial component of electromagnetic force to be exerted on the armature.
2 more elements
A method of making a solenoid actuator for an electric-actuated control valve comprising:
- making a bobbin by associating magnetically conductive pole pieces with opposite axial ends of a tubular core of non-magnetically conductive material, including disposing hubs of the pole pieces within the tubular core to create an air gap between juxtaposed ends of the pole piece hubs within the tubular core through which magnetic flux can pass between the hubs;
- winding magnet wire on the tubular core between the pole pieces to create an electromagnet coil on the bobbin;
- and
- associating an armature with the bobbin to dispose an end of the armature at the air gap within the tubular core for conducting magnetic flux created at the air gap when electric current flows in the coil and causing an axial component of electromagnetic force to be exerted on the armature, and guiding the armature for motion axially of the tubular core via one of the pole pieces.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.