Multi-port valve with multiple operation modes
AssigneeTesla Motors, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Albert Roche, Joseph Stratford Maxwell Mardall, Jan Kopitz, Curt Raymond O'Donnell
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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.
Claims19
A multi-port, multi-mode valve comprising:
- a valve housing;
- at least first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports on the valve housing;
- and
- a stemshell positioned at least partly inside the valve housing, the stemshell having at least two channels configured for selectively coupling either the first or the second port to the third port while the fourth port remains coupled to the fifth port.
A multi-port, multi-mode valve comprising:
- a valve housing;
- multiple ports on the valve housing;
- and
- means for selectively coupling (i) a first port to a second port, and (ii) a third port to a fourth port, and for selectively coupling (iii) a fifth port, instead of the first port, to the second port, while maintaining the coupling between the third and fourth ports.
A method performed with regard to a multi-port, multi-mode valve having at least first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports, 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, wherein the stemshell does not currently couple the second port to any of the 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 couples the fourth port to the fifth port, wherein the stemshell does not currently couple the first port to any of the ports.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.