US 4,285,467 AGranted

Three-port thermally responsive valve

AssigneeEaton Corporation

InventorEdgar W. Maltby

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A three-port thermally responsive valve for alternately valving an intermediate fluid port with adjacent upper and lower fluid ports. A single valve member is movably contained within a housing fluid passageway and spring-biased in a first position so that a sealing surface at each end of the valve member is respectively engageable with and spaced from corresponding valve sealing surfaces in the fluid passageway. The sealing surfaces on the valve member are spaced with respect to the valve sealing surfaces in the housing fluid passageway to maintain isolation of the upper and lower fluid ports until valving of the intermediate fluid port with either the upper or lower fluid port is completed. When predetermined temperatures are encountered, a thermally responsive actuator connected to the valve member by a rod overcomes the biasing force generated by the spring and moves the valve member to the second valved position.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A thermally responsive device for valving a plurality of fluid ports, comprising:

(a) a housing means, said housing means defining
(i) a fluid chamber,
(ii) first, second and third spaced fluid ports communicating with said fluid chamber,
(iii) a transversely extending stop surface intermediate said first and second fluid ports;
(iv) a first valve sealing surface integrally formed by said housing means;
(v) a second valve sealing surface integrally formed by said housing means and spaced from said first valve sealing surface;
(b) valve means disposed within said fluid chamber, said valve means including a valve member movable between a first valving position, an intermediate position, and a second valving position, and having first and second spaced seal means thereon, said valve member further including a flanged portion adjacent said first seal means, said flanged portion being engageable with said stop surface, in said first position said first seal means seals against said first valve sealing surface for isolating said first and second fluid ports from each other, said second seal means is spaced from said second valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said second fluid port with said third fluid port, said flanged portion being in abutment with said stop surface, in said intermediate position said first seal means remains sealed against said first valve sealing surface and said second seal means against said second seal surface for isolating said first fluid port from said second and third fluid ports, and in said second valving position said first seal means is spaced from said first valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said first fluid port with said second fluid port and said second seal means remains sealed against said second valve sealing surface for isolating said second fluid port from said third fluid port;
said flanged portion being spaced from said stop surface in said intermediate and said second positions;
(c) means biasing said valve member to said first position such that said flanged portion abuts said stop surface;
and,
(d) thermally responsive means associated with said housing means and including means operative to move said valve member between said first and second positions in response to predetermined temperatures.

8 more elements

A thermally responsive device for valving a plurality of fluid ports, comprising:

(a) housing means, said housing means defining
(i) a fluid chamber,
(ii) first, second and third spaced fluid ports communicating with said fluid chamber,
(iii) a lower housing member having said first and second fluid ports spaced thereon,
(iv) an upper housing member having said third fluid port located thereon,
(v) a first valve sealing surface integrally formed by said lower housing member;
(vi) a second valve sealing surface integrally formed by said upper housing member;
(vii) said upper and lower housing members being joined in a fluid sealing arrangement along a parting surface located adjacent said second valve sealing surface;
(b) valve means disposed within said fluid chamber, said valve means including a valve member disposed within said fluid chamber, said valve member being movable between a first valving position, an intermediate position, and a second valving position, and having first and second spaced seal means thereon, in said first position said first seal means seals against said first valve sealing surface for isolating said first and second fluid ports from each other, said second seal means is spaced from said second valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said second fluid port with said third fluid port, in said intermediate position said first seal means remains sealed against said first valve sealing surface and said second seal means seals against said second seal surface for isolating said first fluid port from said second and third fluid poets, and in said second valving position said first seal means is spaced from said first valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said first fluid port with said second fluid port and said second seal means remains sealed against said second valve sealing surface for isolating said second fluid port from said third fluid port;
(c) means biasing said valve member to said first position;
and
(d) thermally responsive means associated with said housing means and including means operative to move said valve member between said first and second positions in response to predetermined temperature.

9 more elements

A thermally responsive device for valving a plurality of fluid ports, comprising:

(a) housing means, said housing means defining
(i) a fluid chamber,
(ii) first, second and third spaced fluid ports communicating with said fluid chamber,
(iii) a lower housing member having said first and second fluid ports spaced thereon,
(iv) an upper housing member having said third fluid port located thereon,
(v) a first valve sealing surface integrally formed by said lower housing member;
(vi) a second valve sealing surface integrally formed by said upper housing member;
(vii) said upper and lower housing members being joined in a fluid sealing arrangement along a parting surface located adjacent said second valve sealing surface;
(b) valve means disposed within said fluid chamber, said valve means including a valve member disposed within said fluid chamber, said valve member being movable between a first valving position, an intermediate position, and a second valving position, and having first and second spaced seal means thereon, in said first position said first seal means seals against said first valve sealing surface for isolating said first and second fluid ports from each other, said second seal means is spaced from said second valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said second fluid port with said third fluid port, in said intermediate position said first seal means remains sealed against said first valve sealing surface and said second seal means seals against said second seal surface for isolating said first fluid port from said second and third fluid ports, and in said second valving position said first seal means is spaced from said first valve sealing surface for fluidly communicating said first fluid port with said second fluid port and said second seal means remains sealed against said second valve sealing surface for isolating said second fluid port from said third fluid port;
(c) means biasing said valve member to said first position;
(d) thermally responsive means associated with said housing means and including means operative to move said valve member between said first and second positions in response to predetermined temperature;
and
(e) check valve means disposed within said fluid chamber intermediate said valve member and said third fluid port for preventing fluid flow in a direction from said third fluid port to said second fluid port and permitting fluid blow in a direction from said fluid port to said third fluid port.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/053,675Filed 2 Jul 1979 · continuation
Priority: 12 Oct 1977
Granted: 25 Aug 1981
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F02M 31/083
The gases being exhaust gases: temperature-responsive control of the amount of exhaust gas or combustion air directed to the heat exchange surface
F16K 31/002
Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices: actuated by temperature variation
G05D 23/185
Control of temperature: with auxiliary non-electric power
Y02T 10/12
Internal combustion engine [ICE] based vehicles: improving ICE efficiencies