# US 5,704,394 A · Vacuum valve with integrated selector plate

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- Number: US 5,704,394 A
- Document ID: US5704394A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/746,515
- Filed: 1996-11-12
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1996-11-12
- Assignees: Delco Electronics Corporation
- Inventors: Sangman Hahn; Jeffery A. Price
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704394A

## CPC

- F16K 11/0743: {with both the supply and the discharge passages being on one side of the closure plates}
- Y10T 137/6888: Dash
- Y10T 137/86863: Rotary valve unit
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A rotary valve has a stator with ports for connection to a vacuum source and to a plurality of vacuum actuators, and a housing having a central hub. A selector residing between the stator and the housing comprises a resilient body insert molded to a steel drive plate having a central drive opening for receiving a drive shaft and an array of holes around the central opening. On one side of the plate the body comprises a valve member in contact with the stator and defines passages to selectively interconnect the ports, and on the other side of the plate the body comprises a resilient tubular spring surrounding the hub and pressing against the housing to bias the valve member against the stator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vacuum valve comprising:
an enclosure having a housing and a stator spaced from the housing;
the stator having an input port and a plurality of output ports;
selector means between the housing and the stator responsive to the control means for selectively coupling the output ports to the input port to implement a selected function;
the selector means comprising a drive plate having a plurality of holes and a one-piece resilient body molded to the drive plate and extending through the holes; and
the resilient body comprising a valve member on one side of the plate for engagement with the stator and a spring member on the other side of the plate in engagement with the housing for biasing the valve member against the stator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein:
the selector means has a central aperture for receiving a drive shaft; and
the spring member is concentric with the central aperture.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the spring member comprises a tubular protuberance in engagement with the housing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein:
the housing includes a central hub extending toward the drive plate; and
the spring member comprises a tubular protuberance surrounding the hub and engaging the housing.