Automotive emission control valve assembly

A valve assembly comprising:

• a housing having an open end and a base end with a passage;
• a valve member disposed within the housing that opens and closes the passage;
• an electric actuator within the housing that operates the valve member;
• a cap proximate the open end;
• and
• a retainer that surrounds a portion of the cap;
• wherein one of the retainer and the housing comprises at least one locking tab and the other of the retainer and the housing comprise at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the at least one locking tab engages the at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the housing includes a shell attached to a base, the base comprising the basic end with the passage;
• wherein the shell comprises a longitudinal axis, an end wall substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, at least one side wall connected to the end wall, the at least one side wall being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, and an open end proximate the at least one side wall comprising the open end of the housing;
• and
• wherein the at least one wall comprises a cylindrical wall with a flange at the open end, the flange extending away from the longitudinal axis, the flange serving as the at least one locking tab receiver.

A valve assembly comprising:

• a housing having an open end and a base end with a passage;
• a valve member disposed within the housing that opens and closes the passage;
• an electric actuator within the housing that operates the valve member;
• a cap proximate the open end;
• and
• a retainer that surrounds a portion of the cap;
• wherein one of the retainer and the housing comprises at least one locking tab and the other of the retainer and the housing comprise at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the at least one locking tab engages the at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the housing includes a shell attached to a base, the base comprising the base end with the passage;
• wherein the shell comprises a longitudinal axis, an end wall substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, at least one side wall connected to the end wall, the at least one side wall being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, and an open end proximate the at least one side wall comprising the open end of the housing;
• and
• wherein the at least one sidewall comprises a cylindrical wall with at least one cutout member extending toward the longitudinal axis, the at least one cutout serving as the at least one locking tab receiver.

A valve assembly comprising:

• a housing having an open end and a base end with a passage;
• a valve member disposed within the housing that opens and closes the passage;
• an electric actuator within the housing that operates the valve member;
• a cap proximate the open end;
• and
• a retainer that surrounds a portion of the cap;
• wherein one of the retainer and the housing comprises at least one locking tab and the other of the retainer and the housing comprise at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the at least one locking tab engages the at least one locking tab receiver;
• wherein the electric actuator includes:
• a stator structure that provides a magnetic circuit path;
• a coil proximate the stator structure;
• and
• an armature proximate the stator structure to be acted upon by magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit path and correspondingly operate the valve member;
• wherein the housing includes a shell attached to a base;
• wherein the base serves as the base end;
• and
• wherein the shell comprises a longitudinal axis, an end wall substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, a cylindrical wall connected to the end wall, the cylindrical wall being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, and an open end proximate the cylindrical wall comprising the open end of the housing, the cylindrical wall including a flange at the open end, the flange extending away from the longitudinal axis, the cylindrical wall including a plurality of cut-out members extending toward the longitudinal axis, each of the plurality of cut-out members comprising a landing pad substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

An electric exhaust gas recirculator (EEGR) valve packaging assembly, the EEGR valve including an electric actuator that operates a valve member, the packaging assembly comprising;

• a base;
• a shell having an end wall, at least one side wall, and an open end, the end wall being connected to the base;
• a cap that closes the open end of the shell;
• and
• a retainer that surrounds and mates with a portion of the cap, the retainer including a locking tab that snap engages the at least one sidewall.

An electric exhaust gas recirculation EEGR valve packaging assembly, the EEGR including an electric actuator that operates a valve member, the packaging assembly comprising:

• a base;
• a shell having an end wall connected to the base, at least one sidewall, and an open end;
• a cap that closes the open end of the shell;
• and
• a retainer that surrounds a portion of the cap and the at least one side wall, the retainer including a cylindrical wall having a central axis, a first end, a second end, and a lip extending from the first end of the cylindrical wall toward the central axis;
• wherein the lip biases the cap toward the open end of the shell.