Electronic throttle control system
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsAlex McDonnell, Bryan Evans, Gene Price, Mark Warner Semeyn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic throttle control system having a housing with a motor, throttle valve, gear mechanism, and fail-safe mechanism. A spring member attached to a gear member and default lever, and which is biased when the throttle valve is in its fully open and closed positions, operates to open the throttle valve in the event of an electric failure, thus allowing the vehicle to limp home. The spring member, default lever and associated gear member are interfit together as a group and inserted in the housing as a subassembly, thus improving assembly time and expense.
Claims17
A valve assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a fluid passageway in said housing;
- a shaft member rotatably positioned in said housing and extending through said fluid passageway;
- a valve member positioned in said fluid passageway, said valve member attached to said shaft member and rotatable therewith;
- a gear mechanism for rotating said shaft member between a first position in which said valve member allows full passage of fluid through said fluid passageway and a second position in which said valve member prevents fluid from passing through said fluid passageway;
- driver means for operating said gear mechanisms and rotating said shaft member;
- said gear mechanism comprising a first gear member attached to said driver means and a second gear member operably attached to said shaft member;
- and
- default means comprising a spring member positioned on said second gear member and a default lever member positioned on said second gear member;
- said default means rotating said shaft member to a third position in which said valve member allows a limited amount of fluid to pass through said fluid passageway;
- said second gear member, default lever member and spring member being connected together as a subassembly in said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.