Pressure biased lubricant valve
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Groves
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exemplary center housing for a turbocharger includes a bore for supporting a turbocharger shaft, a lubricant feed port, a first lubricant outlet port, a second lubricant outlet port and a valve operably disposed to provide a first path from the lubricant feed port to the first lubricant outlet port and a second path from the lubricant feed port to the second lubricant outlet port wherein the valve responds to pressure generated by axial movement of the turbocharger shaft to increase resistance of the first path or the second path. Various other exemplary mechanisms are also disclosed.
Claims14
A center housing for a turbocharger, the center housing comprising:
- a bore for supporting a turbocharger shaft;
- a lubricant feed port;
- a first lubricant outlet port;
- a second lubricant outlet port;
- a valve operably disposed to provide a first path from the lubricant feed port to the first lubricant outlet port and a second path from the lubricant feed port to the second lubricant outlet port wherein the valve responds to pressure generated by axial movement of the turbocharger shaft to increase resistance of the first path or the second path;
- and
- a thrust plate that includes a first port to receive lubricant from the first lubricant outlet port of the housing and a second port to receive lubricant from the second lubricant outlet port of the housing.
A substantially disc-shaped thrust plate for a turbocharger, the plate comprising:
- a centrally located axial bore;
- a center housing side that comprises a plurality of center housing side orifices positioned adjacent the center side opening of the axial bore;
- a compressor side that comprises a plurality of compressor side orifices positioned adjacent a compressor side opening of the axial bore;
- a first port located on the center housing side of the plate;
- a second port located on the center housing side of the plate;
- a plurality of passages that link individually the first port to individual orifices of the plurality of center housing side orifices;
- and
- a plurality of passages that link individually the second port to individual orifices of the plurality of compressor side orifices.
A turbocharger comprising:
- a center housing that comprises a compressor side, a turbine side, a bore for supporting a turbocharger shaft, a valve and a lubricant feed port;
- a turbocharger shaft positioned in the bore of the center housing wherein a portion of the shaft extends outward from the compressor side of the center housing;
- a thrust collar fitted to the portion of the turbocharger shaft extending outward from the compressor side of the center housing;
- a thrust plate positioned on the compressor side of the center housing that comprises compressor side lubricant orifices for compressor side pads and housing side lubricant orifices for housing side pads wherein the pads can receive axial thrust forces from the thrust collar due to axial movement of the turbocharger shaft and wherein the valve controls resistance of lubricant flow from the lubricant feed port to the compressor side lubricant orifices and resistance of lubricant flow from the lubricant feed port to the housing side lubricant orifices based at least in part on lubricant pressure generated by the axial movement of the turbocharger shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.