CN106460680B

CN106460680B - Fluid circulation valve

Info

Publication number: CN106460680B
Application number: CN201580032961.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M.桑切斯; G.达沃尔特
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes de Controle Moteur SAS
Current assignee: Valeo Systemes de Controle Moteur SAS
Priority date: 2014-04-22
Filing date: 2015-04-22
Publication date: 2020-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2035-04-22
Also published as: EP3134630A1; EP3134630B1; WO2015162380A1; CN106460680A; FR3020110B1; FR3020110A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid flow valve comprising a body with a duct for the passage of said fluid, a shutter of the duct, an actuator of the shutter, and a driving member for driving the actuator in rotation, said actuator being free in rotation and comprising a torsion spring (42), characterized in that it comprises positioning means (424) for positioning the spring (42).

Description

Fluid circulation valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of fluid flow valves, and more particularly to a fluid flow valve for a motor vehicle comprising an actuator with a return spring.

Background

The valve is more particularly intended for application as an intake metering valve for internal combustion engines, whether gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines. The valve also applies to valves that are Exhaust gas recirculation valves or EGR (i.e., "Exhaust GazRecirculation" in english terminology). Other applications of the valve according to the invention are possible without going beyond the scope of the invention.

Actuators (e.g., actuators of fluid flow valves) that operate according to reversible kinematics are known. These actuators or control shafts use torsion springs connected to the sector gear or toothed wheel as elements for returning to their equilibrium position. The spring comprises a fixed part that stops in a slot or on a post (un plot) and a movable part that is connected to a sector gear or a toothed wheel.

Typically, these actuators or control shafts are arranged in complex environments or confined spaces, for example in the body of a valve of a motor vehicle as described in application FR 2992046.

One drawback of this type of device stems from the presence of elements in such an environment that act as stops for the fixed part. The fixed part of the spring therefore does not stop on the stop or in the slot initially provided for good positioning of the spring. A good positioning of the spring is important to ensure a good correction angle and therefore a good return torque for the kinematic return of the actuator. A poor positioning therefore influences the restoring torque, which is no longer effective as it should be.

Disclosure of Invention

To this end, the invention proposes a fluid flow valve comprising a body with a duct for the passage of a fluid, a shutter of the duct, an actuator of the shutter, which is free to rotate and comprises a torsion spring, and a driving member for driving the actuator in rotation, the valve comprising positioning means for positioning the spring.

The invention thus has the advantage of allowing the spring to be guided up to such an operating position: in this working position, the first end of the spring (and therefore the spring) allows an optimal operation of the valve.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means are formed by a ramp which allows guiding the first end of the spring up to its working position.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the ramp is formed by a slide rail or a groove.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means of the first end of the spring are excavated in the casting of the valve body.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means of the first end of the spring are adapted to the dimensions of the first end of the spring.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means of the first end of the spring open at a radial stop of the first end of the spring.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means of the first end of the spring are arranged completely around the spring.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the width of the positioning means of the first end of the spring is gradually reduced up to the radial stop.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a valve according to the invention.

Drawings

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood and more clearly apparent from a reading of the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of example, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a fluid flow valve consistent with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the actuator of the valve according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of the valve according to the present invention;

fig. 4 is a view of the positioning means of the spring of the valve according to the invention.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1, the present invention relates to a valve with an actuator, which comprises positioning means for positioning a spring. This actuator is also referred to as a control shaft.

According to one embodiment, the actuator is an actuator of a fluid flow valve, in particular for a motor vehicle. More precisely, the valve is a valve for regulating the intake air flow of a heat engine, in particular a metering valve for a diesel engine.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator is made, for example, of metal, in particular of stainless steel.

The valve is a valve well known to the person skilled in the art, for example the valve described in patent application FR 2992046.

In particular, the valve comprises a body 2 inside which a flow conduit 3 for the passage of the fluid is provided. The body 2 is here intended to be mounted on the intake manifold of the engine by means of a connection so that the part of the gas flowing in this branch passes through the duct and is directed towards the engine to take part in the combustion. The connecting pieces and the air inlet lines are known per se and are not shown.

Received in the body 2 of the valve 1 is an actuator 4 which is free to rotate together with a shutter 5, the shutter 5 being associated with the actuator 4, the shutter 5 allowing to block the duct 3 according to the angular position of the actuator 4, as indicated by the arrow 20 turned around the longitudinal axis a of the actuator 4.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the actuator 4 is connected in rotation to the blocking shutter 5 by a fixing member 14 (here, for example, a screw-nut system or others), which allows the shutter to be able to rotate together with the shaft between the two extreme positions. One of the fully open positions (as shown in figure 1) allows fluid to pass through, the other position (not shown) prevents it from passing through, and the shutter bears against the side wall of the duct 3.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the valve comprises connection means 6, 7 pivoting between said body 2 and said actuator 4.

The actuator 4 can thus be freely pivoted about the axis a by means of a sliding adjustment provided between the shaft and the connecting means.

The end of the actuator, called the upper end 12, is open towards the outside of the body 2 of the valve 1, to be connected to a rotating drive member 21 of said control shaft 4.

As shown in fig. 2, according to one embodiment of the invention, the drive member 21 is, for example, a sector gear 22, the sector gear 22 comprising a central portion 24 centred on the actuator 4 and a radial projection 26, the radial projection 26 forming an angular sector slightly larger than the angular travel of the shutter and being provided with a toothing 28.

If reference is again made to fig. 1, it will be observed that the sector gear 22 is here rotatably connected to a return wheel 30 that freely rotates with respect to the main body 2 about a hinge axis 32, said hinge axis 32 being parallel to the longitudinal axis a of the control shaft 4.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the valve comprises an electric motor (not shown), in particular a stepper motor. The electric motor engages on the large gear 36 of the return wheel 30, while the sector gear 22 engages on the small gear 37 of the return wheel 30. The actuation of the motor thus drives the rotation of the return wheel 30, which return wheel 30 in turn drives the rotation of the sector gear 22 and therefore of the shutter 5 through the control shaft 4.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive member 21, the intermediate wheel 30 and/or the motor are positioned in the housing 38 of the valve closed by a cover 40.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the valve comprises at least one torsion spring 42 allowing to position the shutter 5 in the rest position (which is here the open position). The rest position refers to the position that the motor of the valve is in when it is not actuated. As shown in fig. 3, the first end 421 of the spring 42 bears against the body 2 and the second end 422 of the spring bears against the drive member 21 at the slot 46 shown in fig. 2. The spring 42 is in particular centered on the longitudinal axis a.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the slot 46 receives the second end 422 of the spring 42. The slot 46 passes axially through a wall 50 of the drive member 21. The slot 46 is oriented, for example, along an angular sector centered on the longitudinal axis a of the actuator 4. The slot 46 thereby defines the attachment location for the spring 42.

The first end 421 of the spring 42 thus bears against the body 2 of the valve. Opposite to the second end 422 driven by the driving member 21, this first end 421 is also called fixed end. In practice, this first end 421 of the spring 42 is not driven in rotation by the drive member 21.

The first end 421 of the spring 42 bears against the radial stop means of the body 2.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the stop means 423 is a stop, for example a cylindrical portion (un plot), against which the first end 421 of the spring 42 is stopped.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the stop means 423 is a slot (not shown) in which the first end 421 of the spring 42 is inserted.

In order to keep the first end 421 of the spring 42 in the correct position, regardless of its initial position when the valve is mounted, the valve according to the invention comprises positioning means 424 shown in fig. 4 for positioning the spring.

More precisely, these means 424 allow to guide the first end 421 of the spring 42 up to its working position.

"working position" refers to a position: in this position, the first end 421 of the spring 42 (and therefore the spring 42) allows the operation of the valve to be optimal. As mentioned before, a good positioning of the spring is important to ensure a good correction angle and therefore a good return torque for the kinematic return of the actuator. A poor positioning therefore influences the restoring torque, which is no longer effective as it should be. Thus, when the first end 421 of the spring 42 is correctly positioned, the spring 42 acts on the drive member 21 by returning the drive member 21 into the rest position.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means 424 is formed by a ramp dug out in the casting of the valve body 2. More specifically, the ramp is formed by a slide rail or a groove.

The shape of the ramp 424 is adapted to the size of the first end 421 of the spring 42. The ramp 424 thus allows the first end 421 of the spring to slide or slide to a stop until it stops.

The ramp 424 guides the spring up to a stop. The ramp portion 424 thus opens at the stop.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the ramp 424 is disposed completely around the spring 42.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the width of the ramp portion 424 gradually decreases up to the stop. These positioning means 424 ensure a direct path for the end of the spring up to a stop which allows a good positioning of the spring 42. Whereby there is no longer an additional stop in the path of the first end 421 of the spring 42 that could prevent its good positioning.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the valve includes a sensor target 66. The sensor target is for example a flat magnet as described in application FR 2992046.

Such valves are more particularly used as intake metering valves for internal combustion engines, whether gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines. The valve may also be used in applications as an Exhaust gas recirculation valve, i.e., an EGR (i.e., "Exhaust GazRecirculation" in english terminology) valve. Other applications of the valve according to the invention are possible without going beyond the scope of the invention.

The scope of the invention is not limited to the details provided above and allows embodiments in many other specific forms without departing from the field of application of the invention, the present embodiments being considered as exemplary and capable of being modified without exceeding the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A fluid flow valve comprising a body (2) with a duct (3) for the passage of said fluid, a blocking shutter (5) of said duct (3), an actuator (4) of said shutter (5) which is free to rotate and comprises a torsion spring, and a driving member (21) for driving in rotation said actuator (4), characterized in that it comprises positioning means (424) for positioning said spring (42), said positioning means (424) being formed by a ramp (424), which ramp (424) allows to guide a first end (421) of said spring (42) up to its working position, said ramp (424) being formed by a sliding rail or a groove.

2. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the positioning means (424) for positioning the first end of the spring are hollowed out in the casting of the body (2) of the valve.

3. Valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means (424) for positioning a first end of the spring is adapted to the size of the first end (421) of the spring (42).

4. Valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means (424) for positioning the first end of the spring open at a radial stop (423) of the first end (421) of the spring (42).

5. Valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means (424) for positioning the first end of the spring is arranged completely around the spring (42).

6. Valve according to claim 4, wherein the width of the positioning means (424) for positioning the first end of the spring is gradually reduced up to the radial stop (423).

7. A motor vehicle comprising a valve according to any one of claims 1 to 6.