Thermostat and cooling system having the same

• US 10,641,157 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Hyo Jo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Long T
• Application Number:
  US16/193,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20190383201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/16 concerning coolant temperature F01P11/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2007/146 using valves
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2031/16 using melting materials
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2031/32 Deblocking of damaged thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/10 Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/16 by thermostatic control

Abstract

A thermostat includes: a thermostat housing having an inlet and an outlet; an internal housing having a main valve hole and a fail-safe hole, wherein the internal housing is disposed within the thermostat housing and internal housing and has a main chamber communicating with the inlet of the thermostat housing; a wax housing disposed within the internal housing and having a first wax and a second wax; a first valve selectively opening or closing the main valve hole according to expansion or shrink of the first wax; and a second valve selectively opening or closing the fail-safe hole according to expansion or shrink of the second wax.

Claims

1. A thermostat comprising:

a thermostat housing having an inlet and an outlet;

an internal housing having a main valve hole and a fail-safe hole, wherein the internal housing is disposed within the thermostat housing and has a main chamber, which communicates with the inlet of the thermostat housing, inside the internal housing;

a wax housing disposed inside the internal housing and having a first wax and a second wax;

a first valve selectively opening or closing the main valve hole according to expansion or shrink of the first wax;

a second valve selectively opening or closing the fail-safe hole according to expansion or shrink of the second wax; and

a coolant passage, through which coolant flowing through the fail-safe hole flows out to the outlet of the thermostat housing, defined between the thermostat housing and the internal housing.

2. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first valve comprises:

a guide rod connecting the first wax and the thermostat housing;

a first rod disposed within the guide rod and configured to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the guide rod according to the expansion or shrink of the first wax;

a main disk connected with the first rod and selectively opening or closing the main valve hole; and

a first elastic member disposed between the main disk and the thermostat housing to elastically support the main disk.

3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the first elastic member includes a coil spring.

4. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the second valve comprises:

a second rod configured to be movable according to expansion or shrink of the second wax;

a fail-safe disk connected with the second rod and selectively opening or closing the fail-safe hole; and

a second elastic member disposed between the fail-safe disk and the thermostat housing elastically support the fail-safe disk.

5. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein the second elastic member includes a coil spring.

6. The thermostat of claim 1, wherein the first wax and the second wax have respective materials different from each other, and

wherein an operation temperature of the second wax is higher than an operation temperature of the first wax.

7. The thermostat of claim 1, further comprising an electric heater configured to selectively expand the first wax.

8. A cooling system comprising:

a coolant pump supplying a coolant to an engine;

an integrated thermal management valve receiving the coolant from the engine and distributing the coolant, wherein the integrated thermal management valve has a thermostat mounted thereto;

a radiator connected with the integrated thermal management valve and the coolant pump;

a controller controlling operations of the integrated thermal management valve,

wherein the thermostat comprises;

a thermostat housing having an inlet and an outlet;

an internal housing having a main valve hole and a fail-safe hole, wherein the internal housing is disposed within the thermostat housing and has a main chamber, which communicates with the inlet of the thermostat housing, therein;

a wax housing disposed within the internal housing and having a first wax and a second wax;

a first valve selectively opening or closing the main valve hole according to expansion or shrink of the first wax;

a second valve selectively opening or closing the fail-safe hole according to expansion or shrink of the second wax;

an electric heater configured to selectively expand the first wax; and

a coolant passage, through which coolant flowing through the fail-safe hole flows out to the outlet of the thermostat housing, defined between the thermostat housing and the internal housing.

9. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein the coolant pump is a variable water pump configured to control a discharging amount of the coolant, and

wherein the controller controls an operation of the coolant pump.

10. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein the first valve comprises:

a guide rod connecting the first wax and the thermostat housing;

a first rod disposed within the guide rod and configured to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the guide rod according to the expansion or shrink of the first wax;

a main disk connected with the first rod and selectively opening or closing the main valve hole; and

a first elastic member disposed between the main disk and the thermostat housing to elastically support the main disk.

11. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein the second valve comprises:

a second rod configured to be movable according to the expansion or shrink of the second wax;

a fail-safe disk connected with the second rod and selectively opening or closing the fail-safe hole;

a second elastic member disposed between the fail-safe disk and the thermostat housing to elastically support the fail-safe disk.

12. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein the first wax and the second wax have materials different from each other, and

wherein an operation temperature of the second wax is higher than an operation temperature of the first wax.