Linear solenoid valve

• US 10,712,755 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Hideki, Ishimori, Yoshinori, Hirose, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Jellett, Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US16/317,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20190227579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1268 Electric parts of the controller, e.g. a defect solenoid, wiring or microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/02 characterised by the signals used for shift actuators F16H61/28, for continuously variable gearings F16H61/66
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0251 Elements specially adapted for electric control units, e.g. valves for converting electrical signals to fluid signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 29/00 Arrangements for movement of valve members other than for opening and closing the valve, e.g. for grinding-in, for preventing sticking
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/06 using a magnet , e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2022 actuated by a proportional solenoid throttling means G05D16/2024
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/18 Circuit arrangements for obtaining desired operating characteristics, e.g. for slow operation, for sequential energisation of windings, for high-speed energisation of windings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4273 Mechanical cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/428 Valve grinding motion of valve on seat

Abstract

A pressure control valve includes a spool that strokes to one side in the direction of an axis due to the conduction of current to a coil, a spring that urges the spool to the other side in the axis direction, a control device for controlling the conduction of the current to the coil, a determination unit for determining the start of a foreign substance removing operation by the spool, a command value setting unit for setting a command value for the current conducted to the coil, and a dither current setting unit for setting a dither current superimposed on the command value. When the determination unit determines the start of the foreign substance removing operation, the dither current setting unit changes an oscillation frequency of the dither current to an oscillation frequency lower than the frequency at the current point in time, and the command value setting unit periodically increases and reduces the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed.

Claims

1. A linear solenoid valve, comprising:

a spool that strokes to one side in an axis direction by conduction of current to a coil;

an urging member that urges the spool to the other side in the axis direction; and

a control part for controlling the conduction of the current to the coil,

wherein an oil pressure in a hydraulic circuit is controlled by adjusting a discharge amount of an oil from a pressure adjusting port communicating with the hydraulic circuit by the spool that strokes in the axis direction,

wherein the control part includes;

a determination unit for determining start of an operation to remove foreign substances by the spool;

a command value setting unit for setting a command value for the current conducted to the coil; and

a dither current setting unit for setting a dither current superimposed on the command value of the current, and

wherein when the determination unit determines the start of the foreign substance removing operation,

the dither current setting unit changes an oscillation frequency of the dither current superimposed on the command value of the current to an oscillation frequency lower than an oscillation frequency at a current point in time, and

the command value setting unit periodically increases and reduces the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed.

2. The linear solenoid valve according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines the start of the foreign substance removing operation, the command value setting unit periodically increases and reduces the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed, within a predetermined range between a maximum value and a minimum value of the command value.

3. The linear solenoid valve according to claim 2, wherein when the spool is driven with the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed, the predetermined range is set based on a discharge amount that is a discharge amount of the oil from the pressure adjusting port and in which the oil pressure of the hydraulic circuit can be maintained at or greater than an allowable minimum oil pressure at that time.

4. The linear solenoid valve according to claim 2, wherein after maintaining the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed for a predetermined time, the command value setting unit periodically increases and reduces the command value within the predetermined range between the maximum value and the minimum value of the command value.

5. The linear solenoid valve according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit confirms whether the reduction of the oil pressure of the hydraulic circuit is allowed or not,

wherein when the reduction of the oil pressure of the hydraulic circuit is not allowed, the command value setting unit periodically increases and reduces the command value on which the changed oscillation frequency is superimposed within the predetermined range between the maximum value and the minimum value of the command value, and

wherein when the reduction of the oil pressure of the hydraulic circuit is allowed, the command value setting unit sets the command value of the current so as to alternately repeat the maximum value and the minimum value of the command value by every predetermined time.