Failsafe thermal bypass valve for cooling system
First Claim
1. A thermal bypass valve for a heat exchanger circuit, comprising:
- a valve housing forming a valve chamber including a bypass passage and having a first port for flow of a heat exchange fluid into said valve chamber, a second port for flow of said heat exchange fluid out of said valve chamber, a third port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said valve chamber to a heat exchanger, a fourth port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said heat exchanger to said valve chamber, and a bypass port defined by a valve seat provided in said housing;
axially aligned first and second thermally sensitive actuators mounted in said chamber, connected to one another, and having respective first and second actuator bodies and respective first and second movable pistons, each extendible from one end of its respective actuator body, at least one of said actuator bodies being normally movable in the valve chamber in response to extension of its piston, one of said actuators being adapted to extend its piston at a selected higher temperature than a predetermined temperature required for the other actuator to extend its respective piston;
a valve member mounted on one of said first and second actuators which is adjacent said valve seat and movable by either the first or the second actuator from a first position, where said bypass port is in an open state, to a closed position where said bypass port is closed by said valve member engaging said valve seat; and
a return spring mechanism mounted in said housing and adapted to bias an adjacent one of said actuators away from the valve seat,wherein the bias of the return spring mechanism can be overcome during use of the bypass valve by extension of either said first piston or said second piston depending on the temperature to which the actuator bodies are heated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal bypass valve for a heat exchanger circuit includes a valve housing forming a valve chamber including a bypass passage and ports for the flow of heat exchange fluid into and out of the valve chamber as well as a bypass port defined by a valve seat. Two axially aligned thermally sensitive actuators are mounted in the chamber, each with an actuator body and its own movable piston extendible from one end of the body. One of these pistons operably engages the actuatory body associated with the other piston. Each actuator body is normally movable in the chamber in response to extension of its piston. One of the actuators extends its piston at a higher temperature than the temperature required for the other actuator to extend its piston. A bypass valve member is mounted on one of the actuators and can be moved by either actuator from an open position to a closed position.
28 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A thermal bypass valve for a heat exchanger circuit, comprising:
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a valve housing forming a valve chamber including a bypass passage and having a first port for flow of a heat exchange fluid into said valve chamber, a second port for flow of said heat exchange fluid out of said valve chamber, a third port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said valve chamber to a heat exchanger, a fourth port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said heat exchanger to said valve chamber, and a bypass port defined by a valve seat provided in said housing; axially aligned first and second thermally sensitive actuators mounted in said chamber, connected to one another, and having respective first and second actuator bodies and respective first and second movable pistons, each extendible from one end of its respective actuator body, at least one of said actuator bodies being normally movable in the valve chamber in response to extension of its piston, one of said actuators being adapted to extend its piston at a selected higher temperature than a predetermined temperature required for the other actuator to extend its respective piston; a valve member mounted on one of said first and second actuators which is adjacent said valve seat and movable by either the first or the second actuator from a first position, where said bypass port is in an open state, to a closed position where said bypass port is closed by said valve member engaging said valve seat; and a return spring mechanism mounted in said housing and adapted to bias an adjacent one of said actuators away from the valve seat, wherein the bias of the return spring mechanism can be overcome during use of the bypass valve by extension of either said first piston or said second piston depending on the temperature to which the actuator bodies are heated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A heat exchanger system for heating or cooling a heat exchange fluid, said system comprising:
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a heat exchanger component adapted to heat or cool said heat exchange fluid and including an inlet for flow of the heat exchange fluid into said component and an outlet for flow of the heat exchange fluid from said component; a thermal bypass valve component including a valve chamber divided into primary and secondary chamber sections by a bypass valve port defined by a valve seat, said primary chamber section being operatively connected to said outlet and said secondary chamber section being operatively connected to said inlet, said primary chamber section having an outlet for flow of said heat exchange fluid and said secondary chamber section having an inlet for flow of said heat exchanger fluid, said bypass valve component further including axially aligned first and second thermally sensitive actuators mounted in said primary chamber so as to define a first axis, connected to each other, and having respective first and second actuator bodies and first and second pistons each extendible from one end of its respective actuator body, at least one of said actuator bodies being movable in the valve chamber along said first axis in response to extension of its respective piston, one of said actuators being adapted to extend its piston at a selected temperature different than a predetermined temperature required for the other actuator to extend its respective piston; a valve member mounted in said valve chamber and capable of moving from an open position where said bypass valve port is open to a closed position where said valve member engages said valve seat and said bypass valve port is closed, said valve member being movable between its open and closed positions by extension of either of said first and second pistons from their respective actuator body; and a return spring mechanism mounted in said housing and adapted to bias an adjacent one of the actuators to a position where its respective piston is retracted, the bias of the return spring being normally overcome during use of the heat exchanger system by extension of said respective piston due to the temperature of said one actuator. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A thermal bypass valve for a heat exchanger circuit, comprising:
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a bypass valve enclosure forming a valve chamber, a valve seat defining a bypass valve port, and passage means for flow of a heat exchange fluid through said bypass valve port into said valve chamber, said valve enclosure having a first port for flow of said heat exchange fluid into said passage means, a second port for flow of said heat exchange fluid out of said valve chamber, a third port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said passage means to a heat exchanger, and a fourth port for flow of said heat exchange fluid from said heat exchanger into said valve chamber; first and second thermally sensitive actuators mounted in said valve chamber and each having an actuator body and a piston extendible from one end of the actuator body, the actuators being connected to each other and aligned with each other in an end-to-end manner, one of said actuators being adapted to extend its piston at a selected temperature different than a predetermined temperature required for the other actuator to extend its respective piston; a valve mechanism mounted in said valve chamber and capable of moving from an open position where said bypass valve port is open to a closed position where said valve mechanism engages said valve seat and said bypass valve port is closed, said valve mechanism being movable between its open and closed positions by extension of either of said pistons from its respective actuator body; and a return spring mechanism mounted in said housing and adapted to bias one of the actuators to a position where its respective piston is retracted, the bias of the return spring being normally overcome during use of the heat exchanger system by extension of said respective piston due to the temperature of said one actuator. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification