US-12618490-B2 - Cam driven fluid valve assembly

US12618490B2US 12618490 B2US12618490 B2US 12618490B2US-12618490-B2

Abstract

A cam-driven valve assembly includes a valve housing that defines a plurality of fluid passageways and supports an array of fluid valves in the fluid passageways to control the flow of fluid therethrough. The assembly includes a plurality of cams supported on a cam shaft. The cam shaft is arranged so that each cam is associated with a corresponding valve. Rotation of the cam shaft results in actuation of the valves via the cams. Each cam includes a pair of cam disks that cooperate to define an internal cam track. A valve body of each fluid valve includes a cam follower that is received in the cam track of a corresponding cam. The cam tracks may be configured such that at least one of the valves is actuated at time that is different relative to an actuation time of another valve.

Inventors

Paul Mason
David Toutant
Chris Franklin
Hank Brockner
Markus Vollmer
Stephen Zukowski
Thomas R Chapman

Assignees

ROBERT BOSCH GMBH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240626

Claims (17)

1 . A valve assembly comprising: an assembly housing having ports, each port configured to permit fluid communication between an environment of the assembly housing and an interior space of the assembly housing; a cam shaft supported on the assembly housing, the cam shaft extending into the interior space and configured to rotate about a rotational axis; cams that are disposed in the interior space and supported on the cam shaft, each cam configured to rotate in concert with the cam shaft, each cam comprises a first cam disc fixed to a second cam disc, each cam having an internal groove that is defined between surfaces of the first cam disc and the second cam disc and defines a cam track, the cam track at least partially encircling the rotational axis; and valves, each valve associated with a respective one of the cams, each valve including a valve seat having a valve seat through-opening, the valve seat being disposed in the assembly housing and fixed relative to the assembly housing so as to face a first one of the ports, and a valve body that is movable relative to the valve seat, the valve body being disposed in the assembly housing and movable with the assembly housing between a first position in which fluid is permitted to flow through the valve seat through opening, and a second position in which fluid is prevented from flowing through the valve seat through opening, wherein the valve body is mechanically connected to the cam track of the respective one of the cams, the valve body being moveable relative to the valve seat upon rotation of the cam about the cam shaft.
2 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cam disc includes a first cam inner surface that faces the second cam disc, a first cam outer surface that faces away from the second cam disc, a first cam peripheral surface that extends between the first cam inner surface and the first cam outer surface, a first cam through opening that extends between the first cam inner surface and the first cam outer surface and receives the cam shaft therethrough, and a first cam groove formed in the first cam inner surface, the first cam groove defining a first path that surrounds at least a portion of the first cam through opening, the second cam disc includes a second cam inner surface that faces the first cam disc, a second cam outer surface that faces away from the first cam disc, a second cam peripheral surface that extends between the second cam inner surface and the second cam outer surface, a second cam through opening that extends between the second cam inner surface and the second cam outer surface and receives the cam shaft therethrough, and a second cam groove formed in the second cam inner surface, the second cam groove defining a second path that surrounds at least a portion of the second cam through opening, and the first cam groove and the second cam groove cooperate to form the cam track.
3 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cam track is eccentric.
4 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second cam groove has a profile that corresponds to a mirror image of the profile of the first cam groove.
5 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein a distance of the first cam groove from the rotational axis varies along a circumference of the first cam disc.
6 . The valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein when the distance of the first cam groove from the rotational axis is at a minimum, the movable plate is in the second position, and when the distance of the first cam groove from the rotational axis is at a maximum, the movable plate is in the first position.
7 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first cam peripheral surface and the second cam peripheral surface provide bearing surfaces that rotatably support the cam with respect to an inner surface of the assembly housing.
8 . The valve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first cam groove defines a first inner race that is parallel to the rotational axis and disposed between the rotational axis and the first cam peripheral surface, the distance of the first inner race from the rotational axis varies along a circumference of the first cam disc, the first cam groove defines a first outer race that is parallel to the rotational axis and disposed between the first inner race and the first cam peripheral surface, and the distance of the first outer race from the first inner race varies along a circumference of the first cam disc.
9 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cam disc and the second cam disc are mechanically joined together by a collar that maintains a gap between the first cam disc and the second cam disc.
10 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cam disc and the second cam disc are mechanically joined together by a collar that retains the first cam disc in a desired rotational orientation and axial spacing relative to the second cam disc.
11 . The valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein the collar has a collar through hole that receives the cam shaft therein.
12 . The valve assembly of claim 11 , wherein an inner surface of the collar through hole has a cross-sectional shape and dimensions configured so that the collar rotates in concert with the cam shaft.
13 . The valve assembly of claim 11 , wherein the collar through hole is centered on the rotational axis.
14 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cam disc includes a collar that protrudes from a first cam inner surface, the collar surrounds a first cam through opening, and an outer surface of the collar has a surface feature that engages an inner surface of the second cam through opening whereby the first cam disc is retained in a desired rotational orientation and axial spacing relative to the second cam disc.
15 . The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valves comprise at least one sliding gate valve, each of the at least one sliding gate valves including a first stationary plate that provides the valve seat, the first stationary plate having a first plate through-opening, the first stationary plate being disposed in the assembly housing and fixed relative to the assembly housing so as to face a first one of the valve ports, and a movable plate that provides the valve body, the movable plate having a movable plate through-opening, the movable plate being disposed in the assembly housing in a stacked arrangement with respect to the first stationary plate such that a surface of the movable plate slides along a surface of the first stationary plate upon actuation of the valve between a first position in which the movable plate through opening is aligned with the stationary plate through opening and fluid is permitted to flow through the valve port and a second position in which the movable plate through opening is not aligned with the stationary plate through opening and fluid is prevented from flowing through the valve port, the movable plate including a leg that protrudes toward the cam shaft, the leg terminating in a cam follower that is mechanically enmeshed with the cam track of a respective one of the cams in such a way that rotation of the cam results in movement of the movable plate within a plane that is parallel to the first stationary plate.
16 . The valve assembly of claim 15 , comprising a second stationary plate having a second plate through-opening, the second stationary plate being parallel to the first stationary plate, disposed in the assembly housing and fixed relative to the assembly housing so as to face a second one of the ports and such that the second plate through opening is aligned with the first plate through-opening, wherein the moveable plate is disposed between the first stationary plate and the second stationary plate.
17 . The valve assembly of claim 15 , comprising: a first valve seal that is disposed between the first stationary plate and the assembly housing, the first valve seal surrounding a first one of the valve ports and providing a fluid tight seal between the first stationary plate and the assembly housing; and a second valve seal that is disposed between the second stationary plate and the assembly housing, the second valve seal surrounding a second one of the valve ports and providing a fluid tight seal between the second stationary plate and the assembly housing.

Description

BACKGROUND In an electric vehicle, a thermal management system can be used to provide heating and/or cooling to control the temperature of various vehicle components, systems and/or compartments. The thermal management of an electric vehicle may be complex. For example, to provide cooling, the thermal management system includes a coolant control system that directs coolant via one or more fluid pumps to and from the vehicle components, systems and/or compartments via a complex system of fluid pipes and fluid valves. To provide heating, the thermal management system includes a refrigerant control system that directs refrigerant through components that provide a refrigeration cycle. In some vehicles, multiport fluid valves may be used to control the flow of fluid through the thermal management system. However, when the thermal management system is sufficiently complex, multiport fluid valves become large in size to accommodate three, eight, twelve, sixteen or more ports as required by the system. In some cases, the size of the fluid valves becomes so large that it may become difficult to meet the packaging requirements of the thermal management system within the vehicle. SUMMARY The vehicle thermal management system includes a coolant control system having a cam-driven fluid valve assembly that can be used by the system to direct coolant, for example, to cool a drive motor, a charge air heat exchanger, a battery, power electronics modules, the vehicle passenger cabin and/or other vehicle components or systems that require temperature control. For purposes of operational and packaging efficiency, it may be useful to combine multiple components of the vehicle thermal management system into a single, integrated module. Such a module may include the coolant control system, the refrigerant control system or both. The coolant control system may include, for example, one or more circulation pumps, a fluid reservoir, one or more fluid valves, a coolant control system controller, sensors, heat exchangers, etc. A housing of the module may include internal passageways that permit fluid communication between the various components of the system included in the module. Portions of the module housing may be configured to replace housing elements of certain components. For example, a portion of the module housing may be used to provide a lid of a fluid valve and/or fluid valve assembly, whereby the fluid valve assembly is connected to the module housing. For other components, the module may be configured to permit the component to “plug into” an appropriately configured portion of the module housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the cam-driven fluid valve assembly includes a valve housing that may be integrated in the module housing (e.g., at least a portion of the valve housing may be common to the module housing). The valve housing of the cam-driven fluid valve assembly is configured to define a plurality of fluid passageways and to support an array of sliding gate valves in the fluid passageways in such a way that the flow of fluid through the valve housing is controlled. The assembly includes a plurality of lobed cams supported on a cam shaft. The cam shaft may be driven to rotate by an actuator. The cams rotate in concert with the cam shaft and each cam is arranged to control the open/closed state of a corresponding gate valve. Rotation of the cam shaft results in actuation of the valves via the cams and the cams may vary in shape, size and/or contact surface angle to allow for individual valve actuation times and durations. In some embodiments, the cam shaft and cams are arranged to open and close the fluid valves of the assembly in such a way that multiple fluid valves may allow direction of fluid to a single location and/or a single fluid valve may direct fluid to multiple locations depending on the vehicle operating conditions. The cam-driven fluid valve assembly receives fluid actuated by one or more fluid pumps that may be integrated into the integrated module. The fluid pressures generated by the fluid pumps are sufficiently low that many components of the cam-driven fluid valve assembly, including the stationary plates and/or the movable plates of the gate valves, may be formed of plastic or may be plastic that is reinforced with metal at strategic location, which reduces the cost and weight of the module and improves durability. In some embodiments, a cam is used to directly open and close the gate valve. Each cam includes a pair of cam discs, which are fixed together in a parallel and spaced-apart configuration. The inward-facing surface of each disc of the pair of cam discs includes a disc groove. Within each pair of cam discs, the disc grooves are mirror images of each other. The disc grooves of the pair of cam discs cooperate to provide an eccentric, internal cam track that at least partially encircles the cam shaft rotational axis. As used herein, the term “eccentric path” refers to a path that deviates