Eaton Corporation

M. C. Aerospace Corporation

Larry P Bennett

Carl G Gluf, Jr

Harold L Bowman

James C Potter

John A Ness

Mark B Chamberlin

Fred L Stark

Maria T Warzecha

Lalit M Patil

George Earl Maroney

A self-closing filter includes a housing to be attached to a sidewall of a self-inflating pneumatic tire. The housing includes a cavity to be in fluid communication with an atmospheric air inlet of a pneumatic control valve for the self-inflating tire. The self-closing filter further includes a filtration media to block contaminants from entering the cavity while allowing atmospheric air to be drawn through the filtration media into the cavity by a pump of the self-inflating tire. The self-closing filter still further includes a valve attached to the housing. The valve is selectively actuatable to an open state and to a closed state. The filtration media is exposed to an atmosphere impinging upon the tire when the valve is in the open state. The closed state is to prevent exposure of the filtration media to the contaminants when the valve is in the closed state.

Self-closing filter

A self-calibrating method and system for controlling a hydraulically operated device, such as a clutch actuator in an automatic power transmission, provides a pressure switch in the hydraulic circuit that provides feed-back to the controller when the hydraulic fluid pressure has reached a set point level. Pressure switch provides a signal to controller that allows the controller to compare the control signal at the pressure set point level with that of the calibrated curve for adjusting the calibration curve.

Self-calibrating system and method for controlling a hydraulically operated device

A valve assembly having solenoid valves mounted on a manifold or block for, upon energization, controlling flow in selected passages. A bus frame of overmolded bus strips has portions of the strips exposed for connection directly to the solenoids. A pressure switch capsule is received in a ported cavity in the manifold or block and located such that a snap disk on the pressure switch contacts exposed surfaces of end portions of two of the bus strips for completing a circuit responsive to sensed pressure in the block cavity.

Overmolded frame bus with integral pressure switch

A cartridge type pressure switch is formed with a cup-shaped contact flanged outwardly at its rim and slidably nested in an annular spacer. A flexible diaphragm has an integrally formed annular bead ring which is stretched over the spacer to secure the diaphragm in place over the cup-shaped contact. A spring nested in the cup-shaped contact has the outer end registered against a deck or spring retainer. A pair of stationary contacts on opposite sides of the spacer have terminal portions extending outwardly through the deck. The spring biases the cup-shaped contact in a direction to seat the flange against the stationary contacts. When the cartridge is inserted in a bore, the bead ring is compressed to seal the cartridge in the bore. When a plurality of cartridges are received in bores in a block or manifold, a spacer and lead frame are commonly received over the terminal portions of the contacts on each cartridge for providing electrical connection; and, a cover is received over the lead frame and attached to the block. Alternatively a single cartridge is inserted in a bore and retained by a plate, with terminal pins connected to cut outs in the terminal portions of the contacts.

Block mounting of pressure switch cartridge

A two-way, inline, hydraulic valve through which fluid can flow in reverse and in forward directions has a reverse flow passage including a check valve preventing forward direction fluid flow therethrough. Forward direction fluid flow is controlled by a movable, spring-biased, normally closed, spool valve having one end exposed to forward direction fluid pressure and an opposite end forming a piston acting in a cylindrical cavity containing a volume of fluid. Movement of the spool valve to open position in response to forward direction fluid pressure sufficient to overcome the spring bias causes the volume of fluid to be forced from the cavity through a restricted passage, thereby providing a time delay in the opening of the two-way valve for forward direction fluid flow. In an alternative embodiment, a sleeve valve mounted on the spool valve provides a by-pass permitting forward direction fluid flow under abnormally low forward direction fluid pressure.

Growing community of inventors

Franklin, MI, United States of America

Larry P Bennett