Siemens Automotive Corporation

Ford Motor Company Limited

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Siemens-bendix Automotive Electronics Limited

Siemens Electric Limited

William C Gillier

John E Cook

Craig Andrew Weldon

Murray F Busato

Gary Michael Everingham

David William Balsdon

Raymond Rasokas

Gordon W Sweetnam

David J Hazen

Rick Vanwetten

A valve assembly for an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system which provides emission control, regulates flow of exhaust gases, and is suitable for gasoline or diesel applications. The EGR valve assembly is a latching valve assembly which reduces power consumption (i.e., continuous electric draw) from the battery while the valve is either being held open or closed, and reduces electrical interference inherent with integrated position sensors. The valve assembly includes a latching mechanism controlled by an actuator which allows a valve to latch open or closed. The valve may be a single stage valve or a multi-stage valve, which includes a latching mechanism that allows for intermediate open positions, and uses of only a short, single pulse of voltage, to change the state of the valve. The actuator may also be held energized at full extend, maintaining a maximum valve open position, creating additional flow capability of the valve assembly.

Latching solenoid exhaust gas recirculation valve assembly

A valve structure that comprises a housing and a valve. The housing includes a first fluid communication passage between a first port and a second port. The valve is movable with respect to the housing between a first configuration, a second configuration, and an intermediate configuration between the first and second configurations. The first configuration permits substantially unrestricted fluid flow between the first and second ports. The second configuration substantially prevents fluid flow between the first and second ports. And the intermediate configuration provides restricted fluid flow between the first and second ports. The valve includes a first valve element and a second valve element. The first valve element includes a second fluid communication passage providing the restricted fluid flow between the first and second ports. The second valve element is positionable in first and second positions with respect to the first valve element. The first position of the second valve element substantially permits the restricted fluid flow through the second fluid communication passage. And the second location of the second valve substantially prevents the restricted fluid flow through the second fluid communication passage.

Fuel tank pressure control valve

An electrically operated EGR valve has a pintle for opening and closing the valve. The pintle is actuated by an linear actuator to open and close two ports which are connected to the outlet of the valve. The pintle has a frustoconical surface which mates with the two ports. The input passageway to the EGR valve is in fluid communication with both sides of the pintle which are the sides taken in direction of the movement of the linear actuator. The pintle being pressure-balanced when the electrically operated linear actuator attempts to move the pintle to either further open or further close the ports, the pintle is more responsive without increasing the size of the actuator.

EGR valve with force balanced pintle

The evaporative emission control system for an internal combustion engine purges the vapor collection canister to the intake manifold through a purge regulator controlled by the engine ECU. The purge regulator comprises a diaphragm valve and an electronic vacuum regulator. The purge regulator functions to allow a purge flow rate correlated with a control signal from the engine ECU and manifold vacuum, to maintain the purge flow rate substantially constant in response to certain changes in the magnitude of manifold vacuum, and to re-adjust the purge flow rate in correlation with changes in the control signal from the engine ECU. The diaphragm valve comprises a tapered valve element that progressively reduces the flow restriction as the valve element is increasingly opened.

Regulated flow canister purge system

The valve shaft passes through a journal bearing in the wall of the valve body to an actuating lever attached to the shaft on the outside of the valve body. This journal bearing is sealed by an arrangement of several parts to prevent escape of exhaust gases. These parts include a bellows and ceramic thrust washers. By making the valve shaft axis non-perpendicularly intersecting the axis of the valve body wall, the entire circumference of the valve blade can be sealed to the valve body wall when the valve is closed.

Internal combustion engine exhaust control valve

An irregularity that might otherwise be present in the flow characteristic of the system is cured by damping the motion of the armature of the CPS valve in two ways. One way comprises incorporating a 'step' into the confronting faces of the armature and stator at their interface across the air gap. The other way comprises guiding the armature motion by means of a brass tube with sufficiently small running clearance such that pneumatic damping occurs.

On-board fuel vapor recovery system having improved canister purging

A vacuum boost valve senses when the intensity of vacuum from a variable intensity vacuum source is about to drop below a threshold and supplies a boost so that when the intensity of the vacuum source is within a range immediately below the threshold, the intensity of vacuum delivered to a load does not drop below the intensity of the vacuum source and is in fact increased over what it would otherwise be without the boost. The vacuum boost is obtained by using a venturi.

Vacuum boost valve

A canister purge solenoid valve is constructed and arranged to provide reduced operating noise and decreased armature wear as the armature reciprocates within a bore in response to solenoid energization and de-energization. The armature contains an elastomeric valve head that is biased normally closed against the valve seat. When the solenoid assembly is energized, the armature is retracted. The armature's momentum is initially absorbed by the elastomeric valve head making contact with the solenoid assembly at one end of the bore. Final absorption of the armature's momentum is shared by continuing contact of the valve head with the solenoid assembly and by an elastomeric limit stop that is disposed between the armature and the stator. In this way the elastomeric limit stop is not required to absorb the full momentum of the retracting armature.

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Chatham, Canada

William C Gillier