Coolant regulator

Abstract

The invention relates to a coolant regulator (1), comprising a housing (2), a rotary slide (3) arranged in the housing, and a sleeve-like seal (13, 14, 15) which is clamped between the housing and the rotary slide, thereby being elastically deformed, and which is subjected to a spring force, the sealing element (4, 5) has a spring force generated only by an elastic deformation of the sealing element (4, 5) so as to be in sealing contact with an outer side surface (4, 5) of the rotary slide valve. For the purpose of the elastic deformability of the seal, the seal has a bore comprising a plurality of bores through a circumferential sealing wall (17).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a coolant regulator comprising a housing and a rotary slide valve arranged in the housing, as well as (at least) one sleeve-shaped seal, the seal being clamped between the housing and the rotary slide valve under elastic deformation and being spring-loaded into sealing contact with the outer side surface of the rotary slide valve, wherein the spring force is generated solely from the elastic deformation of the seal. Background Art

[0002] Coolant regulators are used, for example, in the cooling circuits of internal combustion engines or battery-electric drives in motor vehicles. The coolant flow through the respective subcircuits can be continuously adjusted depending on the position of the rotary slide valve. The sealing effect of the seal in sealing contact with the rotary slide valve is usually based on a metal molded spring. This spring, usually as a prestressed wave spring, is clamped between the seal and the housing and presses the seal against the outer surface of the rotary slide valve.

[0003] Alternative designs of the type mentioned above are known from the patent literature, in which a separate spring is omitted and the spring effect is generated by the elastic deformation of the seal itself. By way of example, see DE 10 2020 207 303 A1 and DE 10 2016 205 750 A1. A disadvantage of these elastically deformable seals is their high spring rate, which often increases gradually. This results in excessively high contact forces of the seal against the rotary slide valve and, consequently, excessive friction torques even with small deformations. Rotary slide valves are typically adjusted by electric motors, which must overcome this friction torque and, therefore, must be dimensioned to have sufficient drive power. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to specify a coolant regulator of the aforementioned type having an improved sealing design.

[0005] This object is achieved by a seal which, for the purpose of its elastic deformability, has a perforation with a plurality of holes penetrating the circumferential sealing wall. In other words, the seal is perforated around its circumference, wherein the axial deformability of the seal relative to the sleeve shape and its spring rate are essentially determined by the shape, number, size and relative arrangement of the holes.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0007] Preferably, the holes comprise or are longitudinal grooves extending longitudinally in a circumferential direction relative to the sleeve shape and arranged in adjacent rows in the axial direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

[0009] Figure 1 The coolant regulator according to the invention is shown in longitudinal section;

[0010] Figure 2 The three-dimensional diagram shows the Figure 1 a rotary slide valve of a coolant regulator having a seal attached to the rotary slide valve;

[0011] Figure 3 One of the seals is shown in a perspective, isolated partial view in an elastically undeformed state;

[0012] Figure 4 The longitudinal section is shown in a dimensioned manner according to Figure 3 seals;

[0013] Figure 5 The three-dimensional single part view shows the elastic deformation state according to Figure 3 seals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is simplified because, contrary to their actual installation situation, the seals according to the invention are shown undeformed and are therefore penetrated by the housing of the coolant conditioner.

[0015] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A coolant regulator 1 for a cooling circuit of a battery-electric vehicle comprising a plurality of subcircuits is shown in longitudinal section, and components of the coolant regulator 1 are shown in perspective. The coolant regulator 1 comprises a housing 2 and a rotary slide valve 3 arranged on the coolant side of the housing, the rotary slide valve having two spherical outer surfaces 4 and 5 and an electric motor-operated drive pin 6, wherein the actuating electric motor is located in the drive-side housing part (not shown here).

[0016] Depending on its current rotational position, the rotary slide valve 3 controls the coolant flow through the various coolant connections on the housing 2 , as the interior of the rotary slide valve 3 corresponds to the coolant connections via openings in its peripheral wall. This longitudinal section shows the three coolant connections 7 , 8 , and 9 in the rotary slide valve 3 , as well as the openings designated 10 , 11 , and 12 . The respective coolant flows into or out of the coolant regulator 1 are sealed by sleeve-shaped seals 13 , 14 , and 15 , each having an annular end face 16 , which are in sealing contact with the outer surfaces 4 and 5 of the rotary slide valve 3 . The effective flow cross-section through the openings 10 , 11 , and 12 can be continuously adjusted by the rotational position of the rotary slide 3 and corresponds to the opening cross-section of the openings 10 , 11 , and 12 currently enclosed by the end face 16 .

[0017] Seals 13, 14, and 15 are clamped between housing 2 and rotary spool valve 3 under elastic deformation, whereby only the deformation of the seals spring-loads end face 16 into sealing contact with the outer surfaces 4, 5 of rotary spool valve 3. Thus, there is no separate spring, such as a metal corrugated spring, which is beneficial for relatively low component and assembly costs. Seals 13, 14, and 15 are each designed such that their spring stiffness is as low as possible. The following explanation refers to Figures 3 to 5 which shows, in an enlarged manner, seal 15 which is structurally identical to seal 14 as a separate component.

[0018] Figure 3 The undeformed state of seal 15 is shown, which has a perforation with multiple holes penetrating circumferential sealing wall 17 (see Figure 4 ) for the purpose of elastic deformability. All of the holes are designed as longitudinal grooves 18 and 19 which extend longitudinally in the circumferential direction relative to the sleeve shape of seal 15 and are arranged axially in adjacent rows. In the present case, seal 15恰好 has exactly two rows, with six longitudinally grooves 18 of the same shape and six longitudinally grooves 19 of the same shape, where the longitudinally grooves 18 of one row and the (adjacent) longitudinally grooves 19 of the other row are arranged symmetrically offset from each other in the circumferential direction (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 ).

[0019] Longitudinal grooves 18, 19 are dimensioned such that longitudinally grooves 18 of one row overlap longitudinally grooves 19 of the other row by dimension S in the circumferential direction. Within this circumferential overlap, short webs 20 are formed axially, which significantly affect the spring stiffness of seal 15 and, in the elastically deformed state of seal 15, deform in the direction of its end face 16 according to Figure 5 Relative large seals 14 and 15 have a spring stiffness of approximately 10 N / mm, which becomes smaller with increasing circumferential overlap and thus longer webs 20 in an improved seal design.

[0020] Longitudinal grooves 18, 19 are further dimensioned such that for the longitudinal extension L1 of longitudinally grooves 18 of one row and for the longitudinal extension L2 of longitudinally grooves 19 of the other row, the following relationship applies: L1 < L2. The height dimension marked H of longitudinally grooves 19 determines the maximum axial spring travel of seal 15. In this case, the height of longitudinally grooves 18 is also H. For all seals 13, 14, and 15, the other row with longitudinally grooves 19 extends axially between the row with longitudinally grooves 18 and end face 16, i.e., rotary spool valve 3 (see also Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).

[0021] The seal 15 has the following perforations at an average seal diameter of approximately 29 mm:

[0022] L1=6.7mm

[0023] L2=9.5mm

[0024] S=0.65mm

[0025] H=2mm

[0026] The seals 13, 14 and 15 each have an outer sealing lip 21 extending radially outwards and an inner sealing lip 22 extending radially inwards. Figure 1 It becomes clear that in principle only one of the two sealing lips 21, 22 is required to seal the coolant flow between the coolant connection 7, 8 or 9 and the interior of the rotary slide valve 3. In view of the identical parts and their availability in a modular system, all seals 13, 14 and 15 are provided with both a sealing lip 21 and a sealing lip 22.

[0027] according to Figure 1 In the flow direction shown in FIG, seal 13 seals the coolant flow from coolant connection 7 into the rotary slide valve 3 and is positioned so that its outer sealing lip 21 is in sealing contact with the inner side surface 23 of the housing 2. Seal 15 seals the coolant flow from the rotary slide valve 3 to the coolant connection 9 and is positioned so that its inner sealing lip 22 is in sealing contact with the outer side surface 24 of the housing 2. In both cases, the pressure difference between the coolant inside and outside seals 13 and 15 adds to the spring force of the deformed seals 13 and 15, increasing the sealing contact force between the end face 16 and the rotary slide valve 3. Seal 14 is in sealing contact with the housing 2 via its two sealing lips 21 and 22.

[0028] All seals 13, 14, and 15 consist of two parts made of different plastics that are inseparably overmolded together. The first sealing portion 25, which seals against the rotary slide valve 3 via the end face 16, comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or, alternatively, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The second sealing portion 26, which has a perforated sealing wall 17 and sealing lips 21, 22 extending therefrom, comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM).

Claims

1. A coolant regulator (1) comprising a housing (2) and a rotary slide valve (3) arranged in the housing, and a sleeve-shaped seal (13, 14, 15) which is clamped between the housing (2) and the rotary slide valve (3) under elastic deformation and is spring-loaded into sealing contact with an outer side surface (4, 5) of the rotary slide valve (3), wherein: The spring force is generated solely by the elastic deformation of the seal (13, 14, 15), characterized in that the seal (13, 14, 15) has a perforation with a plurality of holes penetrating the circumferential sealing wall (17) for the purpose of its elastic deformability.

2. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The bore comprises longitudinal grooves (18, 19) which extend longitudinally in the circumferential direction relative to the sleeve shape of the seal (13, 14, 15) and are arranged in adjacent rows in the axial direction.

3. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that One row of the longitudinal grooves (18) and another row of the longitudinal grooves (19) immediately adjacent to the one row of the longitudinal grooves are symmetrically arranged in the circumferential direction to be offset from each other.

4. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that One row of the longitudinal grooves (18) overlaps with another row of the longitudinal grooves (19) in the circumferential direction.

5. The coolant regulator (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The seal (13, 14, 15) comprises exactly two rows of longitudinal grooves (18, 19).

6. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that For the longitudinal extension L1 of one row of said longitudinal grooves (18) and for the longitudinal extension L2 of the other row of said longitudinal grooves (19), the following relationship applies: L1 <L2。 7. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that Another row of longitudinal grooves (19) extends axially between one row of longitudinal grooves (18) and the rotary slide valve (3).

8. The coolant regulator (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The seal (13, 14, 15) comprises two parts made of different materials which are inseparably over-moulded with each other.

9. The coolant regulator (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that The first sealing portion (25) is in sealing contact with the rotary slide valve (3) and comprises polytetrafluoroethylene, and the second sealing portion (26) comprises ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber.

10. A coolant regulator (1), characterized in that 14. The seal according to claim 13, wherein the seals (13, 14, 15) each have an outer sealing lip (21) extending radially outward and an inner sealing lip (22) extending radially inward, wherein one of the seals (13) seals coolant flowing from a coolant connection (7) formed on the housing (2) into the interior of the rotary slide valve (3) and is in sealing contact with an inner side surface (23) of the housing (2) via the outer sealing lip (21) of the seal, and wherein the other of the seals (15) seals coolant flowing out from the interior of the rotary slide valve (3) to another coolant connection (9) formed on the housing (2) and is in sealing contact with an outer side surface (24) of the housing (2) via the inner sealing lip (22) of the seal.

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