Fluid dispenser valve with temperature sensor

Abstract

A coolant distributor valve for a vehicle cooling system includes a housing including a valve body portion and an electronics portion. A valve is disposed in the valve body portion. A printed circuit board (PCB) is disposed in the electronic portion. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to the PCB. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a coolant temperature within the valve body portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to, for example, fluid distributor valves used in vehicle cooling systems. Background Technology

[0002] A typical modern vehicle includes various components and subsystems whose temperature is to be regulated (i.e., heated and / or cooled to a desired temperature). One or more cooling circuits include one or more heat exchangers through which one or more fluids circulate in a controlled manner to provide cooling fluid to the components at the desired temperature. As vehicles become more complex, the complexity of the cooling system also increases.

[0003] Typical cooling systems found in vehicles with electrified and / or hybrid powertrains tend to be highly distributed architectures, a complex labyrinth of cooling loops, sub-loops, pumps, and heat exchangers. Coolant distributor valves, controllers, and temperature sensors used to guide coolant through these systems are isolated from each other and distributed throughout the vehicle. The resulting cooling systems are complex and expensive to implement and maintain, and coolant temperature may not be regulated as precisely as desired. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one exemplary embodiment, a coolant distributor valve for a vehicle cooling system includes a housing comprising a valve body portion and an electronic portion. The valve is disposed within the valve body portion. A printed circuit board (PCB) is disposed within the electronic portion. A temperature sensor is electrically connected to the PCB. The temperature sensor is configured to detect the coolant temperature within the valve body portion.

[0005] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the valve body portion includes a coolant passage, and the housing includes a channel adjacent to the coolant passage. A temperature sensor is disposed in the channel.

[0006] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the channel is arranged in the valve body portion.

[0007] In another embodiment of any of the above, the channel is arranged in the electronic part.

[0008] In another embodiment of any of the above, the passage is fluidly separated from the coolant channel.

[0009] In any of the other embodiments described above, the temperature sensor is a thermistor.

[0010] In another embodiment of any of the above, the electronic component includes an electrical connector that is electrically connected to the temperature sensor via a PCB.

[0011] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the coolant distributor valve includes: a motor disposed in the electronic part and electrically connected to the PCB, and a gear train connected between the motor and the valve.

[0012] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the coolant distributor valve includes a bracket that is operably mounted to the housing at one of a plurality of locations.

[0013] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the bracket is clamped between the valve body portion and the electronic portion.

[0014] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the bracket includes at least one hole, and the housing includes at least one boss disposed in the at least one hole. The valve body portion and the electronic portion are fixed at the at least one boss.

[0015] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the support includes an opening, and the housing extends through the opening.

[0016] In another embodiment of any of the above, a plurality of fasteners secure the valve body portion and the electronic portion to each other at one of a plurality of discrete locations.

[0017] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the vehicle cooling system includes a coolant distributor valve and includes a plurality of cooling circuits. The coolant distributor valve interconnects at least two of the plurality of cooling circuits, and the valve is configured to move between multiple locations based on a detected coolant temperature to direct a desired cooling flow through at least two of the plurality of cooling circuits.

[0018] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the cooling circuit includes at least two of the battery, the vehicle compartment, the charging electronics, and the motor.

[0019] In another exemplary embodiment, a method of assembling a coolant distributor valve includes: arranging a temperature sensor in a housing comprising a valve body portion and electronic components; placing a printed circuit board (PCB) in the electronic components; and arranging the valve in the valve body portion having a coolant passage. The temperature sensor is adjacent to but separate from the coolant passage.

[0020] In another embodiment of any of the above embodiments, the housing includes a channel, and the arrangement step includes inserting a temperature sensor into the channel.

[0021] In another embodiment of any of the above, the temperature sensor is mounted to the PCB.

[0022] In another embodiment of any of the above, the method includes the step of installing a bracket between the valve body portion and the electronic portion at one of a plurality of discrete assembly locations.

[0023] In any of the other embodiments described above, the method includes the step of securing the valve body portion to the electronic portion at one of a plurality of discrete assembly locations.

[0024] These and other features of the invention can be best understood from the following description and drawings, which are briefly described below. Attached Figure Description

[0025] This disclosure can be further understood by referring to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary vehicle cooling system.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the disclosed coolant distributor valve.

[0028] Figures 3A to 3C Three exemplary mounting bracket orientations are shown.

[0029] Figures 4A to 4D Several exemplary valve body orientations are shown.

[0030] Figure 5 Another exemplary valve body section is depicted.

[0031] Figure 6 It is along Figure 2 The cross-section of the coolant distributor valve with a temperature sensor is taken from line 6-6.

[0032] Figure 7 It is along Figure 2 The cross-section of the coolant distributor valve is shown in line 7-7.

[0033] Figure 8 This is another example housing section showing another temperature sensor arrangement.

[0034] The embodiments, examples, and alternatives described in the foregoing paragraphs, claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their aspects or corresponding individual features, may be employed independently or in any combination. Features described in conjunction with one embodiment apply to all embodiments unless those features are incompatible. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Figure 1Some aspects of a typical exemplary vehicle cooling system 100 are depicted; they are highly schematic and for illustrative purposes only. System 100 tends to be relatively complex and includes multiple loops, sub-loops, and branches for carrying a cooling fluid, such as a liquid coolant (e.g., water glycol). One type of vehicle includes one or more motors 102, a passenger compartment thermal regulation system 104, a charging system 106, and a battery 108. One or more cooling loops 110 circulate coolant through these components. Typically, multiple heat exchangers 112 are distributed throughout the cooling loop 110 to provide heat exchange from the coolant to another fluid, such as air or another liquid coolant. One or more pumps 114 circulate coolant through the cooling loop 110.

[0036] Multiple fluid distributor valves 115 connect to multiple channels to selectively regulate the flow of coolant through the cooling circuit 110, thereby regulating its temperature. The fluid distributor valves 115 are distributed throughout the cooling circuit 110 and throughout the vehicle. Numerous temperature sensors 116 are also distributed throughout the cooling system 100 to monitor temperatures at various locations, enabling coordination of various components to achieve the desired temperature throughout the system. The disclosed coolant distributor valve 10 reliably integrates the temperature sensor 74 into the assembly, a reliable method that also provides more accurate temperature sensing and thus improved overall temperature regulation by the cooling system 100.

[0037] The coolant distributor valve 10 has a multi-piece housing 12, which has multiple parts that are fixed to each other by one or more attachment techniques (e.g., welding, fasteners, adhesives, sealants, etc.). In this example, there are two main housing parts: a valve body part 11 and an electronic part 13, which are fluidly separated from each other. In one example, the electronic part 13 is provided by a first housing part 14 and a second housing part 16, and the valve body part 11 is provided by a third housing part 18 and a fourth housing part 20.

[0038] The coolant distributor valve 10 is designed to offer both encapsulation and versatility in its use within a cooling system. An example of this flexibility is a reconfigurable bracket 22 operably mounted to the housing 12, which can be oriented in several different discrete positions relative to the housing 12. The bracket 22 includes mounting features (e.g., a pair of mounting ears 28) for securing the coolant distributor valve 10 to the vehicle. Reference Figure 2 as well as Figures 3A to 3CThe electronic portion 13 (e.g., the second housing portion 16) includes bosses 30 arranged, for example, in a symmetrical pattern. The bracket 22 includes holes 26 arranged in a similar pattern, and the holes 26 are sized to accommodate the bosses 30. If desired, the bosses may be alternatively or additionally provided on the valve body portion 11. The bracket 22 is disposed between the valve body portion 11 and the electronic portion 13, and is rotated to a desired orientation based on in-vehicle packaging constraints (see, for example...). Figures 3A to 3C The valve body part 11 and the electronic part 13 are interconnected and fitted together through the opening 24 in the bracket 22.

[0039] like Figures 4A to 4D As shown, the valve body portion 11 can also be rotated relative to the electronic portion 13 to a desired orientation. Fasteners 36 secure the valve body portion 11 to the electronic portion 13 (e.g., the second housing portion 16 and the third housing portion 18) to each other, thereby clamping the bracket 22. Different valve body portions 11' (see, for example...) Figure 5 The coolant distributor valve 10 can be fixed to the electronic part 13 based on the required quantity, size, orientation, and other characteristics. In this way, the manufacturer of the disclosed coolant distributor valve 10 can maintain a stock of common but different valve configurations that can be used with the same electronic part 13, thereby providing increased versatility to accommodate different cooling system requirements.

[0040] refer to Figure 6 The circumferential flange 38 of the valve body portion 11, which is mounted to the electronic part 13, serves as a guide for the opening 24 of the bracket 22. Although the valve body portion 11 is shown radially outward of the electronic part 13 to position the bracket 22, the structural relationship can be reversed, such that the valve body portion 11 is located radially inward of the electronic part 13. Furthermore, the second housing portion 16 and the third housing portion 18 can be integrated with each other to provide the formation of housing portion 17. Figure 8 The housing portion 17 is an integrated monolithic structure that provides part of the valve body portion 11 and the electronic portion 13. In this case, the bracket 22 can be mounted to the housing 12 in a different manner than shown.

[0041] The various parts of housing 12 are secured to and sealed relative to each other using any number of techniques. In one example, the first housing part 14 and the second housing part 16 are welded to each other at 40, as are the third housing part 18 and the fourth housing part 20 (at 44). Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example shown, the second housing portion 16 and the third housing portion 18 are sealed with an O-ring 42 and secured with a fastener 36.

[0042] Valve 54 is disposed in a coolant passage within valve body portion 11 and configured to rotate between multiple positions to fluidly connect and disconnect fluid connectors 32 from each other and regulate the flow of coolant (e.g., water glycol) through cooling system 100. Electronic portion 13 contains sensitive electronic components, such as a motor 46 electrically connected to printed circuit board (PCB) 72. Motor 46 includes drive gear 48, which rotatably drives valve 54 via gear train 50 having drive lug 52. In this example, valve 54 is coupled to drive lug 52 via a spline connection. First seal 58 and second seal 60 prevent coolant leakage from valve body portion 11 into electronic portion 13, which would damage the electronic components therein.

[0043] A temperature sensor 74 (such as a thermistor) is electrically connected to the PCB 72 via electrical leads 78. An electrical connector 80 is provided by the electronics section 13 and provides electrical communication with the motor 46, the PCB 72, and the temperature sensor 74. The temperature sensor 74 is configured to detect the coolant temperature within the valve body section 11, immediately adjacent to the coolant passage provided by the valve body section 11. Figure 6 and Figure 8 In the example shown, the electronic portion 13 (e.g., the second housing portion 16) includes a channel 76 adjacent to a cooling channel, in which a temperature sensor 74 is arranged. Figure 8 In the example shown, channel 76 is arranged in valve body portion 17, which also provides a portion of the electronic components. In either case, the channel is fluidly separated from the coolant channel by the wall of housing 12 to prevent coolant migration into the electronic components 13.

[0044] The coolant distributor valve 10 transfers coolant from an input port to a selected output port provided by the fluid connection 32, thereby connecting at least two cooling loops (e.g., at least two of the battery, cabin, charging electronics, and motor). Based on the detected coolant temperature, the valve 54 moves between multiple locations, directing the desired cooling flow through at least two of the multiple cooling loops. By integrating a temperature sensor 74 into the coolant distributor valve 10 adjacent to the coolant, the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 74 is more useful for assessing which port is open or closed or for providing information about other subsystems through which the coolant flows (i.e., areas within the cooling system 100). For example, if the coolant distributor valve 10 and the integrated temperature sensor 74 are connected to the battery 108, charging voltage converter 106, motor 102, and / or cabin thermal conditioning system 104, it can collect temperature information from the coolant and help internal (e.g., PCB 72) or external control units more accurately determine which subsystems require or do not require coolant.

[0045] The controller (e.g., PCB 72) can be a hardware device for executing software (particularly software stored in memory). The controller (e.g., PCB 72) can be a custom or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the controller, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), or any device typically used to execute software instructions.

[0046] Memory may include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, VRAM, etc.)) and / or non-volatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard disk drive, magnetic tape, CD ROM, etc.). Furthermore, memory may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and / or other types of storage media. Memory may also have a distributed architecture, where various components are geographically separated but accessible by a processor.

[0047] In terms of hardware architecture, such a computing device may include a processor, memory, and one or more input and / or output (I / O) device interfaces communicatively coupled via a local interface. The local interface may include, for example, but not limited to, one or more buses and / or other wired or wireless connections. The local interface may have additional components omitted for simplicity, such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and receivers, to enable communication. Furthermore, the local interface may include address, control, and / or data connections to enable appropriate communication among the aforementioned components.

[0048] Software in memory can include one or more individual programs, each comprising an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. System components embodied as software can also be interpreted as source programs, executable programs (object code), scripts, or any other entity containing a set of instructions to be executed. When constructed as source programs, programs are translated by compilers, assemblers, interpreters, etc., and may or may not be included in memory.

[0049] The disclosed input and output devices that can be coupled to the system I / O interface may include input devices, such as, but not limited to, keyboards, mice, scanners, microphones, cameras, mobile devices, proximity devices, etc. Output devices may include, but are not limited to, printers, monitors, etc. Finally, input and output devices may also include devices that communicate as input and output, such as, but not limited to, modulators / demodulators (modems; used to access another device, system, or network), radio frequency (RF) or other transceivers, telephone interfaces, bridges, routers, etc.

[0050] When the controller (e.g., PCB 72) is in operation, the processor can be configured to execute software stored in memory, transfer data to and from memory, and typically control the operation of the computing device based on the software. The software in memory is read, in whole or in part, by the processor, possibly buffered within the processor, and then executed.

[0051] In one example, the coolant distributor valve 10 is assembled by arranging a temperature sensor 74 within a housing 12. The housing 12 includes an electronics section 13 (e.g., a first housing section 14 and a second housing section 16) and a valve body section 11 (e.g., separate third housing section 18 and fourth housing section 20, or second housing section 16 and third housing section 18 integrated into a monolithic structure 17). The desired valve body section (i.e., the number, size, construction, and orientation of the fluid connectors) is selected for the cooling application. Depending on the construction of the housing 12, the second housing section 16 and the third housing section 18 can be secured to each other (e.g., fasteners, welding, adhesive, etc.). During this process, a bracket 22 is mounted in one of a plurality of discrete assembly positions (i.e., rotated to a desired orientation among the possible orientations), and the valve body section 11 is secured to the electronics section 13 in one of the plurality of discrete assembly positions.

[0052] PCB 72 is housed within the electronics section. When PCB 72 and valve body portion 11 (e.g., portion 17 or 18) are placed together, temperature sensor 74 is inserted into channel 76, which is isolated from the coolant channel. In this example, electrical leads 78 of temperature sensor 74 are soldered to PCB 72 during assembly, and PCB 72 is in turn electrically connected to electrical connector 80. Valve 54 is arranged within valve body portion 11. Temperature sensor 74 is adjacent to but separate from the coolant channel regulated by valve 54.

[0053] It should also be understood that although a particular arrangement of components is disclosed in the illustrated embodiments, other arrangements will benefit from it. Although a particular sequence of steps has been shown, described, and claimed, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, the steps may be performed, separated, or combined in any order and will still benefit from the invention.

[0054] Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of the invention are not limited to those specific combinations. Some parts or features from one example may be used in combination with features or parts from another example.

[0055] Although example embodiments have been disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications will fall within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the following claims should be examined to determine their true scope and content.

Claims

1. A coolant distributor valve for a vehicle cooling system, comprising: A housing, the housing comprising a valve body portion and an electronic portion; A valve, wherein the valve is disposed in the valve body portion; A printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board is a PCB, and the PCB is arranged in the electronic part; as well as A temperature sensor electrically connected to the PCB, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to detect the coolant temperature within the valve body portion.

2. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 1, wherein, The valve body portion includes a coolant passage, and the housing includes a passage adjacent to the coolant passage, in which the temperature sensor is disposed.

3. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 2, wherein, The channel is arranged in the valve body section.

4. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 2, wherein, The channel is arranged in the electronic part.

5. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 2, wherein, The channel is fluidly separated from the coolant channel.

6. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 1, wherein, The temperature sensor is a thermistor.

7. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic component includes an electrical connector that is electrically connected to the temperature sensor via the PCB.

8. The coolant distributor valve of claim 1, comprising: a motor disposed in the electronic portion and electrically connected to the PCB, and a gear train connected between the motor and the valve.

9. The coolant distributor valve of claim 1, comprising a bracket operably mounted to the housing in one of a plurality of positions.

10. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 9, wherein, The bracket is held between the valve body portion and the electronic portion.

11. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 10, wherein, The bracket includes at least one hole, and the housing includes at least one boss disposed in the at least one hole, with the valve body portion and the electronic portion fixed at the at least one boss.

12. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 10, wherein, The bracket includes an opening, and the housing extends through the opening.

13. The coolant distributor valve according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple fasteners secure the valve body portion and the electronic portion to each other in one of a plurality of discrete locations.

14. A vehicle cooling system including a coolant distributor valve according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of cooling circuits, the coolant distributor valve interconnecting at least two of the plurality of cooling circuits, and the valve being configured to move between a plurality of locations based on a detected coolant temperature to direct a desired cooling flow through the at least two of the plurality of cooling circuits.

15. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 14, wherein, The cooling circuit includes at least two of the following: battery, vehicle compartment, charging electronics, and motor.

16. A method for assembling a coolant distributor valve, comprising: The temperature sensor is housed in a housing that includes the valve body and electronic components; A printed circuit board, which is a PCB, is placed in the electronic part. as well as The valve is arranged in the valve body portion having a coolant passage, and the temperature sensor is adjacent to but separate from the coolant passage.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The housing includes a channel, and the arrangement step includes inserting the temperature sensor into the channel.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The temperature sensor is mounted on the PCB.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising: The step of installing a bracket between the valve body portion and the electronic portion in one of a plurality of discrete assembly locations.

20. The method of claim 16, comprising: The step of fixing the valve body portion to the electronic portion in one of a plurality of discrete assembly locations.

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