Idle air control valve

Abstract

The present invention provides an idle air control valve (30) comprising a housing (13), a bobbin assembly (3), a ball (9), a rotor assembly (4), a bushing (2), a pivot lock (5), a stator cup (1) wherein the bushing (2) is arranged such that it supports the improved rotor assembly (4) comprising a groove (17) and the bushing (2) comprises an extension (15) seated above the bobbin assembly (3), the present invention relates to an idle air control valve (30) for a motor vehicle, and comprising a guide (16) fitted inside the inner diameter of a spool assembly (3) by clearance fit, transition fit, press fit or by any other means including but not limited to welding, gluing and the like, which provides a consistent air flow when the vehicle is idle, reduces the ovality of the overall assembly, prevents the motor from being stationary, and improves the reliability of the idle air control valve (30). Improved actuator efficiency and enhanced axial clearance are provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an idle air control valve. More specifically, this invention relates to providing an idle air control valve with enhanced actuator efficiency, consistent airflow at vehicle idle speed, enhanced axial clearance, and reduced assembly complexity. Background Technology

[0002] The idle air control valve (commonly known as IACV) acts as an electronically controlled linear actuator, playing a crucial role in managing airflow within the engine system. Its primary function is to regulate the amount of air and control the engine's idle speed (RPM). Typically, this component is located on the throttle body of fuel-injected engines. It operates under commands from the vehicle's engine control unit (ECU), and its location allows it to steer air around the throttle or directly manipulate the throttle valve.

[0003] This operation involves regulating airflow through a bypass circuit around the throttle valve to increase or decrease the engine idle speed. When the engine idle speed exceeds the limits of a predetermined range specified in the ECU programming, the engine control unit instructs the valve to adjust the bypass airflow accordingly. This precise control of the air-fuel ratio within the engine results in reduced emissions, thus contributing to reduced environmental pollution.

[0004] Typically, an idle air control valve consists of various components, including but not limited to a set of wound coils, a stator, a rotor, a mechanism for promoting linear movement of the pivot, power terminals, bushings, a stator cup, and a coil. These components are intricately arranged in a complex design.

[0005] During assembly, the bushing is typically pressed into the stator cup, and then the stator cup assembly is pressed into the bobbin assembly. However, assembling these components by pressing can be challenging, particularly in maintaining precise concentricity of the bushing with respect to the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly. Therefore, ensuring the concentricity of each part is crucial, as it significantly impacts performance. When this concentricity deviates from the specified requirements, it can cause irregular rotation of the rotor assembly, resulting in elliptical motion instead of the intended circular motion. This deviation from the desired operation leads to a loss of actuator efficiency and increased noise and vibration due to uneven movement of the rotor assembly. Furthermore, in conventional air control valves, any molding defects in the shaft area can hinder smooth motor rotation or cause the motor to become stationary.

[0006] CN105889573 discloses an air control valve installed in a pneumatic actuator. The air control valve includes a valve body with a switching chamber and a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel respectively communicating with the switching chamber. A first switching hole communicating with the switching chamber is formed at one end of the first channel, and an air source mounting hole is formed at the other end of the first channel. A connecting hole communicating with the switching chamber is formed at one end of the second channel, and a non-spring cavity mounting hole is formed at the other end of the second channel. A second switching hole communicating with the switching chamber is formed at one end of the third channel, and a spring cavity mounting hole is formed at the other end of the third channel. A main valve element that moves according to air pressure is arranged in the switching chamber. An exhaust channel communicating with the outside is arranged in the valve body, and a one-way circulation assembly that allows only gas to flow from the second channel to the outside is arranged in the exhaust channel. The main drawback of this invention is that it does not provide any solution for uneven motor rotation or motor fixation caused by molding defects in the shaft area.

[0007] WO2013181959 discloses a bidirectional air control valve, comprising a valve body and a cylinder. The valve body has an inlet, an outlet, and a movable valve core. A slidable piston is located inside the cylinder. The center of the piston is connected to a piston rod, which can press the valve core to move and thus open / close a channel arranged between the inlet and outlet. An air control interface is provided on the outer wall of the cylinder. The bidirectional air control valve is characterized by a spacer bushing fitted between the cylinder and the piston rod, one side of which is fixedly connected to the valve body and the other side rotatably connected to the cylinder. The rotatable cylinder portion of the bidirectional air control valve provides convenience for installation during use and extends the service life of the sealing gasket. The main drawback of this invention is that it does not provide any specific solution for this issue.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for an idle air control valve that reduces uneven motor rotation or motor stationary position caused by molding defects in the shaft area. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Purpose of the invention The main objective of this invention is to provide an idle air control valve with improved actuator efficiency.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide an idle air control valve with enhanced axial clearance.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an idle air control valve with reduced assembly complexity.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an idle air control valve that provides a consistent airflow when the vehicle is idling.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide an idle air control valve with lower noise and vibration.

[0014] The present invention relates to an idle air control valve with an improved rotor assembly that prevents motor jamming, provides improved actuator efficiency, and enhanced axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly.

[0015] In one embodiment, the present invention provides an idle air control valve comprising a housing, a terminal cover, at least one terminal, a bobbin assembly, a ball joint, multiple coils, a rotor assembly, a bushing, a pivot lock, a stator cup, a spring, a pivot, and an O-ring. The bushing includes an extension situated above the bobbin assembly and includes a guide member fitted within the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly by a clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means (including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc.). The bushing and guide bushing are fitted within the bobbin assembly such that control of rotor concentricity depends solely on the bobbin assembly. The bushing controls the axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly. The improved idle air control valve also exhibits a significant reduction in ellipticity / roundness (i.e., elliptical motion) and a more consistent airflow.

[0016] Therefore, the present invention provides an idle air control valve with an improved rotor assembly that prevents the motor from becoming stationary; provides improved actuator efficiency, enhanced axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly, consistent airflow during vehicle idling, and reduced assembly complexity. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The idle air control valve of the present invention can be understood by referring to the following figures: Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a conventional idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are a front view and a perspective view of a bushing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3(c) is a perspective view of bushings with different shapes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of an idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5(a) is an enlarged view of a conventional idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5(b) is a perspective view of a conventional bobbin assembly and a conventional standard cup assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6(a) is an enlarged view of an idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6(b) is an exploded view of a stator and bobbin assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0027] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the focus is on clearly illustrating the components of the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of the construction and the arrangement of components presented in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Embodiments of the invention can be practiced and implemented in various ways. Furthermore, the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered restrictive.

[0028] The present invention relates to an idle air control valve with an improved rotor assembly that prevents the motor from becoming stationary, provides improved actuator efficiency and axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly.

[0029] In one embodiment, the present invention provides an idle air control valve 30, comprising a housing 13, a terminal cover 12, a plurality of terminals 11, a bobbin assembly 3, a spherical element 9, a plurality of coils 8, a rotor assembly 4, a bushing 10, a pivot lock 5, a stator cup 1, a spring 7, a pivot 6, and an O-ring 14. The bushing 10 includes an extension 15 situated above the bobbin assembly 3 and includes a guide 16 that engages within the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3 by a clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means (including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc.). The bushing 10 and the guide 16 are assembled within the bobbin assembly 3 such that control of rotor concentricity depends solely on the bobbin assembly 3. The bushing 10 controls the axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly 3. The improved idle air control valve (30) also exhibits a significant reduction in ellipticity / roundness (i.e., elliptical motion) and consistent airflow.

[0030] refer to Figure 1 The image shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional idle air control valve. The conventional idle air control valve 20 includes a housing 13, a terminal cover 12, at least one terminal 11, a bobbin assembly 3, a guide bushing 10, a ball joint 9, a coil 8, a rotor assembly 4, a bushing 21, a pivot lock 5, a stator cup 31, a spring 7, a pivot 6, and an O-ring 14. The bushing 21 has an axial protrusion 21a at one end, which is axially inserted into the stator cup 31 such that the outer circumference of the protrusion 21a is press-fitted to the inner circumference of the stator cup 31, and the pivot lock 5 is press-fitted into the stator cup 31. In conventional idle air control valves, each component has its own concentricity, resulting in overall concentricity of the assembly exceeding specifications and producing ellipticity, which further reduces the efficiency and performance of the actuator. In addition, any molding defects / butter on the outer diameter of the shaft will cause interference with the inner diameter of the bushing, which will hinder the smooth rotation of the motor or cause it to become stationary due to shaft over-mold.

[0031] refer to Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an idle air control valve is depicted. The idle air control valve 30 includes a housing 13, a terminal cover 12, at least one terminal 11, a bobbin assembly 3, a guide bushing 10, a ball joint 9, multiple coils 8, a rotor assembly 4, a bushing 2, a pivot lock 5, a stator cup 1, a spring 7, a pivot 6, and an O-ring 14. The bushing 2 includes an extension 15 situated above the bobbin assembly 3 and includes a guide 16, which is assembled inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3 by clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc. The top surface 2a of the bushing 2 coincides with the bottom surface 1a of the stator cup 1 and the pivot lock 5 to prevent axial movement. Furthermore, the bushing 2 extends radially such that it abuts against the bobbin assembly 3 and directly contacts the inner surface of the bobbin assembly 3, whereby the stator cup 1 is assembled. The concentricity of the rotor assembly 4 is controlled solely by the bobbin assembly 3, achieving consistent airflow. Bushing 2 controls the axial clearance between rotor assembly 4 and bobbin assembly. Idle air control valve 30 exhibits significantly reduced ellipticity / roundness (i.e., elliptical motion) and consistent airflow.

[0032] Referring to Figures 3(a) and 3(b), a front view and a perspective view of a bushing according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown. The bushing 2 includes an extension 15 situated above the bobbin assembly 3 and includes a guide 16 that is fitted inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3 by a clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means (including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc.). The shape of the bushing 2 includes, but is not limited to, a circle, a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon, or any other shape depicted in Figure 3(c).

[0033] refer to Figure 4 An exploded view of an idle air control valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The idle air control valve 30 includes a housing 13, a terminal cover 12, a plurality of terminals 11, at least one bobbin assembly 3, at least one guide bushing 10, at least one ball joint 9, a plurality of coils 8, a rotor assembly 4, at least one bushing 2, a pivot lock 5, a stator cup 1, a spring 7, a pivot 6, and at least one O-ring 14. The bobbin assembly 3 is provided with a plurality of terminals 11, the coils 8 are wound around the bobbin assembly 3, the terminal cover 12 is configured to cover the plurality of terminals 11 and is axially positioned within the housing 13. The rotor assembly 4 is axially inserted into the bobbin assembly 3, the guide bushing 10 is configured to support axial movement toward the distal end of the rotor assembly 4 near the bottom surface of the housing 13, and the ball joint 9 is placed in the bottom of the housing 13 to support the rotational movement of the rotor assembly 4. The bushing 2 is configured to support the rotor assembly 4, and the pivot lock 5 is attached to the top surface of the stator cup 1. Furthermore, spring 7 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of pivot lock 5 and secured by pivot 6, which axially covers spring 6, and O-ring 14 is provided for a leak-proof connection between mating components and housing 13. Pivot 6 is restricted from rotation by means of pivot lock 5 and associated with rotor assembly 4 such that rotation of rotor assembly 4 causes linear movement of pivot 6.

[0034] Referring to Figure 5(a), an enlarged view of a conventional idle air control valve is depicted. The bushing 21 has a protrusion 21a at one end. The protrusion 21a is pressed into the stator cup 31, and then the stator cup assembly is pressed over the coil assembly 3.

[0035] Referring to Figure 5(b), a perspective view of a conventional bobbin assembly and a conventional stator cup assembly is depicted. A bushing 21 is press-fitted into a stator cup (31), which in turn is press-fitted onto the bobbin assembly 3. A protrusion 21a of the bushing (21) protrudes from the top surface 31a of the stator cup (1).

[0036] Referring to Figure 6(a), an enlarged view of the idle air control valve is depicted. The bushing 2 includes an extension 15 situated above the bobbin assembly 3 and includes a guide 16 fitted inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3 by clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means (including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc.). The bushing 2 is configured to support an improved rotor assembly 4, which includes a recess 17. Any molding defects / butter on the outer diameter of the shaft would cause interference with the inner diameter of the bushing 2; this interference is avoided by the recess (17). The stator cup (1) is connected to the bobbin assembly (3) in such a way that the stator cup 1 is guided through the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3. Furthermore, this reduces the overall concentricity of the individual parts and provides stability, which further contributes to improved actuator efficiency.

[0037] Referring to Figure 6(b), an exploded view of the stator and bobbin assembly is depicted. The bushing 2 includes an extension 15 situated above the bobbin assembly 3 and includes a guide 16 that is fitted inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly 3 by a clearance fit, transition fit, press fit, or any other means (including but not limited to welding, gluing, etc.). This allows control of the concentricity of the rotor assembly 4 to depend solely on the bobbin assembly 3 and the axial clearance between the rotor assembly 4 and the bobbin assembly 3.

[0038] Therefore, the present invention provides an idle air control valve with reduced assembly complexity because the bushing 2 includes an extension 15 and a guide 16 mounted to the bobbin assembly 3, which provides consistent airflow at vehicle idle while reducing the overall ellipticity of the assembly, thereby improving efficiency by 25% to 35%. The assembly reduces overall concentricity and ellipticity during rotation and provides greater stability. The assembly prevents the motor from becoming stationary, providing improved actuator efficiency and enhanced axial clearance between the rotor assembly and the bobbin assembly.

[0039] For purposes of illustration and description, the above description of embodiments of the invention has been presented. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, but rather modifications and variations can be made based on the foregoing teachings, or may be obtained from practice of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, so that those skilled in the art can utilize the invention in various embodiments and make various modifications to suit a particular intended use.

Claims

1. An idle air control valve (30), comprising: Housing (13); terminal cover (12); multiple terminals (11); bobbin assembly (3); rotor assembly (4); at least one bushing (2); pivot lock (5); stator cup (1); spring (7); pivot (6); and O-ring (14). in: The at least one bushing (2) includes an extension (15) situated above the bobbin assembly (3) and includes a guide (16) fitted inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly (3) such that control of rotor concentricity depends solely on the bobbin assembly (3); and The at least one bushing (2) controls the axial clearance between the rotor assembly (4) and the bobbin assembly (3).

2. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the guide (16) is assembled inside the inner diameter of the bobbin assembly (3) by at least one of clearance fit, transition fit, and press fit.

3. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the bushing (2) has a top surface (2a) that coincides with the bottom surface (1a) of the stator cup (1) and the pivot lock (5) to prevent axial movement.

4. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the control of the concentricity of the rotor assembly (4) depends on the bobbin assembly (3), thereby achieving a consistent airflow in the idle air control valve (30) due to a reduction in ellipticity or roundness, thereby increasing efficiency by a range of 25% to 35%.

5. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the bushing (2) is at least one of circular, square, rectangular and hexagonal.

6. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the bobbin assembly (3) is provided with a plurality of terminals (11), a plurality of coils (8) are wound around the bobbin assembly (3), and the plurality of terminals (11) are covered by a terminal cover (12) and axially positioned in the housing (13).

7. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly (4) is axially inserted into the bobbin assembly (3), and the bushing (10) is configured to support axial movement of the rotor assembly (4) toward the distal end near the bottom surface of the housing (13), and a spherical member (9) is placed in the bottom of the housing (13) to support the rotational movement of the rotor assembly (4).

8. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the spring (7) is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the pivot lock (5) and is fixed by the pivot (6) axially covering the spring (7).

9. The idle air control valve (30) according to claim 1, wherein the O-ring (14) is configured for a leak-proof connection between the mating component and the housing (13).

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