Valve unit

Abstract

Valve unit (1) for controlling cooling water, a cooling water circuit, a medium of an air conditioning system or an oil circuit in a motor vehicle, comprising a valve housing (2), a valve body (7) arranged in the valve housing (2), a shaft (11) connected to the valve body (7) and guided through the valve housing (2) into an actuator housing (3), and an actuating element (6) attached to the shaft (11), wherein the actuating element (6) and the shaft (11) have a multi-seam recess (20) with a corresponding multi-seam profile (19), characterized in that the free end of the shaft (11) has at least one pin (15) and that the pin (15) engages in a corresponding pin recess (16) of the actuating element (6).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a valve unit for controlling cooling water, a cooling water circuit, a medium of an air conditioning system or an oil circuit in a motor vehicle, comprising a valve housing, a valve body arranged in the valve housing, a shaft connected to the valve body and guided through the valve housing into an actuator housing, and an actuating element attached to the shaft, wherein the actuating element and the shaft have a multi-seam recess with a corresponding multi-seam profile.

[0002] A valve for the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine is disclosed in DE 10 2015 103 453 A1. In this valve, a drive disc is connected to a shaft via a splined connection and is also riveted in place. Compensation for tolerances is not possible.

[0003] JP 2007-139 164 A reveals a shaft in a gearbox with a splined multi-tooth ring. The shaft has projections for a positive-locking connection with the multi-tooth ring.

[0004] DE 10 2011 005 790 A1 discloses a throttle device comprising a throttle shaft and a gear. The throttle shaft and gear are connected to each other via a profile.

[0005] US Patent 2004 / 0226170A1 discloses a differential of a motor vehicle in which a shaft and a pinion are connected to each other via a toothed connection.

[0006] US 5 503 494 A, FR 2 704 164 A1 and US 4 376 333 A reveal gear structures between a shaft and a gear.

[0007] US 1 672 430 A reveals a two-piece valve body.

[0008] Such valve units are commonly used in modern motor vehicles to control a cooling water circuit, an air conditioning medium, an oil circuit, or the like, and are well known in practice.

[0009] In a valve assembly known from practical applications, one end of the valve body stem has a D-shaped cross-section. An actuator, designed as a gear, has a cross-section corresponding to the end of the stem and is pressed onto the stem. A disadvantage of this known valve assembly, however, is that the connection between the actuator and the stem has play in the direction of rotation. This play leads to inaccuracies in setting the position of the valve body when the actuator is driven. Furthermore, the play in the direction of rotation results in undesirable hysteresis. This means that when the actuator is moved to a desired position from different directions of rotation, different positions of the valve body are generated. Such hysteresis also prevents precise adjustment of the valve body when driven by an actuator.

[0010] The invention is based on the problem of further developing a valve unit of the type mentioned above in such a way that it enables a particularly precise adjustment of the position of the valve body.

[0011] This problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the free end of the shaft has at least one pin and that the pin penetrates into a corresponding pin recess (16) of the actuator.

[0012] This design ensures a reliable, positive-locking connection between the actuator and the shaft in the direction of rotation. This also prevents hysteresis when the actuator drives the shaft. Avoiding hysteresis allows for particularly precise adjustment of the valve body position when the actuator drives the shaft in both directions of rotation. Such multi-split profiles allow for limited axial displacement of the actuator, making it easy to compensate for tolerances in the valve assembly. Furthermore, unlike a D-shaped profile, multi-split profiles are tilt-resistant. This ensures reliable force transmission between the actuator and the shaft. The connection between the actuator and the shaft is further strengthened because the free end of the shaft has at least one pin, and this pin engages in a corresponding recess in the actuator.

[0013] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the multi-spline profile is symmetrically constructed and reliably prevents tilting of the actuator when the multi-spline profile is designed as a splined profile. Furthermore, such a splined profile can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively using generally known tools.

[0014] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, to further increase the tilt resistance of the connection of the actuator with the shaft, it contributes if the shaft has three pins arranged in the shaft and if the pins penetrate into a corresponding pin recess of the actuator.

[0015] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the actuator is reliably secured against falling out of the shaft if at least one pin of the shaft is plastically deformed to engage the pin recess of the actuator in a form-fitting manner. This axially secures the position of the actuator after assembly and after compensating for tolerances between the shaft and the actuator. For shafts made of plastic, the plastic deformation can be achieved, for example, by hot staking.

[0016] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connection between the actuator and the shaft is particularly compact when the multi-seed recess for the multi-seed profile and the pin recess for the at least one pin are arranged one behind the other in the actuator in the axial direction. This design results in a particularly small installation space required for the valve unit.

[0017] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, further increasing the strength of the connection between the actuator and the shaft is achieved by bonding the actuator to the shaft. Since a magnet is usually bonded to the actuator, bonding the actuator to the shaft is particularly easy and can be carried out in a single step using the same adhesive.

[0018] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, further increasing the strength of the connection between the actuator and the shaft is achieved by welding the actuator to the shaft. The welding can be carried out, for example, by laser welding, friction welding, or ultrasonic welding.

[0019] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, further safety against hysteresis is provided if the connection between the multi-seam profile and the multi-seam recess is designed as an interference fit. This also ensures a force-fit connection of the actuator to the shaft in the axial direction.

[0020] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the valve unit is particularly simple in design if the actuator has a gear and the multi-slot recess is arranged in the hub of the gear.

[0021] A particularly low static or sliding friction during the actuation of the valve body can be easily ensured according to another advantageous embodiment of the invention if the stem is sealed in the valve housing via at least one X-ring.

[0022] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, further reducing hysteresis between an actuator and the valve body is achieved if the valve body and the stem are designed as a single piece.

[0023] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, a one-piece unit consisting of the valve body and stem can be easily assembled if the valve housing is designed in two parts, with the valve body being held between two housing parts.

[0024] The invention allows for numerous embodiments. To further illustrate its basic principle, one of these is shown in the drawing and described below. This shows in Fig. 1 a valve unit comprising a valve housing and an actuator housing, Fig. 2 a cross-sectional view through the valve housing with adjacent areas of the actuator housing, Fig. 3 a top view of a connection of an actuator on a shaft of the valve unit Fig. 2, Fig. Figure 4 shows a sectional view through a section of the actuator and shaft. Fig. 2 along line IV - IV, Fig. Figure 5 greatly magnified shows a cross-sectional view through a section of the actuator and shaft. Fig. 3 along line V - V.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1 shows a valve unit 1 with a valve housing 2 and an actuator housing 3. An actuator 4 (not shown in detail), such as an electric motor, is arranged in the actuator housing 3. The actuator 4 drives the valve via a [missing information - likely a specific component or element]. Fig. 2. Gearbox 5 shown, an actuator 6. In the valve housing 2 is a Fig. The valve body 7 shown in Figure 2 is rotatably or pivotably mounted for controlling several ports 8-10. The valve body 7 is manufactured in one piece with a shaft 11 projecting into the actuator housing 3. The free end of the shaft 11 is connected to the actuator 7.

[0026] Fig. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the valve housing 2 with adjacent areas of the actuator housing 3, indicating that the valve housing 2 is manufactured in two parts with two interconnected housing parts 12, 13. The valve body 7 is mounted between the two housing parts 12, 13.

[0027] The actuator 6 is designed as a gear and has a hub 14 for connection with the shaft 11. The shaft 11 has projecting pins 15 at its free end, which engage pin recesses 16 in the actuator 6. A magnet 17 is bonded to the center of the hub 14, and thus in the area of ​​the shaft 11. The shaft 11 is sealed in the housing part 12 facing the actuator housing 3 by means of at least one X-ring 18. In one embodiment of the invention, two X-rings are provided.

[0028] Fig. Figure 3 shows a top view of the actuator 6 before the magnet 17 is mounted. It can be seen that the actuator 6 has a total of three pin recesses 16 for three pins 15. The pins 15 are hot-stitched to the actuator 6. When the magnet 17 is mounted with an adhesive, this adhesive also gets between the pin recesses 16 and the pins 15.

[0029] Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view along line IV - IV from Fig. 2 by connecting the actuator 6 to the shaft 11. It can be seen that the shaft 11 has a multi-seam profile 19 at its free end, which engages in a multi-seam recess 20 of the actuator 6. During assembly, the actuator 6 is axially displaceable on the shaft 11 until the pins 15 are hot-stitched.

[0030] Fig. Figure 5 shows a highly magnified cross-sectional view along the line V - V. Fig. 3 a partial area of ​​the connection of the actuator 6 with one of the pins 15. The pins 15 are arranged radially outwards and thus directly adjoin the multi-wedge profile 19 of the shaft 11. In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the pins 15 can also be arranged centrally in the shaft 11.

Claims

[1] Valve unit (1) for controlling cooling water, a cooling water circuit, a medium of an air conditioning system or an oil circuit in a motor vehicle, comprising a valve housing (2), a valve body (7) arranged in the valve housing (2), a shaft (11) connected to the valve body (7) and guided through the valve housing (2) into an actuator housing (3), and an actuating element (6) attached to the shaft (11), wherein the actuating element (6) and the shaft (11) have a multi-seam recess (20) with a corresponding multi-seam profile (19), characterized by , that the free end of the shaft (11) has at least one pin (15) and that the pin (15) penetrates into a corresponding pin recess (16) of the actuator (6). [2] Valve unit according to claim 1, characterized by , that the multi-seam profile (19) is designed as a multi-tooth profile. [3] Valve unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the shaft (11) has three pins (15) arranged in the shaft (11) and that the pins (15) penetrate into a corresponding pin recess (16) of the actuator (6). [4] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that at least one pin (15) of the shaft (11) is plastically deformed for the positive engagement of the pin recess (16) of the actuator (6). [5] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the multi-wedge recess (20) for the multi-wedge profile (19) and the pin recess (16) for the at least one pin (15) are arranged one behind the other in the axial direction in the actuator (6). [6] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the actuator (6) is glued to the shaft (11). [7] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the actuator (6) is welded to the shaft (11). [8] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by , that the connection of the multi-seam profile (19) in the multi-seam recess (20) is designed as an interference fit. [9] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the actuator (6) has a gear and that the splined recess (20) is arranged in the hub (14) of the gear. [10] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the shaft (11) is sealed via at least one X-ring (18) in the valve housing (2). [11] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by , that the valve body (7) and the stem (11) are designed as a single piece. [12] Valve unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by , that the valve housing (2) is formed in two parts, wherein the valve body (7) is held between two housing parts (12, 13).

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