Exhaust brake valve

Abstract

An exhaust brake valve assembly includes a valve housing, an actuation mechanism, and a butterfly assembly. The valve housing defines a flow passage and a housing bore extending transverse to the flow passage. The actuation mechanism includes a pneumatic actuator, a rod reciprocated by the pneumatic actuator, a bearing coupled to the rod for reciprocation therewith, and a crankshaft coupled to the bearing. The butterfly assembly includes a bushing received in the housing bore, a shaft extending through the bushing, and an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage. The bushing aligns the shaft with the housing bore. The butterfly member is pivotable with the shaft to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

Description

Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOlEXHAUST BRAKE VALVECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to United States provisional patent application no. 63 / 718,089, filed on November 8, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to valve assemblies and, more particularly, to exhaust brake valve assemblies.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present disclosure provides, in one aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, an exhaust brake valve assembly including a valve housing, an actuation mechanism, and a butterfly assembly. The valve housing defines a flow passage and a housing bore extending transverse to the flow passage. The actuation mechanism includes a pneumatic actuator, a rod reciprocated by the pneumatic actuator, a bearing coupled to the rod for reciprocation therewith, and a crankshaft coupled to the bearing. The crankshaft is configured to convert the reciprocating motion of the bearing to pivoting movement. The butterfly assembly includes a bushing received in the housing bore, a shaft extending through the bushing, and an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage. The shaft is coupled to the crankshaft for pivotal movement therewith. The bushing is configured to align the shaft with the housing bore. The butterfly member is coupled to the shaft for pivotal movement therewith. The butterfly member is pivotable with the shaft to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

[0004] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the valve housing includes a flow housing, a first shaft housing extending from the flow housing, and a second shaft housing extending from the flow housing opposite the first shaft housing.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl

[0005] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the housing bore is a first housing bore extending through the first shaft housing, and the valve housing defines a second housing bore extending through the second shaft housing.

[0006] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the bushing is a first bushing received in the first housing bore, and the butterfly assembly includes a second bushing received in the second housing bore, the shaft extending through the first housing bore and the second housing bore.

[0007] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the bearing is a cylindrical bearing.

[0008] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly member includes a shaft bore, and the shaft extends through the shaft bore.

[0009] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the elliptical butterfly member defines a major axis and a minor axis, the shaft defines a shaft axis, and the minor axis is offset from the shaft axis.

[0010] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly member is pivotable between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions.

[0011] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, a biasing member adjacent the bushing, the biasing member configured to position the butterfly member at a center of the flow passage.

[0012] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, a periphery of the butterfly member is spaced apart from an interior surface of the flow passage by a gap when the butterfly member is in a closed position.

[0013] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, an exhaust brake valve assembly including a valve housing, a butterfly assembly, and an actuation mechanism. The valve housing includes a flow housing defining a flow passage, a first shaft housing extending from the flow housing, and a second shaft housing extending from theAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl flow housing opposite the first shaft housing. The first shaft housing defines a first housing bore. The second shaft housing defines a second housing bore. The butterfly assembly includes a first bushing received in the first housing bore, a second bushing received in the second housing bore, a shaft extending through the first bushing and the second bushing, an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage, and a biasing member adjacent the first bushing. The butterfly member is coupled to the shaft for pivotal movement therewith. The biasing member is configured to position the butterfly member at a center of the flow passage. The actuation mechanism is coupled to the shaft. The actuation mechanism is configured to pivot the shaft and the butterfly member to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

[0014] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the first housing bore and the second housing bore extend perpendicular to the flow passage.

[0015] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the elliptical butterfly member defines a major axis and a minor axis, the shaft defines a shaft axis, and the minor axis is offset from the shaft axis.

[0016] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the first bushing and the second bushing are composed of a resilient material, and the first bushing and the second bushing are configured to bias the shaft into alignment with the first housing bore and the second housing bore.

[0017] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly member is pivotable between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions to adjust the flow of gas through the flow passage.

[0018] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, an exhaust brake valve assembly including a valve housing, a butterfly assembly, and an actuation mechanism. The valve housing defines a flow passage and a housing bore. The flow passage extends along a flow axis. The housing bore extends along a bore axis. The bore axis is perpendicular to the flow axis. The butterfly assembly includes a bushing received in the housing bore, a shaft extending through the bushing and defining a shaft axis, and an ellipticalAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl butterfly member supported in the flow passage. The butterfly member defines a major axis and a minor axis perpendicular to the major axis. The butterfly member includes a body defining a shaft bore. The shaft extends through the shaft bore. The minor axis is offset from the shaft axis. The actuation mechanism is coupled to the shaft. The actuation mechanism is configured to pivot the shaft and the butterfly member to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

[0019] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly assembly includes a first spline formed on the body and a second spline formed on the body, the first spline extends along a major axis of the butterfly member, and the second spline extends along a minor axis of the butterfly member.

[0020] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly member defines a first length measured along the major axis, the butterfly member defines a second length measured along the minor axis, and the first length is greater than the second length.

[0021] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the butterfly member is pivotable about the shaft axis between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions to adjust the flow of gas through the flow passage.

[0022] The present disclosure provides, in another aspect that is combinable with any other aspect, the major axis of the butterfly member is obliquely oriented relative to the flow axis when the butterfly member is in the closed position.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. l is a perspective view of an exhaust brake valve.

[0024] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the exhaust brake valve of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a valve housing of the exhaust brake valve of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 4 is an assembly view of a butterfly assembly of the exhaust brake valve of FIG. 1.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the valve housing and the butterfly assembly of the exhaust brake valve of FIG. 1.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a top view of the valve housing and the butterfly assembly of FIG. 5.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the valve housing and the butterfly assembly, taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 6.

[0030] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the valve housing and the butterfly assembly, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

[0031] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the valve housing and the butterfly assembly, taken along line 9-9 in FIG.7.

[0032] FIG. 10 is a top view of a butterfly member of the butterfly assembly of FIG. 4.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust brake valve, taken along line 11-11 inFIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 12 is an assembly view of an actuation mechanism of the exhaust brake valve of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust brake valve, taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0037] Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use ofAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl“consisting of’ and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.

[0038] Relative terminology, such as, for example, “about”, “approximately”, “substantially”, etc., used in connection with a quantity or condition would be understood by those of ordinary skill to be inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (for example, the term includes at least the degree of error associated with the measurement of, tolerances (e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.) associated with the particular value, etc.). Such terminology should also be considered as disclosing the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. For example, the expression “from about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4”. The relative terminology may refer to plus or minus a percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10% or more) of an indicated value.

[0039] Also, the functionality described herein as being performed by one component may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Likewise, functionality performed by multiple components may be consolidated and performed by a single component. Similarly, a component described as performing particular functionality may also perform additional functionality not described herein. For example, a device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

[0040] The embodiment s) described below and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present disclosure. As such, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications to the elements and their configuration and / or arrangement exist within the spirit and scope of one or more independent aspects as described.

[0041] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a valve assembly 10, particularly an exhaust brake valve assembly, which is used in an exhaust system of a diesel-powered vehicle. Specifically, the valve assembly 10 is provided in an exhaust manifold of a diesel engine and is operable to create a back pressure in the exhaust system. The valve assembly 10 partially closes to restrict the flowAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl of exhaust gas or completely close to inhibit the flow of the exhaust gas within the exhaust manifold to create the back pressure. As such, the exhaust gas becomes compressed in the exhaust manifold and in a cylinder of the engine. The valve assembly 10 slows the speed of the engine by way of the back pressure in the exhaust system, and thereby reduces the speed of the vehicle to provide braking.

[0042] The valve assembly 10 includes a valve housing 14, a butterfly assembly 18 (also referred to as a valve assembly 18) supported by the valve housing 14, and an actuation mechanism 22 configured to adjust the butterfly assembly 18. The valve housing 14 includes a flow housing 26. The butterfly assembly 18 includes a butterfly member 30 and a shaft 34. The butterfly member 30 is supported in the flow housing 26 by the shaft 34 for pivoting movement therewith between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate pivoting positions defined between the opened and closed positions. The actuation mechanism 22 controls pivoting movement of the shaft 34 and the butterfly member 30 when the actuation mechanism 22 is activated.

[0043] With reference to FIG. 3, the valve housing 14 is illustrated. The valve housing 14 is formed with a generally cylindrical shape between a first end 36 and a second end 38 opposite the first end 36. The flow housing 26 of the valve housing 14 defines a flow passage 42 extending therethrough between a first flow opening 46 (e.g., inlet) at the first end 36 and a second flow opening 50 (e.g., outlet) at the second end 38. The flow passage 42 is generally cylindrical. A flow axis 54 is defined through a centerline of the generally cylindrical flow passage 42 between the first flow opening 46 and the second flow opening 50. The butterfly member 30 is configured to engage or be positioned adjacent an interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42 to inhibit the flow of exhaust gas through the flow passage 42. FIG. 7 illustrates the butterfly member 30 positioned adjacent the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42.

[0044] With continued reference to FIG. 3, the valve housing 14 further includes a first shaft housing 62 extending from the flow housing 26 and a second shaft housing 66 extending from the flow housing 26 opposite the first shaft housing 62. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first shaft housing 62 extends from a top of the flow housing 26 and the second shaft housing 66 extends from a bottom of the flow housing 26. The first shaft housing 62 is coupled to the actuationAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl mechanism 22 by a plurality of fasteners 68 (FIG. 1). The first shaft housing 62 defines a first bore 70 (also referred to as a first housing bore 70) extending in a direction transverse to the flow axis 54. The second shaft housing 66 defines a second bore 74 (also referred to as a second housing bore 74) that is coaxial with the first bore 70. The first bore 70 and the second bore 74 together define a shaft bore axis 78 transverse the flow axis 54.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 4-6, the butterfly assembly 18 includes the butterfly member 30 and the shaft 34. The butterfly member 30 includes a body 82 formed by a first surface 86 and a second surface 90 (FIG. 7) opposite the first surface 86. The body 82 has a substantially elliptical shape to conform to the flow passage 42 of the flow housing 26, which will be further discussed below.

[0046] With reference to FIG. 4, a shaft bore 94 extends through a central portion 96 of the body 82. The shaft bore 94 defines a first end 98 and a second end 102 opposite the first end 98. The shaft bore 94 defines a pivot axis 106 of the butterfly assembly 18. The pivot axis 106 can be the same as the shaft bore axis 78 (FIG. 3) when the butterfly assembly 18 is coupled to the housing 14.

[0047] With continued reference to FIG. 4, the butterfly member 30 includes a first spline 110 formed on the first surface 86 of the body 82 and a second spline 1 14 formed on the second surface 90 of the body 82. The first and second splines 110, 114 provide structural strength to the butterfly member 30. The first and second splines 110, 114 define a major axis 118 of the butterfly member 30. The major axis 118 extends oblique to the pivot axis 106. More specifically, the major axis 118 extends perpendicular to the pivot axis 106. Each of the first and second splines 110, 114 includes a primary portion 122 and a secondary portion 126, respectively. Each primary portion 122 extends from a first side of the pivot axis 106, and each secondary portion 126 extends from a second side of the pivot axis 106. Each primary portion 122 extends further from the pivot axis 106 than the secondary portions 126, which will be further discussed below.

[0048] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 10, the butterfly member 30 includes a plurality of protrusions 130a-e. The illustrated butterfly member 30 includes three protrusions 130a-c formed on the first surface 86 of the body 82 (FIG. 4) and two protrusions 130d, 130e formed onAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl the second surface 90 of the body 82 (FIG. 10). The illustrated protrusions 130a-e have a circular shape. A first protrusion 130a, second protrusion 130b, fourth protrusion 130d, and fifth protrusion 130e are formed on the central portion 96 of the body 82. The first protrusion 130a is opposite the fourth protrusion 130d, and the second protrusion 130b is opposite the fifth protrusion 130e. A third protrusion 130c of the plurality of protrusions 130a-c is formed on the first surface 86 between the central portion 96 and a periphery of the body 82. In other embodiments, the butterfly member 30 can include a different number of protrusions positioned elsewhere on the body 82.

[0049] With returned reference to FIG. 4, the butterfly member 30 includes first pin holes 134 (two, in the illustrated construction) that extend through the first surface 86 of the body 82. More specifically, the butterfly member 30 includes one first pin hole 134 extending through the first protrusion 130a and one first pin hole 134 extending through the second protrusion 130b. The pin holes 134 extend partially through an inner portion of the fourth and fifth protrusions 130d, 130e (FIG. 11). The inner portion can be defined as portion of the respective fourth and fifth protrusions 130d, 130e closest to the pivot axis 106. However, the pin holes 134 do not extend entirely though the respective fourth and fifth protrusions 130d, 130e.

[0050] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 9, the shaft 34 includes a body 138 with a first end 142 and a second end 146 opposite the first end 142. A chamfered edge is formed on each end 142, 146 of the body 138. The shaft 34 includes second pin holes 150 (two, in the illustrated construction) that extend entirely through the body 138. The shaft 34 is extends through the shaft bore 94 of the butterfly member 30, such that the butterfly member 30 is pivotable with the shaft 34 in the valve housing 14. The first end 142 of the shaft 34 is adjacent the first end 98 of the shaft bore 94, and the second end 146 of the shaft 34 is adjacent the second end 102 of the shaft bore 94. The shaft 34 can further define the pivot axis 106 between the opposite ends 142, 146. In some embodiments, the pivot axis 106 is defined by only the shaft 34.

[0051] The butterfly assembly 18 includes pins 154 (two, in the illustrated construction).The pins 154 are inserted into the holes 134, 150 to couple the butterfly member 30 and the shaft 34 together. Each pin 154 extends through one first pin hole 134 in the butterfly member 30 and one corresponding second pin hole 150 in the shaft 34. In other embodiments, the butterflyAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl assembly 18 can include a different number of pins 154 and associated first and second pin holes 134, 150 to suitably couple the butterfly member 30 and the shaft 34 together (e.g., one, three, four, etc.).

[0052] With reference to FIG. 4, the butterfly assembly 18 includes a first bushing 158 and a second bushing 162. Each bushing 158 is received in the housing 14 and supports the shaft 34. More specifically, the first bushing 158 is received in the first shaft housing 62 and supports the first end 142 of the shaft 34, and the second bushing 162 is received in the second shaft housing 66 and supports the second end 146 of the shaft 34. Each bushing 158, 162 can be fixed relative to the housing 14, and the shaft 34 can be rotatable within each bushing 158, 162. The shaft 34 is sized to slide and rotate within each bushing 158, 162, taking into account thermal expansion. Stated another way, each bushing 158, 162 is sufficiently larger than an initial size of the shaft 34 (i.e., the size of the shaft 34 operating at room temperature), such that the rotation of the shaft 34 is not inhibited if the size of the shaft 34 increases due to thermal expansion. Stated another way, the axial float of the shaft 34 is sufficient to eliminate binding with the bushings 158, 162 due to thermal expansion. Each bushing 158, 162 is configured to align the pivot axis 106 of the butterfly member 30 with the bore axis 78 of the housing 14. In some embodiments, each bushing 158, 162 is composed of a resilient material. In these embodiments, the resiliency of the bushings 158, 162 can allow the pivot axis 106 to temporarily misalign from the bore axis 78. However, the resiliency of the bushings 158, 162 causes the pivot axis 106 to become re-aligned with the bore axis 78.

[0053] The butterfly assembly 18 includes a biasing assembly 166 configured to position the butterfly member 30 within the flow passage 42. The biasing assembly 166 includes a cap 170 and a spring 174 (also referred to as a biasing member 174) supported within the cap 170. The cap 170 is coupled to a crankshaft 178 of the actuation mechanism 22 (FIG. 11). The cap 170 can additionally or alternatively be coupled to the shaft 34. The spring 174 engages an inner surface of the cap 170 and a third bushing 182. The third bushing 182 is positioned between the first bushing 158 and the spring 174. The shaft 34 extends through the cap 170, spring 174, and the third bushing 182. The spring 174 is configured to bias the butterfly member 30 via the shaft 34 to center the butterfly member 30 within the flow passage 42 of the housing 14. The butterfly member 30 is intended to be centered within the flow passage 42. During operation, the butterflyAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl member 30 can be moved out of the center of the flow passage 42 by various forces resulting from normal operation of the butterfly assembly 18. The biasing assembly 166 is configured to bias the butterfly member 30 back to the center of the flow passage 42. The butterfly assembly 18 further includes an end cap 186. The end cap 186 is received in the second bore 74 of the housing 14. The end cap 186 can inhibit debris from entering the second bore 74.

[0054] With reference to FIG. 7, the butterfly assembly 18 is illustrated in the closed position. In the closed position, exhaust is inhibited from flowing through the flow passage 42, which increases the pressure within the engine. The major axis 118 of the butterfly member 30 is obliquely oriented relative to the flow axis 54 in the closed position. The elliptical shape of the butterfly member 30 causes the major axis 118 to be obliquely oriented relative to the flow axis 54 in the closed position. In the opened position, the major axis 118 can be oriented parallel to the flow axis 54.

[0055] With reference to FIG. 8, a periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30 is spaced apart from the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42 by a gap 194 when the butterfly member 30 is in the closed position. The gap 194 exists around the entire periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30. The gap 194 allows exhaust gas to flow therethrough when the butterfly member 30 is in the closed position. As such, the gap 194 can prevent the pressure in the engine from increasing to a level that could cause failure or rupturing of the engine or any other components associated with the engine and / or the exhaust system. The gap 194 further inhibits corrosion from forming between the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30 and the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42. As such, pivoting movement of the butterfly member 30 will not be obstructed by corrosion. The gap 194 can define a width of 0.5 millimeters (mm), 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, or any suitable width to prevent pressure in the engine from growing too large and / or inhibiting corrosion from forming between the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30 and the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42. It should be appreciated that the gap 194 exists between the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30 and the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42 in all pivot positions of the butterfly member 30 about the pivot axis 106. However, the gap 194 is the smallest when the butterfly member 30 is in the closed position. The gap 194 can be larger when the butterfly member 30 is in the opened position or in any of the plurality of intermediate pivoting positions. In some embodiments, there is no gap 194, suchAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl that the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30 engages the interior surface 58 of the flow passage 42.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 10, the elliptical shape of the butterfly member 30 defines the major axis 118 and a minor axis 198. The minor axis 198 extends perpendicular to the major axis 118. The minor axis 198 is offset from the pivot axis 106 and extends parallel with the pivot axis 106. The minor axis 198 is offset from the pivot axis, such that the minor axis 198 is closer to the primary portion 122 of the splines 110, 114 than the secondary portions 126. The illustrated minor axis 198 extends through the primary portion 122 of each spline 110, 114. The butterfly member 30 defines a first length 202 (also referred to as a major length 202) measured between two opposite ends of the periphery 190 and along the major axis 118. The butterfly member 30 also defines a second length 206 (also referred to as a minor length 206) measured between two opposite ends of the periphery 190 and along the minor axis 198. The first length 202 is greater than the second length 206. The first length 202 can be greater than the second length 206 by 0.2%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 5.0% or any suitable amount. The butterfly member 30 having an ellipse shape allows gas flow through the flow passage 42 to be more easily controlled than, for example, a circular shape. As such, the butterfly member 30 can be slowly moved between the opened position and the closed position to gradually increase or decrease pressure within the exhaust system.

[0057] With reference to FIGS. 11-13, the actuation mechanism 22 includes an actuator 210, an adjustment assembly 214, and the crankshaft 178. The adjustment assembly 214 connects the actuator 210 to the crankshaft 178, such that actuation of the actuator 210 rotates the crankshaft 178 and thus the butterfly member 30 also rotates. The actuator 210 includes a rod 218. The rod 218 is selectively reciprocated to rotate the crankshaft 178. The illustrated actuator 210 is a pneumatic actuator. In other embodiments, the actuator 210 can be a mechanical actuator, a hydraulic actuator, or any suitable actuator to reciprocate the rod 218. The adjustment assembly 214 includes a bearing 222. The bearing 222 includes an outer race 226 and an inner race 230. The inner race 230 is rotatable relative to the outer race 226. More specifically, the illustrated bearing 222 is a spherical rolling bearing. As such, the inner race 230 is rotatable relative to the outer race 226 about two perpendicular axes. Accordingly, the bearing 222 facilitates movement between the rod 218 and the crankshaft 178 as the rod 218 reciprocates. The bearing 222Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl absorbs dimensional tolerances between the rod 218 and the crankshaft 178 due to axial movement of the shaft 34. More specifically, as the shaft 34 moves axially, the crankshaft 178 is pivoted relative to the rod 218. The inner race 230 then pivots relative to the outer race 226 to absorb the axial movement of the shaft 34 while still allowing movement between the rod 218 and the crankshaft 178 due to reciprocation of the rod 218. The outer race 226 is coupled to the rod 218. More specifically, the outer race 226 is threadably coupled to an end of the rod 218. The actuation mechanism 22 includes an intermediate pin 234 extending through the inner race 230 and the crankshaft 178 to couple the crankshaft 178 to the bearing 222. The illustrated actuation mechanism 22 also includes a first nut 238 threadably coupled to the rod 218, a second nut 242 threadably coupled to the intermediate pin 234, and a washer 246 positioned between the bearing 222 and the second nut 242.

[0058] During operation, the butterfly member 30 may be in the opened position. In the opened position, the major axis 118 of the butterfly member 30 is oriented in a direction generally parallel to the flow axis 54 to allow the exhaust gas to flow from the first flow opening 46 of the flow passage 42 to the second flow opening 50 of the flow passage 42 for exhaustion from the exhaust system. The user may then want to move the butterfly member 30 to the closed position. To pivot the butterfly member, the actuator 210 is operated to reciprocate the rod 218. Movement of the rod 218 rotates the crankshaft 178, which rotates the shaft 34 and the butterfly member 30. The speed of reciprocation of the actuator 210 can be adjusted based on how quickly the user wants to close the flow passage 42. For example, the user may want to slowly move the butterfly member 30 to the closed position over a time period (e.g., one minute, two minutes, etc.) to have a slow ramp up in back pressure in the exhaust system. The slow movement of the butterfly member 30 between the closed position and the opened position can be referred to as a slow ramp. In this example, the actuator 210 can slowly move the rod 218, such that the butterfly member 30 remains at some of the plurality of intermediate positions between moving from the opened position to the closed position. As the butterfly member 30 moves between the opened position and the closed position, the pressure in the exhaust system slowly increases. The oblique shape of the butterfly member 30 allows for a slow change in pressure in the exhaust system. Stated another way, as the butterfly member 30 is rotated, the amount of surface area of the butterfly member 30 that blocks flow of gas through the flow passage 42 is slowly adjusted. Once the butterfly member 30 is at the closed position, theAttorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl pressure in the exhaust system will reach a peak pressure. It should be appreciated that the described operation can be conducted to move the butterfly member 30 from the closed position to the opened position to decrease the pressure in the exhaust system.

[0059] During operation, components of the valve assembly 10 can heat up, which causes thermal expansion of the components. Thermal expansion and / or other factors can cause the pivot axis 106 of the shaft 34 to become misaligned with the bore axis 78 of the flow housing 26. The resiliency of the first bushing 158 and the second bushing 162 is configured to bias the pivot axis 106 back into alignment with the bore axis 78. Additionally, thermal expansion and / or other factors can cause the shaft 34 and the butterfly member 30 to move relative to the flow housing 26 along the bore axis 78, such that the gap 194 is not even around the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30. As this occurs, the inner race 230 rotates relative to the outer race 226 of the bearing 222 to allow relative movement between the crankshaft 178 and the rod 218. The spring 174 is also configured to move the butterfly member 30 and the shaft 34 back to a position in which the gap 194 is even around the periphery 190 of the butterfly member 30.

[0060] Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.

Claims

Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOlCLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An exhaust brake valve assembly comprising: a valve housing defining a flow passage and a housing bore extending transverse to the flow passage; an actuation mechanism including a pneumatic actuator, a rod configured to be reciprocated by the pneumatic actuator, a bearing coupled to the rod for reciprocating motion therewith, and a crankshaft coupled to the bearing, the crankshaft configured to convert the reciprocating motion of the bearing to pivoting movement; and a butterfly assembly including a bushing received in the housing bore, a shaft extending through the bushing, the shaft coupled to the crankshaft for pivotal movement therewith, the bushing configured to align the shaft with the housing bore, and an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage, the butterfly member coupled to the shaft for pivotal movement therewith, the butterfly member pivotable with the shaft to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

2. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve housing includes a flow housing, a first shaft housing extending from the flow housing, and a second shaft housing extending from the flow housing opposite the first shaft housing.

3. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 2, wherein the housing bore is a first housing bore extending through the first shaft housing, and wherein the valve housing defines a second housing bore extending through the second shaft housing.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl4. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 3, wherein the bushing is a first bushing received in the first housing bore, and wherein the butterfly assembly includes a second bushing received in the second housing bore, the shaft extending through the first housing bore and the second housing bore.

5. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing is a cylindrical bearing.

6. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the butterfly member includes a shaft bore, and wherein the shaft extends through the shaft bore.

7. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the elliptical butterfly member defines a major axis and a minor axis, the shaft defines a shaft axis, and the minor axis is offset from the shaft axis.

8. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the butterfly member is pivotable between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions.

9. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the butterfly assembly includes a biasing member adjacent the bushing, the biasing member configured to position the butterfly member at a center of the flow passage.

10. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 1, wherein a periphery of the butterfly member is spaced apart from an interior surface of the flow passage by a gap when the butterfly member is in a closed position.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl11. An exhaust brake valve assembly comprising: a valve housing including a flow housing defining a flow passage, a first shaft housing extending from the flow housing, the first shaft housing defining a first housing bore, and a second shaft housing extending from the flow housing opposite the first shaft housing, the second shaft housing defining a second housing bore; a butterfly assembly including a first bushing received in the first housing bore, a second bushing received in the second housing bore, a shaft extending through the first bushing and the second bushing, an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage, the butterfly member coupled to the shaft for pivotal movement therewith, and a biasing member adjacent the first bushing, the biasing member configured to position the butterfly member at a center of the flow passage; and an actuation mechanism coupled to the shaft, the actuation mechanism configured to pivot the shaft and the butterfly member to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

12. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the first housing bore and the second housing bore extend perpendicular to the flow passage.

13. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the elliptical butterfly member defines a major axis and a minor axis, the shaft defines a shaft axis, and the minor axis is offset from the shaft axis.

14. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 11, wherein the first bushing and the second bushing are composed of a resilient material, and wherein the first bushing and the second bushing are configured to bias the shaft into alignment with the first housing bore and the second housing bore.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl15. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 11 , wherein the butterfly member is pivotable between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions to adjust the flow of gas through the flow passage.

16. An exhaust brake valve assembly comprising: a valve housing defining a flow passage and a housing bore, the flow passage extending along a flow axis, and the housing bore extending along a bore axis, the bore axis perpendicular to the flow axis; a butterfly assembly including a bushing received in the housing bore, a shaft extending through the bushing and defining a shaft axis, and an elliptical butterfly member supported in the flow passage, the butterfly member defining a major axis and a minor axis perpendicular to the major axis, the butterfly member including a body defining a shaft bore, the shaft extending through the shaft bore, the minor axis offset from the shaft axis; and an actuation mechanism coupled to the shaft, the actuation mechanism configured to pivot the shaft and the butterfly member about the shaft axis to adjust a flow of gas through the flow passage.

17. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the butterfly assembly includes a first spline formed on the body and a second spline formed on the body, the first spline extends along a major axis of the butterfly member, and the second spline extends along a minor axis of the butterfly member.

18. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the butterfly member defines a first length measured along the major axis, the butterfly member defines a second length measured along the minor axis, and the first length is greater than the second length.Attorney Docket No. 215487-0012-WOOl19. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the butterfly member is pivotable about the shaft axis between an opened position, a closed position, and a plurality of intermediate positions to adjust the flow of gas through the flow passage.

20. The exhaust brake valve assembly of claim 19, wherein the major axis of the butterfly member is obliquely oriented relative to the flow axis when the butterfly member is in the closed position.

Images