Multiport Valve

Abstract

A multiport valve, having a housing having at least two connectors, a control element for blocking at least one of the connectors, the control element disposed to be rotatable in a recess of the housing. An external contour of the control element has a compression portion which in at least one first position of the control element compresses a first seal disposed on a first one of the connectors. The external contour of the control element has a decompression portion that has a smaller radius than the compression portion and in at least one further position of the control element lies opposite the first seal such that the control element compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the first position.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A multiport valve, comprising: a housing having a recess and at least two connectors; a control element configured to block at least one of the connectors, the control element being rotatably disposed in the recess of the housing; an external contour of the control element has a compression portion that in at least one first position of the control element compresses a first seal disposed on a first one of the connectors; and a decompression portion of the external contour of the control element that has a smaller radius than a radius of the compression portion and in at least one further position of the control element lies opposite the first seal such that the control element compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the at least one first position.

14. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control element in the first position blocks the first connector, and/or the control element in the further position does not block the first connector, and/or wherein the decompression portion in the further position of the control element supports the first seal in relation to the housing and/or does not compress the first seal.

15. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the compression portion in at least one second position of the control element compresses a second seal disposed on a second one of the connectors.

16. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control element in the second position of the control element compresses the second seal to a greater extent than in at least the at least one first position of the control element, and/or wherein at least one further connector is disposed between the first and the second connector.

17. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control element in the second position blocks the second connector and/or the control element in an other position does not block the second connector, and/or wherein the decompression portion in the other position of the control element supports the second seal in relation to the housing and/or does not compress the second seal.

18. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control element in at least one third position of the control element in which the control element does not block the first and the second connector, compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the at least one first position, compresses the second seal to a lesser extent than in the second position, and/or supports the first and/or the second seal in relation to the housing.

19. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control element in at least one position, by way of a slotted through passage of the control element, connects at least two of the connectors, and in at least one other position of the control element blocks at least one of the connectors.

20. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 19, wherein the slot of the through passage is at least partially disposed in the decompression portion, and/or the control element in at least one position, by way of the through passage, connects at least three connectors.

21. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the compression portion and the decompression portion gradually transition into one another.

22. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and the second seal is configured to be in multiple parts and/or annular.

23. A motor vehicle comprising: at least one multiport cooling water valve, comprising: a housing having a recess and at least two connectors; a control element configured to block at least one of the connectors, the control element being rotatably disposed in the recess of the housing; an external contour of the control element has a compression portion that in at least one first position of the control element compresses a first seal disposed on a first one of the connectors; and a decompression portion of the external contour of the control element that has a smaller radius than a radius of the compression portion and in at least one further position of the control element lies opposite the first seal such that the control element compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the at least one first position.

24. A method for activating a multiport valve having a housing having a recess and at least two connectors, a control element configured to block at least one of the connectors, the control element being rotatably disposed in the recess of the housing, an external contour of the control element has a compression portion that in a first position of the control element compresses a first seal disposed on a first one of the connectors, a decompression portion of the external contour of the control element that has a smaller radius than a radius of the compression portion and in at least one further position of the control element lies opposite the first seal such that the control element compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the first position, comprising: adjusting the control element to the first position, in which the compression portion compresses the first seal; and adjusting the control element to one further position, in which the decompression portion lies opposite the first seal, such that the control element compresses the first seal to a lesser extent than in the first position.

25. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control element in the second position blocks the second connector and/or the control element in an other position does not block the second connector, and/or wherein the decompression portion in the other position of the control element supports the second seal in relation to the housing and/or does not compress the second seal.

26. The multiport valve as claimed in claim 13, wherein the multiport valve is a cooling water valve for a motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] Aspects of the invention will be described in detail hereunder with reference to figurative illustrations. Further advantageous refinements of the invention are derived from the dependent claims and from the description hereunder of preferred embodiments. In the figures, in part in a schematic manner:

[0052] FIG. 1 is a multiport valve in a longitudinal section;

[0053] FIG. 2 is the multiport valve without a housing cover, in a plan view; and

[0054] FIGS. 3A-3C is a method for activating the multiport valve, or various positions of a control element of the multiport valve, respectively.

[0055] Identical features, or features of equivalent function, are provided with the same reference signs in all figures.

DETAILED OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a multiport valve according to one aspect of the present invention, in a longitudinal section, which includes a rotation axis R.

[0057] The multiport valve has a multiple-part housing having a housing main body 10 and a housing cover 14, which is omitted in the plan view of FIG. 2.

[0058] The housing has a first connector 11, a second connector 12, and a third connector 13.

[0059] A control element 20 for selectively blocking the first or the second connector 11 or 12, respectively, is mounted so as to be rotatable in a recess 15 of the housing about the rotation axis R.

[0060] An external contour, or shell face, respectively, of the control element 20 has a compression portion 21 that, in a first position (cf. FIG. 3(a)) the control element 20 blocks the first connector 11 and compresses a multiple-part annular first seal 1 which is disposed on the first connector 11.

[0061] The external contour of the control element 20 has a decompression portion 22 which, in a second position of the control element 20 (cf. FIG. 3(c)) the control element does not block the first connector 11, lies opposite the first seal 1, and has a smaller radius than the compression portion 21, such that the control element 20 in the second position compresses the first seal 1 to a lesser extent than in the first position, wherein the decompression portion 22 in the second position of the control element furthermore supports the first seal 1 in relation to the housing.

[0062] The compression portion 21, in the second position of the control element (cf. FIG. 3(c)), the control element 20 blocks the second connector 12 and compresses a multiple-part annular second seal 2 disposed on the second connector 12.

[0063] The control element 20 in the second position (cf. FIG. 3(c)), by way of the compression portion 21 thereof, compresses the second seal 2 to a greater extent than by way of the decompression portion 22 thereof in the first position (cf. FIG. 3(a)), but by way of the decompression portion 22 thereof in the first position also supports the second seal 2 in relation to the housing.

[0064] In a third position of the control element 20 (cf. FIG. 3(b)) in which the control element 20 does not block the first and the second connector 11, 12, the control element 20 supports the two seals 1, 2 in relation to the housing.

[0065] The control element 20 in the first position (cf. FIG. 3(a)), by way of a passage opening having a lateral slot 23, connects the connectors 12 and 13, and in the second position of the control element (cf. FIG. 3(c)) blocks the second connector 12.

[0066] The control element 20 in the second position (cf. FIG. 3(c)), by way of the passage opening having the lateral slot 23, connects the connectors 11 and 13, and in the first position of the control element (cf. FIG. 3(a)) blocks the first connector 11.

[0067] The control element 20 in the third position (cf. FIG. 3(b)), by way of the passage opening having the lateral slot 23, connects the connectors 11, 12 and 13.

[0068] While exemplary embodiments have been explained in the preceding description, it is to be pointed out that a multiplicity of modifications are possible. It is moreover to be pointed out that the exemplary embodiments are merely examples which are not intended to limit in any way the scope of protection, the applications, and the construction. Rather, the above description will provide a person skilled in the art with a guideline for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, wherein various modifications, in particular with regard to the function and arrangement of the described constituent parts, may be made without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the claims and by these equivalent combinations of features.

[0069] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.