MOTORISED BALL VALVE

Abstract

A motorized valve includes a body with at least one intake duct and one outlet duct, a plugging member movably mounted in the body to plug or release a passage between the intake duct and the outlet duct, and a motorized control system for controlling the movement of the plugging member. The motorized control system also includes a plug valve connecting intake and outlet ducts, a gear motor including an electric motor and a reduction gear train. The gear train includes an exit wheel rotating the plug of the valve so as to allow progressive opening of the valve, and the gear motor is formed by a casing including the electric motor and reduction gear train, the valve body being integrally formed with the casing.

Claims

1. A motorised valve comprising: a body with at least one intake duct and one outlet duct; a plug movably mounted in the body to plug or release a passage between the intake duct and the outlet duct and a motorised control system operably controlling movement of the plug, the motorised control system comprising a gear motor comprising an electric motor and a reduction gear train, the gear train comprising an exit wheel rotating the plug of the valve so as to allow progressive opening of the valve; the gear motor being a casing comprising the electric motor and the reduction gear train, the valve body being integrally formed with the casing.

2. A motorised valve according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor or magnet, the exit wheel being integral with the sensor magnet, and a magneto-sensitive probe being positioned in the vicinity of the sensor magnet.

3. A motorised valve according to claim 1, wherein the exit wheel is integral with the plug.

4. A motorised valve according to claim 1, characteriscd wherein the casing is formed by injection of a plastic material and in that the electric motor comprises a stator overmoulded by the plastic material.

5. A motorised valve according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes a first housing for positioning a printed circuit receiving electronics which are adapted to control the motor and a second housing for positioning the gears of the reduction train, and in that the rotor of the electric motor is housed in the second housing and separated from the stator by an overmolding skin or a wall.

6. A motorised valve according to claim 1, wherein the casing is extended by an electrical connector.

7. A motorised valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the intake or outlet ducts is integrally formed with the casing.

8. A motorised valve according to claim 1 wherein the valve is integrated, as a valve, into a purging circuit of a fuel vapour absorber.

9. A motorised valve comprising: a body with at least one intake duct and an outlet duct, a plugging; a plug mounted movably in the body to plug or release a passage between the intake duct and the outlet duct; a motorised control system adapted to control movement of the plug; the motorised control system comprising a gear motor comprising an electric motor and a reduction gear train; the gear train comprising an exit wheel rotating the plug of the valve so as to allow progressive opening of the valve, the valve being integrated, as a valve, into a purging circuit of a fuel vapour absorber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the description that follows relative to detailed embodiments, and referring to the attached figures that represent respectively:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of a valve according to the invention;

[0036] FIG. 2, a longitudinally cut perspective view of the first exemplary embodiment of a valve according to the invention;

[0037] FIG. 3, a top view of the first exemplary embodiment of a valve according to the invention, with the cover being removed;

[0038] FIG. 4, an isolated perspective view of the casing of the first exemplary embodiment of a valve according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 5, a longitudinally cut perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the valve according to the invention where one of the intake or outlet ducts is formed by the gear motor casing;

[0040] FIG. 6, a longitudinally cut perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the valve according to the invention where both intake and outlet ducts are formed by the gear motor casing;

[0041] FIG. 7a, a longitudinally cut perspective view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the valve according to the invention where the two intake and outlet ducts are formed by the gear motor casing; and

[0042] FIG. 7b, an exploded view of the valve shown in FIG. 7a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In FIG. 1, the motorised fuel vapor absorber purge valve is formed by a casing 1, forming in one piece, the valve body 10 on which two intake 8a and outlet 8b ducts are attached. The casing 1 is also extended by a connector 7 for the power supply of the motorised valve. In this example, the intake 8a and outlet 8b ducts are attached to the valve body 10 using screws 11a to 11d. The casing 1 is closed by a glued or welded cover 14 and has means for attaching to an external reception structure (not shown) in the form of holes 9a, 9b visible in FIG. 3.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the casing 1 are the reduction gear train 2, the electric motor 3, a printed circuit board 4 for receiving control electronics and a plug valve 5. The casing 1 overmoulds the electrical connection tracks 6 of the motorised valve to form the connector 7. The casing 1 also forms in one piece the valve body 10 of the intake 8a and outlet 8b ducts, as well as the lugs 9a, 9b for fastening the motorised valve to its support.

[0045] The casing 1 forms a first through bearing 12a, allowing the exit wheel 13 of the gear train 2 to mechanically drive the plug (5). This first bearing 12a is also extended by a lip seal 19 making it possible to isolate the electric motor 3 and the printed circuit board 4 from petrol vapours. A second bearing 12b of the exit wheel 13 is formed by a cover 14 which is rigidly connected to the casing 1 in order to seal it.

[0046] The plug valve formed by the upper part of the casing 1 contains in its center the spherical plug 5 held on either side by the plug seats 15a, 15b, the preload and sealing of which are ensured by two O-rings 16a, 16b in contact with the intake duct 8a on one side and the outlet duct 8b on the other side. Said ducts are rigidly connected to the casing 1 using self-tapping screws 11a to 11d. This first embodiment therefore includes three joints 19, 16a and 16b but it is possible, still within the scope of the invention, to propose embodiments that have two joints, or even only one joint as described below.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a top view without cover of the motorised valve that allows a better appreciation of the presence of the electric motor 3, formed by a stator 20 and a rotor 21 associated with a reduction gear train 2, here formed by three spur gear stages, although this choice is not restrictive for this invention. The last wheel is the exit wheel 13 which drives the plug 5 not visible in this figure.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows the insulated box 1. The valve body 10 is an integral part of the casing 1, i.e. it forms a single part, and the assembly can, for example, be made by injection of a plastic material. In this version, which is the one used in the first embodiment, the intake 8a and outlet 8b ducts are attached on the valve body 10, but it can be considered to form, with the casing 1 and the valve body 10, one of said ducts 8a, 8b or even both ducts 8a, 8b, as shown below.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a second exemplary embodiment, where one of the ducts, here the intake duct 8a, is an integral part of the casing 1, i.e. it is formed with the casing 1, for example by injection of a plastic material. This advantageous embodiment reduces the number of parts, eliminates a sealing gasket and a step of fixing the duct 8a to the casing 1 and eliminates attaching elements. Thus, there are only two seals used 19, 16b. In this example, the exit wheel 13 is fixed to a through sensor magnet 17, allowing a magneto-sensitive probe 18 placed on the printed circuit 4 to know its precise position and to avoid positioning errors of the gear train 2 and the electric motor 3.

[0050] FIG. 6 shows an alternative solution that eliminates the sealing gasket 19 of the exit wheel 13 and other static seals. Indeed, in this embodiment, elements sensitive to petrol vapours, such as the stator 20 of the electric motor and the printed circuit board 4 which carries the control electronics, are not in contact with the petrol vapours. This is possible by insulating the stator 20 from the rotor 21, either by overmoulding the stator 20, which is separated from the rotor 21 by an overmoulding skin 22aas shown in FIG. 6or by positioning the stator 20 in a cavity 23, whereby the stator 20 is separated from the rotor 21 by a thin wall 22bas shown in FIG. 7a.

[0051] In this example, the plug 5b is cylindrical and the intake 8a and outlet 8b ducts are formed with the casing 1. Advantageously, the plug 5b is an integral part of the exit wheel 13, the plug 5b and the exit wheel 13 forming a single piece. Eliminating the seal on the exit wheel 13 advantageously limits the friction torques to be overcome by the motor and thus minimizes power consumption, or even sizing a motor with a smaller footprint.

[0052] The embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7a show, on either side of the casing (1), housings 24, 25. The first housing 24 is used to install the printed circuit board 4 above the stator 20, whether it is overmoulded with the casing 1 as shown in FIG. 6 or placed in the casing 1 as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. The second housing 25 is used to install the reduction gear train 2. The housings 24, 25 are closed by covers, respectively 14b, 14a, which are glued or welded to the casing 1.