SEAL AND FLUID VALVE HAVING SUCH A SEAL

Abstract

A seal for use in a fluid valve, or multi-path fluid valve, has a cylindrical, resilient base member, a plurality of first sealing portions arranged at an outer side of the base member for sealing abutment against a valve housing of the fluid valve, and a plurality of second sealing portions, arranged at an inner side of the base member, for sealing abutment against an adjustable valve body of the fluid valve. A respective first sealing portion and respective second sealing portion are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening of the base member. There is arranged at the inner side of the base member a first layer having a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member, and which is at least partially in contact with the valve body during use of the seal.

Claims

1. A seal for use in a fluid valve, or multi-path fluid valve, having: a cylindrical, resilient base member; a plurality of sealing openings being part of the base member; a plurality of first sealing portions which are arranged at an outer side of the base member for sealing abutment against a valve housing of the fluid valve, each of the plurality of first sealing portions are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening of the base member; a plurality of second sealing portions, which are arranged at an inner side of the base member, for sealing abutment against an adjustable valve body of the fluid valve, each of the plurality of second sealing portion are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening of the base member; and a first layer arranged at the inner side of the base member, the first layer at least partially in contact with the valve body during use of the seal; wherein the first layer has a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member.

2. The seal of claim 1, each of the plurality of second sealing portions further comprising: a respective second layer at least partially in contact with the valve body during use of the seal, depending on a position of the valve body; wherein the second layer has a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member.

3. The seal of claim 2, each of the plurality of second sealing portions further comprising: a plurality of sealing lips which extend radially inwardly from the base member, the respective second layer arranged on the plurality of sealing lips; wherein the second layer is at least partially in contact with a surrounding region of a valve body opening of an internal fluid channel of the valve body during use of the seal depending on the position of the valve body.

4. The seal of claim 3, further comprising: at least one pair of sealing portions further comprising one of the plurality of first sealing portions and one of the plurality of second sealing portions; wherein the at least one pair of sealing portions are provided to seal, during use of the seal, a respective fluid path between a respective valve housing opening of the valve housing and the valve body opening of the internal fluid channel of the valve body.

5. The seal of claim 4, wherein at least two pairs of sealing portions are arranged with spacing from each other in an axial direction of the base member.

6. The seal of claim 5, the inner side of the base member further comprising at least one bellows-like portion, or bellows portion, which extends in the axial direction of the base member and which bears against the base member, depending on the position of the valve body.

7. The seal of claim 1, the first sealing portions further comprising: a plurality of sealing lips which extend radially outwardly away from the base member and which are in contact with the valve housing during use of the seal.

8. The seal of claim 1, further comprising: a circumferential sealing ring arranged on a front side of the base member; wherein the circumferential sealing ring extends radially outwardly from the outer side of the base member and which, during use of the seal, is arranged between the valve housing and a cover of the fluid valve.

9. A method for mounting a fluid valve, or multi-path fluid valve, having the steps of: a) providing a valve housing having a plurality of valve housing openings; b) providing a seal with a cylindrical, resilient base member having a plurality of sealing openings; c) providing an adjustable valve body; d) inserting the seal into the valve housing in such a manner that a respective one of the plurality of valve housing openings overlaps with a respective one of the plurality of sealing openings; and e) inserting the adjustable valve body into the base member.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: in step a) a cylindrical valve housing is provided; in step b) a seal having the base member is provided, on the front side of which a circumferential sealing ring is arranged; in step d) the seal is inserted into the valve housing in such a manner that the circumferential sealing ring is positioned on a front side of the valve housing, wherein the method further has the steps of:

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: f) providing a cover of the fluid valve; g) arranging the cover in such a manner on the front side of the valve housing that the circumferential sealing ring is arranged between the cover and the front side of the valve housing; and h) securing the cover to the valve housing.

12. A fluid valve comprising: at least one seal further comprising: a cylindrical, resilient base member; a plurality of sealing openings being part of the base member; a plurality of first sealing portions which are arranged at an outer side of the base member for sealing abutment against a valve housing of the fluid valve, each of the plurality of first sealing portions are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening of the base member; a plurality of second sealing portions, which are arranged at an inner side of the base member, for sealing abutment against an adjustable valve body of the fluid valve, each of the plurality of second sealing portion are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening of the base member; a first layer arranged at the inner side of the base member, the first layer at least partially in contact with the valve body during use of the seal; wherein the first layer has a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member; a valve housing with a plurality of valve housing openings; and an adjustable valve body for sealing a respective fluid path between a respective valve housing opening and a respective valve body opening of an internal fluid channel of the valve body.

13. The fluid valve of claim 12, the fluid valve further comprising a multi-path fluid valve.

14. The fluid valve of claim 12, wherein the fluid valve is a cooling water control valve.

15. The fluid valve of claim 12, wherein the fluid valve is a cooling water control valve of a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Further advantages and features can be found in the exemplary embodiments. In this respect, shown in part schematically:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a fluid valve having a seal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a seal according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a valve body of the fluid valve;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of a valve housing of a fluid valve with a seal arranged therein; and

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart for depicting a method for mounting a fluid valve, such as a multi-path fluid valve according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a fluid valve 100 having a seal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The fluid valve 100, such as a multi-path fluid valve, has a valve housing 110, which in an embodiment is a cylindrical valve housing, in which a seal 10 which is shown as a perspective view in FIG. 2 is arranged. The seal 10 has a cylindrical base member 11 which is formed from a resilient material, such as an elastomer material, for example, an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) or has it, and in which an adjustable valve body 120 of the fluid valve 100 which is shown as a perspective view in FIG. 3 is arranged.

[0048] The seal 10 has a plurality of first sealing portions 12, which are arranged at an outer side of the base member 11, for sealing abutment, such as statically sealing abutment, against the valve housing 110 of the fluid valve 100, and a plurality of second sealing portions 13, which are arranged at an inner side of the base member 11, for sealing abutment, such as dynamically sealing abutment, against the adjustable valve body 120 of the fluid valve 100.

[0049] In this instance, a respective first sealing portion 12 and a respective second sealing portion 13 are arranged circumferentially around a respective sealing opening 14 of the base member 11. At the inner side of the base member 11, there is arranged a first layer which is not shown and which has a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body 120 and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member 11, and which is at least partially in contact with the valve body 120. The first layer is, for example, in the form of a film or is applied by a coating method to a corresponding portion of the inner side of the base member 11. Furthermore, an axial orientation of the cylindrical base member 11 is parallel with a rotation axis of the adjustable valve body 120.

[0050] The second sealing portions 13 have a respective second layer which is not shown and which has a sliding friction coefficient which is less with respect to the valve body 120 and/or static friction coefficient which is less than the base member 11, and which is at least partially in contact with the valve body 120 depending on a position of the valve body 120. The second layer may, for example, be in the form of a film or be applied by a coating method to a corresponding portion of the inner side of the base member 11. In this instance, the first layer and the second layer may be formed from the same material.

[0051] The second sealing portions 13 have second sealing lips, such as flexible second sealing lips, which extend radially inwardly from the base member 11 and on which there is arranged the second layer which is at least partially in contact with a surrounding region of a valve body opening 121 of an internal fluid channel of the valve body 120 depending on the position of the valve body 120.

[0052] In this instance, a respective first sealing portion 12 and a respective second sealing portion 13 form a respective pair of sealing portions, wherein the first sealing portion 12 and the second sealing portion 13 of a respective pair of sealing portions are provided to seal a respective fluid path between a respective valve housing opening 111 of the valve housing 110 and the valve body opening 121 of the internal fluid channel of the valve body 120.

[0053] In an embodiment which is not shown, at least two pairs of sealing portions are arranged with spacing from each other in the axial direction of the base member 11, which in an embodiment may be a cylindrical base member.

[0054] The inner side of the base member 11 has, as depicted in FIG. 2, at least one bellows-like portion 16, such as a bellows portion, which extends in the axial direction of the base member 11 and which bears against it depending on a position of the valve body 120.

[0055] The first sealing portions 12 are in the form of first sealing lips which extend radially outwardly away from the base member 11 and which are in contact with the valve housing 110.

[0056] There is arranged at a front side of the base member 11 a circumferential sealing ring 15 which extends radially outwardly from the outer side of the base member 11 and which is arranged between the valve housing 110 and a cover (not shown) of the fluid valve 100.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart for depicting a method for mounting a fluid valve, such as a multi-path fluid valve, according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0058] Initially, in step S1, a valve housing 110, such as the cylindrical valve housing 110 of a fluid valve 100 with a plurality of valve housing openings 11 is provided.

[0059] In step S2, a seal 10 having a cylindrical resilient base member 11 with a plurality of sealing openings 14 is provided, on the front side of which a circumferential sealing ring 15 is arranged.

[0060] In step S3, an adjustable valve body 120 is provided.

[0061] In step S4, the seal 10 is inserted into the valve housing 110 in such a manner that a respective one of the plurality of valve housing openings 111 overlaps with a respective one of the plurality of sealing openings 14 and the circumferential sealing ring 15 is positioned on a front side of the valve housing 110.

[0062] In step S5, the adjustable valve body 120 is inserted into the base member 11.

[0063] In step S6, a cover of the fluid valve 100 is provided, the cover is arranged on the front side of the valve housing 110 in such a manner that the circumferential sealing ring 15 is arranged between the cover and the front side of the valve housing, and the cover is secured to the valve housing 110.

[0064] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0065] 10 Seal [0066] 11 Main body [0067] 12 First sealing portions [0068] 13 Second sealing portions [0069] 14 Sealing opening of the base member [0070] 15 Circumferential sealing ring [0071] 16 Bellows-like portion [0072] 100 Fluid valve [0073] 110 Valve housing [0074] 111 Valve housing opening [0075] 120 Valve body [0076] 121 Valve body opening