IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0692964
(2007-03-29)
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등록번호 |
US-7748404
(2010-07-26)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Abram, Kwin
- Kalyanasamy, Govindaraj
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출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
2 |
초록
▼
An exhaust valve includes a valve body that is fixed for rotation with a shaft supported by at least one bushing. A single spring is used to bias the shaft to hold the valve body in a valve closed position, and to exert an axial load on the shaft to seal the shaft against the bushing to prevent exha
An exhaust valve includes a valve body that is fixed for rotation with a shaft supported by at least one bushing. A single spring is used to bias the shaft to hold the valve body in a valve closed position, and to exert an axial load on the shaft to seal the shaft against the bushing to prevent exhaust gas leakage.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: an exhaust tube defining an exhaust flow path, said exhaust tube including a slot that receives a housing; a valve body positioned within said exhaust flow path; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said valve body being pivotable by said sh
What is claimed is: 1. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: an exhaust tube defining an exhaust flow path, said exhaust tube including a slot that receives a housing; a valve body positioned within said exhaust flow path; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said valve body being pivotable by said shaft between a valve open position and a valve closed position, and said shaft having a shaft body extending between first and second collars, said shaft body being defined by a first diameter and said first and said second collars being defined by respective second and third diameters, and wherein said second and said third diameters are greater than said first diameter, and wherein said housing encloses said shaft body and said first and said second collars; at least one bushing that rotatably supports said shaft, and wherein said shaft and said at least one bushing are mounted within said housing such that an outer edge portion of said valve body is fixed to said shaft; and a spring coupled to said shaft wherein said spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward a valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said shaft against said at least one bushing. 2. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said at least one bushing includes a bore that receives said shaft, and wherein said shaft extends through said bore and beyond said at least one bushing to a shaft end that is coupled to said spring. 3. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 2 including a spring retainer with a first portion fixed to a non-rotating structure at a first position around said shaft and a second portion fixed to said shaft at a second position that is axially spaced along said shaft from said first position, and wherein said torsion spring includes a first spring end that is fixed to said first portion of said spring retainer and a second spring end that is fixed to said shaft. 4. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a coil spring having a wire diameter, and wherein said coil spring defines a free condition prior to installation having a first pitch dimension that is greater than said wire diameter and defines an installed condition with a second pitch dimension that is less than said first pitch dimension. 5. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 1 including a spring retainer extending outwardly of said exhaust tube and including a first portion fixed to said housing and a second portion fixed to said shaft, and wherein said spring has one spring end fixed to said first portion of said spring retainer and another spring end fixed to said shaft. 6. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a single coil spring positioned at only one end of said shaft. 7. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body movable within an exhaust tube between a valve open position and a valve closed position; a shaft having first and second ends and a body portion defined by a first diameter extending between said first and second ends, wherein said valve body is fixed for rotation with said shaft at a position along said body portion; a collar formed adjacent one of said first and second ends of said shaft, said collar being defined by a second diameter that is greater than said first diameter, and wherein said collar comprises a first collar formed adjacent said first end of said shaft and wherein said shaft includes a second collar formed adjacent said second end of said shaft such that said body portion extends between said first and said second collars, said first collar being defined by said second diameter and said second collar being defined by a third diameter with said second and third diameters being greater than said first diameter; at least first and second bushings that rotatably support said shaft; and a single spring coupled to said shaft wherein said single spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward the valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said collar against said at least one bushing, and wherein said first bushing supports said first end of said shaft at a position axially outboard of said first collar such that said first shaft end does not extend axially outboard of said first bushing, and said second bushing supports said shaft at a position axially outboard of said second collar such that said second end of said shaft extends axially outboard of said second bushing to support said single spring. 8. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 7 wherein said spring is defined by a wire diameter and is movable from a free length condition to a compressed condition when installed, and wherein said spring has a first pitch dimension when in said free length condition that is greater than said wire diameter and has a second pitch dimension that is less than said first pitch dimension when in said compressed condition. 9. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body movable within an exhaust tube between a valve open position and a valve closed position; a shaft having first and second ends and a body portion defined by a first diameter extending between said first and second ends, wherein said valve body is fixed for rotation with said shaft at a position along said body portion; a housing installed within a slot formed across an outer surface of said exhaust tube, said shaft being mounted within said housing such that said housing substantially encloses said shaft, and including a tang that secures said valve body to said shaft; a collar formed adjacent one of said first and second ends of said shaft, said collar being defined by a second diameter that is greater than said first diameter; at least one bushing that rotatably supports said shaft; and a single spring coupled to said shaft wherein said single spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward the valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said collar against said at least one bushing. 10. The exhaust valve assembly according to claim 9 including a spring retainer having a first retainer piece fixed to said housing at a first position along said shaft and a second retainer piece axially spaced apart from said first retainer piece along said shaft and fixed to said shaft at a second position such that said first an said second retainer pieces are concentric with said shaft, and wherein said spring includes a first spring end fixed to said first retainer piece and a second spring end fixed to said shaft. 11. A method of controlling movement of a valve body within an exhaust tube comprising the steps: providing a valve body fixed for rotation with a shaft that is rotatably supported by at least first and second bushings; supporting the shaft on the first and second bushings within a housing that substantially encloses the shaft and the first and second bushings; forming a slot across an outer surface of an exhaust tube; inserting the housing within the slot; attaching the valve body to the shaft with an attachment member such that the valve body is pivotable within the exhaust tube; and using a single spring to exert a torsional load on the shaft to bias the valve body toward a valve closed position and to exert an axial load on the shaft to seal the shaft against the at least one bushing. 12. The method according to claim 11 including forming the shaft to have shaft body that extends between a first collar portion near a first shaft end and a second collar portion near a second shaft end with each of the first and second collar portions having a larger diameter than a diameter of the shaft body, and including positioning the second collar portion inboard of the at least one bushing such that the axial load exerted by the single spring causes the second collar portion of the shaft to sealingly engage against an end face of the at least one bushing. 13. The method according to claim 11 including securing a first spring retainer to the housing at first position along the shaft, securing a second spring retainer to the shaft at a second position along the shaft that is axially spaced from the first position, fixing a first spring end of the single spring to the first spring retainer and securing a second spring end of the single spring to the shaft at the second spring retainer. 14. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said shaft having a shaft body extending between first and second collars, said shaft body being defined by a first diameter and said first and said second collars being defined by respective second and third diameters, and wherein said second and said third diameters are greater than said first diameters, and wherein said shaft has a first shaft end near said first collar and a second shaft end near said second collar; at least first and second bushings that rotatably support said shaft; and a spring coupled to said shaft wherein said spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward said valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said shaft against said at least one bushing, and wherein said first bushing supports said first shaft end at a position axially outboard of said first collar such that said first shaft end does not extend axially outboard of said first bushing, and said second bushing supports said shaft at a position axially outboard of said second collar such that said second shaft end extends axially outboard of said second bushing to support said spring. 15. A method of controlling movement of a valve body within an exhaust tube comprising the steps: providing a valve body fixed for rotation with a shaft that is rotatably supported by at least first and second bushings; forming the shaft to have shaft body that extends between a first collar portion near a first shaft end and a second collar portion near a second shaft end with each of the first and second collar portions having a larger diameter than a diameter of the shaft body; using a single spring to exert a torsional load on the shaft to bias the valve body toward a valve closed position and to exert an axial load on the shaft to seal the shaft against the at least one bushing; positioning the second collar portion inboard of the second bushing such that the axial load exerted by the single spring causes the second collar portion of the shaft to sealingly engage against an end face of the second bushing; and supporting the first shaft end with the first bushing at a position axially outboard of the first collar such that the first shaft end does not extend axially outboard of the first bushing, and supporting the shaft with the second bushing at a position axially outboard of the second collar such that the second shaft end extends axially outboard of the second bushing to support the single spring. 16. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said shaft having a first shaft end and a second shaft end; a first collar formed near said first shaft end and a second collar formed near said second shaft end; at least first and second bushings that rotatably support said shaft, said first bushing being positioned outboard of said first collar such that said first shaft end does not extend axially outboard beyond said first bushing, and said second collar being positioned inboard of said second bushing such that said second shaft end extends axially outboard of said second bushing; a housing that substantially encloses said shaft and said first and said second bushings, said housing being mounted within a slot formed within an exhaust tube such that said valve body is pivotabie within said exhaust tube; and a single spring coupled to said second shaft end wherein said single spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward a valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said shaft against said at least one bushing. 17. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said shaft having a first shaft end and a second shaft end; a first collar formed near said first shaft end and a second collar formed near said second shaft end, wherein said first and second collars are formed as part of said shaft with said valve body being fixed for rotation with said shaft at a position axially between said first and said second collars; at least first and second bushings that rotatably support said shaft, said first bushing being positioned outboard of said first collar such that said first shaft end does not extend axially outboard beyond said first bushing, and said second collar being positioned inboard of said second bushing such that said second shaft end extends axially outboard of said second bushing; and a single spring coupled to said second shaft end wherein said single spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward a valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said shaft against at least one of said first and second bushings, and with said single spring exerting said axial load on said shaft to seal at least one of said first and said second bushings against one of said first and said second collars. 18. An exhaust valve assembly comprising: a valve body; a shaft fixed to said valve body, said shaft having a shaft body extending between first and second collars, said shaft body being defined by a first diameter and said first and said second collars being defined by respective second and third diameters, and wherein said second and said third diameters are greater than said first diameter, and wherein said first and second collars are formed as part of said shaft body with said valve body being fixed for rotation with said shaft at a position axially between said first and said second collars; at least one bushing that rotatably supports said shaft; and a spring coupled to said shaft wherein said spring exerts a torsional load on said shaft to bias said shaft toward a valve closed position and exerts an axial load on said shaft to seal said shaft against said at least one bushing, and with said spring exerting said axial load on said shaft to seal said at least one bushing against one of said first and said second collars.
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