Patent ID: 9546606
Date: 2017-01-17
CPC Classifications: B01F,F02D

Claim:
1. A valve assembly comprising: a housing defining a throttle bore, a throttle plate disposed in the bore and mounted on a shaft, an electric motor having a pinion gear, a gear assembly comprising an intermediate gear and a sector gear, the gear assembly being constructed and arranged to transfer rotational drive from the electric motor to the throttle plate, the intermediate gear being mounted for rotation and having a first gear engaging the pinion gear so that rotation of the pinion gear rotates the intermediate gear, the intermediate having a second gear, the sector gear being coupled to the shaft and having a sector of teeth, the second gear engaging teeth of the sector gear, biasing structure constructed and arranged to bias the sector gear and thus the shaft to cause the throttle plate to close the throttle bore defining a closed position thereof, and a throttle position sensor assembly comprising a sensor element associated with the shaft and an inductive rotary position sensor placed in inductive relationship with the sensor element, the throttle position sensor assembly being constructed and arranged to monitor a position of the sensor element and thus the throttle plate, wherein, when the motor is energized, rotation of the pinion gear causes rotation of the first gear, with the second gear causing rotation of the sector gear, against the bias thereon, thereby causing rotation of the shaft to move the throttle plate from the closed position to an open position, wherein the biasing structure comprises at least one coil spring having first and second ends, each of the first and second ends engaging a fixed stop associated with the housing to define the closed positon of the throttle plate.