Patent ID: 9127694
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: F15B,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A valve assembly comprising: a housing including at least one port; and a rotary valve disposed within the housing, the rotary valve comprising: an outer sleeve with at least one port aligned with the at least one port of the housing; a spool rotationally disposed within the sleeve, the spool including a shaft and at least one valve element disposed along the shaft, the at least one valve element including at least one port formed thereon; a first and a second anti-friction element supporting opposing ends of the shaft of the spool; a rotary electric actuating device coupled to an end of the shaft, the rotary electric actuating device operable to rotate the spool to selectively align the at least one port of the spool with the at least one port of the sleeve; and wherein the at least one port of the spool includes a bottom edge and a pair of opposed side edges depending away from the bottom edge such that the at least one port has a generally U-shaped opening with an open end, with one of the pair of opposed side edges forming a control edge having a first wall thickness, and wherein the other one of the pair of side edges has a second wall thickness, the first wall thickness less than the second wall thickness.