Patent ID: 7726584

Claim:
A thermal valve assembly for a transmission, the thermal valve assembly comprising: a body having a base portion with a plurality of opposing sidewalls extending therefrom; a cover mounted with respect to said body and operable to at least partially close said body to form a volume; an inlet orifice defined by said base portion; an outlet orifice defined at least partially by at least one of said plurality of opposing sidewalls; a plate operable to selectively close said inlet orifice; a first post member fixed to and extending from said base portion and at least partially within said volume; a second post member fixed to and extending from said base portion and at least partially within said volume, the second post member being spaced from the first post member; wherein the plate is configured to slide along the first post member while the plate is pivoted about the second post member; wherein the first post member and the second post member remain fixed to said base portion without movement relative to said base portion as the plate slides along the first post member and pivots about the second post member; a first spring member disposed at least partially within said volume, said first spring member being operable to bias said plate against said base portion; and wherein said first spring member has a variable stiffness characteristic responsive to temperature.