Patent ID: 8172201

Claim:
An exhaust throttling valve for a vehicle comprising: a body structure having a an unobstructed bore there-through, a shaft supported by the body structure for rotational movement, a valve member associated with the shaft such rotational movement of the shaft rotates the valve member, the valve member being disposed in the bore and being constructed and arranged to rotate between a first position substantially closing the bore and a second position at least partly opening the bore, a programmable, electrically operated actuator, the shaft being associated with the actuator so that the actuator can cause rotation of the shaft, a hard stop associated with the shaft so as to rotate therewith, and first and second adjustment structures constructed and arranged so that upon rotation of the shaft in one direction, the hard stop engages the first adjustment structure and upon rotation of the shaft in a direction opposite the one direction, the hard stop engages the second adjustment structure, thus limiting travel of the valve member, wherein the actuator constructed and arranged to be programmed to a certain degree of travel defined by a position of the first and second adjustment structures, and wherein the actuator is constructed and arranged to be programmed to define a soft stop portion of travel which is a region of travel where the hard stop is approaching one of the adjustment structures, wherein the valve member is a circular plate and a diameter of the plate is greater than the width of the body structure so that when the bore is substantially open, a portion of the circular plate extends beyond bounds of the body structure, and wherein the body structure comprises a body coupled to a separate mounting structure, the body and the mounting structure each having 1) cooperating mounting bores for mounting to an exhaust pipe and 2) a cooperating, unobstructed bore that together define the bore in the body structure, each mounting bore being disposed on an axis that is generally parallel with an axis of the bore of the body structure.