Flow amplifier valve assembly

Claim 1

In a vehicle road speed control system having a source of vacuum, a vacuum operated power unit acting when energized to control engine speed and power to maintain a desired vehicle road speed, means sensing actual vehicle road speed and desired vehicle road speed and generating a duty cycle signal therefrom, and a duty cycle control valve operated in accordance with said signal to be open to admit atmospheric air therethrough at 0% duty cycle and to be fully closed at 100% duty cycle, the improvement comprising: an amplifier valve assembly comprising: an axially extending housing having an opening to atmospheric air at one end, a diaphragm forming a movable wall closing the other housing end, and a divider wall in said housing intermediate said housing ends to divide the housing interior into a diaphragm chamber and a valve chamber; said divider wall having a first passage therein extending axially of said housing and opening into said chambers at its opposite ends, and a second passage extending transversely of said divider wall and intersecting said first passage; said housing having a first port connecting said diaphragm chamber and the output side of said duty cycle control valve, a second port connecting said divider wall second passage to said source of vacuum, and a third port connecting said valve chamber to said power unit to selectively provide variable subatmospheric pressure to one side of said power unit; an amplifier valve in said valve chamber having spring means urging the amplifier valve to close the end of said first passage opening into said valve chamber, said amplifier valve being movable axially of said housing against the force of said spring means to open said first passage end and close said housing atmospheric air opening; and a drive pin extending through said divider wall first passage with circumferential clearance relative thereto to provide restrictive flow areas between said chambers and said second passage, said drive pin having one end engaging said movable wall and the other end engaging said amplifier valve, said drive pin being movable by said wall against the force of said amplifier valve spring means to force said amplifier valve to open said first passage end opening into said valve chamber; the initiation of duty cycle operation of said duty cycle control valve in accordance with said signal causing a decrease in absolute pressure in said diaphragm chamber and a pressure differential across said movable wall to move said movable wall and said drive pin to move said amplifier valve to open said first passage one end to said valve chamber and close said housing atmospheric air opening, admitting a decreased absolute pressure from said vacuum source through said second and first passages to said valve chamber and then to said power unit through said third port, actuating said system, said duty cycle control valve controlling the amplifier valve assembly to provide an output to said power unit which is proportional to the output from said duty cycle control valve but at an amplified flow level.