Thermostatic control valve

Claim 1

A thermostatic control valve for maintaining an essentially constant set value of an operating temperature of a liquid coolant conductible through a cooling jacket of an internal combustion engine, the thermostatic control valve including a first, second, and third valve connection, two of the valve connections being adapted to be connected to the cooling jacket with the remaining valve connection being adapted to be connected to a radiator means for dissipating heat of the liquid coolant, a valve chamber means open to the first valve connection, a first valve means for controlling a flow of liquid coolant between the second valve connection and the valve chamber means, and a second valve means for controlling a flow of liquid coolant between the third valve connection and the valve chamber means, a thermostatic adjusting means operatively connected with said first and second valve means, said adjusting means being movable in response to predetermined temperature changes, said first and second valve means being actuatable such that, in a lower temperature phase which extends up to a lower reference value of an operating temperature which is below a predetermined operating temperature value, one of said valve means is brought into a closed position blocking the valve chamber means from one of the valve connections so as to suppress the flow of liquid coolant to at least a partial area of the cooling jacket, and, in an upper temperature phase adjacent the lower reference value containing the predetermined operating temperature value, the other of said valve means permits at least a partial volume of liquid coolant from the cooling jacket to be conducted through the radiator means, the other valve means being adapted to be brought into a closed position at an upper reference value of the operating temperature which is above the predetermined operating temperature value so as to block off the valve chamber means from one of the valve connections thereby causing a total volume of liquid coolant from the cooling jacket to flow through the radiator means, characterized in that a spring means is provided for displacing said one of said valve means to the closed position so as to block the valve chamber means and suppress a flow of liquid coolant, means are provided for mounting the spring means at the valve chamber means, the other valve means is actuatable by said adjusting means, and in that one of the two valve connectons is adapted to be connected to a suction side of a coolant pump having a pressure side connected to the cooling jacket.