Patent US4669988A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4669988A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Marine engine cooling system valve assembly
Assignee: Outboard Marine Corp
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Filing: 1984-08-09
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Granted: 1987-06-02
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Expires: 2004-08-09
Abstract
Abstract A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combustion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between the upstream portion and the downstream portion. The engine also includes a mechanism for controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant conduit, the controlling mechanism including a valve assembly located in the passage portion and including therein an opening, a temperature responsive mechanism located in the valve assembly and movable relative to the opening for opening and closing the opening in response to temperature variations, a first housing including a passageway communicable between the downstream conduit portion and the opening, a second housing including a passageway communicable between the upstream conduit portion and the opening, and threaded portions on the first housing and the second housing for releasably connecting the first housing and the second housing to form an enclosure containing the temperature responsive mechanism.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul W. Breckenfeld
- 👤 George L. Broughton
- 👤 Ronald E. Gibbs
- 👤 James E. Macier
- 👤 H. Norman Petersen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 19:17
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01P; F01P3/00; F01P3/20; F01P3/202; F01P7/00; F01P7/14; F01P7/16; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/01; G05D23/13; G05D23/1306; G05D23/132; G05D23/1333; F01P2050/00; F01P2050/02; F02; F02B; F02B61/00; F02B61/04; F02B61/045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combusion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and connecting said upstream conduit portion and said downstream conduit portion, and means for controlling the flow of coolant through said coolant conduit, said controlling means including a valve assembly located interiorly of said passage portion and including a first housing including a passageway communicating with said downstream conduit portion, a second housing including a passageway communicating with said upstream conduit portion, and means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly located in the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located within said housing assembly and including a valve surface selectively engagable with said valve seat surface to control coolant flow through said combined passageway.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combusion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and connecting said upstream conduit portion and said downstream conduit portion, and means for controlling the flow of coolant through said coolant conduit, said controlling means including a valve assembly located interiorly of said passage portion and including a first housing including a passageway communicating with said downstream conduit portion, a second housing including a passageway communicating with said upstream conduit portion, and means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly located in the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located within said housing assembly and including a valve surface selectively engagable with said valve seat surface to control coolant flow through said combined passageway.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first housing is fabricated from plastic and wherin said second housing is fabricated from plastic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
166 words
An internal combustion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and connecting said upstream conduit portion and said downstream conduit portion, and means for controllling the flow of coolant through said coolant conduit, said controlling means including a valve assembly comprising a first plastic housing including therein a passageway communicating with said downstream conduit portion, a second plastic housing located in said passage portion and including a passageway communicating with said upstream conduit portion, means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly located interiorly of the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located in said housing assembly and movable relative to said valve seat surface for opening and closing said combined passage in response to temperature variations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
166 words
An internal combustion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and connecting said upstream conduit portion and said downstream conduit portion, and means for controllling the flow of coolant through said coolant conduit, said controlling means including a valve assembly comprising a first plastic housing including therein a passageway communicating with said downstream conduit portion, a second plastic housing located in said passage portion and including a passageway communicating with said upstream conduit portion, means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly located interiorly of the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located in said housing assembly and movable relative to said valve seat surface for opening and closing said combined passage in response to temperature variations.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
106 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said temperature responsive means comprises a valve unit including a valve surface movable relative to said valve seat surface, a container portion having therein a temperature responsive material, and a piston movable relative to said valve surface in response to expansion and contraction of said temperature responsive material and engageable with said first housing to displace the valve surface away from said valve seat surface in response to expansion of said temperature responsive material, and biasing means operable between said valve unit and said second housing for biasing said valve surface towards said valve seat surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said passage portion includes a valve seat, and wherein said second housing includes a portion which is engageable with said valve seat, and wherein said means for controlling the flow of coolant through said coolant conduit further includes means for locating said valve assembly in said passage portion for movement between a first position wherein said valve assembly portion engages said valve seat, and a second position wherein said valve assembly portion is spaced from said valve seat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
64 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means for locating said valve assembly in said passage portion includes a housing having a first chamber and a second chamber, a diaphragm separating said chambers, and means connecting said valve assembly to said diaphragm to effect movement of said valve assembly by diaphragm movement in response to pressure changes in said chambers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first housing has a hollow interior including an upper portion having therein a rim partially defining said valve seat surface, and a lower portion larger than said rim.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first housing passageway comprises a pair of opposite apertures communicable with said upper portion of said hollow interior.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said second housing is hollow, and wherein said second housing passageway comprises three voids defined by three spaced ribs extending from said second housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said means releasably connecting said first housing to said second housing comprises one of said second housing and said first housing including a threaded male portion, and the other of said second housing and said first housing including a mating female portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
163 words
A valve assembly for an internal combustion engine which internal combustion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and, connecting the upstream conduit portion and the downstream conduit portion, said valve assembly being adapted to be located interiorly of the passage portion and including, a first housing including a passageway communicable with the downstream conduit portion, a second housing including a passageway communicable with the upstream conduit portion, means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly adapted to be located interiorly of the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located within said housing assembly and including a valve surface selectively engagable with said valve seat surface to control coolant flow through said combined passageway.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
163 words
A valve assembly for an internal combustion engine which internal combustion engine including a coolant conduit having an upstream conduit portion, a downstream conduit portion, and a passage portion extending between and, connecting the upstream conduit portion and the downstream conduit portion, said valve assembly being adapted to be located interiorly of the passage portion and including, a first housing including a passageway communicable with the downstream conduit portion, a second housing including a passageway communicable with the upstream conduit portion, means for releasably connecting together said first housing and said second housing so as to form a housing assembly adapted to be located interiorly of the passage portion and including interiorly thereof a combined passage formed by said passageways, one of said housings including a valve seat surface partially defining said combined passage, and temperature responsive means located within said housing assembly and including a valve surface selectively engagable with said valve seat surface to control coolant flow through said combined passageway.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
99 words
A valve assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said temperature responsive means comprises a valve unit including a container portion having therein a temperature responsive material, and a piston movable relative to said valve seat surface in response to expansion and contraction of said temperature responsive material and engageable with one of said housings to displace said valve surface away from said valve seat surface in response to expansion of said temperature responsive material, and biasing means operable between said valve unit and the other of said housings for biasing said valve surface towards said valve seat surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
A valve assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said first housing has a hollow interior including an end portion having therein a rim defining said valve seat surface, and a lower portion larger than said rim.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A valve assembly in accordance with claim 13 wherein said first housing passageway comprises a pair of opposite aperatures communicable with said end portion of said hollow interior.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A valve assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said second housing is hollow, and wherein said second housing passageway comprises three spaced ribs defining therebetween three voids.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
A valve assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said means releasably connecting said first housing to said second housing comprises one of said second housing and said first housing including a threaded male portion, and the other of said second housing and said first housing including a mating female portion.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-06-01 | 1990-12-01 | 1991-06-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-06-01 | 1994-12-01 | 1995-06-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-06-01 | 1998-12-01 | 1999-06-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |