Temperature dependent variable flow orifice

• Main Authors: Xie Zhe, Moses Robert L, Neelakantan Vijay A, Marano John E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.04.2017
• Subjects: ACTUATING-FLOATS; BLASTING; COCKS; CONTROLLING; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TAPS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; VALVES; WEAPONS

A variable flow orifice for a hydraulic control system in a transmission includes a shape memory alloy that selectively increases and decreases the size of an orifice. The deformation of the shape memory alloy, and therefore the size of the orifice, is a function of the temperature of the transmission. During cold conditions the orifice size is increased and during normal operating conditions the size of the orifice is decreased.