Exhaust Gas Diverter

Abstract

A gas diverter includes at least one port circumscribed by a port seat, and a valve subassembly for selectively obstructing the port. The valve subassembly comprises: (a) an actuation arm; (b) a disk coupled to the arm, and (c) an actuator for selectively causing the disk to be urged against said port seat to obstruct said port. In operation, the disk deforms elastically as it is urged against the port seat.

1 . A gas diverter comprising at least one port circumscribed by a port seat, and a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said port, said valve sub-assembly comprising:
 (a) an actuation arm;   (b) a disk coupled to said arm;   (c) an actuator for selectively causing said disk to be urged against said port seat to obstruct said port;   wherein said disk deforms elastically as it is urged against said port seat.   
   
   
       2 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk is primarily convex in profile wherein the convex face of said disk contacts said port seat during obstruction of said port. 
   
   
       3 . The gas diverter of  claim 2 , wherein port seat has a convex surface, whereby during obstruction of said port the convex surface of said disk is urged against said convex surface of said port seat. 
   
   
       4 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation force for urging said disk toward said port seat respectively is applied substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said port seat. 
   
   
       5 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said port seat is essentially rigid. 
   
   
       6 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk is coupled to said arm via a rod. 
   
   
       7 . The gas diverter of  claim 6 , wherein said rod is resilient and elastically deforms during actuation of said valve sub-assembly. 
   
   
       8 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk comprises stainless steel. 
   
   
       9 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk is made from 18-28 gauge stainless steel material. 
   
   
       10 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk is manufactured by a spinning process. 
   
   
       11 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said disk is manufactured by a stamping process. 
   
   
       12 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said actuator comprises a pneumatic linear actuator. 
   
   
       13 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein said gas diverter is an engine exhaust gas diverter. 
   
   
       14 . The gas diverter of  claim 14 , wherein said port is connected to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. 
   
   
       15 . The gas diverter of  claim 1 , wherein the contact between said disk and said port seat is a line contact during obstruction of said port. 
   
   
       16 . An engine system comprising a gas diverter, said gas diverter comprising at least one port circumscribed by a port seat, and a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said port, said valve sub-assembly comprising:
 (a) an actuation arm;   (b) a disk coupled to said arm;   (c) an actuator for selectively causing said disk to be urged against said port seat to obstruct said port;   wherein said disk deforms elastically as it is urged against said port seat.   
   
   
       17 . A method of operating the gas diverter, said gas diverter comprising at least one port circumscribed by a port seat, and a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said port, said valve sub-assembly comprising:
 (a) an actuation arm;   (b) a disk coupled to said arm;   (c) an actuator for selectively causing said disk to be urged against said port seat to obstruct said port;   wherein said disk deforms elastically as it is urged against said port seat;   wherein during operating of said valve subassembly said actuator causes said disk to decelerate as it approaches said port seat to obstruct said port.   
   
   
       18 . A gas diverter comprising:
 (a) an inlet port;   (b) a first outlet port, circumscribed by a first port seat;
 a second outlet port, circumscribed by a second port seat; 
 a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said first and second outlet ports, said valve subassembly comprising: 
 (1) a pivotable arm; 
 (2) a first disk coupled to said arm; 
 (3) a second disk coupled to said arm;
 an actuator for causing said arm to pivot, such that in a first position said first disk is urged against said first outlet port seat to obstruct said first outlet port, and in a second position said second disk is urged against said second outlet port seat to obstruct said second outlet port; 
 
   wherein said first and second disks deform elastically during said obstruction of said outlet ports.   
   
   
       19 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks are primarily convex in profile wherein the convex face of said first disk contacts said first port seat during obstruction of said first outlet port and the convex face of said second disk contacts said second port seat during obstruction of said second outlet port. 
   
   
       20 . The gas diverter of  claim 19 , wherein port seats have a convex surface, whereby in said first position the convex surface of said first disk is urged against the convex surface of said first port seat, and in said second position the convex surface of said second disk is urged against the convex surface of said second port seat. 
   
   
       21 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein the actuation force for urging said first and second disks toward said first and second port seats respectively is applied substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said port seats. 
   
   
       22 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second port seats are essentially rigid. 
   
   
       23 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first disk is coupled to said arm via a first rod and said second disk is coupled to said arm via a second rod. 
   
   
       24 . The gas diverter of  claim 23 , wherein said first and second rods are resilient and elastically deform during actuation of said valve sub-assembly. 
   
   
       25 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks are not parallel to each other. 
   
   
       26 . The gas diverter of  claim 25 , wherein said first and second disks are at less than a 90° angle to one another. 
   
   
       27 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second outlet ports are arranged side-by-side in substantially the same plane as one another. 
   
   
       28 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second outlet ports are arranged so that the plane of said first port seat is at an angle of 160-180° to the plane of said second port seat. 
   
   
       29 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein the planes of said first and second port seats extend through the pivot axis of said pivotable arm. 
   
   
       30 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein in said first position said second disk is pivoted away from said second outlet port providing a substantially unobstructed gas stream path through said second outlet port, and in said second position said first disk is pivoted away from said first outlet port providing a substantially unobstructed gas stream path through said first outlet port. 
   
   
       31 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said actuator selectively causes said arm to pivot, such that said first and second disks rest in at least one intermediate position between said first and second positions. 
   
   
       32 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks comprise stainless steel. 
   
   
       33 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks are made from 18-28 gauge stainless steel material. 
   
   
       34 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks are manufactured by a spinning process. 
   
   
       35 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said first and second disks are manufactured by a stamping process. 
   
   
       36 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said actuator comprises a pneumatic linear actuator. 
   
   
       37 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein the contact between said disk and said port seat is a line contact during obstruction of said port. 
   
   
       38 . The gas diverter of  claim 18 , wherein said gas diverter is an engine exhaust gas diverter. 
   
   
       39 . The gas diverter of  claim 38 , wherein said inlet port is connected to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. 
   
   
       40 . An engine system comprising the gas diverter, said gas diverter comprising:
 (a) an inlet port;   (b) a first outlet port, circumscribed by a first port seat;
 a second outlet port, circumscribed by a second port seat; 
 a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said first and second outlet ports, said valve subassembly comprising: 
 (1) a pivotable arm; 
 (2) a first disk coupled to said arm; 
 (3) a second disk coupled to said arm;
 an actuator for causing said arm to pivot, such that in a first position said first disk is urged against said first outlet port seat to obstruct said first outlet port, and in a second position said second disk is urged against said second outlet port seat to obstruct said second outlet port; 
 
   wherein said first and second disks deform elastically during said obstruction of said outlet ports.   
   
   
       41 . The engine system of  claim 40 , wherein said engine system comprises an exhaust after-treatment system comprising at least two exhaust after treatment devices, and said gas diverter is for selectively directing at least a portion of an exhaust stream from said engine selectively to said at least two devices. 
   
   
       42 . A method of operating the gas diverter, said gas diverter comprising:
 (a) an inlet port;   (b) a first outlet port, circumscribed by a first port seat;
 a second outlet port, circumscribed by a second port seat; 
 a valve sub-assembly for selectively obstructing said first and second outlet ports, said valve subassembly comprising: 
 (1) a pivotable arm; 
 (2) a first disk coupled to said arm; 
 (3) a second disk coupled to said arm;
 an actuator for causing said arm to pivot, such that in a first position said first disk is urged against said first outlet port seat to obstruct said first outlet port, and in a second position said second disk is urged against said second outlet port seat to obstruct said second outlet port; 
 
   wherein said first and second disks deform elastically during said obstruction of said outlet ports;   wherein during operating of said valve subassembly said actuator causes said disk to decelerate as it approaches said port seat to obstruct said port.