Engine valvetrain oil control valve

Abstract

An oil control valve assembly includes a valve body and a controller coupled to an exterior end of the valve body. The controller includes a solenoid housing attached to the exterior end of the valve body, and defines an interior region. An encapsulated coil assembly is disposed within the interior region of the solenoid housing. A housing seal is disposed within the interior region of the solenoid housing, in sealing engagement with the solenoid housing, the valve body, and the encapsulated coil assembly. The housing seal is operable to seal the interior region of the solenoid housing to prevent fluid communication between the solenoid housing and the valve body. An adapter assembly is coupled to the valve body to reposition a discharge location of a supply port, a control port, and an exhaust port of the valve body along a longitudinal axis of the valve body.

1 . An oil control valve comprising:
 a valve body extending along a longitudinal axis between an interior end and an exterior end;   a controller coupled to the exterior end of the valve body, the controller including:
 a solenoid housing attached to the exterior end of the valve body, and defining an interior region; 
 an encapsulated coil assembly supported by and disposed within the interior region of the solenoid housing; and 
 a housing seal disposed within the interior region of the solenoid housing, in sealing engagement with the solenoid housing, the valve body, and the encapsulated coil assembly, and operable to seal the interior region of the solenoid housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oil control valve set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulated coil assembly includes an outer surface disposed adjacent an interior surface of the solenoid housing, and an axial end surface disposed adjacent the exterior end of the valve body. 
     
     
         3 . The oil control valve set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the encapsulated coil assembly includes an annular chamfered surface interconnecting the outer surface and the axial end surface of the encapsulated coil assembly, with the housing seal disposed adjacent and in sealing engagement with the annular chamfered surface, the interior surface of the solenoid housing, and the exterior end of the valve body. 
     
     
         4 . The oil control valve set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the annular chamfered surface provides a space within the interior region, with the housing seal positioned within the space and bounded by and in sealing engagement with the interior surface of the solenoid housing, the annular chamfered surface of the encapsulated coil assembly, and the exterior end of the valve body. 
     
     
         5 . The oil control valve set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the housing seal seals an annular interface between the solenoid housing and the valve body within the interior region of the solenoid housing, to prevent contaminants from within the interior region from exiting the interior region through the annular interface. 
     
     
         6 . The oil control valve set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an adapter assembly coupled to the valve body, the adapter assembly including:
 an adapter body extending along the longitudinal axis and defining an adapter supply port, an adapter control port, and an adapter exhaust port; 
 a supply tube attached to the adapter body and including a supply interior that defines a supply passage; 
 a control tube attached to the adapter body and including a control interior that defines a control passage; and 
 an exhaust tube attached to the adapter body including an exhaust interior that defines an exhaust passage; 
 wherein the supply tube, the control tube, and the exhaust tube each include a diametric center line that is coaxially disposed with each other along the longitudinal axis of the valve body. 
   
     
     
         7 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the valve body includes a supply land, a control land, and an exhaust land, and wherein the valve body includes a primary supply port, a secondary supply port, a primary control port, and a primary exhaust port. 
     
     
         8 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the supply tube is supported by the supply land, and with the supply passage being in fluid communication with the primary supply port, the secondary supply port, and the adapter supply port. 
     
     
         9 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the control tube is supported by the control land, and with the control passage being in fluid communication with the primary control port and the adapter supply port. 
     
     
         10 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the exhaust tube is supported by the exhaust land, and with the exhaust passage being in fluid communication with the primary exhaust port and the adapter exhaust port. 
     
     
         11 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the supply interior of the supply tube defines a supply diameter, the control interior of the control tube defines a control diameter, and the exhaust interior of the exhaust tube defines an exhaust diameter, with the exhaust diameter being larger than both of the control diameter and the supply diameter, and with the control diameter being larger than the supply diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein:
 the primary supply port is disposed at the interior end of the valve body;   the secondary supply port is disposed nearer the interior end of the valve body than the primary control port and the primary exhaust port, and the secondary supply port is disposed radially nearer the longitudinal axis than the primary control port and the primary exhaust port;   the primary control port is disposed nearer the interior end of the valve body than the primary exhaust port, and the primary control port is disposed radially nearer the longitudinal axis than the primary exhaust port; and   the supply land is disposed between the secondary supply port and the primary control port, the control land is disposed between the primary control port and the primary exhaust port, and the exhaust land is disposed between the primary exhaust port and the exterior end of the valve body.   
     
     
         13 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the supply tube is disposed within the control interior of the control tube and cooperates with the control tube to define the control passage between an exterior surface of the supply tube and an interior surface of the control tube. 
     
     
         14 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the control tube is disposed within the exhaust interior of the exhaust tube and cooperates with the exhaust tube to define the exhaust passage between an exterior surface of the control tube and an interior surface of the exhaust tube. 
     
     
         15 . The oil control valve assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the valve body defines an annular channel extending radially inward from an outer circumference of the valve body, and wherein the exhaust tube includes a radially compressed end extending radially inward into the annular channel to secure the adapter assembly to the valve body.