IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,486,910
Granted Patent B2
US 12,486,910 · App. 18/632,475 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Eight-way valve

Inventors: Tomoaki Suzuki (Nagoya, JP); Hiroshi Yamamoto (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
F16K11/072B60H1/00814
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,486,910
App. No.
18/632,475
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An eight-way valve including a housing and a rotary member is provided. The housing includes an annular wall, a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber, and a fourth chamber. The annular wall is provided with 16 upper-tier openings and 16 lower-tier openings. The rotary member includes an upper-tier switching part configured to switch between opening and closing of each of the 16 upper-tier openings, and a lower-tier switching part configured to switch between opening and closing of each of the 16 lower-tier openings. The upper-tier switching part includes an upper-tier first communication passage, an upper-tier second communication passage, and an upper-tier closing part, and the lower-tier switching part includes a lower-tier first communication passage, a lower-tier second communication passage, and a lower-tier closing part. Any one of a first space to an eighth space is respectively provided with a port.

Claims (26)

1 . An eight-way valve, comprising:

a housing; and

a rotary member configured to be rotatable relative to the housing, wherein:

the housing includes an annular wall, a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber and a fourth chamber, each of the chambers being respectively configured to define two spaces;

the annular wall is provided with 16 upper-tier openings and 16 lower-tier openings;

the rotary member includes an upper-tier switching part configured to switch between opening and closing of each of the 16 upper-tier openings, and a lower-tier switching part configured to switch between opening and closing of each of the 16 lower-tier openings;

the upper-tier switching part includes an upper-tier first communication passage, an upper-tier second communication passage, and an upper-tier closing part;

the lower-tier switching part includes a lower-tier first communication passage, a lower-tier second communication passage, and a lower-tier closing part; and

each of the spaces is respectively provided with a port.

2 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary member is disposed inside the housing.

3 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein the housing surrounds an outer circumferential surface of the rotary member.

4 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first chamber is provided on an outer side of the annular wall in a radial direction of the rotary member; and

the first chamber is configured to define, together with the annular wall, a first space and a second space that are separated from each other.

5 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the second chamber is provided on an outer side of the annular wall in a radial direction, at a position adjacent to the first chamber in a circumferential direction of the rotary member; and

the second chamber is configured to define, together with the annular wall, a third space and a fourth space that are separated from each other.

6 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the third chamber is provided on an outer side of the annular wall in a radial direction, at a position adjacent to the second chamber in a circumferential direction; and

the third chamber is configured to define, together with the annular wall, a fifth space and a sixth space that are separated from each other.

7 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the fourth chamber is provided on an outer side of the annular wall in a radial direction, at a position adjacent to both of the third chamber and the first chamber in a circumferential direction; and

the fourth chamber is configured to define, together with the annular wall, a seventh space and an eighth space that are separated from each other.

8 . The eight-way valve according to claim 1 , wherein:

the housing includes the annular wall; and

the housing includes a housing main body having such a shape that each of the spaces opens in an up-down direction, an upper cover connected to the housing main body and configured to close each of the spaces from above, and a lower cover connected to the housing main body and configured to close each of the spaces from below.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2024
From: SUZUKI, TOMOAKI; YAMAMOTO, HIROSHI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 067073/0995 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-093014 · Jun 6, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240410476A1 · Dec 12, 2024
References Cited (2)
US 20210301691A1 · Hasegawa et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021154767A · 2021 [cited by applicant]