Oil cooler bypass valve

1. A fluid bypass valve configured to be placed within a bypass passage defined by a component, the bypass valve comprising:

a valve housing defining an elongated bypass passage communicating with a fluid supply and a fluid return;

a thermally responsive actuator;

a valve element body defining a fluid inlet, a through bore, an exit bore and a valve seat, said valve element body disposed within the bypass passage;

a sliding valve element disposed within the valve element body, the sliding valve element being engageable with the valve seat and the thermally responsive actuator, said sliding valve element having a closed position for preventing oil flow through the elongated bypass passage, and further having an open position for allowing bypass oil fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid return; and

a spring annularly disposed about the sliding valve element, wherein the spring is engaged between said sliding valve element and said valve element body and operative to urge said sliding valve element away said valve seat.

2. The fluid bypass valve of claim 1 wherein said valve housing defines a bypass aperture, whereby said valve member is inserted into said bypass passage through said aperture.

3. The fluid bypass valve of claim 2 wherein said thermally responsive actuator is coupled to the valve element body.

4. The fluid bypass valve of claim 3 wherein said sliding valve element defines a circular spring bearing element.

5. The fluid bypass valve of claim 3 wherein said sliding valve element body defines a spring bearing surface.

6. The fluid bypass valve of claim 1 wherein said sliding valve element defines an angled bearing surface.

7. The fluid bypass valve of claim 1 wherein said sliding valve element has an interior bearing surface which is configured to engage the thermally responsive actuator.

8. The fluid bypass valve of claim 7 wherein said sliding valve element has a cylindrical valve element bearing surface.

9. The fluid bypass valve of claim 8 wherein the thermally responsive actuator slidably supports the valve seal and regulates the movement of the valve seal toward and away from the valve seat.

10. The fluid bypass valve of claim 1 wherein said thermally responsive actuator comprises a retractable piston, said thermally responsive actuator is configured to retract said piston and thereby position the sliding valve element in an open position.

11. The fluid bypass valve of claim 10 wherein said valve housing defines an aperture, whereby said thermally responsive valve member is inserted into said bypass passage through said aperture.

12. The fluid bypass valve of claim 11 wherein an exterior surface of the valve element body fluidly seals the bypass passage.

13. The fluid bypass valve of claim 1 wherein said an exterior surface of the valve housing and said aperture define a cavity fluidly coupled to the elongated through passage.

14. A fluid bypass valve configured to be placed between a fluid suppky of a component and a fluid cooler, the bypass valve comprising:

a valve housing defining an elongated bypass passage communicating with the fluid supply and a fluid return;

a return spring;

a valve element body defining a through bore and a valve seat and seal disposed on an exterior surface of the valve element body, said seal configured to fluidly seal the elongated bypass passage;

a sliding valve element disposed within the valve element body, said sliding valve element defining a valve seal stop and a first outer bearing surface which is configured to engage a first end of the return spring; and

a thermally responsive actuator which moves the sliding valve element between an open and closed position, said thermally responsive actuator being coupled to the valve element body.

15. The valve according to claim 14 wherein the thermally responsive element is disposed within the valve element body.

16. The valve according to claim 14 wherein the thermal element is fixably coupled to an interior surface of the valve element body.

17. A fluid bypass valve configured to be placed within a bypass passage defined by a component, the bypass valve comprising:

a valve housing defining an elongated bypass passage, said bypass passage communicating with a fluid supply and a fluid return;

a valve element body disposed within the valve housing, said valve element body defining a through passage, an input port defining a valve seat and an exit port;

a sliding valve element disposed within the valve element body, said sliding valve element defined a valve seal stop and a first outer bearing surface which is configured to engage a first end of a spring, said spring being annularly disposed about the sliding valve element, the valve seal stop being engageable with the valve seat having a closed position for preventing oil flow through the elongated bypass passage, and further having an open position for allowing bypass oil fluid from the fluid supply line back to the fluid return line through the through passage; and

a thermally responsive actuator coupled to the sliding valve element, said actuator configured to move the sliding valve element between an open and closed position;

wherein the spring is engaged between said sliding valve element and said valve element body and is operative to urge said sliding valve element away said first valve seat.

18. The fluid bypass valve of claim 17 wherein said valve housing body defines an outer surface which couples to an interior surface defined by the through passage.

19. The valve according to claim 17 wherein the thermally responsive element is disposed within the valve element body.

20. The valve according to claim 17 wherein the spring is disposed within said valve element body.