US 12,480,587 B2
Hydraulic control unit valve porting, routing, checkball, and orifice integration with additive manufacturing
John N Henley, III, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Richard G Whalen, Macomb, MI (US); Zhe Xie, Rochester, MI (US); and Mark A Levine, White Lake, MI (US)
Assigned to FCA US LLC, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by John N Henley, III, Auburn Hills, MI (US); Richard G Whalen, Macomb, MI (US); Zhe Xie, Rochester, MI (US); and Mark A Levine, White Lake, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 23, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/131,847.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196170 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 15/04 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); F16H 61/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 15/04 (2013.01) [B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); F16H 61/0009 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufactured (AM) hydraulic control assembly for a vehicle transmission, comprising:
a first AM hydraulic passage having a first tubular wall defining a first fluid passage;
a second AM hydraulic passage integrally formed with the first AM hydraulic passage and having a second tubular wall defining a second fluid passage;
an AM wall integrally formed with the first and second AM hydraulic passages and fluidly separating the first and second fluid passages;
a ball seat integrally formed in the AM wall and a check ball disposed in one of the first and second fluid passages and configured to selectively seal against the ball seat to facilitate preventing fluid flow therethrough;
a chamber fluidly coupled between the first and second fluid passages and configured to receive the check ball; and
a bypass passage fluidly coupled to the chamber to provide a dual path check ball arrangement that facilitates providing fluid forces on opposite sides of the check ball during seating.