Patent attributes
The invention relates to a thermostat valve for an internal combustion engine, comprising a housing having a plurality of cooling fluid connections and comprising at least two hollow valve elements, which are arranged adjacent to one another and are mounted in the housing so as to be rotatable about a common rotational axis, wherein the valve elements each have at least one opening which is formed in the region of their shell surface, wherein the openings can be connected selectively to one or more, of the cooling fluid connections of the housing by rotating the valve elements, wherein drive means are provided with which a first of the at least two valve elements can be rotated between two end positions, wherein a second of the at least two valve elements can be coupled selectively to the first valve element and decoupled from the first valve element, wherein in the state in which it is coupled to the first valve element the second valve element is also driven in rotation by a rotation of the first valve element, and wherein coupling means are provided which are actuated by rotating the first valve element into the first end position, in such a way that the second valve element is coupled to the first valve element, and which are actuated by rotating the first valve element into the second end position in such a way that the second valve element is decoupled from the first valve element.
