CN101395385A - Manifold with safety valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve bank (6) which comprises a plurality of electrically actuatuable control valves which are connected simultaneously to at least one common cable duct (1) and a common vent duct (3, 5). The at least one supply channel (32, 33) supplies the common cable duct (1) with pressure means required for operating the valve bank (6). An additional safety valve (15) enables the channel connection between the at least one supply channel (32, 33) and the common cabel duct (1) to be selectively released or blocked. When the connection is blocked, the safety valve adopts an aeration position and the common cable duct (1) is vented towards the atmosphere.

Description

Manifold with safety valve

The invention relates to a valve group, which includes a plurality of electric touch control valves, which are respectively connected to at least one common supply pipeline and at least one common discharge pipeline at the same time, and can control the connection between such pipelines and at least one independent power supply pipeline respectively. The connection of the pipeline, at least one feed pipeline and a safety valve, the at least one independent power pipeline can be connected to the load, the at least one feed pipeline is used to transport the pressure medium for the at least one common supply pipeline, and the safety valve is connected Between said at least one feed conduit and said at least one common supply conduit for selectively opening or closing a conduit connection.

The valve group disclosed in the patent publication EP1041325B1 comprises several control modules, each module is connected to a corresponding control valve, and these control valves are gathered together in a modular arrangement. By passing a common supply line through the modular device, all control valves can be supplied with pressure medium at the same time. The discharge of the control valves takes place via one or two common discharge pipes which also pass through the modular arrangement. The common supply line is placed downstream of the block valve, which can be used as a safety valve and is in a position to disconnect the common supply line from the feed line supplying the pressure medium in the event of a failure. Such a valve group is then more or less disconnected from the pressure medium line. However, if the disconnection takes place while the valve group is still at full supply pressure, shutting off the pressure medium in the valve group can still lead to an unintended switching function of the control valve.

An object of the present invention is to design a valve block which improves the safety function with regard to closing.

To achieve this, the valve block can be designed in such a way that the safety valve can be switched into the discharge position, in which it empties the at least one common supply line and at the same time closes the feed line.

In this way, with the feed line closed, the pressure medium positioned in at least one common supply line of the valve group (when closed) is not simply trapped, but discharged into the atmosphere. The valve group is thus deprived of pressure on the supply side, so that switching operations of the control valves, even if they still occur, do not have unintended functions for the connected loads. And now performing service work on the valve bank, for example replacing a damaged control valve, may not have any risk. It is possible without any difficulty to design the safety valve so that it automatically switches to the discharge position when eg the power supply and/or the pressure supply fails.

Advantageous developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

In order to prepare the valve group for operation again after emptying, the valve group can be designed with at least two feed lines, which are simultaneously connected in parallel to a common supply line of the valve group in the open position of the safety valve. The pressure medium can then flow to the valve group at a very high rate.

The discharge of the at least one common supply line can for example take place exclusively through at least one of the common feed lines of the valve group. This means that no additional discharge locations are required in the valve bank. If the valve group has two common discharge lines for the control valves, as is the case with usual valve groups, the safety valve can be designed in such a way that in order to empty the at least one common supply line, the two common discharge lines of the valve group can be used. pipeline.

Furthermore, in addition to at least one common line of the valve group, at least one independent additional discharge line can be provided, through which the at least one common supply line can be emptied. In this case, by having a suitable safety valve design, it is possible to influence the discharge operation so that this discharge is exclusively through an independent additional discharge line - or may be called high-speed discharge operation - in parallel through at least one of the valve banks common discharge pipe and its independent additional discharge pipe. The latter possibility means that extremely high discharge cross-sections can be obtained.

The safety valve is preferably designed to be electrically actuated. It may receive its electrical operating signal on its own, or through an electrical cascade arrangement which may be fitted as a standard feature. In this case, the safety valve is preferably designed in such a way that it is held in an electrically inactive state by means of a spring device in the discharge position. To switch into the ON position, the safety valve is actuated electrically and deflects its valve part against the spring force. If the power supply fails during operation, the safety valve can be moved immediately and reliably to the problem-free discharge position.

In a preferred design of the safety valve, the discharge flow passes through a chamber in the spool of the safety valve. This may result in a particularly advantageous pipe loop arrangement.

The safety valve can be set or assembled in any suitable position of the valve group. In any case, it will be on the valve block, so that a compact size without external safety components can be obtained.

In the case of a particularly advantageous embodiment, the safety valve is an independent safety module which is collected together with a control module each comprising at least one control valve to form a modular arrangement. In this case, the security module is a component of a series of control modules, such as end modules or intermediate modules. The latter possibility makes it possible at virtually any point to realize the intermediate supply of the pressure medium required for the operation of the valve train.

Such a valve block preferably comprises a fluid distributor of modular design with a separate fluid distribution module, which, in forming a control module with a control valve and a safety module, is equipped with a safety valve and can Fit together in a modular fashion. The fluid distribution modules preferably each include two independent power pipes, which are respectively connected to associated control valves for driving loads. The fluid distribution module of the safety valve preferably also has two separate fluid conduits running through it, at least one of which constitutes the feed conduit for the common supply conduit. According to the above improved design, the second fluid conduit can be used as another feed conduit in parallel, or as an additional discharge conduit. It can be blocked if it is not needed at all.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the valve block according to the invention in a perspective view, with the terminal element of the fluid distributor of the valve block removed.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve block in Fig. 1 taken along the section line II-II near the safety valve.

Figure 3 shows the safety valve employed in the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2 in longitudinal section and in the discharge position.

Fig. 4 shows the safety valve of Fig. 3 in the ON position adopted in normal operation.

FIG. 5 presents a variant of the safety valve in the same manner as in FIG. 3 and in the discharge position.

Figure 6 presents the relief valve of Figure 5 in the on position.

A valve block of preferred design, indicated generally at 6 , comprises a fluid distributor 8 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis 7 , which carries, on a mounting surface 12 , several control valves 13 operated by electric contacts. The control valves 13 are arranged successively in the row direction 14 indicated by the double arrows and coincident with the longitudinal axis 7 . The mounting surface 12 also supports a safety valve 15 , which is also included in the row of safety valves 13 . The relief valve 15 terminates one end of the row of control valves in this particular working embodiment.

The fluid distributor 8 has at least one supply line 1 running through it in the longitudinal direction, which is common to all control valves 13 . The first discharge conduit 3 and the second discharge conduit 5 extend parallel to this common or shared supply conduit 1, which, similar to the common supply conduit 1, is open at a plurality of locations on the mounting surface 12, so that the respective control valves 13 and Each common supply pipe 1 is connected to each discharge pipe 3 and 5.

Furthermore, the common supply line 1 and the two discharge lines 3 and 5 open out on a component mounting area 16 of the mounting surface 12 where the safety valve 15 is detachably fastened, for example by means of a screw connection. Thus, both the common supply conduit 1 and the first common discharge conduit 3 and the second common discharge conduit 5 communicate with the respective control valves 13 and with the safety valve 15 .

And each control valve 13 communicates with these two power pipes 17 and 18 respectively assigned to it, its relative longitudinal axis 7 traverses through the fluid distributor 8, and one end is open on the mounting surface 12 respectively, for the associated control The valve 13 , which is open at the other end to the longitudinal outside of the fluid distributor 8 , is located at the connecting surface 22 . At connection face 22, the power conduits 17 and 18 can be connected to a fluid line (not shown in detail) leading to a load, so as to be operated eg by fluid power.

During routine operation of the valve group 6, the common supply line 1 supplies the pressure medium, more specifically compressed air under supply pressure. This pressure medium comes from a pressure source P connected to the valve block 6 . The control valve 13 is electrically actuatable and can be set in correspondingly different switching positions in which it selectively connects the connected independent power lines 17 and 18 with the common supply line 1, or Connect to one of the two common discharge pipes 3 and 5. In this case there is often a so-called 5/2 switching function.

The operating signals required for the electrically actuated operation of the control valves, comprising control signals and operating power, are transmitted to the electrical connections (not shown) of the control valves 13 via electrical cascades 23 extending in row direction 14 . They are based on electronics, which can be mounted on the valve block 6, and/or be external.

The control valves are preferably pilot-operated valves, each having an electrically actuated pilot valve arrangement, for example a solenoid valve arrangement. Each pilot valve unit may consist of one or two electrically operated pilot valves.

The two common discharge ducts 3 and 5 open into the mounting face 12 on the outer surface of the fluid distributor 8 and are connected to the atmosphere via the opening. This could be connected to the atmosphere at some remote point either directly or through an intermediate muffler or through a pipe.

The fluid supply to the common supply line 1 can be controlled by a safety valve 15 provided on the valve block 6 .

As for details, the safety valve 15 has an outlet 24 connected to the shared supply line 1 . It also has two discharge openings 25 and 26 , of which the first discharge opening 25 is connected to the common discharge pipe 3 , and wherein the second discharge port 26 is always connected to the common discharge pipe 5 .

For this purpose, the safety valve 15 also has valve ports 27 and 28 which are connected to the first fluid distribution line 2 and the second fluid distribution line 4 respectively. These valve ports also preferably open onto the mounting surface 22 of the fluid distributor 8, where connection means (not shown) may be provided to enable a fluid line connection to the outside.

In all working examples, the first fluid distribution conduit 2 constitutes a feed conduit 32 continuously connected to a pressure source P.

The second fluid distribution conduit 4 is also the feed conduit 33 in the working example of FIGS. 2 to 4 , which is continuously connected to the pressure source P in a circuit arrangement parallel to the further feed conduit 32 . In contrast, in the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second fluid distribution conduit 4 serves as an additional discharge conduit 34 in addition to the common discharge conduits 3 and 5 . Its opening on the mounting surface 22 communicates with the adjacent atmosphere or with the discharge line at some other point leading to the atmosphere directly or through a suitable muffler in the middle during the operation of the valve block 6 .

In all working examples, the common supply line 1 is exclusively supplied with the pressure medium required for the operation of the valve group 6 via at least one feed line 32 and 33 . No other fluid supply not controlled by the safety valve 15 is provided to the common supply conduit 1 . A standard feed hole for the common supply pipe 1 present on the fluid distributor 8 (not shown in detail) is closed by eg a plug. However, it can be used when utilizing the valve block 6 without the safety valve 15 or when not using the function of the safety valve 15 present.

All working examples of valve groups 6 share a common feature, namely, the connection between said at least one feed line 32 and 33 and the common supply line 1 connected to safety valve 15 with the help of safety valve 15, which can Selectively connect or disconnect.

With the pipeline connection switched on, the safety valve 15 will assume the switched-on position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 in the working example. According to FIG. 4 , in this case both feed lines 32 and 33 are simultaneously connected to the common supply line 1 . According to FIG. 6 there is a flow connection between the common supply conduit 1 and the individual feed conduit 32 .

In the disconnected state of the pipe connection shown in Figures 3 and 5, the common supply pipe 1 is disconnected in a fluid-tight manner from the associated feed pipe 32 and 33, respectively. At the same time, since the safety valve 15 assumes the discharge position, it still discharges to the atmosphere. In the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , this is due to the connection between the common supply conduit 1 and the first common discharge conduit 3 being switched on. In the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the common supply conduit 1 simultaneously passes through the second common discharge conduit 5 and also discharges through the additional discharge conduit 34 .

Regardless of the type of discharge, the common supply line 1 will thus be depressurized in the discharge position of the safety valve 15 and the entire valve group 6 will be depressurized. Therefore, even if the control valve 13 would be caused to perform a switching operation due to electronic control or due to manual operation, this operation will not produce any harmful movement for the connected load. The pressure obtained inside the valve block is reduced to atmospheric pressure, which further makes it possible to safely remove the safety valve 13 for repair or replacement purposes.

In the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , no second common discharge conduit 5 is used for the discharge process controlled by the safety valve 15 . In this case the control valve 15 can be designed such that the second discharge opening 26 will remain closed regardless of the position of the spool 35 of the safety valve 14 .

However, it is of course conceivable to design the safety valve 15 in such a way that the common discharge line 3 and 5 both serve to discharge the common supply line 2 in the discharge position.

And starting from the design according to FIG. 5, it is also possible to use the common discharge pipes 3 and 5 and the additional discharge pipe 34 to empty the common supply pipe 1 at the same time, or only the additional discharge pipe 34 exists, then the two common discharge pipes 2 and 5 does not share the discharge function of the safety valve.

It is also possible to design that the additional discharge duct 34 does not communicate with the separate fluid distribution duct 4, but leads directly to the free outer surface of the housing 36 of the safety valve 15, so as to encourage the fluid to flow from this location and bypass the fluid distributor 8. release to the atmosphere is possible.

Regardless of its other possible design, the safety valve 15 is preferably configured to be electrically actuated. It has an electrical interface 37 for supplying the operating signals required for its activation. Such a signal can be provided alone or through the presence of an electrical cascade 23 comparable to the electrical operation of the control valve 13 .

The safety valve 15 is an auxiliary controlled multi-way valve in all working examples. It comprises an electrically activated pilot valve 38 , such as a solenoid valve, the activation state of which sets the current operating state of the safety valve 15 .

The safety valve 15 comprises the already described spool 35, preferably in the form of a piston, which is movable in its longitudinal direction between two positions, in one case a discharge position, and in the Another case is the ON position.

The spool 35 has at one end an axially oriented actuating surface 42 which defines a pilot chamber 43 which communicates with a pilot control line 44 shown in phantom. The pilot control line 44 has a supply of pressure medium under pilot pressure, which in the working example is fed in from a pilot feed line 45 extending into the interior of the fluid distributor 8 . The pilot feed pipe 45 can obtain the supply of the pressure medium independently of the common supply pipe 1 or obtain the supply of the pressure medium from the common supply pipe 1 . Alternatively, it would also be possible to connect the pilot control line 44 inside the safety valve 15 with the output port 24 .

The pilot valve 38 is placed on the pilot line 44 . It is capable of selectively opening or closing the passage through the pilot conduit 44 . In the closed state, it simultaneously provides for venting of the pilot chamber 43 .

When the pilot line 44 is connected, there is a pilot pressure in the pilot chamber 43, which acts on the actuating surface 42 and exerts a seating force or a servo force on the spool 35, thereby switching the latter to Fig. 4 and the open position presented in Figure 6.

A seating force 46 is thus always obtained in the open position in order to overcome the oppositely acting restoring force 47 of the spring device 48 which always pushes the spool towards the discharge position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 . The spring device 48 has one end abutting on the valve core 35 and the other end abutting directly or indirectly on the valve casing 36 of the safety valve 15 . In order to save size, the spring means 48 can be moved into an axial recess of the spool 35 . In addition to the mechanical spring means 48 present in the working embodiment, other actuating means may be present to generate the restoring force 47 . For example, the invention also envisages an air spring. Regardless of its design, the spring means 48 does have the advantage that it moves the spool 35 to the discharge position when the pilot chamber 43 is depressurized due to a system related pressure drop or due to a power supply failure.

The valve core 35 extends into a valve core sleeve 52 of the valve housing 36 , and the valve core sleeve is axially divided into several parts by a sealing device 53 . The sealing device 53 surrounds the valve insert 35 coaxially and is preferably arranged in a fixed manner relative to the valve housing. More specifically, it may comprise a plurality of annular seals with gaps between them, which seals are able to come into sealing contact in a certain way with different parts of their periphery depending on the axial position. The above-mentioned respective parts are connected to the above-mentioned ports 24 to 28 .

In order to perform the required switching function, the spool 35 is stepped several times in the axial direction on its substantially cylindrical periphery. Thus, there is an axial sequence of larger and smaller diameter sections.

Depending on the position of the spool 35 and the resulting sealing contact or lack of sealing contact with the sealing device 53 , the individual ports 24 and 28 are connected to each other or separated from each other as indicated above, respectively.

In the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the spool 35 is only touched by the peripheral fluid. In order for the common supply line 1 to have a simultaneous connection with the second common supply line 5 and with the additional discharge line 34 in the discharge position, the spool 35 has a relatively long waist 54 which runs along all the ports 24 in the discharge position, 26 and 28 and extended.

In the working embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the spool 36 has a somewhat special feature in that it has a chamber 55 through which pressure medium is discharged in the discharge position.

The chamber 55 opens to the periphery of the spool 35 at two axially spaced locations respectively through at least one and preferably several delivery openings 56 and 57 . In the discharge position, the transfer openings 56 and 57 can be positioned such that some of their openings 56 communicate with the output port 24 and some of their openings 57 communicate with the first discharge port 25 . In this way the discharge flow can be directed through the shut-off valve port 27 without affecting it.

In this regard, it should be noted that its output port 24 is preferably laterally surrounded axially on one side by a distal valve port 27 and on the other side by a further distal valve port 28 . In one case, the two distal valve ports 27 and 28 are followed axially outwards by a first discharge port 25 and in the other case by a second discharge port 26 .

The safety concept of the present invention can also be implemented in non-moulded fluid dispensers 8 . It is however particularly advantageous to incorporate a modular fluid distributor 8, as indeed in the working example presented here.

In the present case, the fluid distributor 8 is divided in the row direction into several fluid distributor modules 58 and 59 arranged side by side. In this case, the first fluid distribution module 58 is equipped with the control valve 13 and, furthermore, with separate power lines 17 and 18 . The second fluid distribution module 59 has a safety valve 15 and has two fluid distribution lines 2 and 4 . Due to the modular design, the common supply conduit 1 and the common discharge conduits 3 and 5 are separated into conduit sections of independent fluid distribution modules 58 and 59 , which are complementary to each other.

The first fluid distribution module 58 together with the control valve 13 seated thereon each form a corresponding control module 62 . During operation, each of these control modules 62 has a first fluid distribution module 58 and two control valves 13 arranged side by side. The safety valve 15 together with the second fluid distribution module 59 represents a safety module 63 .

In the working embodiment shown, the security module 63 is mounted at one end of the modular arrangement. However, it can be installed rather easily in a row of control modules 62 which are laterally surrounded on either axial side by at least one control module. Since the supply of pressure medium to the valve group 6 takes place via the safety module 63 , it is possible to effect a supply from one side or additionally or alternatively from one end in order to carry out an intermediate supply of pressure medium to the valve group 6 . The security module 63 can constitute a connection module or an intermediate module of a modular arrangement.

If the safety valve 15 and the control valve 13 have a suitable pneumatic interface, which allows fitting to the component mounting surface of the uniformly shaped fluid distributor 8, then the respective fluid distribution module is used as a supply control module 62 or a supply safety module 63. Alternatives are possible.

As a design modification shown instead of a mechanical spring or air cushion spring return, the safety valve 15 can also be realized in the form of a pulse valve, in which case the two switching positions are predetermined by a corresponding electrically actuated pilot valve. An advantage of this design is that no continuous actuation or electrical activation of the corresponding pilot valve 38 is required to maintain the on position. However, this maintains the switch position after a power supply failure.

Claims (17)

1. valve group, comprise that a plurality of electricity touch control valve (13), described control valve is while and at least one public supply pipeline (1) and at least one common discharge duct (3 respectively, 5) link to each other, and can control these pipelines (1,3,5) respectively with at least one power conduit (1 independently, 18), at least one feed pipe (32,33) and the connection of safety valve (15), described at least one independently power conduit (1,18) can link to each other with load, described at least one feed pipe (32,33) be used to described at least one public supply pipeline (1) supply pressure medium, described safety valve (15) is connected between described at least one feed pipe (32,33) and described at least one public supply pipeline (1), being used for optionally opening or closing pipeline connects, it is characterized in that described safety valve (15) can switch to exhaust position, described at least one the public supply pipeline (32 of emptying, 33), and simultaneously disconnect the connection of described feed pipe (1).

2. valve group according to claim 1, it is characterized in that, it comprises at least two feed pipes (32 that link to each other with described safety valve, 33), exhaust position in described safety valve (15), described feed pipe is closed, and at the on positi of described safety valve (15), described feed pipe links to each other with described public supply pipeline (1) simultaneously.

3. valve group according to claim 1 and 2, it is characterized in that described safety valve (15) couples together described at least one public supply pipeline (1) and at least one common discharge duct (3,5) at its exhaust position, described at least one common discharge duct (3,5) communicates with atmosphere.

4. valve group according to claim 3 is characterized in that, at described exhaust position, single common discharge duct (3) links to each other with described at least one public supply pipeline (1).

5. according to each the described valve group in the claim 1 to 4, it is characterized in that, described safety valve (15) couples together described at least one public supply pipeline (1) and extra blowdown piping (34) at its exhaust position, described extra blowdown piping (34) is independent of described at least one common discharge duct (3,5).

6. valve group according to claim 5 is characterized in that, the exhaust position in described safety valve (15), and described public supply pipeline all links to each other with described at least one common discharge duct (5) and described extra blowdown piping (34).

7. according to each the described valve group in the claim 1 to 6, it is characterized in that it is dynamic drive that described safety valve (15) is designed to.

8. valve group according to claim 7 is characterized in that, described safety valve (15) is the leading type valve, and it is controlled by at least one pilot valve (38) that can electric actuate.

9. according to claim 7 or 8 described valve groups, it is characterized in that described safety valve is actuated device constantly and pushes described exhaust position to, described actuation gear adopts the form of spring assembly (48) especially.

10. according to each the described valve group in the claim 1 to 9, it is characterized in that, described safety valve (15) comprises spool (35), it can optionally be positioned at described exhaust position, or be positioned at the on positi that described public supply pipeline (1) and described at least one service (32,33) are coupled together.

11. valve group according to claim 10 is characterized in that, described spool (35) has chamber (55), at described exhaust position, by described chamber (55) but the head pressure medium.

12. each the described valve group according in the claim 1 to 11 is characterized in that, described safety valve (15) is a member of the independent safety module (63) of described valve group (6).

13. valve group according to claim 12 is characterized in that, described control valve (13) is that described security module (63) is incorporated in the row of described control module (62) with the member of the control module arranged side by side (62) of line direction (14) arrangement.

14. valve group according to claim 12, it is characterized in that, described security module (63) adopts the form of the terminal module in the row of the described control module of termination (62), or adopts the form of the intermediate module in the row that medially is positioned over described control module (62).

15. according to claim 13 or 14 described valve groups, it is characterized in that, described security module (63) comprises the fluid distribution module (59) that is equipped with described safety valve (15), other fluid distribution module (58) placement of connecting of this distribution module and the described control valve of carrying (13), described public supply pipeline (1) and common discharge duct (3,5) extend through all fluid distribution modules (58,59), and described at least one feed pipe (32,33) in the fluid distribution module (59) of described safety valve (15), extend, and the opening on the outer surface (22) is not covered by adjacent fluid distribution module.

16. valve group according to claim 15 is characterized in that, distributes to the described fluid distribution module (58) of described control valve (13), it all has at least two power conduits (17,18) that independently extend through them in all cases.

17. according to claim 15 or 16 described valve groups, it is characterized in that, the fluid distribution module (59) of described safety valve (15) has two fluid lines (2 that independently extend through it, 4), wherein at least one fluid line has been formed the feed pipe (32,33) that is used for described public supply pipeline (1).

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