Patent Application
20070175527
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates in general to control valve systems for operating multiple actuators, and, more specifically, to interconnecting control valves for separate actuators such that a fault in one control valve quickly results in deactuation of the other control valve.
The operation of fluid power controlled machinery, such as a mechanical power press, can damage a press or cause an unsafe condition if not properly controlled. In order to comply with engineering standards, governmental regulations, and good practice, a double valve is typically used as a control element for such machinery so that upon an operational malfunction, such as a valve failure, a press repeat, or overrun cycle due to a single malfunction of a valve, damage to the press or unsafe conditions can be avoided. The use of a double valve also provides the advantage of automatic lockout of valve operation during an operational malfunction to prevent further machine cycling until the malfunction can be corrected and the valve reset. Examples of double valves satisfying the forgoing requirements are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,258 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,259, both assigned to Ross Operating Valve Company and both incorporated herein by reference.
Large presses typically have separate clutches and brakes for controlling their operation. A double valve controlling the brake actuator is actuated in order to supply fluid power pressure to disengage the brake. A second double valve controlling the clutch actuator is actuated to engage the clutch so that motive power is applied to the press. The timing of the actuation and deactuation of the clutch and brake must be accurately controlled in order to avoid damage to the press. For example, a failure in the brake double valve causing the brake actuator to release so that the brake is applied at the same time that the clutch actuator is still engaged could result in attempting to cycle the press while the brake is engaged. Attempting to cycle the press while the brake is engaged can cause an unsafe condition or damage the actuators or the press. Therefore, when one of the double valves becomes faulted, the other valve must be quickly deactuated so that such a simultaneous actuation is avoided.
Conventional techniques for addressing the potential problem of continued operation of one double valve when the other valve is faulted have been subject to various disadvantages which have resulted in them being unacceptable under the relevant standards. Examples of prior art methods include the use of flow control valves connected between each double valve and its respective actuator, quick dump valves connected to the clutch actuator for timing, or pressure switches used to indicate a valve fault and to cause a second valve to deactuate.
Another prior art approach has been to slow the actuation time of the clutch control valve by restricting the inlet supply to the pilots. Simultaneously, deactuation time of the brake valve has been slowed by restricting the exhaust ports of the pilots. This arrangement prevents overlap of the clutch and brake during normal operation, but does not monitor the system for valve faults. Therefore, additional components need to be used to monitor the system and to deactuate both valves whenever either valve enters a fault state. A similar method to prevent overlap of the clutch and brake operation has been to restrict airflow to the main inlet of the clutch control valve and to restrict the main exhaust of the brake control valve. This alternative method similarly requires additional components for monitoring and deactuating both valves whenever either valve becomes faulted.
The present invention dynamically controls the double valves in a manner that advantageously ensures that whenever one double valve faults then the other double valve quickly deactuates. The invention avoids additional valve components or deliberately degrading the timing performance of the double valves. The double valves are interconnected so that operation of each pilot valve depends upon receiving pressurized fluid from the other valve which is only present when the other double valve is not in a fault condition.
In one aspect of the invention, a control valve apparatus couples pressurized fluid to first and second actuators using first and second double valves. The first double valve comprises a first inlet for receiving the pressurized fluid, a first outlet for coupling with the first actuator, and a first exhaust. A first valve element of the first double valve has a first inlet poppet and a first flow restrictor. A second valve element of the first double valve has a second inlet poppet and a second flow restrictor. The first double valve further includes a first crossover passage fluidically coupling the first flow restrictor to the second inlet poppet and a second crossover passage coupling the second flow restrictor to the first inlet poppet. The second double valve comprises a second inlet for receiving the pressurized fluid, a second outlet for coupling with the second actuator, and a second exhaust. A third valve element of the second double valve has a third inlet poppet and a third flow restrictor. A fourth valve element of the second double valve has a fourth inlet poppet and a fourth flow restrictor. The second double valve further includes a third crossover passage fluidically coupling the third flow restrictor to the fourth inlet poppet and a fourth crossover passage coupling the fourth flow restrictor to the third inlet poppet. A first pilot is fluidically coupled to the first valve element and has a first pilot fluid inlet. A second pilot is fluidically coupled to the second valve element and has a second pilot fluid inlet. A third pilot is fluidically coupled to the third valve element and has a third pilot fluid inlet. A fourth pilot is fluidically coupled to the fourth valve element having a fourth pilot fluid inlet. A first interconnection fluidically couples the first crossover passage with the third pilot fluid inlet. A second interconnection fluidically couples the second crossover passage with the fourth pilot fluid inlet. A third interconnection fluidically couples the third crossover passage with the first pilot fluid inlet. A fourth interconnection fluidically couples the fourth crossover passage with the second pilot fluid inlet.
Referring to
A second double valve 20 has an outlet port 21 coupled to clutch actuator 12 by a pressure line 22. Inlet port 23 is coupled to pressurized fluid source 17 by a branch of pressure line 18 and an exhaust port 24 is coupled to atmosphere and may include a silencer.
An electronic controller 25 is coupled to pilot valves 26 and 27 on double valve 13 and to pilot valves 28 and 29 on double valve 20. A switch 125 is coupled to controller 25 for allowing a press operator to initiate the machine cycle process of press 10 by signaling controller 25, which will generate a control signal to start a machine cycle of press 10. Controller 25 provides the electrical control signals to pilot valves 26-29 in a conventional manner.
Double valves 13 and 20 are shown having an internal crossover structure between the valve elements within each double valve. The timing chambers within each double valve are pressurized by inlet pressurized fluid flowing through respective restrictions. In a normal operation cycle, electrical signals cause the pilot valves to actuate and apply pressure to the valve elements. Pressure acting against the main valve pistons of the valve elements cause the valve elements to move to their actuated positions so that the pressurized fluid flows between the inlet port and outlet port via the respective crossover passages. When the electrical signals are removed from the pilot valves, the pilot valves return to their normal deactuated positions and the main valve chambers are exhausted to atmosphere. Pressure from the timing chamber then operates on the valve elements to return them to their deactuated positions. Thus, during normal operation the valve elements in a double valve operate together in a synchronous manner.
When any malfunction arises in connection with any valve element (e.g., a stuck valve element), the valve elements will cease to move synchronously. As a result, one main valve element is in an actuated position (either partially or fully) while the other main valve element is in the returned, deactuated position. These abnormal positions cause the crossover passage and timing chamber of one side of a double valve to be pressurized in a normal manner while the crossover passage and timing chamber of the other half of the double valve are exhausted to atmosphere. The double valve remains in this fault state until reset by a separate mechanism.
The present invention interconnects the two double valves so that synchronous operation of valve elements in each double valve depends in part upon the other double valve not being in a faulted state. The crossover passages of each double valve inherently remain under full inlet pressure during the normal actuated and deactuated states of the valve. However, when at least one double valve is in the fault state, the corresponding crossover passage falls to substantially atmospheric pressure because the crossover passage becomes fluidically coupled to the exhaust port (i.e., the faulted double valve cannot actuate the clutch or brake actuator that it is intended to control). The present invention interconnects each crossover passage with a pilot valve inlet of the opposite double valve whereby a pilot valve can provide pressurized fluid to activate a corresponding valve element only if the opposite double valve is not faulted on the side of the double valve from which it receives pressurized fluid (i.e., the double valve not experiencing the initial fault will become unable to actuate the clutch or brake actuator that it is intended to control).
Besides the crossover passages, the timing chambers coupled to the crossover passages could alternatively be used as a source of pressurized fluid that would fail to provide pressure when a valve is faulted, but they are not preferred because fast operation of the present invention is important and the timing chambers take longer to fall to atmospheric pressure since they are exhausted through a restriction. Thus, it is preferred to use the crossover passage as the source of pressurized fluid rather than a timing chamber.
Referring now to
Second double valve 31 includes third and fourth valve elements 45 and 46. A third pilot 47 is connected to a third booster pilot 48 for controlling third valve element 45. Fourth pilot 50 is connected to fourth booster pilot 51 for controlling fourth valve element 46. Booster pilots 48 and 51 receive inlet fluid from timing chambers 52 and 53, respectively. Inlets 54 and 59 receive pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source. Outlets 97 and 98 are connected to the brake actuator. An exhaust 99 is connected to atmospheric pressure.
A first interconnection between double valves 30, 31 comprises a first fluid line 55 between a first crossover passage 70 of valve element 32 and the inlet of pilot 47. A second interconnection comprises a second fluid line 56 coupled between a second crossover passage 71 of valve element 33 and the inlet of pilot 50. Likewise, a third interconnection is comprised of a third fluid line 57 between a third crossover passage 72 of valve element 45 in double valve 31 and the inlet of pilot 34 of double valve 30, and a fourth interconnection is comprised of a fourth fluid line 58 coupled between a fourth crossover passage 73 of valve element 46 and the inlet of pilot 36. It should be noted that there are several other possible pairings between the double valves. For example, the “left” side pilot 34 of double valve 30 could receive fluid from either crossover passage 72, 73 of double valve 31 while the “left” side crossover passage 70 of double valve 30 could be providing fluid to either pilot 47, 50 of double valve 31 (i.e., without regard to which connection is chosen for left side pilot 34). However, the details of the valve timing utilized in a particular double valve design may result in operational differences depending upon which interconnect pairings are chosen. With regard to the DM2™ Crossflow SERPAR® double valves mentioned above, the pairings shown in
The interconnected double valves 30, 31 are shown in cross-sectional view in
With each valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 in its deactuated position, as shown in
Fluid lines 55-58 feed from crossover passages 70-73, respectively, to connect with pilot fluid inlets 75-78 of pilots 34, 36, 47, and 50. Each fluid line 55-58 extends between the double valves such that fluid line 55 interconnects crossover passage 70 with pilot inlet 77 of pilot 47; fluid line 56 interconnects crossover passage 71 with pilot inlet 78 of pilot 50; fluid line 57 interconnects crossover passage 72 with pilot inlet 75 of pilot 34; and fluid line 58 interconnects crossover passage 73 with pilot inlet 76 of pilot 36. The pilots 34, 36, 47, 50 further include respective electrical control inputs 80-83 for connecting with controller 25 in a conventional manner.
In response to the pressurized fluid received from a crossover passage 70-73 of the opposite double valve 30,31, each pilot 34, 36, 47, 50 controls a respective booster pilot 35, 37, 48, 51 according to the electrical control signal sent by controller 25. Pilots 34, 36, 47, and 50 each can be comprised of a three-way pilot having an outlet connected to drive a booster valve element in each booster pilot 35, 37, 48, 51. Thus, booster pilot 35 includes a booster element 84 for selectably interconnecting booster inlet 85 to booster outlet 86. Booster pilot 37 includes a booster element 87 for selectably interconnecting booster inlet 88 with booster outlet 89. Booster pilot 48 includes a booster element 90 for selectably interconnecting booster inlet 91 with booster outlet 92. Booster pilot 51 includes a booster element 93 for selectably interconnecting booster inlet 94 with booster outlet 95. The booster inlets 85, 88, 91, 94 receive pressurized fluid from timing chambers 38, 39, 52, and 53, respectively. With each pilot 34, 36, 47, 50 deactuated, each respective pilot outlet, which is connected to a corresponding booster control element 84, 87, 90, 93, is exhausted so that pressurized fluid from a corresponding timing chamber 38, 39, 52, 53 is blocked from the respective booster outlet 86, 89, 92, 95 and each respective main valve control element 32, 33, 45, 46 remains in its deactuated position. Since each crossover passage 70-73 is fully pressurized, inlet pressure is available to each pilot 34, 36, 47, 50 so that when activated, the fluid pressure will be able to reposition the respective booster control element 84, 87, 90, 93 to an actuated position. Once the respective booster control element 84, 87, 90, 93 is in an actuated position, pressurized fluid from the respective timing chamber 38, 39, 52, 53 is applied against the corresponding valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 to put each double valve 30, 31 in its actuated state as shown in
Interconnection of each pilot 34, 36, 47, 50 with a crossover passage of the other double valve 30, 31 creates an AND-function in the inherent control logic of the double valves 30, 31 wherein a particular valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 can actuate only if the pilot 34, 36, 47, 50 associated with the valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 receives both a control signal and pressurized fluid from the other double valve 30, 31. Upon occurrence of a fault, the loss of pressure in one crossover passage 70-73 that accompanies the failure of a double valve 30, 31 propagates to one of the pilots 34, 36, 47, 50 of the unfaulted valve. Loss of pressure to the pilot disables its ability to activate the piston of the corresponding valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 in the unfaulted valve 30, 31.
A typical mechanism for causing a fault is the sticking of a valve element 32, 33, 45, 46 due to foreign matter or corrosion. Because it is extremely unlikely that both valve elements of a double valve 30, 31 would become stuck in the same position at the same time, the sticking of a valve element will cause the motion of the valve elements to be non-synchronous. Because of the configuration of the double valve, the non-synchronous movement causes it to become locked out in a faulted state with the outlet port 42, 43, 97, 98 tied to the exhaust port 44, 99.
If one of the double valve elements faults in either step 102, 104, or 105, then the corresponding one of the double valves becomes faulted at step 106. At step 107, pressure drops in the corresponding crossover passage tied to the faulted valve element in the faulted valve. Because of the interconnection between double valves, pilot pressure drops to the corresponding pilot in the unfaulted double valve. Consequently, the second double valve faults in step 109 such that it cannot actuate (i.e., its outlet remains coupled to its exhaust port) until both double valves are deliberately reset. Therefore, as soon as one of the clutch or brake actuators becomes deactuated by a faulted double valve it becomes impossible to actuate the other one of the clutch or brake actuators, and press damage is prevented.
