Patent Application
20150259887
The object of the present invention is a hydraulic section for load sensing applications and a multiple hydraulic distributor that uses one or more of these hydraulic sections.
As is known, a load sensing hydraulic system makes it possible to maintain the pressure drop substantially constant through a metering orifice of a spool valve.
In particular, a load sensing hydraulic system finds use in working machines that provide for the simultaneous performance of a plurality of movements. For example, consider the case of a working machine with a rotating turret, such as an excavator or a telescopic loader, in which the rotation of the cabin, the extension of the arm and the movements of the bucket must be managed independently of each other.
In some working machines, for reasons of safety, the movement of one or more hydraulic actuators must be inhibited when dangerous work conditions arise. Again for reasons of safety, it is necessary that some functions be mutually exclusive. For example, when the stabilisers of a crane are activated, all the other functions must be inhibited.
Different manufacturers have proposed a variety of structures for hydraulic distributors that are capable of satisfying this safety requirement.
One solution commonly adopted to ensure safety provides for the use of a logic element for closure in the inlet cover.
As is known, flow-sharing structures have been developed to overcome the limits of conventional structures, in which a request for a flow rate greater than the maximum flow rate that can be delivered by the pump is followed by the slowing down or stopping of the service line having the highest load. On the contrary, flow-sharing distributors provide for a proportional reduction of the flow for all the service lines, when there is a request for a flow rate greater than the maximum deliverable flow that can be supplied by the pump.
Some solutions adopted to satisfy the safety requirement in load sensing distributors of a flow-sharing type are briefly outlined below.
In the solution offered in WO2011/154809, Hydrocontrol solves the safety issue locally, by preventing opening of the compensators by means of a drainage of the frontal chamber.
The solutions proposed by Hitachi and by Rexroth also intervene locally, by preventing the opening of the local compensator (see document EP1164297 by Hitachi and document U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,662 by Rexroth).
Another need regarding working machines is that of limiting the working pressure of several service lines in such a way as to:
To achieve these objectives, solutions that avoid the use of auxiliary valves on the workports need to be found, as auxiliary valves discharge the entire flow intended for use at the pre-set pressure value and are thus uneconomical in terms of energy consumption.
Limiting pressure locally is achieved quite easily in conventional load sensing distributors, whereas it proves to be more difficult to achieve in flow-sharing distributors given that the local compensators in the latter share the line for detecting the highest load pressure.
The solution adopted in WO2011/115647 by Parker Hannafin Corporation integrates a pressure limiter in the post-compensator. In practice, this solution is based on piloting the local compensator in the closing direction, by means of a balancing of the pressures on the active areas thereof, and on intervention of the return spring of the same compensator (which is normally closed).
There is further comprised a gauged throttle that enables management of the increase in pressure during the limiting stage, in that it decouples the chamber on the side of the spring with respect to line for detecting the highest load pressure. A drainage line interposed between the active areas prevents undesirable intervention of the limiter.
The principal disadvantage of this solution lies in its highly complex structural design, which also determines difficult access to the contrast spring, with resulting critical problems in the realisation of solutions with adjustable pressures.
In the solution offered by Hitachi (EP1164297), closure of the compensator takes place by means of a dedicated locking/closing valve (indicated in the text as a “lock valve”) having two operational positions: a first position that enables the system and a second position that locks the correlated function. By switching from the first to the second position, the valve makes available an output pressure from a generic supply source. Limitation of the pressure is achieved by pilot-shifting the lock/closing valve, which is rendered dependent on the workport pressure.
In document GB2445095, Sauer-Danfoss achieves the limitation of local pressure by discharge draining the front chamber of the post-compensator by means of a specific valve.
Some of the solutions cited above (for example WO2011/115647 and GB2445095) are not suited to priority operation, but only to flow-sharing. For this reason, hydraulic distributors that employ these solutions always require ad hoc designing of flow-sharing and priority sections, which differ in dimensions and circuit logic.
In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is to offer a hydraulic section for load sensing applications and a multiple hydraulic distributor that overcome the drawbacks of the prior art cited hereinabove.
Specifically, the aim of the present invention is to make available a hydraulic section for load sensing applications with inhibition of the function controlled by the hydraulic section, that is structurally more simple and compact than the prior art solutions and that can be employed universally, that is to say, as a flow-sharing section and as a priority section.
Another aim of the present invention is to offer a hydraulic section for load sensing applications that is capable of locally controlling the maximum working pressure, thereby reducing energy consumption. As mentioned above, the universal nature of the hydraulic section proposed, that is, its use as a flow-sharing section and as a priority section, must be guaranteed.
With reference to the universal nature of a hydraulic section, it is noted that the Applicant has recently developed a hydraulic section that can be employed as a flow-sharing section and as a priority section (see document WO2011/096001). This is made possible by predisposing a channel that passes through all the hydraulic sections and in that the priority sections is connected to a chamber of the pressure compensator, whereas in the flow-sharing sections, it is isolated. More precisely, the second chamber can be connected to the feed line by means of this channel in such a manner that the hydraulic section operates as a priority section, or it can be connected to a line for detecting the highest load pressure so that the section operates as a flow-sharing type of section.
The defined technical task and the specified aims are substantially achieved by a hydraulic section for load sensing applications and by a multiple hydraulic distributor, which comprise the technical characteristics set forth in one or more of the attached claims.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the approximate, and thus non-limiting, description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a hydraulic section for load sensing applications and a multiple hydraulic distributor, as illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:
a and 2b are sectioned views of a portion (compensation means and piston) of the hydraulic section appearing in
a and 4b are sectioned views of a portion (compensation means and piston) of the hydraulic section appearing in
With reference to the figures, a hydraulic section for load sensing applications is indicated by the number 1 and a multiple hydraulic distributor comprising a plurality of hydraulic sections 1 is indicated by the number 10.
Each hydraulic section 1 comprises a valve body 2, inside of which a main spool 3 is longitudinally slidable. This main spool 3 (also known as a “shuttle”) serves to selectively transmit pressurised hydraulic fluid coming from a feed line Pal from a pump 100 to workports A, B through a metering orifice 4.
For example, the main spool 3 is of the six-way three-position type. Alternatively, the main spool 3 can be of the four-position type, that is, it comprises an additional position (called the “floating” position) which discharges both workports A, B. Specifically, the main spool 3 is fed by a channel that coincides with the feed line Pal.
Pressure compensation means 5 are found downstream of the main spool 3 and the means 5 are capable of maintaining a substantially constant pressure drop through the metering orifice 4.
The pressure compensation means 5 are housed in a first hole obtained in the valve body 2.
A piston 11 or plunger is housed in the first hole.
As can be seen in
Part of an intermediate chamber 16 that is connectable to the feed line Pal is formed in the first hole, between the rod 12 of the piston 11 and the valve body 2.
Preferably, the piston 11 is enclosed, at least partially, by a liner 20 and can slide therewithin. The intermediate chamber 16 thus has:
In an original manner, there are provided control means 6, 7, 18 that are operatively active on the intermediate chamber 16 so as to alter the pressure thereof in such a manner that the piston 11 forces the compensation means 5 to shift from a first configuration, in which the passage of fluid is enabled and a substantially constant pressure drop is maintained through the metering orifice 4, to a second configuration, in which the passage of fluid is interrupted or limited.
In particular, the control means 6, 7, 18 comprise at least one drainage channel 18 pertaining to the intermediate chamber 16.
In the embodiments described and illustrated herein, the control means 6, 7, 18 comprise two limiters 6, 7 integrated in the hydraulic section 1 and piloted by a predefined pressure. For example, this predefined pressure is detected downstream of the compensation means 5 in such a manner as to limit the pressure of the implemented load to a predefined value. Preferably, these limiters 6, 7 are adjustable.
Alternatively, the control means comprise an external pressure tap that is controlled for example by proportional solenoid valves or by sequence valves, or in any case, devices that are not integrated, but external to the hydraulic section 1.
Preferably, the liner 20 has one open end suitable for receiving a closure plug 9. The piston 11 is interposed between the closure plug 9 and the compensation means 5.
In the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in addition to the intermediate chamber 16 in the first hole, two additional chambers are defined: a rear chamber 14 and a front chamber 15.
The rear chamber 14 is defined between the closure plug 9, the base 13 of the piston 11, and the internal walls of the liner 20.
The front chamber 15 is defined between the compensation means 5, the head 12a of the piston 11, the internal walls of the liner 20 and the valve body 2.
The rear chamber 14 is set in communication with the intermediate chamber 16 by means of a passage 17 for fluid obtained in the rod 12 of the piston 11. As stated above, the intermediate chamber 16 is connectable to the feed line Pal and the piston 11 transmits the pressure of the feed line Pal to the rear chamber 14 through the passage 17 for fluid.
In the embodiments described and illustrated herein, the piston 11 is subjected to the action of the pressure on three active areas:
By action of the control means 6, 7, 18, acting on the intermediate chamber 16, the piston 11 is movable inside the liner 20 between:
Preferably, the passage 17 for fluid obtained in the rod 12 of the piston 11 comprises:
In particular, the second portion 17b extends substantially transversely in the rod 12 of the piston 11.
Preferably, the second portion 17b is shaped and dimensioned so as to constitute a throttle.
Preferably, the first portion 17a of the passage 17 for fluid is coaxial with the rod 12 of the piston 11.
The passage 17 for fluid comprises two further portions 17c, 17d, pertaining to the first portion 17a and that receive the fluid from the feed line Pa. In particular, the two further portions 17c, 17d extend substantially transversely in the rod 12 of the piston 11.
In a variant embodiment, a pre-established pressure can be set in the intermediate chamber 16. In this case, the throttle 17b is not present. The pre-established pressure is preferably variable.
As can be seen in
In particular, the first spring 19 abuts between the base 13 of the piston 11 and a front portion 20a of the liner 20. This first spring 19 allows the piston 11 to remain in the resting configuration until a pressure imbalance occurs due to the discharging of fluid in the drainage channel 18.
In a variant embodiment, which is illustrated in
In this variant, the intermediate chamber 16 has:
In this variant, the rear chamber 14 is defined between the closure plug 9, the base 13 of the piston 11 and the walls of the valve body 2 delimiting the first hole.
The front chamber 15 is defined between the compensation means 5, the head 12a of the piston 11 and the walls of the valve body 2 delimiting the first hole.
In the hydraulic section 1 appearing in
In this case, the flow-sharing compensator 5 and the piston 11 are physically separated, that is, they have no mechanical connections. In particular, the front chamber 15, which houses a second spring 33, acts as a separator between the flow-sharing compensator 5 and the piston 11.
The first spring 19 is set with a preload force greater than the value given by the difference between the pressure of the feed line Pal and the line LS for detecting the highest load pressure, multiplied by the surface area S2 of the head 12a of the piston 11.
The flow-sharing hydraulic section 1 further comprises retaining means 8, which comprise a load holding unidirectional valve of a known type. The retaining means 8 are housed in a second hole afforded in the valve body 2.
Advantageously, the first hole and the second hole are distinct and fashioned side by side of each other. In particular, both the first and the second hole are substantially longitudinal in extension along a predefined axis Q.
In the hydraulic section 1 appearing in
Preferably, the piston 11 is connected to the compensator 5 by means of a mechanical interlocking element 39. For example, the mechanical interlocking element 39 is of the bayonet type.
Therefore, the second spring 33 is not present.
In addition to the embodiments described and illustrated herein, the pressure compensation means 5 can include:
The above is a non-exclusive list of examples.
The hydraulic distributor appearing in
At least the feed line Pal and a discharge line T pass through all the sections 1a, 1b, 1c. Preferably, the drainage channel 18 also passes through all the sections 1a, 1b 1c.
The flow-sharing section 1a of a known type will not be described as it does not constitute the object of the present invention. However, it should be pointed out that in the flow-sharing section 1a of a known type, the limiting function is entrusted to auxiliary valves 50 on the workports A, B, with an elevated dissipation of energy.
The preferred structure of a pilot stage 60 is illustrated in
The pilot stage 60 has a known structural design, the only adaptations consisting in ad hoc dimensioning of the single components for the purpose of integrating them in the hydraulic section 1.
As can be seen in
Alternatively, the pilot spool 61 can be controlled directly with the pressure of the load.
The operation of the proposed hydraulic section is described below. Consider for example the path of the fluid in the flow-sharing hydraulic section appearing in
The main spool 3 can slide in the valve body 2 between a neutral position, in which it blocks the passage of fluid towards a first chamber 30, and an operational position, in which it enables passage of the pressurised hydraulic fluid coming from the feed line Pal towards the first chamber 30 through the metering orifice 4.
The first chamber 30 represents the front chamber of the flow-sharing pressure compensator 5.
The front chamber 15, which houses the second spring 33, is found on the side opposite the first chamber 30, with respect to the compensator 5.
Overcoming the action of the second spring 33 and that of the pressure present in the front chamber 15, which is permanently connected to the line LS for detecting the highest load pressure, the compensator 5 shifts into the first configuration.
In this state, the fluid passes from the first chamber 30 to a first distributor bridge 31 located downstream of the compensator 5.
Preferably, selective communication between the first bridge 31 and the line LS (communicating with the front chamber 15) takes place by means of a non-return valve 34, for example a ball valve.
From the first distributor bridge 31, passing through the retaining means 8, a second distributor bridge 37, interposed between the retaining means 8 and the main spool 3, is accessed and it delivers the fluid to the workports A, B.
As is known, the function of the retaining means 8 is to inhibit the passage of fluid until the pressure in the first bridge 31 exceeds the pressure in the second distributor bridge 37. Moreover, reverse flow from the workports A, B to the pump 100 is prevented thanks to the retaining means 8.
Preferably, the front chamber 15 is set in communication with an input zone 35 for the signal coming from the line LS for detecting the highest load pressure. Statically, the input zone 35 for the signal LS and the front chamber 15 are subject to the same pressure. Decoupling means 36 capable of dynamically decoupling the input zone 35 from the front chamber 15 are provided. For example, these decoupling means 36 consist of a throttle.
When the pressure compensator 5 is found in the first configuration, the piston 11 is in the resting configuration, so that there is a pressure equal to the feed pressure in the intermediate chamber 16.
In fact, the two further portions 17c, 17d of the passage 17 for fluid receive the fluid from the feed line Pal through two dedicated channels 38 and they transmit it to the intermediate chamber 16 through the first portion 17a and the throttle 17b.
Through the same first portion 17a, the fluid also reaches the rear chamber 14.
This state is observable in
In practice, when the piston 11 is in the resting configuration, the pressures involved are as follows:
To inhibit the distribution of fluid to the workports A, B, the pressure in the intermediate chamber 16 is altered by the control means 6, 7, 18.
In particular, the intermediate chamber 16 is partially or completely discharged through the drainage channel 18 pertaining thereto. In this manner, the equilibrium in the active areas on the piston 11 is altered and thus the piston 11 shifts from the resting configuration to the active configuration, forcing the compensator 5 in the closing direction. In this manner, the flow of fluid from the first chamber 30 (or front chamber) to the first distributor bridge 31 is interrupted or limited.
This state is observable in
The maximum closing force exerted by the piston 11 is obtained by completely discharging the intermediate chamber 16 through the drainage channel 18.
Closure of the pressure compensator 5 is obtained by setting up the piston 11 and the first spring 19 in such a manner that the action of the piston 11 always exceeds than the reaction of the compensator 5.
Partial drainage of the intermediate chamber 16 makes it possible to limit the operating pressure at the workports A, B.
Limitation of the stroke of the piston 11 allows for limitation of the operating flow rate at the workports A, B.
The operation of the priority hydraulic section 1 illustrated in
In particular, as indicated above, the front chamber 15 does not house any springs (the second spring 33 is not present). However, there is a mechanical interlocking element 39 that connects the piston 11 to the compensator 5.
In this case, all the active areas on the piston 11, including the front chamber 15, receive the feed line Pal pressure.
In fact, the input zone 35 for the signal coming from the line LS for detecting the highest load pressure remains isolated owing to a separator element 40 interposed between the mechanical interlocking element 39 and the compensator 5.
a illustrates the situation in which the piston 11 is found in the resting configuration and the compensator 5 is kept in the open configuration.
b illustrates the situation in which the piston 11 is found in the active configuration and the compensator 5 is forced in the closing direction.
The characteristics of the hydraulic section for load sensing applications and of the multiple hydraulic distributor, according to the present invention, clearly emerge from the description provided, as do the advantages thereof.
In particular, the inhibition of a service line and the limiting of pressure are obtained in a manner that is compact and structurally simple by means of a “differential” piston, which when suitably piloted, mechanically closes the local compensator. In particular, this solution is based on alteration of the balance of pressures on the active areas of the differential piston located between the plug and the compensator.
The differential intermediate chamber thus structured allows for a structural design featuring a non-dissipative architecture.
Given that the means for controlling the pressure act upon an active area of the piston, rather than on the compensator, perturbative effects on the compensator are prevented when the control means are disabled, thus resulting in a more stable hydraulic section.
Furthermore, the proposed structural design makes it possible to limit the pressure locally with minimum dissipation of energy, making a greater flow rate available for the other service lines.
In other words, the energy saved is used to increase the output of the other service lines and thus of the distributor.
Moreover, in the flow-sharing hydraulic section, owing to the fact that the retaining means and the compensator face each other, but are housed in separate holes in the valve body, access to these components is simplified, as is the structure thereof.
Furthermore, by entrusting the control of the highest pressure to the pilot stage adjusted on the basis of the pressure of the first distributor bridge, the workports can be controlled differentially, as is required in some applications.
Owing to the fact that the same common lines pass through all the sections and that the system controlling the piston can be used on any type of compensator, the same hydraulic section can be used for the flow-sharing function and the priority function, by simply substituting part of the components (for example the second spring or the connections between the piston and the compensator), leaving the housings unchanged and enabling/disabling some paths of the fluid through the lining.
The proposed hydraulic section is thus extremely versatile.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14158991.1 | Mar 2014 | EP | regional |
