Patent Application
20230415176
The present invention relates to a solenoid valve for dispensing a fluid which is widely used in the agricultural sector.
The present invention also relates to a spare parts kit for the solenoid valve. As is known, the solenoid valves are used to spray the fields with fertilizers and/or similar products. The solenoid valves are usually mounted along a pipe in turn mounted on an agricultural vehicle equipped with a tank containing the liquid to be sprayed. In this situation, during the advancement of the agricultural vehicle on the field, the solenoid valves are opened or closed simultaneously or in a staggered manner with each other so as to nebulize the spraying liquid.
The known solenoid valves comprise a nozzle body provided with at least one fluid inlet conduit and at least one fluid outlet conduit. The nozzle body is engaged to a valve body provided with a seat inside which a stem set in motion slides by means of the action of a solenoid. This stem is configured to allow the passage or prevent the passage of the fluid from the inlet conduit to the outlet conduit.
In particular, the stem, in its motion, intercepts, by opening and closing, a passage gap so as to allow or not the passage of the fluid.
In the known solenoid valves, between the stem and the passage gap, there is interposed at least one gasket configured to act as a mechanical abutment for the stroke of the stem.
In the known solenoid valves there are also further gasket rings interposed between the nozzle body and the diaphragm so as to fix the nozzle body to the valve body.
Disadvantageously, the known solenoid valves have drawbacks mainly related to their structural complexity.
In detail, the known solenoid valves are particularly complex to disassemble and require the operator to intervene using specific tools.
A further disadvantage is also given by the method of assembling the components of the valve. In particular, since the diaphragm must engage with the gasket, the diaphragm has a shape such as to cause the deposit of the debris and the impurities left by the fluid.
The structural complexity of the solenoid valve therefore makes the maintenance and disassembly (as well as the assembly) of the known solenoid valves particularly expensive in terms of time and cost.
The technical task of the present invention is therefore to make available a solenoid valve that is able to overcome the drawbacks which have emerged from the prior art.
The subject-matter of the present invention is therefore to make available a solenoid valve that is quick and easy to disassemble and assemble.
In particular, the subject-matter of the present invention is to provide a solenoid valve that can be easily disassembled and assembled so as not to require particular tools and to allow inspection and maintenance operations, which can be carried out by non-specialized personnel, even on an agricultural field.
A further object of the present invention is therefore to make available a solenoid valve that allows to more easily remove the deposit of debris contained in the fluid that flows in the solenoid valve itself and in particular to also access the individual components to carry out cleaning operations. A further object of the present invention is to make available a solenoid valve that allows the easy release of some components for possible replacements or maintenance operations.
The stated technical task and specified objects are substantially achieved by a solenoid valve comprising the technical features set forth in one or more of the appended claims. The dependent claims correspond to possible embodiments of the invention.
In particular, the specified technical task is substantially achieved by a solenoid valve for dispensing a fluid, in particular a fluid for agricultural use, comprising a nozzle body provided with a fluid inlet section and a fluid outlet section. The nozzle body further comprises an attachment portion interposed between the inlet section and the outlet section. The solenoid valve, subject-matter of the present invention, further comprises a box-shaped body connected or connectable, through reversible hooking means, to the attachment portion of the nozzle body comprising a solenoid and a movable core sliding within the solenoid itself between a first operating position and a second operating position. The solenoid valve further comprises a connecting body comprising a fixing component, fixed or fixable to the box-shaped body so as to define a passage seat for the core, and a gasket fixed or fixable to the attachment portion so as to be interposed between the fixing component and the nozzle body. The solenoid valve further comprises a hollow cylindrical body, retained by the gasket fixed to the attachment portion and so as to be contained at least partially in the passage seat of the core, and configured to enable fluid to pass between the inlet section and the outlet section of the nozzle body, when the core is in the first operating position in which the core is spaced apart from the hollow cylindrical body, and receive in abutment the core itself, when the core is in the second operating position, so as to prevent fluid passing between the inlet section and the outlet section.
Advantageously, the fact that the core comes directly into abutment with the hollow cylindrical body allows to avoid the interposition of further sealing elements making the assembly and disassembly of the solenoid valve simple and fast, with direct access to all the components for inspection, maintenance and cleaning operations.
Advantageously, the absence of mounting screws for the assembly of the solenoid valve contributes to making the latter further easy to disassemble and maintain.
Advantageously, the presence of removable hooking means enables the decoupling and coupling of the housed coil, within the box-shaped body from the solenoid to carry out rapid component replacement and maintenance operations.
Preferably, the solenoid valve further comprises a filtering element configured to filter impurities contained in the entering fluid. This filtering element is retained between the fixing component and the hollow cylindrical body.
Advantageously, the filtering element makes the operation of cleaning the sediments from the solenoid valve easy as it is sufficient to remove said element and replace it with a new one which in combination with the ease of assembly and disassembly of the solenoid valve makes this operation simple and fast.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the indicative and thus non-limiting description of an embodiment of a solenoid valve.
Such a description will be set out below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided solely for illustrative and therefore non-limiting purposes, in which:
With reference to the accompanying figures, 1 denotes a solenoid valve for dispensing a fluid, in particular a fluid for agricultural use, and 100 denotes a spare parts kit for replacing the moving parts of the solenoid valve 1. The term “fluid for agricultural use” means products such as fertilisers, manures, herbicides, fungicides and other solutions used in agriculture.
The solenoid valve 1, subject-matter of the present invention, comprises a nozzle body 2 provided with a fluid inlet section 2a and a fluid outlet section 2b. The nozzle body 2 further comprises an attachment portion 2c interposed between the inlet section 2a and the outlet section 2b.
Preferably, the attachment portion 2c comprises an inlet conduit 2c′ communicating with the inlet section 2a and an outlet conduit 2c″ coaxial with the inlet conduit 2c′ and communicating with the outlet section 2b.
Even more preferably, as shown in the section of
The solenoid valve 1 further comprises a box-shaped body 3 connected or connectable to the attachment portion 2c of the nozzle body 2.
Said box-shaped body 3 comprises a solenoid 3a and a movable core 3b sliding within the solenoid 3a between a first operating position and a second operating position as will be described in detail below. In other words, the box-shaped body 3 is provided with a seat within which the solenoid 3a is at least partially coupled, keeping it facing the attachment portion 2c.
Preferably, the box-shaped body 3 further comprises a coil 3c configured to supply an electric current to the solenoid 3a so as to create a magnetic field to move the core 3b.
Even more preferably, as illustrated in the second variant of
As shown in the variant of
Preferably, the fixing body 4a is substantially hollow and has a first portion 4a′ with shaped section and a second portion 4a″ with circular section having a larger diameter than the first portion 4a′. In greater detail, a first opening is obtained in the first portion 4a′ while a second opening communicating with the first opening and having a diameter greater than the first opening is obtained in the second portion 4a″. Such openings define the passage seat 5 for the core 3b during its sliding motion.
In the embodiment shown in the accompanying
To retain the fixing body 4a in position, like for example represented in the preferred embodiment, the connecting body 4 is externally wrapped by a sealing element 7 having an end engaged with the box-shaped body 3 and an end engaged with the nozzle body 2. Preferably, the sealing element 7 also has an internal shaping, for example a circular rib, configured to retain the fixing body 4a.
In the variant embodiment illustrated in
In a first embodiment, applied to the first and second variants of solenoid valve 1 illustrated in
In said first embodiment, the solenoid 3a has a head portion 31a passing through the box-shaped body 3 and emerging therefrom. The reversible hooking means 8 intercept the head portion 31a making an integral connection between the solenoid 3a and the box-shaped body 3.
In other words, the fixing clip 8a intercepts the head portion 31a and, by effect of an abutment surface of the fixing clip 8a, prevents the solenoid 3a from being able to slip off the box-shaped body 3.
In the event that it is necessary to replace the box-shaped body 3, and with it the coil 3, it is sufficient to release the reversible hooking means 8 to disconnect the box-shaped body 3 from the solenoid 3a.
In the second embodiment of the solenoid valve 1 illustrated in
In said second embodiment, the sealing element 7 has a pair of through holes 7a, transversely passing through the sealing element 7 and the box-shaped body 3 has a protuberance 3f with a circular groove 3g.
The reversible hooking means 8 is coupled in the pair of through holes 7a by intercepting the groove 3g therein.
In other words, the fork 8b has a pair of arms coupled in the pair of through holes 7a and the spacing between the arms is such as to trap the groove 3g of the protuberance 3f therein.
Also in this case, when it is necessary to replace the box-shaped body 3a and with it the coil 3c it is sufficient to release the reversible hooking means 8 to disconnect the box-shaped body 3 from the sealing element 7.
As shown in the accompanying figures, the connecting body 4 further comprises a gasket 4b fixed or fixable to the attachment portion 2c so as to be interposed between the fixing component 4a and the nozzle body 2.
Preferably, the gasket 4b comprises a main conduit 4b′ coaxial to the outlet conduit 2c″ of the valve body 2 and at least one secondary conduit 4b″ in fluid communication with the inlet conduit 2c′ of the valve body 2.
In the preferred embodiment, the at least one secondary conduit 4b″ is further in fluid communication with the second portion 4a″ of the fixing component 4a and therefore with the passage seat 5 so that the fluid can flow from the inlet conduit 2c′ to the passage seat 5. In such a situation, the fluid entering the inlet conduit 2c′ passes within the at least one secondary conduit 4b″ and flows into the passage seat 5 as will be described in detail below.
As shown in the accompanying figures, the gasket 4b further comprises a first circular projection “S1” extending along an outer edge of the gasket 4b and configured to engage within a respective circular recess obtained in an outer wall of the attachment portion 2c and a second circular projection “S2” extending around the main conduit 4b′ and configured to be inserted at least partially within the inlet conduit 2c′. The first circular projection “S1” and the second circular projection “S2” delimit the at least one secondary conduit 4b″.
In a preferred embodiment, as visible in
In other words, the gasket 4b is shaped so as to engage with the nozzle body 2 by means of the circular projections “S1”, “S2” to allow the entry of the fluid from the inlet conduit 2c′ to the passage seat 5 and subsequently from the passage seat 5 itself to the outlet conduit 2c″ when the core 3b is in the first operating position.
Advantageously, the fact that the gasket 4b is fixed to the attachment portion 2c of the nozzle body 2, for example by means of a shape coupling defined by the recesses and by the projections “S1”, “S2”, makes it possible to facilitate and speed up the assembly and disassembly of the solenoid valve 1 without the need to intervene with appropriate tools.
The solenoid valve 1, subject-matter of the present invention, further comprises a hollow cylindrical body 6 retained by the gasket 4b, fixed to the attachment portion 2c, so as to be contained at least partially in the passage seat 5.
In particular, as shown in
The fact that the hollow cylindrical body 6 is retained by the gasket 4b, and in particular by the main conduit 4b′, is particularly advantageous since it is possible that several nozzle bodies 2 have different diameters of outlet ducts 2c″. In this situation, in order to adapt the gasket 4b to the nozzle 2, the diameter of the main conduit 4b′ of the gasket 4b must simply be adapted so that it complies with the outlet conduit 2c″ and the relative hollow cylindrical body 6.
As previously described, the hollow cylindrical body 6 is configured to allow fluid to pass between the inlet section 2a and the outlet section 2b of the nozzle body 2. In particular, the passage of fluid is allowed when the core 3b is in the first operating position in which the core 3b is spaced apart from the hollow cylindrical body 6. In such a configuration, the core 3b is inserted into the box-shaped body 3 so that an end portion thereof is inserted into the first portion 4a′ of the fixing body 4a. In doing so, the fluid entering the inlet conduit 2c′ passes through the at least one secondary conduit 4b″ towards the passage seat 5. In such a situation, the fluid passes within the hollow cylindrical body 6 and flows into the outlet conduit 2c″ of the attachment portion 2c of the nozzle body 2.
The hollow cylindrical body 6 is further configured to receive in abutment the core 3b when the core 3b is in the second operating position so as to prevent fluid passing between the inlet section 2a and the outlet section 2b. In such a configuration, the core 3b projects from the first portion 4a′ of the fixing body 4a so as to close the passage defined by the hollow cylindrical body 6 by preventing the fluid from passing from the passage seat 5 to the outlet conduit 2c″ of the attachment portion 2c.
In use, when the core 3b is in the first operating position, i.e. it is distal with respect to the hollow cylindrical body 6, the fluid is free to flow defining a flow between the inlet conduit 2c′ and the outlet conduit 2c″. In other words, the fluid defines a flow that from the inlet conduit 2c′, passes through the secondary conduit 4b″ made in the gasket 4b, flows within the passage seat 5 defined by the fixing component 4a and from the passage seat 5 passes through the hollow cylindrical body 6, inserted in the main conduit 4b′ of the gasket 4b, outflowing through the outlet conduit 2c″.
On the contrary, when the core 3b is in the second operating position, i.e. it is in abutment with the hollow cylindrical body 6, the flow of fluid is prevented and therefore the core 3b prevents the fluid from flowing inside the hollow cylindrical body 6 towards the outlet conduit 2c″.
Preferably, the hollow cylindrical body 6 projects slightly from the main conduit 4b′ so as to present a first surface 6′ partially inserted in the passage seat 5 and a second surface 6″, opposite to the first surface 6′, at least partially inserted in the outlet conduit 2c″.
More in detail, the first surface 6′ faces the core 3b and is shaped so as to have a circular crown configured to rest directly on the gasket 4b.
In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, also the second surface 6″ of the hollow cylindrical body 6, inserted in the outlet conduit 2c″, has a circular crown resting on the gasket 4b in such a way that the hollow cylindrical body 6 is locked inside the gasket 4b itself.
Advantageously, this conformation of the cylindrical body 6 allows the latter to remain firmly in position without the need to introduce additional gaskets or screws.
When the core 3b is in the second operating position, the flow of fluid is totally prevented and there are no leaks, the hollow cylindrical body 6 comprises a surface 6′ (coincident with the aforementioned first surface) counter-shaped on an end surface 3b′ of the core 3b such that the end surface 3b′ adheres to the hollow cylindrical body 6.
Advantageously, the fact that the core 3b is in direct mechanical abutment with the hollow cylindrical body 6 allows to avoid the interposition of further fixing elements and/or gaskets that would make it difficult to disassemble the solenoid valve 1 during maintenance.
In use, to prevent or allow the passage of fluid through the solenoid valve 1, the core 3b is moved in sliding, thanks to the action of the solenoid 3a, between the first operating position, in which it is distal with respect to the hollow cylindrical body 6 and allows the fluid to pass from the inlet conduit 2c′ to the outlet conduit 2c″ through the hollow cylindrical body 6 itself, and the second operating position, in which the core 3b is in abutment with the counter-shaped surface 6′ of the hollow cylindrical body 6 so as to obstruct the outlet conduit 2c″ and prevent the fluid from passing.
Preferably, the core 3b can also maintain an intermediate position between the first operating position, in which the flow of fluid is maximum, and the second operating position, in which the flow of fluid is nil, so as to allow a smaller flow of fluid to pass from the inlet conduit 2c′ to the outlet conduit 2c″.
In a preferred embodiment, the solenoid valve 1 further comprises a filtering element 9 configured to filter impurities contained in the fluid entering the solenoid valve 1 itself.
The purpose of the filtering element 9 is to prevent large-sized impurities from interfering with the movement of the core 3b within the solenoid 3a generating malfunctions and even seizures therebetween.
Preferably, but not in a limiting manner, the filtering element 9 is made in the form of a wire mesh.
The filtering element 9 is retained between the fixing component 4a and the hollow cylindrical body 6.
Advantageously, the presence and the positioning of the filtering element 9 allow to extend the useful life of the gasket 4b as they prevent impurities present in the fluid from ruining and/or clogging the gasket 4b.
Advantageously, the presence and the positioning of the filtering element 9 allow to obtain an easier and faster maintenance since it is enough to replace the filtering element 9 without completely disassembling the solenoid valve 1.
Preferably, the filtering element 9 has a substantially circular shape having a central hole to enable the hollow cylindrical body 6 to be inserted into the gasket 4b.
In use, the fluid passes from the inlet conduit 2c′ of the attachment portion 2c to the secondary conduit 4b″. Between the gasket 4b and the fixing component 4a, i.e. in the passage between the secondary conduit 4b″ and the passage seat 5, the fluid passes through the filtering element so that the impurities remain trapped therein. Subsequently, if the core 3b is in the second operating position, i.e. if it is spaced apart from the hollow cylindrical body 6, the fluid passes from the passage seat 5 in the hollow cylindrical body 6 towards the outlet conduit 2c″.
The kit 100 comprises the parts of the solenoid valve 1 most subject to wear, i.e. the parts that are, during normal operation of the solenoid valve 1, in motion.
More specifically, the kit 100 comprises at least one replacement solenoid 30a, a replacement core 30b, the replacement hollow cylindrical body 60, a replacement gasket 40b and a replacement filtering element 90.
For the first variant of solenoid valve, illustrated in the figure, in
By supplying the kit 100 to a user, the latter will be able, by decoupling the sealing element 7 without the use of specific tools, to access directly inside the solenoid valve 1 and evaluate whether to replace worn parts. In this way it will be possible to restore the correct operation of the solenoid valve without replacing the electronic part.
The present invention achieves the proposed objects, eliminating the drawbacks that have emerged from the known art.
In particular, the possibility of closing the core 3b in abutment directly on the gasket 4b simplifies the structure of the entire solenoid valve 1 greatly facilitating the assembly and disassembly thereof so as to allow the operator not to have to intervene with specific tools.
The presence of the filtering element 9 allows to reduce the wear and the phenomena of clogging of the gasket 4b and therefore of the entire solenoid valve 1.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102022000013621 | Jun 2022 | IT | national |
