Patent Application
20120280152
The present disclosure relates to a valve, such as a valve arrangement or valve system for actuating a piston of a piston/cylinder arrangement for a hydraulic or fluidic device.
A generic valve arrangement is known from DE 201 16 920 U1. Valve arrangements of this type are used to activate piston/cylinder arrangements in which, within a cylinder space, a piston is located, to one side face of which is connected one end of a piston rod which is extendable out of the cylinder space and is retractable into this. The space beneath the piston is located on that side of the piston which the piston rod adjoins, whereas the space above the piston is arranged on the other side of the piston. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the space above the piston is greater than the cross-sectional area below the piston, because, in the case of the latter, the cross-sectional area of the piston rod is subtracted. When high-pressure fluid is supplied to the spaces above and below the piston, the piston moves in the direction of the extension of the piston rod; when the space above the piston is relieved in that this space and the fluid located in it are connected to a reservoir which is at low pressure, also called a low-pressure tank, the piston moves in the opposite direction on account of the high pressure in the space below the piston, so that the piston rod is retracted.
By means of this piston/cylinder arrangement, for example, the movable contact pieces of a high-voltage circuit breaker can be actuated.
Of course, by means of such a piston/cylinder arrangement, other components can also be moved, such as, for example, crane arms, buckets or bucket excavators, and the like.
In many applications, for example, a changeover is to take place without reversal losses, that is to say when a volume flow from the pressure connection via the two control edges to the low-pressure tank is to be avoided during the switching operation, so that a different flow resistance or volume flow, depending on the switching position, a short switching time or actuation by means of a low pilot control volume can be achieved.
However, when a 3/2-way valve is used, these specifications often can be fulfilled only inadequately or at a high outlay in production terms and with high production costs. If two 2/2-way valves are used as main control valves, in the event of a changeover the open valve first has to be closed before the closed valve is opened, if a reversal loss is to be avoided and if no further measures are taken. However, for this purpose, in the case of pilot-controlled valves, at least two pilot control valves with suitable activation electrics, for example with time-delayed or sensor-controlled triggering of the second valve, should be used. This entails further high costs and an unnecessarily long delay in the opening of the second 2/2-way valve after the closing of the first.
An exemplary valve arrangement for actuating a piston of a piston/cylinder arrangement for a hydraulic or fluidic device, and for actuating the piston/cylinder arrangement for actuating of a movable contact piece of a high-voltage circuit breaker is disclosed. The valve arrangement comprising: a main control valve arrangement including two 2/2-way valves which are activatable by a pilot control valve arrangement and provides a way for the fluid, which is under high pressure, to flow into a space above the piston and connects the space to a low-pressure tank for relieving pressure in the space, wherein the 2/2-way valves are connected to a pilot control valve arrangement, such that the 2/2-way valves feed or deliver fluid to the main control valve arrangement at either a high pressure or a low pressure, wherein when the fluid, which is under high pressure, is supplied to the space above the piston, a first pilot control valve of the pilot control valve arrangement opens a path for the fluid which is under high pressure to flow into a main control face of a first main control valve of the main control valve arrangement, so that the first main control valve feeds the fluid which is at high pressure to the space above the piston and a second pilot control valve of the pilot control valve arrangement is closed, and wherein when pressure is relieved in the space above the piston, the second pilot control valve opens a path from a main control face of a second main control valve of the main control valve arrangement to the low-pressure tank and the second main control valve opens a path from the space above the piston to the low-pressure tank.
A valve arrangement for actuating a piston of a piston/cylinder arrangement for a hydraulic or fluidic device is disclosed, comprising: a main control valve arrangement including two 2/2-way valves which are activatable by a pilot control valve arrangement and provides a way for the fluid, which is under high pressure, to flow into a space above the piston and connects the space to a low-pressure tank for relieving pressure in the space; and a pilot control valve arrangement having first and second pilot control valves that are connected to the two 2/2 way valves, respectively, of the main control valve arrangement, wherein when high pressure fluid is supplied to the space above the piston, the first pilot control valve opens a path for the high pressure fluid to flow into a first main control valve of the main control valve arrangement, so that the first main control valve feeds the high pressure fluid to the space above the piston, and wherein when pressure is relieved in the space above the piston, the second pilot control valve opens a path from a second main control valve of the main control valve arrangement to the low-pressure tank and the second main control valve opens a path from the space above the piston to the low-pressure tank.
A valve arrangement for actuating the piston/cylinder arrangement for actuating of a movable contact piece of a high-voltage circuit breaker is disclosed, comprising: a main control valve arrangement including two 2/2-way valves which are activatable by a pilot control valve arrangement and provides a way for the fluid, which is under high pressure, to flow into a space above the piston and connects the space to a low-pressure tank for relieving pressure in the space; and a pilot control valve arrangement having first and second pilot control valves that are connected to the two 2/2 way valves, respectively, of the main control valve arrangement, wherein when high pressure fluid is supplied to the space above the piston, the first pilot control valve opens a path for the high pressure fluid to flow into a first main control valve of the main control valve arrangement, so that the first main control valve feeds the high pressure fluid to the space above the piston, and wherein when pressure is relieved in the space above the piston, the second pilot control valve opens a path from a second main control valve of the main control valve arrangement to the low-pressure tank and the second main control valve opens a path from the space above the piston to the low-pressure tank.
The disclosure and also further advantageous refinements and improvements and further advantages will be explained in more detail and described by means of the drawing which illustrates two exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure improve further and to simplify a valve arrangement of the type initially mentioned.
The advantages can be achieved by the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, in particular, that, by means of a valve arrangement composed of two commercially available pilot control valves and of two correspondingly designed 2/2-way valves as main valves or main control valves, the specifications stated above, such as, for example, changeover without reversal losses, a different flow resistance or volume flow depending on the switching position, a very short switching time and actuation by means of a low pilot control volume, can be fulfilled in spite of a comparatively low outlay in production terms.
In this case, according to an exemplary embodiment, the valve arrangement is characterized in that, to supply the high-pressure fluid into the space above the piston, the first pilot control valve opens the way for the fluid which is at high pressure to the main control face of the first main valve, so that the latter feeds the fluid which is at high pressure to the space above the piston, the second pilot control valve being closed, and in that, to relieve the space above the piston, the second pilot control valve opens the way from the main control face of the second main control valve to the low-pressure tank and consequently the second main control valve opens the way from the space above the piston to the low-pressure tank.
A further advantageous embodiment of an exemplary valve arrangement may be that a orifice having a small cross section is provided between the main control faces of the main control valves and the space above the piston of the piston/cylinder arrangement.
This orifice is important inasmuch as, in the event of leakage of, for example, the pilot control valves, it can maintain the high pressure or even the low pressure upstream of the piston/cylinder arrangement, so that faulty movement of the piston in the event of an undesirable lowering of the high pressure or an undesirable rise in the low pressure due to leakage is prevented.
According to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein the piston of the first main control valve, designed as a bistable valve, is retained in its end positions. In a first embodiment, this is achieved in that the piston is retained mechanically by means of a spring-assisted ball latching. In a further refinement, the piston can be retained in its end positions mechanically and magnetically. In this case, the piston can move in a cylinder, a permanent magnet being provided at one end of the cylinder and a spring being provided between this end and the piston, and the force acting upon the piston having a zero crossing.
To drive the piston 14 so that the latter is extended, hydraulic fluid is supplied by means of a pump or in another way from a high-pressure reservoir 19, depending on the position of the valve arrangement, to the space 17 above the piston 14 and to the space 18 below the piston 14, as follows, this being an operation to switch on the circuit breaker.
The high-pressure reservoir 19 has adjoining it a first line section or line length 20 which connects the high-pressure reservoir 19 to the space 18 below the piston 14. The first line section 20 has adjoining it a second line section 21 which is connected to a first pilot control valve 22. The pilot control valve 22 is connected to a third line section 23 which issues into the space 17 above the piston 14 and connects the first pilot control valve 22 to the space 17 above the piston 14. The first line section 20 and there, in particular, the junction point between the first and the second line section 20, 21 have adjoining them a fourth line section 24 which is connected to the first port, also called below the inlet port 25 of a first main control valve 26. The second port, also called below the outlet port 27 of the first main control valve 26, has adjoining it a fifth line section 28 which is connected to the third line section 23 at a junction point 29. On the first main control valve 26, a first return 30 is provided, which adjoins the inlet port 25 and which is connected to a second control face F2/26. Furthermore, a third control face F3/26 is provided, which is connected to the outlet port 27 via a second return 31.
The first main control valve 26 includes a first control face F1/26 which is dimensioned such that the following relation applies:
F
1/26=F2/26+F3/26.
The first control face F1/26 is connected to the third line section 23 via a second junction point 32. Between the first junction point 29 and the second junction point 23 is located a orifice 33 having a small cross section, see also further below.
Connected to the third line section 23 is a sixth line section 34 in which a second pilot control valve 35 is located.
The sixth line section 34 is connected to a seventh line section 36 which issues, on the one hand, into a low-pressure tank 37 and, on the other hand, into a first port, also called below the inlet port 38 of a second main control valve 39. The second port, also called below the outlet port 40 of the second main control valve 39, is connected to the first junction point 29 via an eighth line section 36a.
A first control face F1/39 of the second main valve 39 is connected to the second junction point 32; the second main control valve 29 includes in each case a second and a third control face F2/39 and F3/39 corresponding to the control faces F2/26 and F3/26, here, too, the rule: F1/39=F2/39+F3/39 applying, the pressures acting upon the control faces F1/39 and F2/39+F3/39 acting in the opposite direction upon the piston (see further below) of the main control valve 39. As in the case of the first main control valve 26, the inlet port 38 of the second main control valve 39 is connected to a first return 42 and to the second control face F2/39, and the outlet port 40 of the second main control valve 39 is connected to the third control face F3/39 via a return 43.
The pilot control valves 22, 35 are driven electromagnetically and are brought out of the blocking position shown in
The valve arrangement 10, then, operates as follows:
The pilot control valve 22 then returns to the blocking position on account of the restoring spring 46. The region between the first main control valve 26 and, via the line length 41, also between the second main control valve 39 and the piston/cylinder arrangement 11 is consequently at high pressure.
In a switch-off action, the valve arrangement 10 operates as follows:
When the movable contact piece 16 is to assume the opening position, the space 17 above the piston 14 must be relieved. This takes place in that the second pilot control valve 35 is reversed to passage, with the result that low pressure prevails in the line length 23 between the second pilot control valve 35 and the orifice 33, so that low pressure likewise prevails at the first control face F1/26 of the first main valve 26. As a result, the first main control valve 26 (it may be added here that “main control valve” and “main valve” are the same) is reversed back to the blocking position again on account of the force generated on the piston of the first main valve 26 by the control forces F2/26 and F3/26. Furthermore, low pressure prevails at the first control face F1/39, so that the second main valve 39 is reversed to passage, because, although low pressure prevails at the second control face F2/39, high pressure nevertheless acts at the third control face F3/39 on account of the return 43. As a result, the piston (see further below) of the second main control valve 39 moves into the passage position, so that the space 17 above the piston 14 is relieved via the second main control valve 39. As a consequence of this, owing to the high pressure located in the space 18 below the piston, the piston 14 and consequently the piston rod 15 move in an arrow direction which is opposite to the direction of the arrow P1. A switch-off of the circuit breaker 12 is thereby brought about.
In the region of the free face 52, the cylinder body 50 includes a first cylinder section 62, the inside diameter of which is smaller than the outside diameter of the first piston section 57, the inner end of the first cylinder section 62 having a chamfer 63 which opens at an angle of about 45 degrees into the interior of the cylinder 50, so that this chamfer 63 serves as a sealing seat for the sealing edge 56. Provided on the cylinder body 50 is a second cylinder section 50a, the inside diameter of which corresponds to the outside diameter of the second piston section 59, so that the second piston section 59 is movable slidably in the second cylinder section 50a. This second cylinder section 50a has adjoining it a step 50b which runs radially and via which the second cylinder section 50a merges into the depression 53.
The two faces 52 and 54 form as a whole the second control face F2/39, whereas the step 58 forms the control face F3/39. The step 60 then corresponds to the first control face F1/39.
The piston 51 is under the pressure of a spiral compression spring 64 which is located in the depression 53 between the inner face 54 and the bottom of the depression 53.
Located in the cylinder body 50 are two holes 65 and 66, of which the hole 65 corresponds to the outlet port 40, whereas the free face 52 is assigned to the inlet port 38. The depicted position of the second main control valve 39 corresponds to the position in which the relief to the tank 37 is concluded.
The hole 66 issues with a generatrix into the step 50b.
The first main control valve 26 according to
The outside diameter of the first piston section 73 is larger than the outside diameter of the second piston section 75. The third piston section 76 includes an outside diameter which is larger than the outside diameter of the first piston section 73, and the inside diameter of the depression 80 and in consequence the inside diameter of the fourth piston section 79 are smaller than the outside diameter of the first piston section 73. Inside the depression 80, the piston 71 is delimited by an inner end face 91.
The cylinder body 70 includes a first cylinder section 81, the inside diameter of which corresponds to the outside diameter of the first piston section 73 and which merges via a step 82 into a second cylinder section 83, there being formed at the transition point between the first cylinder section 81 and the step 82 a chamfer 84 which corresponds to the chamfer 63 and which together with the sealing edge 78 forms a seal.
Located on the outer face of the fourth piston section 79 is a radially projecting projection 85 which has two oblique faces 86 and 87 assigned to one another in the form of a roof. The depression 80 has issuing into it radially a blind hole bore 88 in which is guided a ball 89 which is pressed permanently against the oblique faces 86 or 87 by a spiral spring 90.
In the position which is shown in
A duct 92 issues into the second piston section 75 and into the inner end face 91 and connects the space outside the second piston section 75 to the inner space of the depression 80. The same pressure consequently prevails at the step 77 and at the inner face 91.
The cylinder body 70 includes a first radial hole 93 and a second radial hole 94, the first hole 93 issuing into the region of the second piston section 75 and the hole 94 issuing into the second cylinder section 83. The position according to
When the first pilot control valve 22 is reversed, high pressure prevails both on the face F1/26 of the first main control valve 26 and on the face F1/39 of the second main control valve 39. Since the pilot control valve 22 is opened only briefly, high pressure prevails at both first control faces F1/26 and F1/39. The second pilot control valve 35 is closed. If leakage then occurs at the second pilot control valve 35, the pressure between the two control faces F1/26 and F1/39 may then fall, so that undesirable switching actions of the two main control valves 26 and 39 may be caused. The orifice 33, which is located between the two control faces F1/26 and F1/39 and the space 17 above the piston, is intended to deliver pressure fluid to these two control faces F1/26 and F1/39, so that compensation can thereby take place.
In the case when the second pilot control valve 35 is opened briefly, low pressure prevails at the two first control faces F1/26 and F1/39. On account of leakage in the first pilot control valve 22, high pressure could pass into the line 23 and consequently arrive at the two first control faces F1/26 and F1/39, so that undesirable switching actions would be caused even as a result of this, if the orifice 33 were not to ensure compensation.
In other words:
the two steps, to be precise the pilot control valve step and the main control valve step, are connected to one another via the orifice 33, so that compensation leading to unwanted switching actions is achieved via the orifice 33.
It should be understood that both the cylinder body 100 and the movable piston 101 can be produced from ferromagnetic material, whereas the embedding mass 105 should be formed as a non-magnetizable material part.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102009053901.8 | Nov 2009 | DE | national |
This application claims priority as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/EP2010/066043, which was filed as an International Application on Oct. 25, 2010 designating the U.S., and which claims priority to German Application 102009053901.8 filed in Germany on Nov. 20, 2009. The entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/EP2010/066043 | Oct 2010 | US |
| Child | 13475442 | US |
