CLOSURE AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH A MOUNTING BRACKET

Abstract

The invention relates to a valve comprising a plastic housing with an inlet, an outlet and a channel extending between them, and a shut-off device that is adjustable between an open position releasing the channel and a closed position blocking the channel. A drain opening may be formed in a wall of the housing. In one design of the valve, a union nut made of plastic may be fitted around the inlet and / or the outlet. In another design, an adjustable pipe section made of plastic may be incorporated in the inlet or in the outlet. The invention further concerns a combination of such a valve and a bracket for fastening it to a surface, the bracket being made of plastic.

Description

The invention relates to a valve comprising a plastic housing with an inlet, an outlet and a channel extending between them, and a shut-off device that is adjustable between an open position that releases the channel and a channel that blocks the channel closed position. Such a shut-off valve, also known as a stopcock, is known and is placed on the market by the applicant for use in water pipes. The well-known valve has a predominantly cylindrical housing made of fiber-reinforced steel. plastic, specifically fiber-reinforced polyamide, for example polyamide-12. Inside the housing is a channel formed, extending from an inlet at one end to an outlet at the opposite end. The shut-off device is fitted between the inlet and the outlet, which in main feature is movable perpendicular to the centerline of the channel into a valve seat. The tapered tapered shut-off device, also referred to as a plunger, is retracted in an open position structure protruding beyond the cylindrical part of the housing. Mounted on this structure is a spindle housing installed, in which a drive screw spindle connected to the shut-off device is included. The well-known shut-off valve is used to interrupt the flow in a water pipe. In In practice, two of these shut-off valves are often placed on either side of a water pipe. included water meter installed. By closing the shut-off valves, the water meter is isolated from the water mains, after which it can be inspected, maintained and / or replace. The valves are usually mounted on two legs of a predominantly U-shaped bracket, which defines a space in which the water meter can be installed. Compared to a conventional stopcock, which has a brass housing in which a ball-shaped closing element in which a rotatable passage is incorporated, has the Plastic valve with sliding plunger offers several advantages. For example, the valve is simpler and to produce at lower costs. In addition, the plastic valve is lighter. Furthermore, it remains shut-off valve remains easily functional even when it has been open for a long time, and there exists no risk of this getting stuck. It is therefore not necessary to work with a PTFE layer to the to keep the shut-off device operational, as is done with ball valves. The invention aims to further improve the well-known valve. According to an initial aspect of the invention this is achieved by a drain opening in a wall of the housing is formed. This makes it possible for the water in the pipe and the water meter between the two to let the shut-off valves drain before the water meter is taken for inspection, maintenance or replacement detached. In a configuration of the valve, the drain opening can be located at a distance from the shut-off valves have been formed. In this way, the tapping is not affected by the shut-off valve. In yet another configuration, the shut-off valve may furthermore be equipped with a on the drain opening connecting drain valve, which may be made of plastic. By also the by manufacturing the drain valve from plastic, the shut-off valve can be even lighter, simpler and less be carried out at a high cost. In that case, there may be a drain opening in the wall on either side of the housing. formed, providing great flexibility in the placement of the valve. In this case, one of the drain openings may be capped with a plastic cap, while on the drain valve can be connected to the other drain opening. The drain valve is connected to that side of placed the shut-off valve where the most space is available. According to another aspect of the invention, it is an improvement of the well-known valve. achieved by fitting a union nut made of plastic around the inlet and / or outlet. manufactured. Such a union nut is used to attach the valve to a pipe section. to connect. By manufacturing the union nut from plastic, instead of brass as Usually, the valve is even lighter, simpler, and less expensive. In a version of the valve, the union nut may be of the same or similar be made of plastic, like the housing. By making as many parts of the valve as possible of to manufacture the same or similar materials is both the production and the certification and the Easier processing at the end of the lifespan. In a further embodiment, the union nut can be made of a fiber-reinforced plastic, in manufactured from the particularly fiber-reinforced polyamide. Through the addition of reinforcing fibers, such as glass fibers, make the union nut stronger and stiffer. This is from importance because the thread of this type of union nut is standardized, so that reinforcement or reinforcement cannot be achieved by a different design. In addition, the fiber-reinforced synthetic glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 12 (PA12-) can include GF), where the glass fiber content is at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, more preferably at least 50% and most preferably substantially 65% ​​can amount to. Polyamide 12 (PA12) has low moisture absorption and very good chemical resistance. Furthermore this material loses little stiffness in a humid environment and is very tough to low temperatures. In addition, PA12 has a low coefficient of friction and high wear resistance. Glass fibers are relatively strong and stiff, and significantly less expensive than other types of fiber. According to yet another aspect of the invention, an improvement of the known shut-off valve achieves, because an adjustable pipe section is incorporated in the inlet or in the outlet, that is made of plastic. Thanks to this adjustable pipe section, the effective length of the valves are adapted to the available installation space. Due to the adjustable pipe section to manufacture from plastic becomes a lighter, simpler, and less expensive valve obtained. In one configuration, the adjustable pipe section in the inlet or outlet can be slidable. are between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, and this can be done in any be fixable in position in the intake or outlet. This ensures maximum flexibility during the installation of reached the shut-off valve. To make it possible to flush a pipe in which the valve is incorporated, where high pressures may occur, the adjustable pipe section can be secured against unintentionally detach from the inlet or outlet. To this end, an outer wall of the adjustable can pipe section exhibit a profile that can interact with a locking element of the inlet or exhaust, for example a retaining ring. The invention further concerns a combination of one or more valves as described above. described and a bracket for attaching it to a surface. Known Mounting brackets have hitherto been manufactured of metal, specifically of sheet metal which in a The desired shape is bent and / or pressed. According to the invention, the bracket is now made of plastic. manufactured. Plastic offers more design freedom, and also makes it possible to the brackets to produce faster, simpler, and at lower costs in larger series. To the plastic a bracket can provide similar stiffness and strength as a conventional metal bracket stiffening ribs and suitably selected profiles must be used. To the production, certification and processing at the end of the lifespan to simplify, the bracket may be made of the same or similar plastic as the valve housing. In order to achieve the desired strength and stiffness, it can offer an advantage when the bracket made of a fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular fiber-reinforced polyamide or polypropylene is manufactured. Just as with the union nut described above, the fiber-reinforced plastic of the bracket comprising glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (PAó-GF), where the content of glass fibers at least 20%, preferably at least 30%, more preferably at least 40% and most preferably can amount to substantially 50%. In one version of the combination, the bracket can be substantially U-shaped and a base part to be attached to the substrate and two extending from the base part exhibit legs, where each of the legs can carry a valve, where the inlet of a the second valve may be directed towards the outlet of a first valve, and where between the shut-off valves may have space formed for accommodating a water meter. In this case, the drain opening may be formed in the second shut-off valve. In this way, the pipe can are tapped downstream of the water meter, and the water to be tapped flows into the normal flow direction through the water meter. The adjustable pipe section can be incorporated into the outlet of the first valve or in the inlet of the second shut-off valve. Finally, the invention also concerns a bracket for use in a combination as described above. described The invention is explained below by means of an example, in which it is referred to the attached drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combination of a bracket with two shut-off valves. according to an embodiment of the invention, between which a water meter is installed, Fig. 2 is a top view of the right shut-off valve according to the arrow in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a partially cut-through top view along lines AA and BB in Fig. 5, respectively Fig. 4, Fig. 4 is a partially cut-away side view of the valve housing, where the shut-off device and the spindle housing with the spindle are shown dotted, Fig. 5 is a partially cut-through perspective view of the valve, and Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section through the left valve along the line VI-VI in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows a typical arrangement of a water meter 1. A base part 3 of a Mounting bracket 2 can be placed, for example, in a meter cupboard on a surface or against a wall. be attached. Two upright legs 4 of the mounting bracket 2 are each provided with a opening 51 (Fig. 6) through which part of a shut-off valve 5A, 5B can pass. The water meter 1 is between an outlet 7 of the first valve 5A and an inlet 6 of the second valve 5B installed. To this end, the outlet 7 of the first valve 5A and the inlet 6 of the second are valve 5B each fitted with a union nut 8, which fits over the external thread of a therewith connected pipe section 9 of the water meter 1 is screwed. The mounting bracket 2 and both shut-off valves 5 here form an inlet combination 38 in which the water meter 1 can be installed. An inlet 6 of the first shut-off valve5Akan via an elbow 10 with a coupling 50 be connected to a supply from the water mains (not shown here). An outlet 7 of the second valve 5B can be connected to a pipe (not shown here) whereby drinking water following the arrow U to taps in a building, for example a home or office is led. Each valve 5 comprises a housing 11 containing a channel 12 that extends between the inlet 6 and the outlet 7. This housing 11 is made of plastic, specifically a fiber-reinforced plastic such as glass fiber-reinforced polyamide. For example, the housing 11 be manufactured of polyamide-12 with a glass fiber content of 65%. As mentioned, the intake 6 and / or the exhaust 7 can be equipped with a connected union nut 8. In the example shown, the union nut 8 is of the first valve 5A rotatable around an ENS 53 of an adjustable pipe section 52 in the outlet 7, to be discussed below. The union nut 8 of the second shut-off valve 5B is rotatable with the intervention of a spring washer 39. connected to an ens 40 of the inlet 6. Each union nut 8 is provided with internal thread 41. According to an aspect of the invention, every union nut 8 is also made of plastic. manufactured, preferably from the same or similar plastic as the housing 11. In the shown For example, the union nuts 8 can therefore also be made of glass fiber reinforced polyamide. formed. In the example shown, outlet 7 of each valve 5A, 5B is fitted with external thread 42 onto which a number of clamp nuts 43,44 are screwed. By attaching these nuts to to place the relevant mounting bracket 2 on either side of one of the legs 4 of the legs shut-off valve 5A, 5B be attached to it. These nuts 43, 44 can also be made of plastic. manufactured, preferably from the same or similar plastic as the housing 11. The shut-off function of each valve 5A, 5B is provided by a shut-off device 13 that perpendicular to the direction of water flow through channel 12 is movable between an open position in which channel 12 is released and a closed state in which the channel is blocked. In the closed position, a lower part 14 of the shut-off device 13 seals. accommodated in a valve seat 15 which is recessed in an inner wall 16 of the housing 11. In this process, 15 linear seals are formed along the circumference of the valve seat. Thus, already at a very good seal is achieved with a relatively low pressure. In the example shown, the sealing part 14 of the shut-off device 13 and the valve seat 15 tapered in the sliding direction, and the sealing part 14 of the shut-off device 13 has an oval cross-sectional shape. Shut-off device 13 is also made of plastic here. manufactured, for example, the same fiber-reinforced plastic as the housing 11, and the sealing part 14 may be coated with a layer 17 of a softer material, for example a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The shut-off valve 13 is moved between its open and closed positions by means of a screw spindle 18, which works together with internal thread 19 in a shank 20 of the shut-off device 13. The screw spindle 18, which is operated by a screw 29 attached to it attached handwheel 21, is incorporated into a spindle housing with the stem 20 of the shut-off device 13 22. The spindle housing 22 is attached to a superstructure 24 of the by means of a retaining spring 23. housing 11, in which the sealing part 14 is sliding. Structure 24 has a similar oval cross-section as the sealing part 14, through which the shut-off device is guided linearly and not rotates with the screw spindle 18. Between the spindle housing 22 and the superstructure 24 there is a closing plate 25 and a back-up ring 26 fitted, as well as two O-rings 27, 28 which the seal ensure between the spindle housing 22 and the housing 11. The spindle housing 22 is also made of plastic here, for example the same fiber-reinforced plastic as the housing 11, while also the handwheel 21 in this example of can be made of plastic. Because the handwheel 21 is subjected to relatively light loads, this can be of a are made of less strong and rigid plastic than the other parts, for example polyamide-6 without reinforcing fibers. According to an aspect of the invention, in the wall 16 of the housing 11 there is a drain opening 30 formed, whereby the valve 5 and a connected part of a water pipe can be emptied. A drain valve 31 is connected here to the drain opening 30, which is closed as long as valve 5 is open, and which can be opened when valve 5 is closed. The drain opening 30 is at a distance from the valve seat 15 and the shut-off device 13 placed so that draining is not affected by the shut-off device. The drain valve 31 comprises a first part 32 that surrounds the drain opening 30 connection 33 can be screwed. A second part 34 connected to the first part 32 is provided with an outlet opening 35, and accommodates a plug 36 screwed into it. Also the drain valve 31 can be made of plastic. In the example shown, there are two drain openings on either side of the housing. 30 formed, so that the drain valve 31 can always be placed in an easily accessible location installed, regardless of the position and orientation of the valve 5. In addition, the drain opening 30 can be installed to which the drain valve 31 is not connected, a plastic cap 37 are screwed. Incidentally, in the inlet combination 38 shown, only one of the two valves 5A, 5B, is in this case, the second shut-off valve 5B, which is placed downstream of water meter 1, provided of drain openings 30 and a drain valve 31. That is, after all, sufficient to empty the pipe can make. The upstream placed first shut-off valve 5A therefore does not need to be provided. of a drain opening, and can therefore be simpler in construction and more compact. According to another aspect of the invention, in the inlet 6 or in the outlet 7 of one of the valves 5A, 5B an adjustable pipe section 52 is included, which is also made of plastic can be manufactured. In the example shown, the adjustable pipe section 52 is included in the outlet 7 of the first shut-off valve 5A, but as mentioned, this could also be in the inlet 6 of the second. shut-off valve 5B may be included. The adjustable pipe section may be of a similar or be made of the same plastic as valve 5A, 5B in which this is incorporated. The adjustable pipe section 52 is here in outlet 7 slidable between a fully retracted position (to the left in Fig. 6) and a fully extended position (to the right in Fig. 6), and thereby the distance between the two shut-off valves 5A. 5B can be adjusted. This allows be compensated for differences in dimensions of water meters to be installed. The adjustable pipe section 52 can be fixed in any position in outlet 7. To this end, here used a clamping ring 55 made of resilient material, for example rubber or elastomer, which is applied around a wall section 54 with reduced diameter. This clamping element 55 is locked between one end of the outlet 7 and the clamp nut 43, and sets when tightened the clamp nut 43 inwards, whereby the adjustable pipe section 52 is fixed. The adjustable pipe section 52 is further secured here against unintentional detachment from the exhaust 7, for example, if the pipe is flushed. To this end, an inner end section 56 thereof has a larger outer diameter than the center part 54, and thus cannot pass the clamping ring 55. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the mounting bracket 2 of be made of plastic, preferably the same or similar plastic as the housing 11. In the example shown, bracket 2 can therefore also be made of glass fiber reinforced polyamide. are formed. By making as many parts of the inlet combination 38 of plastic as possible manufacture, and in doing so use as many similar or identical plastics as possible, can the The inlet combination can also be produced easily and at low cost. so that inlet combination 38 can be easily recycled at the end of its service life. In order to give the plastic bracket 2 a comparable strength and stiffness as a instead of a conventional metal bracket, a modified design is used. For example, between the base part 3 and the arms 4 on both sides reinforcing ribs 45 formed. Furthermore, the arms 4 are also provided with a stiffening profile 46. The base part 3 has a relatively large height, and is inverted U-shaped in cross-section, with an upper part 47 connecting the sides. The sides themselves are profiled, with protruding parts 49 at the location of the arms 4 and with a remove part 48 in the middle. Although the invention has been described above using an example, it will It should be clear that this can be varied in many ways. For example, the closer and the mounting bracket may be designed and dimensioned differently than in the example shown. Also plastics other than those described here can be used, and more or less parts are made of plastic. The scope of the invention is therefore exclusively determined by the following conclusions.

Claims

1. Valve, comprising a plastic housing with an inlet, an outlet and a channel extending between them, and a shut-off device that is movable between the channel releasing open position and a channel-blocking closed position, characterized by the fact that in a a drain opening is formed in the wall of the housing.

2. Shut-off valve according to claim 1, where the drain opening is at a distance from the shut-off device is formed.

3. Shut-off valve according to conclusion 1 or 2, further provided with a on the drain opening connecting drain valve, which is made of plastic.

4. Shut-off valve in accordance with one of the preceding claims, whereby on both sides of the a drain opening is formed in the wall of the housing.

5. Closing statement according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 3, where one of the is capped with a plastic cap and on the other drain opening the drain valve is connected.

6. Closing statement pursuant to one of the preceding claims or pursuant to the opening statement of claim 1, where a union nut made of plastic is fitted around the inlet and / or outlet. manufactured 7. Valve according to claim 6, where the union nut is of the same or similar The housing is made of plastic.

8. Valve according to claim 6 or 7, where the union nut is of a fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular fiber-reinforced polyamide, is made of.

9. Valve in accordance with claim 8, where the fiber-reinforced plastic with glass fibers includes reinforced polyamide 12 (PA12-GF), where the glass fiber content is at least 30%, at preferably at least 40%, more preferably at least 50% and most preferably predominantly amounts to 65%.

10. Closing statement pursuant to one of the preceding claims or pursuant to the opening statement of claim 1, where an adjustable pipe section made of plastic is incorporated in the inlet or outlet. is manufactured 11. Shut-off valve according to claim 10, where the adjustable pipe section is in the inlet or outlet is adjustable between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position, and in each position in the intake or outlet can be fixed.

12. Shut-off valve according to claim 10 or 11, where the adjustable pipe section is secured against unintentional detachment from the intake or exhaust.

13. Combination of at least one shut-off valve in accordance with one of the preceding claims and a bracket for attaching it to a surface, where the bracket is made of plastic manufactured 14. Combination according to claim 13, where the brace is of the same or similar The valve housing is made of plastic.

15. Combination according to claim 13 or 14, where the bracket is of a fiber-reinforced plastic, in particular fiber-reinforced polyamide or polypropylene is made of.

16. Combination in accordance with claim 15, where the fiber-reinforced plastic with glass fibers includes reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6-GF), where the glass fiber content is at least 20%, at preferably at least 30%, more preferably at least 40% and most preferably predominantly amounts to 50%.

17. Combination according to one of claims 13-16, where the bracket is essentially U- Shaped is and a base part to be attached to the surface and two extending from the base part exhibits extending legs, where each of the legs bears a valve, where the inlet of a second valve is directed towards the outlet of a first valve, and where between the shut-off valve space has been formed for accommodating a water meter.

18. Combination according to claim 17, where the drain opening is formed in the second shut-off valve.

19. Combination according to claim 17 or 18, where the adjustable pipe section is valves in the outlet of the first valve.

20. Combination according to claim 17 or 18, where the adjustable pipe section is in the inlet of the second valve.

21. Bracket, apparently intended for use in the combination according to one of the 0.

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