Fluid regulating valve

Abstract

A fluid regulating valve includes a base, at least one modular valve body, and at least one drive motor. The base has at least one receiving hole, at least one inflow channel, and at least one outflow channel. The at least one receiving hole connects the at least one inflow channel and the at least one outflow channel. The at least one modular valve body is disposed in the at least one receiving hole. The at least one modular valve body includes a valve element and a valve core. The valve element is disposed in the modular valve body and has a valve port. The valve core is disposed in the modular valve body and extends into the valve port. The valve core is movable along an axial direction to adjust the opening degree of the valve port. The at least one drive motor is disposed in the at least one modular valve body and coupled to the valve core. The at least one drive motor drives the valve core of the at least one modular valve body to move along the axial direction.

Description

Fluid regulating valve Technical Field

[0001] This work relates to regulating valves; specifically, it refers to a type of fluid regulating valve. Prior Technology

[0002] A fluid control valve is a device used to regulate and control the flow rate or direction of gas, liquid, or steam. It is a key component in automatic control systems and can be used in modern industrial manufacturing. It is widely used in pneumatic or hydraulic systems, as well as in pipelines carrying various fluids such as water, oil, gas, and solvents. A fluid control valve typically includes a valve body and a drive motor. The valve body has a flow channel inside for fluid flow, and the valve body has an inflow channel and an outflow channel at both ends of the flow channel. A valve core and a valve element that can move relative to each other are arranged between the flow channels. The drive device controls the position of the valve core relative to the valve element. When the valve core and the valve element are in contact, the fluid can be blocked from passing through the flow channel. When the valve core is detached from the valve element, a channel is formed, allowing the fluid to flow through the flow channel.

[0003] In previous fluid control valve designs, the valve body was composed of numerous components. Due to the large number of components, the existing structure was relatively complex in terms of assembly and maintenance procedures. Furthermore, with long-term use, the valve core, valve parts, and other components were prone to wear, which affected the sealing effect, leading to a decrease in control accuracy or an increase in the risk of leakage. There was still room for further improvement. Therefore, the ease of assembly and convenient maintenance and replacement of the components of the fluid control valve became a problem that needed to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this invention is to provide a fluid control valve in which the components are easy to assemble and convenient to maintain and replace.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides a fluid control valve comprising a base, at least one modular valve body, and at least one drive motor, wherein:

[0006] The base has at least one receiving hole, at least one inflow channel, and at least one outflow channel. The at least one receiving hole includes a first hole section and a second hole section along an axial direction. The first hole section communicates with the at least one inflow channel, and the second hole section communicates with the at least one outflow channel. The at least one receiving hole has an open end located on a surface of the base.

[0007] The at least one modular valve body includes a coupling seat, a coupling pipe, a first seal, a valve component, and a valve core, wherein:

[0008] The coupling seat is coupled to the surface of the base, one end of the coupling tube is connected to the coupling seat, and the coupling tube is inserted into the at least one receiving hole from the open end of the at least one receiving hole;

[0009] The connecting pipe includes a first pipe section and a second pipe section, the first pipe section being located in the first orifice section, the second pipe section being located in the second orifice section, the first pipe section having at least one inlet orifice communicating with the interior of the first pipe section and the first orifice section, and the second pipe section having at least one outlet orifice communicating with the interior of the second pipe section and the second orifice section;

[0010] The first sealing element is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe and located between the first pipe segment and the second pipe segment, and the first sealing element abuts against the wall of the at least one receiving hole;

[0011] The valve component is disposed within the connecting pipe and located between the first pipe section and the second pipe section, and the valve component has a valve port;

[0012] The valve core is disposed inside the connecting pipe and extends into the valve port. The valve core can move along the axial direction to adjust the opening degree of the valve port.

[0013] The at least one drive motor is disposed on the mounting seat of the at least one modular valve body and coupled to the valve core, the at least one drive motor being configured to drive the valve core of the at least one modular valve body to move along the axial direction.

[0014] The effect of this invention is that the at least one modular valve body of the fluid regulating valve can be quickly assembled onto the base. When the parts inside the modular valve body are aged or damaged, the modular valve body can be easily separated from the base for maintenance and replacement, thereby achieving the purpose of quick installation and easy maintenance and replacement. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fluid regulating valve of the first preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 2 is a top view of the fluid regulating valve of the first preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 along direction 3-3. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along direction 4-4 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is an exploded view of the fluid control valve of the first preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fluid regulating valve of the second preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 7 is a top view of the fluid regulating valve of the second preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along direction 8-8 of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the fluid regulating valve of the third preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 10 is a top view of the fluid regulating valve of the third preferred embodiment of this invention. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along direction 11-11 of Figure 10. Implementation

[0016] To more clearly illustrate this invention, preferred embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Referring to Figure 1, a fluid regulating valve 100A according to a first preferred embodiment of this invention includes a base 20A, at least one modular valve body 30A, and at least one drive motor 40A. In this preferred embodiment, there is one modular valve body 30A and one drive motor 40A, which is mounted on the base 20A via the modular valve body 30A. In this embodiment, the fluid is a liquid; in other embodiments, the fluid may be a gas. The fluid regulating valve 100A is used to regulate flow rate; in other embodiments, it may also be used to regulate pressure.

[0017] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5. The base 20A has at least one receiving hole 21A, at least one inflow channel 22A, and at least one outflow channel 23A. In this preferred embodiment, the number of the at least one receiving hole 21A is one, the number of the at least one inflow channel 22A is one, and the number of the at least one outflow channel 23A is one. The receiving hole 21A includes a first hole segment 211A and a second hole segment 212A along an axial direction L1. The first hole segment 211A communicates with the inflow channel 22A, which is used for fluid inflow. The second hole segment 212A communicates with the outflow channel 23A, which is used for fluid inflow. The accommodating hole 21A has an open end 213A located on a surface 24A of the base 20A. The accommodating hole 21A also has a closed end 214A opposite to the open end 213A. The first hole segment 211A and the second hole segment 212A are located between the open end 213A and the closed end 214A. In other preferred embodiments, the number or size of the at least one inflow channel 22A and the at least one outflow channel 23A of the base 20A can be changed to meet different usage requirements, thereby controlling the flow rate of fluid flowing into the accommodating hole 21A.

[0018] The modular valve body 30A includes a coupling seat 31A, a coupling pipe 32A, a first seal 33, a second seal 34, a valve component 35, a motor mounting seat 36, a stop pipe 37A, and a valve core 38A. One end of the coupling pipe 32A is connected to the coupling seat 31A. The valve component 35, the stop pipe 37A, and the motor mounting seat 36 are sequentially arranged in the coupling pipe 32A and the coupling seat 31A along the axial direction L1. The valve core 38A is disposed inside the valve component 35, the stop pipe 37A, and the motor mounting seat 36. The first seal 33 and the second seal 34 are respectively sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the coupling pipe 32A.

[0019] The coupling seat 31A is coupled to the surface 24A of the base 20A. The coupling seat 31A has a coupling groove 311, which includes a first groove segment 312 and a second groove segment 313. The first groove segment 312 and the second groove segment 313 are disposed in the coupling seat 31A along the axial direction L1 and are connected to each other.

[0020] One end of the connecting tube 32A is connected to the connecting seat 31A, and the connecting tube 32A and the connecting seat 31A are integrally formed. The connecting tube 32A can be detachably inserted into the receiving hole 21A from the open end 213A of the receiving hole 21A. The connecting tube 32A includes a first tube segment 321A and a second tube segment 322A. The first tube segment 321A is located in the first hole segment 211A, and the second tube segment 322A is located in the second hole segment 212A. The second tube segment 322A is connected to the second groove segment 313. The first tube segment 321A has at least one inflow hole 3211A, which connects the interior of the first tube segment 321A with the first hole segment 211A. The second tube segment 322A has at least one outflow hole 3221A, which connects the second tube segment 322A with the first groove segment 313. In this preferred embodiment, the number of at least one inflow hole 3211A is three, and the three inflow holes 3211A supply fluid to flow from the first hole section 211A into the first pipe section 321A. The number of at least one outflow hole 3221A is two, and the two outflow holes 3221A supply fluid to flow from the inside of the second pipe section 322A into the second hole section 212A. The outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe 32A has a first annular groove 323, which is disposed between the first pipe section 321A and the second pipe section 322A. The outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe 32A has a second annular groove 324, which is located between the second pipe section 322A and the open end 213A of the receiving hole 21A. The connecting pipe 32A has a shoulder 3212 inside the first pipe section 321A. The outer peripheral surfaces of the first pipe section 321A and the second pipe section 322A are separated from the wall of the receiving hole 21A by a distance to facilitate fluid flow.

[0021] The first sealing element 33 is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe 32A and located between the first pipe section 321A and the second pipe section 322A. The first sealing element 33 abuts against the wall of the receiving hole 21A. In this preferred embodiment, the first sealing element 33 is an O-ring. The first sealing element 33 is located in the first ring groove 323, separating the first hole section 211A and the second hole section 212A to prevent fluid leakage.

[0022] The second seal 34 is disposed in the second annular groove 324 and abuts against the wall of the at least one receiving hole 21A. In this preferred embodiment, the second seal 34 is an O-ring to prevent fluid from leaking through the second hole section 212A.

[0023] The valve component 35 is disposed within the connecting pipe 32A and located between the first pipe section 321A and the second pipe section 322A. The valve component 35 includes a valve port 351A, a body 352, and a third seal 353. The valve port 351A is disposed on the body 352. One end of the body 352 of the valve component 35 abuts against the shoulder 3212. The body 352 has a third annular groove 3521. The third seal 353 is an O-ring that fits into the third annular groove 3521 and abuts against the inner wall of the connecting pipe 32A, thus separating the interior of the first pipe section 321A from the interior of the second pipe section 322A to prevent fluid leakage.

[0024] The motor mounting base 36 is engaged in the engagement groove 311. The motor mounting base 36 includes a fixing part 361, a fitting part 362 and an extension part 363. The fitting part 362 is connected between the fixing part 361 and the extension part 363 and is engaged in the engagement groove 311 of the mounting base 31A. The extension part 363 extends into the engagement tube 32A. The fitting part 362 of the motor mounting base 36 is engaged in the first groove segment 312. The extension part 363 extends into the engagement tube 32A through the second groove segment 313. The extension part 363 has a fourth annular groove 3631. A fourth sealing member 3632 is fitted into the fourth annular groove 3631 and abuts against the wall of the second groove segment 313, separating the first groove segment 312 and the second groove segment 313 to prevent fluid leakage.

[0025] The abutment pipe 37A is located between the extension 363 and the valve component 35. One end of the abutment pipe 37A abuts against the extension 363, and the other end of the abutment pipe 37A abuts against the body 352 of the valve component 35. The abutment pipe 37A has at least one notch 371A, which connects the interior of the second pipe section 322A with the interior of the abutment pipe 37A. In this preferred embodiment, there are two notches 371A.

[0026] The valve core 38A has a straight rod section 381 and a conical section 382. One end of the conical section 382 is connected to the straight rod section 381, and the conical section 382 gradually tapers towards the other end to form a cone shape. The valve core 38A is movably disposed within the connecting pipe 32A and extends into the valve port 351A. More specifically, the straight rod section 381 of the valve core 38A extends from the extension 363 of the motor mounting base 36 into the interior of the connecting pipe 32A, while the conical section 382 extends into the valve port 351A. The outer circumferential surface of the straight rod section 381 forms a seal through a double O-ring 39. The valve core 38A can move along the axial direction L1 to adjust the opening of the valve port 351A, thereby regulating the flow rate of fluid through the valve port 351A.

[0027] In this preferred embodiment, the drive motor 40A is a voice coil motor. The drive motor 40A is disposed on the coupling seat 31A of the modular valve body 30A and coupled to the valve core 38A. The drive motor 40A is configured to drive the valve core 38A of the modular valve body 30A to move along the axial direction L1. More specifically, the drive motor 40A is coupled to the fixing portion 361 of the motor mounting seat 36, such that the drive motor 40A is disposed on the coupling seat 31A through the motor mounting seat 36.

[0028] In this preferred embodiment, fluid flows into the first orifice 211A through the inflow channel 22A of the base 20A, and then into the interior of the first pipe section 321A through the three inflow holes 3211A of the modular valve body 30A. The valve core 38A can move along the axial direction L1 to adjust the opening of the valve port 351A, thereby controlling the fluid to flow from the interior of the first pipe section 321A into the interior of the abutment pipe 37A. Then, the fluid flows from the interior of the abutment pipe 37A into the interior of the second pipe section 322A through the two notches 371A. The fluid then flows from the interior of the second pipe section 322A into the second orifice 212A through the two outflow holes 3221A, and finally flows out through the outflow channel 23A, thereby achieving fluid flow control.

[0029] More importantly, when the parts of the modular valve body 30A are aged or damaged, the modular valve body 30A can be separated from the base 20A for repair and replacement, achieving the purpose of quick installation and easy repair and replacement.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 6 to 8, which show the fluid regulating valve 100B of the second preferred embodiment of this invention. The structure of the fluid regulating valve 100B is generally the same as that of the first preferred embodiment of this invention. The difference is as follows: the fluid regulating valve 100B further includes a drive device 50. The drive device 50 includes a housing 51, an electrical connector 52, and a drive circuit board 53. The housing 51 is attached to the surface 24B of the base 20B, and an accommodating space S is formed between the housing 51 and the base 20B. This modular valve... The mounting base 31B of body 30B and the drive motor 40B are located in the accommodating space S. The electrical connector 52 is disposed in the housing 51. The drive circuit board 53 is located in the accommodating space S and is electrically connected to the drive motor 40B and the electrical connector 52. The drive circuit board 53 receives a control signal from the electrical connector 52, converts it into a drive signal, and outputs it to the drive motor 40B to drive the drive motor 40B to move the valve core 38B, thereby controlling the valve core 38B to adjust the opening degree of the valve port 351B.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 9 to 11, which show the fluid regulating valve 100C of the third preferred embodiment of this invention. The structure of the fluid regulating valve 100C is generally the same as that of the first preferred embodiment of this invention, with the following differences: the base 20C has at least one receiving hole 21C, which includes two receiving holes 21C; the at least one inflow channel 22C includes two inflow channels 22C, each of which is connected to the first orifice 211C of each receiving hole 21C; the at least one outflow channel 23C includes two outflow channels 23C, each of which is connected to the second orifice 212C of each receiving hole 21C; and the base 20C has a connecting channel 25. Channel 25 connects to the first section 211C of the two receiving holes 21C. The two inflow channels 22C and the connecting channel 25 are located on an axis L2, which is perpendicular to the axis L1. The at least one modular valve body 30C includes two modular valve bodies 30C. The at least one drive motor 40C includes two drive motors 40C. The coupling seat 31C of each modular valve body 30C is coupled to the surface 24C of the base 20C. The coupling tube 32C of each modular valve body 30C is inserted into each receiving hole 21C from the open end 213C of each receiving hole 21C. Each drive motor 40C is disposed on the coupling seat 31C of each modular valve body 30C. The two inflow channels 22C can be connected to the same fluid source. Alternatively, in this embodiment, a sealing element can be used to close one of the inflow channels 22C. In another embodiment, a pipe can be connected to one of the inflow channels 22C, with the other end of the pipe connected in series to the inflow channel of another fluid regulating valve, so that the fluid flows through the pipe to the inflow channel of the other fluid regulating valve.

[0032] In this preferred embodiment, taking the two inflow channels 22C connected to the same fluid source as an example, the fluid flows from the two inflow channels 22C of the base 20C into each of the first orifice sections 211C, and is connected to each of the first orifice sections 211C through the connecting channel 25. The fluid then flows into the interior of each of the first pipe sections 321C through the inflow holes 3211C of each of the modular valve bodies 30C. Each valve core 38C can move along the axial direction L1 to adjust the opening of each valve port 351C. The fluid is controlled to flow from the inside of each first pipe section 321C into the corresponding abutment pipe 37C, then from the inside of each abutment pipe 37C into the corresponding second pipe section 322C through each notch 371C, then from the inside of each second pipe section 322C into the corresponding second orifice section 212C through each outflow hole 3221C, and finally outflow through each outflow channel 23C, thereby achieving simultaneous fluid flow control of multiple pipes.

[0033] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this invention. Any equivalent changes made in accordance with the present invention and the claims should be included within the scope of this invention.

[0034] 100A, 100B, 100C: Fluid regulating valves 20A, 20B, 20C: Base 21A, 21C: Receiving holes 211A, 211C: First hole section 212A, 212C: Second hole section 213A, 213C: Open Terminals 214A: Closed end 22A, 22C: Inflow channels 23A, 23C: Outflow channels 24A, 24B, 24C: Surface 25: Connection Channel 30A, 30B, 30C: Modular valve body 31A, 31B, 31C: Connecting seat 311: Connecting groove 312: First Slot 313: Second section 32A, 32C: Connecting tubes 321A, 321C: First pipe section 3211A, 3211C: Inlet port 3212: Shoulder 322A, 322C: Second pipe section 3221A, 3221C: Outlet orifice 323: First annular groove 324: Second annular groove 33: First seal 34: Second seal 35: Valve components 351A, 351B, 351C: Valve port 352:Ontology 3521: Third annular groove 353: Third seal 36: Motor mounting bracket 361: Fixing part 362: Chimeric part 363: Extension 3631: Fourth annular groove 3632: Fourth seal 37A, 37C: Receiver 371A, 371C: Gap 38A, 38B, 38C: Valve core 381: Straight rod section 382: Conical segment 39: O-ring 40A, 40B, 40C: Drive motors 50: Drive unit 51: Box 52: Electrical connector 53: Driver circuit board S: Storage space L1: Axial direction L2: Axis

Claims

1. A fluid regulating valve, comprising: a base having at least one receiving orifice, at least one inflow passage, and at least one outflow passage, wherein, The at least one receiving orifice includes a first orifice segment and a second orifice segment along an axial direction. The first orifice segment communicates with the at least one inflow channel, and the second orifice segment communicates with the at least one outflow channel. The at least one receiving orifice has an open end located on a surface of the base. At least one modular valve body includes a coupling seat, a coupling tube, a first seal, a valve element, and a valve core, wherein: the coupling seat is coupled to the surface of the base; one end of the coupling tube is connected to the coupling seat, and the coupling tube is inserted into the at least one receiving orifice from the open end of the at least one receiving orifice; the coupling tube includes a first tube segment and a second tube segment, the first tube segment being located in the first orifice segment, and the second tube segment being located in the second orifice segment; the first tube segment has at least one inflow orifice communicating with the interior of the first tube segment and the first orifice segment; the second tube segment has at least one outflow orifice communicating with the interior of the second tube segment and the second orifice segment. The first sealing element is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe and located between the first pipe segment and the second pipe segment, and the first sealing element abuts against the wall of the at least one receiving hole; the valve element is disposed inside the connecting pipe and located between the first pipe segment and the second pipe segment; the valve element has a valve port; the valve core is disposed inside the connecting pipe and extends into the valve port, and the valve core can move along the axial direction to adjust the opening degree of the valve port; at least one drive motor is disposed on the connecting seat of the at least one modular valve body and coupled to the valve core, and the at least one drive motor is configured to drive the valve core of the at least one modular valve body to move along the axial direction.

2. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe has a first annular groove, the first annular groove being disposed between the first pipe segment and the second pipe segment, and the first seal being located in the first annular groove.

3. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the connecting pipe has a second annular groove, the second annular groove being located between the second pipe segment and the open end of the at least one receiving hole; the at least one modular valve body includes a second seal, the second seal being disposed in the second annular groove and abutting against the orifice wall of the at least one receiving hole.

4. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling seat has a coupling groove; the at least one modular valve body includes a motor mounting seat coupled in the coupling groove; the at least one drive motor is coupled to the motor mounting seat such that the at least one drive motor is disposed on the coupling seat through the motor mounting seat; the valve core extends from the motor mounting seat into the interior of the coupling tube.

5. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein the motor mounting base includes a fixing part, a fitting part and an extension part, the at least one drive motor is coupled to the fixing part, the fitting part is connected between the fixing part and the extension part and coupled to the fitting groove of the mounting base, the extension part extends into the fitting tube; the valve core passes through the extension part; the at least one modular valve body includes an abutment tube, the abutment tube is located between the extension part and the valve component, one end of the abutment tube abuts against the extension part, and the other end of the abutment tube abuts against the valve component.

6. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 5, wherein the abutment pipe has at least one notch communicating with the interior of the second pipe section and the interior of the abutment pipe.

7. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 5, wherein the valve component includes a body and a third seal, the body having a third annular groove, the third seal being fitted into the third annular groove and abutting against the inner wall of the connecting pipe.

8. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting pipe has a shoulder inside the first pipe section, one end of the valve body abuts the shoulder, and the other end of the valve body abuts the abutting pipe.

9. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connecting groove includes a first groove segment and a second groove segment, the fitting portion of the motor mounting base is engaged with the first groove segment, the extension portion extends into the connecting tube through the second groove segment; the extension portion has a fourth annular groove; a fourth seal is fitted into the fourth annular groove and abuts against the wall of the second groove segment.

10. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one receiving orifice includes two receiving orifices, the at least one outflow channel includes two outflow channels, each outflow channel communicating with a second orifice segment of each receiving orifice; the base has a connecting channel communicating with a first orifice segment of the two receiving orifices; the at least one modular valve body includes two modular valve bodies; the at least one drive motor includes two drive motors; the coupling seat of each modular valve body is coupled to the surface of the base, and the coupling tube of each modular valve body is inserted into each receiving orifice from the open end of each receiving orifice; each drive motor is disposed on the coupling seat of each modular valve body.

11. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one inflow passage includes two inflow passages, each inflow passage communicating with a first orifice section of each receiving orifice; wherein the two inflow passages and the connecting passage are located on an axis.

12. The fluid regulating valve as claimed in claim 1, comprising a drive device including a housing, an electrical connector, and a drive circuit board, the housing being coupled to the surface of the base, forming an accommodating space between the housing and the base; the mounting base of at least one modular valve body and the at least one drive motor being located in the accommodating space; the electrical connector being disposed in the housing; the drive circuit board being located in the accommodating space and electrically connected to the drive motor and the electrical connector, the drive circuit board receiving a control signal from the electrical connector, converting it into a drive signal, and outputting it to the drive motor to drive the drive motor to move the valve core.

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