Electrically operated valves

Abstract

The invention discloses an electrically actuated valve with a hydraulic unit, which consists of a valve housing and at least one electrical actuator. The electronic components are fastened to the hydraulic unit and are precisely positioned therein, so that the seal between the electronic components and the actuator cannot slip or fold. For this purpose, a positioning device is constructed between the electronic components and the hydraulic unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electrically operated valve. Background Art

[0002] It is known for electrically actuated valves that the valve body is movably arranged in an approximately cuboid valve housing by means of two-sided electrical actuators. The electrical actuator has a coil and an armature accommodated in the housing. For controlling the actuators, so-called on-board electronics (OBE) are provided, which are electrically connected to the two actuators. The electronics housing of the on-board electronics is fastened to the valve housing. In this case, a seal is installed between the housing of the actuator and a section of the electronics housing adjacent to the housing of the actuator in order to seal the electrical connection and also the electronics and the actuator against environmental influences, in particular moisture.

[0003] Since the seal is relatively mechanically unstable, its clamping between the electronics housing and the actuator housing must be achieved by precise assembly of the two housings.

[0004] According to the prior art, this degree of precision is achieved by means of mounting devices which are complex and therefore cost-intensive in terms of device technology. Summary of the invention

[0005] In contrast, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrically actuated valve in which the assembly of at least one seal is simplified and less expensive in terms of device technology.

[0006] This object is achieved by an electrically actuated valve having a valve housing and having at least one electromagnetic actuator having an actuator housing and having electronics having an electronics housing, wherein a seal is arranged between the actuator housing and the electronics housing, and a positioning device for aligning the electronics housing relative to the actuator housing is arranged or formed on the valve.

[0007] Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described below.

[0008] The electrically operated valve claimed for protection has a valve housing and at least one electromagnetic actuator, which has an actuator housing. In addition, electronic components are provided, which are accommodated in the electronics housing. The sealing portion is arranged, in particular clamped, between the actuator housing and the electronics housing. According to the present invention, a positioning device is provided or constructed at the valve, which is used to align the electronics housing relative to the actuator housing and therefore relative to the sealing portion (or vice versa). Therefore, the positioning device according to the present invention can also be called a positioning aid. The alignment is achieved during assembly. Therefore, an electrically operated valve with a self-aligning electronics housing is realized, wherein the assembly or clamping of at least one sealing portion is simplified in terms of device technology and is less expensive.

[0009] If at least one actuator housing is fastened to the valve housing, the positioning device can be formed between the electronics housing and the valve housing and in this way indirectly align the electronics housing relative to the at least one actuator housing (or vice versa).

[0010] In a preferred application, an actuator housing is fastened to the valve housing on two mutually opposite sides.

[0011] If the two actuator housings extend along the longitudinal axis of the valve, they can act opposite one another on the valve body.

[0012] A particularly preferred embodiment of the positioning device according to the invention is a combination of two corresponding pins and corresponding recesses. The two pins serve as dovetail pins, which are inserted into the two recesses during assembly. Furthermore, during operation of the valve according to the invention, such dovetail pins also serve to precisely fix the electronics housing relative to the at least one actuator housing. As a result, the tightness of the at least one seal is increased over the life of the valve.

[0013] The positioning device functions particularly precisely if the pin and the recess extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the valve.

[0014] In one variant, two pins are formed on the electronics housing and two recesses are formed on the valve housing.

[0015] In this case, it is simple in terms of production technology if the electronics housing with the two pins is an aluminum or plastic part.

[0016] The positioning device works particularly precisely when the two combinations of pin and recess are at the greatest possible distance from one another. This is the case, for example, when the two combinations are each arranged adjacent to the actuator-side edge of the surface of the valve housing that faces the electronics housing.

[0017] In this variant with a pin on the electronics housing and a recess on the valve housing, both recesses are arranged in each case on an actuator-side edge of the surface of the valve housing facing the electronics housing.

[0018] If the first pin is cylindrical and if the second pin has a flattened portion based on a likewise cylindrical basic shape, for example in the direction of the valve longitudinal axis, the second pin can be aligned exactly with the electronics housing transversely to the valve longitudinal axis and thereby compensate for longitudinal deviations along the valve longitudinal axis. A total of two pairs of flattened portions can then be provided. The two pairs are located opposite each other at the circumference of the second pin. Each pair has two flattened portions arranged opposite each other.

[0019] An electrical connection is provided in each case between the electronics and the associated actuator within at least one seal, which can be formed by at least one flat plug (flat plug tongue) and at least one flat plug receptacle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] An exemplary embodiment of an electrically actuated valve according to the invention is shown in the drawing.

[0021] in:

[0022] Figure 1 The electrically actuated valve according to the invention according to this embodiment is shown in a side view;

[0023] Figure 2 A perspective view showing the Figure 1 The hydraulic unit of the valve;

[0024] Figure 3 A perspective view showing the Figure 1 Electronic components of the valve;

[0025] Figure 4 Shown from Figure 2 a portion of

[0026] Figure 5 The perspective view from below shows the Figure 3 The valve electronics.

[0027] List of reference numerals:

[0028] 1 valve housing

[0029] 2 Longitudinal axis

[0030] 4Actuator housing

[0031] 6 Electronic device housing

[0032] 8 plugs

[0033] 10 Base

[0034] 12 Sealing part

[0035] 14Through the concave

[0036] 16 threaded holes

[0037] 18 recesses

[0038] 20 Edge

[0039] 22 First Pin

[0040] 24 second pin

[0041] 26 truncation

[0042] 28 Flat plug receiving part

[0043] 30 grid structures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Figure 1 An embodiment of an electrically actuated valve according to the invention is shown in a side view. In an approximately rectangular metal valve housing 1, a valve slide (not shown) can be moved along a longitudinal axis 2. This is achieved by means of two electromagnetic actuators acting opposite each other, the coils of which are accommodated in an approximately cylindrical actuator housing 4.

[0045] In the hydraulic unit composed of the valve housing 1 and the two actuators 4 (in Figure 1 An electronics housing 6 is attached to the side (at the top) in which electronics (not shown) are accommodated. The electronics are used for the current supply and control and regulation of the two actuators, so that, for example, a 4 / 3-way bypass valve constructed in the valve housing 1 can be continuously adjusted. The electronics are supplied with current and actuated via a plug 8.

[0046] Figure 2 The hydraulic unit composed of the valve housing 1 and the two actuators is shown. Figure 2On the side of the electronics housing 6 (not shown in the figure), corresponding bases 10 are formed, by which the actuator housing 4 is spatially connected to the electronics housing 6. Each base 10 is formed with a rectangular edge with rounded corners facing the electronics housing 6. A circumferential seal 12 is arranged on the edge accordingly.

[0047] The two sealing portions 12 have a circumferential, relatively thin lip on their side facing the electronics housing 6. Figure 2 The hydraulic unit and the electronic device housing 6 (see Figure 1 ) must be precisely joined together. This is achieved by the positioning device according to the invention, which is referred to as Figure 4 and Figure 5 be explained.

[0048] In the interior of the base 10 or of the seal 12 , two tongues of a flat plug can be seen, via which the actuator is electrically connected to the electronics.

[0049] Figure 3 The electronic device housing 6 is shown in a perspective view. Figure 2 On the hydraulic unit, more precisely for fastening on the valve housing 1 of the hydraulic unit, four through-cutouts 14 are provided, through which fastening screws are guided.

[0050] Figure 4 An enlarged view of a hydraulic unit, in particular a valve housing 1, is shown. Four threaded holes 16 for fastening screws are provided in the surface of the valve housing 1 shown facing the electronics housing. In addition, two cylindrical recesses 18 designed as holes are provided in this surface. The recesses are part of the alignment device according to the invention. In order to design the spacing of the two recesses 18 along the longitudinal axis 2 to be as large as possible, the two recesses 18 are arranged directly adjacent to the respective actuator-side edge 20 of the surface of the valve housing 1 shown.

[0051] Figure 5 The side of the electronics housing 6 facing the hydraulic unit (at the bottom) is shown. Two pins 22, 24 assigned to the alignment device according to the invention extend from this side. The pins 22, 24 and the Figure 4 The recess 18 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 2 (see Figure 1 or Figure 2 The side shown (at the bottom) has a lattice structure (30) consisting of supports and recesses in the region between the pins 22, 24, which increases the stability or transverse rigidity and saves material.

[0052] The two pins 22, 24 are formed in one piece with the electronics housing 6 in an aluminum die-casting or plastic injection-molding process. The pins 22, 24 differ in terms of their geometric design.

[0053] In order to be able to insert the pins 22, 24 as easily as possible, Figure 4 In the case of the recess 18 shown in FIG. 1 , the two pins 22 , 24 and the two recesses 18 each have a circular circumferential chamfer.

[0054] The first pin 22 is cylindrical. The second pin 24 has a corresponding basic shape. However, two pairs of truncated portions 26 are provided in the second pin 24, which are opposite to each other. Figure 5 Only one flattened portion 26 can be identified in FIG. A total of four flattened portions 26 form the corresponding plane section. Two flattened portions 26 of a pair are adjacent to each other and are arranged at an angle of between 90 degrees and 180 degrees to each other.

[0055] Due to these flattened portions 26, the second pin 24 is located in the corresponding recess 18 (see Figure 4 ) along the longitudinal axis 2 (see Figure 1 or Figure 2 ) with some play. Thus, any small differences between the spacing of the two recesses 18 on the one hand and the spacing of the two pins 20, 24 on the other hand can be compensated. On the other hand, transversely to the longitudinal axis 2, an almost play-free positioning of the electronics housing 6 relative to the valve housing 1 and thus indirectly also relative to the seal 12 is provided.

[0056] By means of the positioning device according to the invention, for example even in the case of maintenance, in the installed state of the hydraulic unit of the valve, replacement electronics with a corresponding replacement electronics housing 6 can be placed onto the two seals 12 without displacing the seals or squeezing or damaging their lips.

[0057] exist Figure 5 Also shown is a flat plug receptacle 28, which is a flat plug tongue of the actuator (see Figure 2 ) is inserted into the flat plug receptacle.

[0058] The invention discloses an electrically actuated valve with a hydraulic unit, which consists of a valve housing and at least one electrical actuator. The electronic components are fastened to the hydraulic unit and are precisely positioned therein, so that the seal between the electronic components and the actuator cannot slip or fold. For this purpose, a positioning device is constructed between the electronic components and the hydraulic unit.

Claims

1. An electrically actuated valve having a valve housing (1) and having at least one electromagnetic actuator having an actuator housing (4) and having electronics having an electronics housing (6), wherein a seal (12) is arranged between the actuator housing (4) and the electronics housing (6), characterized in that: A positioning device for aligning the electronics housing (6) relative to the actuator housing (4) is arranged or constructed on the valve, wherein the positioning device consists of two combinations of corresponding pins (22, 24) and corresponding recesses (18), wherein the first pin (22) is cylindrical and wherein the second pin (24) has a truncated portion (26) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (2) of the valve.

2. The valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one actuator housing (4) is fastened to the valve housing (1), and wherein the positioning device is formed between the electronics housing (6) and the valve housing (1).

3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve has two actuator housings (4), which are arranged on two opposite sides of the valve housing (1) and extend along the longitudinal axis (2) of the valve.

4. Valve according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the pin (22, 24) and the recess (18) extend transversely to the longitudinal axis (2). 5 . The valve according to claim 1 , wherein two pins ( 22 , 24 ) are formed on the electronics housing ( 6 ) and wherein two recesses ( 18 ) are formed on the valve housing ( 1 ).

6. The valve according to claim 5, wherein the electronics housing (6) with the two pins (22, 24) is an injection-molded plastic part.

7. The valve according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the two combinations are each arranged adjacent to an actuator-side edge (20) of a surface of the valve housing (1) facing the electronics housing (6).

8. The valve according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one flat plug and at least one flat plug receptacle (28) are arranged in the interior of the seal (12).

9. The valve according to claim 6, wherein the electronics housing (6) has a grid structure (30) between the first pin (22) and the second pin (24).

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