A modular hydraulic control valve

Abstract

This invention relates to a modular hydraulic control valve, belonging to the field of hydraulic control components. It includes: a control valve body, a valve chamber within the control valve body, and a connecting channel communicating with the valve chamber; a drive mechanism mounted on the control valve body; a valve core disposed within the valve chamber; at least two valve plates disposed on the valve core; and an elastic control mechanism disposed between the drive mechanism and the valve core. When the pressure in the connecting channel increases, the valve core moves and releases pressure via the elastic control mechanism. The beneficial effect of this application is that when hydraulic shock or abnormal pressure increase occurs in the connecting channel or valve chamber, exceeding a preset safety threshold, the reverse thrust generated by the high-pressure oil forces the valve core to overcome the supporting force of the elastic control mechanism and move in a buffered manner. This allows the valve plates to automatically avoid and open new pressure relief channels, achieving local, instantaneous pressure relief.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of control valve technology, and more specifically to a modular hydraulic control valve. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industry and engineering machinery, hydraulic transmission systems are widely used due to their advantages such as high power density and good control precision. As the core control element in a hydraulic system, the control valve mainly controls the direction of hydraulic oil flow, switching it on or off, by changing the relative position of the valve core within the valve body, thereby controlling the movement direction and start / stop of the actuator.

[0003] However, existing hydraulic control valves have the following significant technical drawbacks in practical applications: Lack of adaptive pressure relief protection mechanism: Traditional control valves typically use a rigid connection between the drive mechanism, such as the electromagnet or hydraulic motor, and the valve core. When the hydraulic system encounters sudden situations during operation, such as sudden load changes, pipeline blockage, or hydraulic shocks during reversal that cause a sharp increase in internal pressure, the control valve itself cannot flexibly avoid these situations. High-pressure hydraulic oil will directly impact the valve core and drive mechanism, easily causing serious accidents such as seal damage, valve core jamming, or even pipeline rupture. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The summary section of this application is intended to provide a brief overview of the concepts, which will be described in detail in the detailed description section below. This summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solutions.

[0005] To address the technical problems mentioned in the background section, some embodiments of this application provide a modular hydraulic control valve, comprising: a control valve body, wherein a valve cavity and a connecting channel communicating with the valve cavity are provided within the control valve body; a drive mechanism is provided on the control valve body; a valve core is provided within the valve cavity, and the valve core is connected to the drive mechanism; at least two valve plates are provided on the valve core, and the valve plates directly switch positions in multiple connecting channels to interconnect, reverse, and start / stop the hydraulic oil in the multiple connecting channels; an elastic control mechanism is directly or indirectly provided between the drive mechanism and the valve core, wherein when the pressure in the connecting channel increases, the valve core is buffered and moved by the elastic control mechanism to release the pressure.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, the movement of the valve core within the valve cavity enables different connecting cavities within the control valve body to connect or close, achieving reversal. Specifically, the elastic control mechanism installed between the drive mechanism and the valve core utilizes its elastic buffering mechanism to allow the valve core to compress and move when the pressure within the valve cavity increases to a certain level. This automatically opens a new connecting cavity for pressure relief, achieving automatic pressure relief when the pressure is too high.

[0007] Furthermore, the elastic control mechanism includes: a spiral tube; one end of the spiral tube contacts the valve core and the other end contacts the drive mechanism; the spiral tube is filled with magnetorheological fluid; a sleeve is provided outside the spiral tube, and a first electromagnetic mechanism for generating magnetic force is provided inside the sleeve.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the spiral tube itself is elastic and can act as a spring. The spiral tube is filled with magnetorheological fluid, and the external first electromagnetic mechanism can generate magnetic force. Under the action of magnetic force, the magnetorheological fluid will completely or partially solidify, or change from a completely liquid state to a semi-solid state. Therefore, the elasticity of the combination of the spiral tube and the magnetorheological fluid can be changed by the change in the shape of the magnetorheological fluid itself. Thus, the magnetic force of the first electromagnetic mechanism can be adjusted according to different pressure relief conditions to regulate the elasticity of the combination of the spiral tube and the magnetorheological fluid.

[0009] Furthermore, a spring wire is provided inside the spiral tube, and the spiral tube wraps around the spring wire with a gap filled with magnetorheological fluid between them.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the spring wire can keep the spiral tube in a spiral state, and when the magnetorheological fluid is in a liquid state, the spiral tube is close to the shape of a spring.

[0011] Furthermore, the elastic control mechanism also includes a transmission rod connected to the sleeve, the drive mechanism is connected to the transmission rod, and the spiral tube is in contact with the transmission rod; the length of the sleeve is greater than the distance between the two ends of the spiral tube.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the sleeve encloses the spiral tube. The valve core is located inside the sleeve, and the drive mechanism drives the transmission rod to move, which in turn drives the valve core to move through the spiral tube.

[0013] Furthermore, a mounting chamber is provided inside the transmission rod, and a second electromagnetic mechanism is installed within the mounting chamber. The second electromagnetic mechanism further increases the range of the magnetic field distribution, making it easier and faster to control the solidification and liquefaction of the magnetorheological fluid. The second electromagnetic mechanism can be an electromagnet.

[0014] Furthermore, threaded caps are provided at both ends of the spiral tube and screwed onto the threaded tube. The threaded caps seal the ends of the threaded tube.

[0015] Furthermore, a push rod is provided in the middle of the threaded cap, and the push rod is disposed inside the threaded tube. The push rod in the threaded cap allows the push rod to penetrate to different positions by tightening the threaded cap to different degrees, thereby controlling the distribution of the magnetorheological fluid inside the helical tube. For example, the volume inside the helical tube can be changed from being greater than the volume of the magnetorheological fluid to being equal to the volume of the magnetorheological fluid. The elasticity of the helical tube and the overall magnetorheological fluid after curing can be further adjusted by changing the amount of magnetorheological fluid inside the helical tube.

[0016] Furthermore, the threaded tube includes a helical section and straight sections located at both ends of the helical section; the threaded cap is disposed on the straight section, and the push rod abuts against the inner wall of the straight section.

[0017] Furthermore, the threaded cap includes an end plate and a threaded plate connected to the end plate, the threaded plate being threadedly connected to the straight segment; the push rod is disposed on the end plate; the length of the push rod is longer than the length of the threaded plate. The length of the push rod inside the spiral tube is adjusted by rotating the threaded cap.

[0018] Furthermore, the inner wall of the threaded plate is provided with a threaded groove that mates with the thread of the straight section, and the outer wall of the threaded plate is provided with an anti-slip groove.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are: Overload protection and automatic pressure relief: When the hydraulic oil pressure becomes abnormal due to a sudden load change and exceeds the preset safety threshold, the thrust generated by the high-pressure oil acting on the valve plate and valve core will overcome the elastic force of the elastic control mechanism, causing the valve core to compress the elastic mechanism and produce a buffer displacement. This displacement will open the pressure relief channel or connect the return oil channel, realizing automatic pressure relief and effectively protecting the hydraulic system pipelines and control valves themselves from damage.

[0020] The stiffness and pressure relief threshold are continuously adjustable via electronic control: The elastic control mechanism adopts a "spiral tube + magnetorheological fluid" structure. By adjusting the current supplied to the first electromagnetic mechanism, the magnetic field strength can be changed, thereby enabling the physical state of the magnetorheological fluid to continuously and reversibly change between liquid, semi-solid, and solid states. This macroscopically alters the overall stiffness of the assembly, thus achieving real-time and precise electronic control adjustment of the control valve's safety pressure relief threshold to adapt to different operating conditions.

[0021] Improving structural stability and magnetic permeability: Spring wires are coaxially threaded inside the spiral tube. On the one hand, they act as a structural skeleton, effectively preventing radial collapse or bending failure of the spiral tube when compressed under high pressure or when the internal magnetorheological fluid is in a liquid state. On the other hand, the metal surface of the spring wires can increase the magnetic permeability of the magnetic lines of force, which helps the magnetorheological fluid to be distributed and solidified more evenly.

[0022] Rapid response and high-strength locking: By setting a first electromagnetic mechanism located on the periphery of the spiral tube and a second electromagnetic mechanism located near the central axis, a "double-layer excitation" structure is formed. The superposition of the inner and outer magnetic fields can magnetize the magnetorheological fluid without dead angles, greatly shortening the response time and increasing the yield strength after curing, thus meeting the overload protection requirements of larger tonnage hydraulic systems.

[0023] Manual mechanical threshold fine-tuning and modular adaptation: By screwing on the threaded cap to change the depth of the push rod extending into the helical tube, the effective internal volume can be reduced, thereby altering the initial hydrostatic pressure and filling density of the magnetorheological fluid. Without power, maintenance personnel can manually calibrate and fine-tune the basic stiffness (i.e., the initial pressure relief threshold) of the elastic control mechanism according to different operating conditions, greatly improving the modular adaptability of the control valve.

[0024] Real-time monitoring and alarm: Connecting external pressure sensors and alarms to the channel can detect the pressure in the valve chamber in real time and automatically alarm when the pressure is too high, further enhancing the system's safety monitoring capabilities.

[0025] In summary, this modular hydraulic control valve integrates multiple functions such as mechanical overload relief, electronic stiffness adjustment, rapid response, and manual fine-tuning, significantly improving the safety, adaptability, and intelligence of the hydraulic system. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the application and to make other features, objects, and advantages of the application more apparent. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the application.

[0027] Furthermore, throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0028] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the transmission rod and some surrounding parts; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of part A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the spiral tube and threaded cap; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the elastic control mechanism when this application is used in another type of control valve.

[0029] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows: 1. Control valve body; 11. Valve chamber; 12. Connection channel; 2. Drive mechanism; 3. Valve core; 31. Valve plate; 4. Spiral tube; 41. Spiral segment; 42. Straight segment; 5. Sleeve; 6. First electromagnetic mechanism; 7. Spring wire; 8. Transmission rod; 81. Mounting chamber; 82. Second electromagnetic mechanism; 9. Threaded cap; 91. Push rod; 92. End plate; 93. Threaded plate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0031] It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0032] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0034] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] Reference Figures 1-6As shown, the modular hydraulic control valve of the present invention includes: a control valve body 1, a drive mechanism 2, and an elastic control mechanism.

[0036] The control valve body 1 has a valve chamber 11 and at least two connecting channels 12 that are in fluid communication with the valve chamber 11. The drive mechanism 2 is fixedly installed on the control valve body 1. For example, the drive mechanism 2 can be a hydraulic motor, a linear motor, or a cylinder.

[0037] A valve core 3 is slidably disposed within the valve cavity 11, and one end of the valve core 3 is poweredly connected to the drive mechanism 2. To achieve the reversing function, at least two valve plates 31 are spaced apart along the axial direction on the outside of the valve core 3. Driven by the drive mechanism 2, the valve core 3 drives the valve plates 31 to move within the valve cavity 11. By changing the relative position of the valve plates 31 among the multiple connecting channels 12, the hydraulic oil in the multiple connecting channels 12 can be interconnected, reversed, and start / stopped.

[0038] To achieve overload protection and buffering, in this embodiment, an elastic control mechanism is directly or indirectly connected in series between the drive mechanism 2 and the valve core 3. When the elastic control mechanism is directly connected, the drive mechanism 2 is connected to the valve core 3 through the elastic control mechanism. When the elastic control mechanism is indirectly connected, the drive mechanism 2 can be directly connected to the valve core 3, and then the elastic control mechanism is set at the end of the valve core 3 away from the drive mechanism 2. The direct connection between the drive mechanism 2 and the valve core 3 is preferably abutting rather than rigidly fixed, so that the drive mechanism 2 pushes the valve core 3 to move, and the elastic control mechanism pushes the valve core 3 to reset.

[0039] Working Principle: Under normal operating conditions, the elastic control mechanism maintains a certain rigidity, acting as a rigid transmission component to transmit the power of the drive mechanism 2 to the valve core 3. When the hydraulic oil pressure in the connection channel 12 or valve chamber 11 increases abnormally due to a sudden load change and exceeds the preset safety threshold, the high-pressure hydraulic oil acts in the opposite direction on the valve plate 31 and valve core 3, generating a huge thrust. At this time, the valve core 3 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic control mechanism, compresses the elastic control mechanism, and moves towards the drive mechanism 2 with a buffer. This buffer displacement of the valve core 3 opens the originally blocked pressure relief connection channel 12, or connects the working channel to the return oil channel, thereby achieving automatic pressure relief and protecting the hydraulic system pipelines and control valves themselves from damage.

[0040] Furthermore, the elastic control mechanism is configured as a variable stiffness damper based on the magnetorheological effect. Specifically, the elastic control mechanism includes: a helical tube 4, a sleeve 5, and a first electromagnetic mechanism 6.

[0041] The spiral tube 4 is made of an elastic material such as spring steel or high-strength elastic polymer, and it has an elastic deformation capability similar to that of a mechanical spring. One end of the spiral tube 4 is in driving contact with the valve core 3, and the other end is in driving contact with the drive mechanism 2.

[0042] The interior cavity of the spiral tube 4 is filled with magnetorheological fluid. A sleeve 5 is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the spiral tube 4, and a first electromagnetic mechanism 6 for generating a controllable magnetic field, such as an excitation coil or an electromagnet, is embedded in the inner wall or the interior of the sleeve 5.

[0043] By adjusting the current flowing through the first electromagnetic mechanism 6, the strength of the magnetic field passing through the helical tube 4 can be changed. Under the influence of the magnetic field, the magnetic particles inside the magnetorheological fluid will align themselves along the magnetic field lines, causing the magnetorheological fluid to undergo rheological effects within milliseconds. Its physical state can achieve a continuous and reversible transition from a completely liquid state to a semi-solid state and then to a solid state.

[0044] The higher the degree of solidification of the magnetorheological fluid, the greater its flow resistance, and the greater the supporting force generated by the medium inside the spiral tube 4 when it is deformed under pressure. Macroscopically, this manifests as a sharp increase in the overall stiffness of the "spiral tube 4 + magnetorheological fluid" combination.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, a spring wire 7 is coaxially threaded inside the cavity of the spiral tube 4. The spiral tube 4 is wrapped around the spring wire 7, and a gap is reserved between the inner wall of the spiral tube 4 and the outer surface of the spring wire 7, in which the magnetorheological fluid is filled.

[0046] The spiral tube 4 typically has a hollow internal structure. Under repeated high-pressure compression or when the internal magnetorheological fluid is completely liquid, the tube is prone to radial collapse or bending failure. The built-in spring wire 7 acts as a structural skeleton, effectively maintaining the helical geometry of the spiral tube 4. Simultaneously, the metal surface of the spring wire 7 increases the magnetic conductivity of the magnetic lines of force, contributing to a more uniform distribution and solidification of the magnetorheological fluid. The elastic wire can also be wrapped with a flexible honeycomb structure, such as sponge, to further fill the spiral tube 4.

[0047] In the specific transmission connection structure, the elastic control mechanism also includes a transmission rod 8 fixedly connected to the sleeve 5. The output end of the drive mechanism 2 is connected to the transmission rod 8, and one end of the spiral tube 4 abuts against the end face of the transmission rod 8. To ensure guiding stability, the axial length of the sleeve 5 is greater than the natural distance between the two ends of the spiral tube 4, so that the tail ends of both the spiral tube 4 and the valve core 3 are covered and guided into the inner cavity of the sleeve 5. When the drive mechanism 2 is working, it pushes and pulls the transmission rod 8, and the transmission rod 8 drives the valve core 3 to move synchronously through the sleeve 5 and the spiral tube 4.

[0048] Furthermore, the transmission rod 8 has an axially oriented mounting chamber 81 inside. A second electromagnetic mechanism 82, such as a columnar electromagnet, is arranged inside the mounting chamber 81.

[0049] The first electromagnetic mechanism 6 is located on the periphery of the helical tube 4, and the second electromagnetic mechanism 82 is located near the central axis of the helical tube 4. Together, they form a "double-layer excitation" structure. In terms of control strategy, the inner and outer magnetic fields can be superimposed, allowing the magnetorheological fluid within the gap of the helical tube 4 to be magnetized without dead zones, greatly shortening the response time, making the transition from liquid to solid state faster, and resulting in higher yield strength after solidification, thus meeting the overload protection requirements of larger tonnage hydraulic systems.

[0050] Specifically, the spiral tube 4 is integrally formed from a central spiral section 41 and straight sections 42 located at both ends of the spiral section 41. At the ends of both straight sections 42, threaded caps 9 are threadedly connected to seal the tube openings.

[0051] Furthermore, a push rod 91 is axially fixedly disposed on the inner center of the threaded cap 9. When the threaded cap 9 is screwed onto the straight section 42, the push rod 91 extends into the cavity of the straight section 42, and the outer circumferential surface of the push rod 91 seals against the inner wall of the straight section 42.

[0052] The threaded cap 9 specifically includes an end plate 92 and a threaded plate 93 perpendicularly disposed on one side of the end plate 92. The inner wall of the threaded plate 93 is machined with a threaded groove that matches the external thread of the straight segment 42; the push rod 91 is coaxially fixed to the center of the end plate 92; and the axial length of the push rod 91 is longer than the axial length of the threaded plate 93. To facilitate tightening, several circumferentially distributed anti-slip grooves are formed on the outer wall surface of the threaded plate 93.

[0053] By screwing the threaded cap 9 into or out of the straight section 42, the depth to which the push rod 91 extends into the helical tube 4 can be changed. Since magnetorheological fluid is an incompressible fluid, when the push rod 91 extends deeper, it occupies the effective volume inside the helical tube 4 (i.e., the empty volume inside the helical tube 4 decreases, approaching the volume of the magnetorheological fluid itself). This operation changes the initial hydrostatic pressure inside the helical tube 4 and the density of the magnetorheological fluid filling. Therefore, even without power, maintenance personnel can manually calibrate and fine-tune the basic stiffness of the "helical tube 4 + magnetorheological fluid" assembly, i.e., the initial pressure relief threshold, by tightening or loosening the threaded cap 9 according to different operating conditions, greatly improving the modular adaptability of this control valve.

[0054] In some other embodiments, a pressure sensor is connected to the connection channel 12, and an external alarm is connected to the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor can detect the pressure inside the valve chamber 11, and when the pressure is too high, the pressure sensor can trigger an alarm through the alarm. The pressure sensor and alarm are conventional technologies and will not be described in detail.

[0055] The above description is merely a selection of preferred embodiments of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-described features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A modular hydraulic control valve, characterized in that, include: The control valve body (1) has a valve cavity (11) and a connecting channel (12) connected to the valve cavity (11). A drive mechanism (2) is provided on the control valve body (1); a valve core (3) is provided in the valve cavity (11), and the valve core (3) is connected to the drive mechanism (2); at least two valve plates (31) are provided on the valve core (3), and the valve plates (31) can directly switch positions in multiple connection channels (12) to enable the hydraulic oil in multiple connection channels (12) to be connected, reversed and started / stopped; An elastic control mechanism is directly or indirectly provided between the drive mechanism (2) and the valve core (3). When the pressure in the connection channel (12) increases, the valve core (3) releases the pressure by buffering movement through the elastic control mechanism.

2. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic control mechanism includes: a spiral tube (4); one end of the spiral tube (4) is in contact with the valve core (3) and the other end is in contact with the drive mechanism (2); the spiral tube (4) is filled with magnetorheological fluid; a sleeve (5) is provided outside the spiral tube (4), and a first electromagnetic mechanism (6) for generating magnetic force is provided inside the sleeve (5).

3. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: A spring wire (7) is provided inside the spiral tube (4), the spiral tube (4) wraps the spring wire (7) and there is a gap between the spiral tube (4) and the spring wire (7) filled with magnetorheological fluid.

4. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic control mechanism also includes a transmission rod (8) connected to the sleeve (5), the drive mechanism (2) is connected to the transmission rod (8), and the spiral tube (4) is in contact with the transmission rod (8); the length of the sleeve (5) is greater than the distance between the two ends of the spiral tube (4).

5. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission rod (8) is provided with an installation chamber (81), and the installation chamber (81) is provided with a second electromagnetic mechanism (82).

6. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two ends of the spiral tube (4) are provided with threaded caps (9) that are screwed onto the spiral tube.

7. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: A push rod (91) is provided in the middle of the threaded cap (9), and the push rod (91) is located inside the threaded tube.

8. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 7, characterized in that: The threaded tube includes a helical section (41) and straight sections (42) located at both ends of the helical section (41); the threaded cap (9) is disposed on the straight section (42), and the push rod (91) abuts against the inner wall of the straight section (42).

9. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 8, characterized in that: The threaded cap (9) includes an end plate (92) and a threaded plate (93) connected to the end plate (92), the threaded plate (93) being threadedly connected to the straight segment (42); the push rod (91) is disposed on the end plate (92); the length of the push rod (91) is longer than the length of the threaded plate (93).

10. The modular hydraulic control valve according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inner wall of the threaded plate (93) is provided with a threaded groove that engages with the thread of the straight section (42), and the outer wall of the threaded plate (93) is provided with an anti-slip groove.

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