Pneumatic control shuttle valve

Abstract

The pneumatic control shuttle valve comprises a valve body, a piston and a valve element, the piston is arranged in the valve body and can reciprocate relative to the interior of the valve body, and the valve element is fixedly arranged in the valve body; a sealing face is arranged at the end of the piston, the sealing face and the piston are integrally arranged, and the pneumatic control shuttle valve is opened or closed by being away from or attached to the valve element through the sealing face. Through the integrated design of the piston and the sealing face, the piston and the valve element can be attached and separated more conveniently and rapidly, the response speed of opening and closing of the pneumatic control shuttle valve is increased, meanwhile, the part assembling number is reduced, the additional installation step of the sealing face relative to the piston is avoided, and meanwhile the integrated structure can enhance the overall strength of the piston and improve the service life of the piston. Due to the fact that no connecting part is arranged between the sealing face and the piston, the risk of structural damage caused by connection looseness or fatigue does not exist.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of pneumatic conveying systems, and more specifically to a pneumatically controlled shuttle valve. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial automation, pneumatic control systems, and various fluid transport and control applications, pneumatic shuttle valves are crucial components. Their primary function is to control gas flow to achieve system logic operations. Existing pneumatic shuttle valves typically consist of a valve body, piston, and valve core. However, the piston structure in traditional pneumatic shuttle valve designs often presents several problems. From a manufacturing perspective, the production process for traditional pistons is complex, and some pistons require special treatments such as surface hardening and coating to enhance their durability and performance, leading to higher manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the accumulation of machining errors during the transition between different processes makes it difficult to guarantee the dimensional and shape accuracy of the piston, creating potential problems for subsequent assembly and use.

[0003] From a long-term use and maintenance perspective, traditional pistons face numerous challenges in the frequent opening and closing operations of pneumatic shuttle valves. Because pneumatic shuttle valves require the piston to reciprocate within the valve body according to system control requirements, the piston in these technologies is subjected to frequent impacts from constantly changing air pressure during this process. These impacts cause deformation and wear of the piston, especially at the contact point between the piston and the valve core. Prolonged use can lead to dimensional changes in this area, affecting the contact accuracy between the piston and the valve core, resulting in a poorer seal and ultimately impacting the sealing performance of the pneumatic shuttle valve. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a pneumatic shuttle valve to solve the problem of poor sealing performance in pneumatic shuttle valves.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a pneumatic shuttle valve is provided, comprising: a valve body, a piston, and a valve core. The piston is placed in the valve body and can reciprocate relative to the valve body. The valve core is fixedly placed in the valve body. A sealing surface is provided at the end of the piston. The sealing surface is integrally formed with the piston. The opening or closing of the pneumatic shuttle valve is achieved by moving away from or close to the valve core through the sealing surface.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment, the direction of the reciprocating motion of the piston relative to the valve body is aligned with the flow direction of the medium within the valve body along the same axis.

[0007] As another preferred embodiment, the valve core cooperates with the piston to isolate the medium inlet and medium outlet of the pneumatic shuttle valve. The valve core is provided with a first flow guide end face on the side near the medium inlet. The first flow guide end face converges in an arc towards the medium inlet to form a shuttle-shaped structure.

[0008] In a further preferred embodiment, the valve core is provided with a second flow guide end face on the side near the medium outlet, and the second flow guide end face is arc-shaped toward the medium outlet to form a spindle-like structure.

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment, a sealing gasket is sandwiched between the first guide end face and the second guide end face, and the sealing gasket is attached to the sealing surface to close the pneumatic shuttle valve.

[0010] Preferably, the pneumatic shuttle valve further includes a guide body, which is disposed within the valve body and sleeved on the inner wall of the piston, and the piston can move along the axial extension direction of the guide body.

[0011] Preferably, the guide body has a protrusion at one end near the medium inlet, and the protrusion is fitted and connected to the inner wall of the valve body.

[0012] Preferably, a first cylinder chamber is formed between the guide body and the inner wall of the valve body, and a second cylinder chamber is formed between the piston and the inner wall of the valve body, with the first cylinder chamber and the second cylinder chamber being spaced apart.

[0013] Preferably, the pneumatic shuttle valve further includes a magnetic induction component, which is used to control the movement of the piston.

[0014] Preferably, the magnetic induction assembly includes: a magnetic ring connected to the piston; and a magnetic induction switch fixedly connected to the outer wall of the valve body; wherein the magnetic induction switch controls the attraction of the magnetic ring.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0016] The integrated design of the piston and sealing surface makes it easier and faster for the piston and valve core to come into contact, improving the response speed of the pneumatic shuttle valve when opening and closing. At the same time, it reduces the number of parts to be assembled and avoids the extra installation steps of the sealing surface relative to the piston. In addition, the integrated structure can enhance the overall strength of the piston. Since there is no connection between the sealing surface and the piston, there is no risk of structural damage due to loose connection or fatigue. During the frequent opening and closing of the pneumatic shuttle valve, the piston needs to withstand the frequent impact forces caused by air pressure changes. The integrated structure can better withstand these forces, ensure the stability of the piston, and thus reduce the risk of the sealing surface falling off. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic shuttle valve in the open state.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic shuttle valve in the closed state.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic shuttle valve from another perspective.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Pneumatic shuttle valve; 2. Medium inlet; 3. Medium outlet; 4. First air inlet; 5. Second air inlet; 6. Medium flow direction; 10. Valve body; 20. Piston; 21. Sealing surface; 30. Valve core; 31. First guide end face; 32. Second guide end face; 33. Sealing gasket; 40. Guide body; 41. Protrusion; 50. First cylinder chamber; 60. Second cylinder chamber; 71. Magnetic ring; 72. Magnetic induction switch; 73. Magnetic induction switch bracket. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present application will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this application.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, see Figures 1 to 3This application provides a pneumatic shuttle valve 1, including: a valve body 10, a piston 20 and a valve core 30. The piston 20 is placed inside the valve body 10 and can reciprocate relative to the valve body 10. The valve core 30 is fixedly placed inside the valve body 10. The piston 20 has a sealing surface 21 at its end. The sealing surface 21 is integrally formed with the piston 20. The pneumatic shuttle valve 1 can be opened or closed by moving away from or close to the valve core 30 through the sealing surface 21.

[0026] It should be noted that the valve body 10 is the outer shell of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1, and is generally made of stainless steel or other materials, which have excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength, providing certain support and protection for internal components such as the valve core 30 and piston 20. Simultaneously, the valve body 10 has a first air inlet 4 and a second air inlet 5. When the first air inlet 4 is closed and the second air inlet 5 is opened, then... Figure 1 As shown, piston 20 moves away from valve core 30, allowing the medium in pneumatic shuttle valve 1 to enter through medium inlet 2, flow through medium flow direction 6, and exit through medium outlet 3. When the first air inlet 4 is opened and the second air inlet 5 is closed, pneumatic shuttle valve 1 then functions as follows: Figure 2 When the valve is in the closed state, the medium cannot pass through the valve body 10. The pressurized gas switches between the first air inlet 4 and the second air inlet 5, which causes the piston 20 to reciprocate, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1.

[0027] In this application, the piston 20 and sealing surface 21 are designed as a single unit, which makes it easier and faster for the piston 20 and valve core 30 to come into contact and move away, improving the response speed of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 when opening and closing. At the same time, it reduces the number of parts to be assembled and avoids the additional installation steps of sealing surface 21 relative to piston 20. In addition, the integrated structure can enhance the overall strength of piston 20. Since there is no connection between sealing surface 21 and piston 20, there is no risk of structural damage due to loose connection or fatigue. During the frequent opening and closing of pneumatic shuttle valve 1, piston 20 needs to withstand the frequent impact forces caused by air pressure changes. The integrated structure can better withstand these forces, ensure the stability of piston 20, and thus reduce the risk of sealing surface 21 falling off.

[0028] Meanwhile, since the sealing surface 21 and the piston 20 are integrated, there is no tiny gap that might occur between them. In traditional split designs, the connection between the sealing surface 21 and the piston 20 may develop leakage channels due to long-term use, wear, or improper installation. The integrated design eliminates this hidden danger, providing a more reliable seal and effectively preventing gas leakage between the piston 20 and the valve body 10. The integrated structure makes it easier to control the shape and dimensional accuracy of the sealing surface 21, as it is formed simultaneously during the manufacturing process of the piston 20. This helps ensure that the fit between the sealing surface 21 and the valve core 30 is consistent each time the piston 20 moves to the closed position, thus providing a stable and reliable sealing effect. This is beneficial for the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 to accurately control gas flow and ensure consistent sealing performance.

[0029] In terms of manufacturing and maintenance, the one-piece piston 20 and sealing surface 21 can be formed in one step through casting, forging, or CNC machining, reducing processing steps and costs. In contrast, manufacturing separate sealing surface 21 and piston 20 requires separate machining and assembly, which increases manufacturing complexity and cost. During maintenance, the one-piece structure makes cleaning the piston 20 and sealing surface 21 easier. Because there is no complex connection structure, it is less prone to dirt accumulation, and when checking the sealing performance of piston 20, only the overall wear of piston 20 needs to be checked; there is no need to consider issues such as loose connection between sealing surface 21 and piston 20, thus reducing maintenance difficulty.

[0030] Furthermore, the direction of the reciprocating motion of piston 20 relative to valve body 10 is aligned with the flow direction of the medium within valve body 10. During its stroke, piston 20 experiences almost no resistance, thus optimizing the force distribution on it. Since the direction of piston 20's movement is the same as the medium flow direction 6, the force exerted by the medium on piston 20 is mainly concentrated along its axis of motion, reducing lateral forces. This makes piston 20 more stable during operation, further improving the opening and closing speed of pneumatic shuttle valve 1. Simultaneously, the reduced friction and wear between piston 20 and valve body 10 due to lateral forces helps extend the service life of both piston 20 and valve body 10, while also reducing vibration and noise during operation of pneumatic shuttle valve 1.

[0031] As another preferred option, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The valve core 30 works with the piston 20 to isolate the medium inlet 2 and the medium outlet 3 of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1. The valve core 30 is provided with a first guide end face 31 on the side near the medium inlet 2. The first guide end face 31 converges in an arc towards the medium inlet 2 to form a shuttle-shaped structure.

[0032] In a further preferred embodiment, the valve core 30 is provided with a second flow guide end face 32 on the side near the medium outlet 3, and the second flow guide end face 32 is arc-shaped toward the medium outlet 3 to form a spindle-like structure.

[0033] The first guide face 31 with its spindle-shaped structure, in conjunction with the second guide face 32 with a similar spindle-shaped structure, guides the medium to flow more orderly when entering and leaving the valve core 30 region. When the medium enters from the medium inlet 2, the arc-shaped converging structure of the first guide face 31 allows the medium to gradually converge, preventing the medium from suddenly changing direction and causing turbulence. Similarly, when the medium leaves the valve core 30 and flows towards the medium outlet 3, the arc-shaped approaching structure of the second guide face 32 also ensures a smooth transition for the medium, reducing energy loss and pressure fluctuations during the flow process. In other words, the spindle-shaped structure of the first guide face 31 facilitates the guidance of the flowing medium, allowing it to pass more smoothly from both sides of the valve core 30. Simultaneously, the similar spindle-shaped structure of the second guide face 32 ensures that the medium after passing through the valve core 30 is also guided by the second guide face 32, thus flowing more smoothly towards the medium outlet 3.

[0034] Meanwhile, the arrangement of the first guide end face 31 and the second guide end face 32 helps to make the flow velocity of the medium more uniform in the entire medium flow direction 6. Through the guidance of the guide end face, the flow velocity distribution of the medium near the valve core 30 is more reasonable, and there will be no local flow velocity that is too fast or too slow. This enables precise control of the medium flow rate and pressure, and can improve the stability and reliability of the system in some pneumatic systems with high requirements for the medium flow state.

[0035] The shuttle-shaped structure of the first guide end face 31 can buffer and guide the incoming medium, so that the medium is diverted through the shuttle end when it approaches the valve core 30, reducing the direct impact of the medium on the valve core 30 and reducing the risk of damage to the sealing surface 21 due to strong impact, thereby helping to extend the service life of the valve core 30 and enhance the sealing effect.

[0036] Meanwhile, the first guide end face 31 and the second guide end face 32 have similar shapes, which also helps to achieve a reasonable distribution of sealing pressure to a certain extent. When the piston 20 and the valve core 30 cooperate to achieve a seal, the pressure of the medium can be more evenly distributed on the sealing surface 21 under the action of the guide end face, avoiding the situation where the sealing surface 21 is deformed or leaked due to excessive local pressure, and further improving the stability and reliability of the seal.

[0037] The medium may contain some impurities. The spindle-shaped and quasi-spindle-shaped guide end face structure allows impurities to pass more easily through the valve core 30 area as the medium flows. For example, under the guidance of the guide end face, impurities can move along the mainstream direction of medium flow without accumulating near the valve core 30, thereby reducing the interference of impurities on the normal operation of the valve core 30 and the valve, and reducing the risk of valve blockage.

[0038] In a further preferred embodiment, a sealing gasket 33 is sandwiched between the first guide end face 31 and the second guide end face 32, and the sealing gasket 33 is in contact with the sealing surface 21 to close the pneumatic shuttle valve 1.

[0039] It should also be noted that the first guide end face 31, which is also the sealing cover structure used to fix and assemble the sealing gasket 33, effectively reduces the contact gap between the piston 20 and the valve core 30 through the contact between the sealing gasket 33 and the sealing surface 21. For example, in the case of small gaps caused by long-term use of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1, temperature changes, or other factors, the presence of the sealing gasket 33 can effectively fill these gaps, providing additional sealing protection and ensuring that the medium does not leak from between the medium inlet 2 and the medium outlet 3. Furthermore, during the opening and closing of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1, pressure changes in the medium may impact the sealing surface 21 of the piston 20 and the valve core 30. The sealing gasket 33 can act as a buffer, absorbing and dispersing these pressure impacts, reducing damage to the sealing surface 21 and the valve core 30. For example, when the valve closes rapidly, the sealing gasket 33 can slow down the collision between the sealing surface 21 and the valve core 30, protecting the sealing surface 21 and the valve core 30 from damage.

[0040] Meanwhile, the sealing gasket 33 is usually made of materials with good elasticity and sealing properties, such as rubber and polytetrafluoroethylene. When the sealing surface 21 of the piston 20 is in contact with the sealing gasket 33, the sealing gasket 33 can adaptively deform according to the shape and pressure changes of the sealing surface 21, tightly fitting the sealing surface 21, thereby forming a reliable seal and greatly reducing the possibility of leakage.

[0041] Preferably, the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 further includes a guide body 40, which is disposed inside the valve body 10 and sleeved on the inner wall of the piston 20. The piston 20 can move along the axial extension direction of the guide body 40. At the same time, a protrusion 41 is provided at one end of the guide body 40 near the medium inlet 2. The protrusion 41 is fitted and connected to the inner wall of the valve body 10. The fitted connection between the protrusion 41 and the inner wall of the valve body 10 can firmly fix the guide body 40 inside the valve body 10. During the operation of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1, the guide body 40 needs to withstand the force generated by the reciprocating motion of the piston 20. If the position of the guide body 40 is offset, it will affect the guiding effect on the piston 20. The fitted connection of the protrusion 41 can ensure that the position of the guide body 40 inside the valve body 10 is accurate and stable, providing a reliable guiding foundation for the piston 20, and further improving the connection stability of the guide body 40 relative to the valve body 10.

[0042] It should be noted that the guide body 40 ensures that the piston 20 can only reciprocate in a specific linear direction within the shuttle valve, preventing the piston 20 from deviating, swinging, or rotating during movement, thereby guaranteeing the normal opening and closing of the valve. Simultaneously, the contact between the piston 20 and the guide body 40 disperses the radial force on the piston 20, thus improving its service life.

[0043] Preferably, a first cylinder chamber 50 is formed between the guide body 40 and the inner wall of the valve body 10, and a second cylinder chamber 60 is formed between the piston 20 and the inner wall of the valve body 10. The first cylinder chamber 50 and the second cylinder chamber 60 are spaced apart, and are the two chambers of a cylinder. The first cylinder chamber 50 and the second cylinder chamber 60 are spaced apart and connected to the two chambers of the cylinder, respectively, so that the movement direction of the piston 20 can be precisely controlled by independently controlling the two chambers. At the same time, by flexibly adjusting the air pressure of the two cylinder chambers, the piston 20 can be stopped at different positions, thereby achieving different valve openings to meet special working requirements such as throttling control and partial opening, rather than being limited to simple fully open or fully closed modes.

[0044] Preferably, the arrangement of two cylinder chambers can accelerate the response speed of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 to media control. When it is necessary to quickly change the flow direction or flow rate of the media, the piston 20 can be moved quickly by simultaneously adjusting the air pressure of the two cylinder chambers, thereby quickly opening or closing the media channel and improving the dynamic response performance of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 in the entire pneumatic system.

[0045] Preferably, the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 further includes a magnetic induction component for controlling the movement of the piston 20.

[0046] Preferably, the magnetic induction assembly includes: a magnetic ring 71 connected to the piston 20; and a magnetic induction switch 72 fixedly connected to the outer wall of the valve body 10; wherein the magnetic induction switch 72 controls the attraction of the magnetic ring 71.

[0047] Among them, since the magnetic induction switch 72 uses a magnetic field to attract and control the magnetic ring 71, it is a non-contact control method. This avoids the direct friction and wear between components that may occur in the traditional mechanical contact control method. During the long-term reciprocating motion of the piston 20, the traditional contact control components are prone to wear due to frequent friction, which reduces the control accuracy and service life. The magnetic induction component can effectively avoid this problem and extend the overall service life of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1.

[0048] By adjusting the magnetic field strength of the magnetic induction switch 72 and the precision of the control signal, precise control of the piston 20's position can be achieved. The movement of the piston 20 relative to the valve core 30 can only be achieved at a macroscopic level by opening and closing the first air inlet 4 and the second air inlet 5. However, when it is necessary to precisely stop the piston 20 at a certain position to achieve precise control of the flow rate or pressure regulation, the piston 20 can be precisely positioned by accurately controlling the magnetic field strength of the magnetic induction switch 72, thus improving the accuracy of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 in controlling the medium.

[0049] Meanwhile, the magnetic induction switch 72 provided in this application is fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the valve body 10 via a magnetic induction switch bracket 73. The magnetic induction switch 72 can detect the position of the magnetic ring 71, thereby achieving real-time monitoring and feedback of the piston 20's position. Operators or the control system can accurately understand the current position of the piston 20 based on the feedback position information and determine the working status of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1. For example, in an automated system, when the piston 20 position information feedback is abnormal, potential faults in the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 can be detected and resolved promptly, ensuring the normal operation of the system.

[0050] In this system, the position information of the piston 20 is used as an indicator of the working status of the pneumatic shuttle valve 1 in conjunction with the magnetic ring 71 for equipment status monitoring and fault diagnosis. By continuously monitoring the position of the piston 20, possible faults, such as abnormal movement or jamming of the piston 20, can be predicted, and maintenance measures can be taken in advance to improve the reliability and maintainability of the equipment.

[0051] The magnetic induction component has a fast response speed. When the control signal reaches the magnetic induction switch 72, it can quickly attract or release the magnetic ring 71, thereby driving the piston 20 to move quickly. This is very advantageous for application scenarios that require rapid switching of medium flow direction 6 or rapid adjustment of the state of pneumatic shuttle valve 1. For example, when applied to some high-speed automated production lines, it can improve the response speed and working efficiency of the entire system.

[0052] The basic principles, main features, and advantages of this application have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely the principles of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made to this application without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection claimed by this application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A pneumatically controlled shuttle valve, characterized in that, include: The valve body, piston, and valve core are provided. The piston is placed inside the valve body and can reciprocate relative to the valve body. The valve core is fixedly placed inside the valve body. The piston end is provided with a sealing surface, which is integrally formed with the piston. The opening or closing of the pneumatic shuttle valve is achieved by the sealing surface moving away from or close to the valve core. The pneumatic shuttle valve also includes: A magnetic induction assembly is used to control the movement of the piston.

2. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The direction of the piston's reciprocating motion relative to the valve body is aligned with the flow direction of the medium within the valve body along the same axis.

3. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve core works with the piston to isolate the medium inlet and medium outlet of the pneumatic shuttle valve. The valve core has a first flow guide end face on the side near the medium inlet. The first flow guide end face converges in an arc towards the medium inlet to form a shuttle-shaped structure.

4. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The valve core is provided with a second flow guide end face on the side near the medium outlet, and the second flow guide end face is arc-shaped toward the medium outlet to form a spindle-like structure.

5. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A sealing gasket is sandwiched between the first guide end face and the second guide end face, and the sealing gasket is attached to the sealing surface to close the pneumatic shuttle valve.

6. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Also includes: A guide body is disposed within the valve body and sleeved on the inner wall of the piston, and the piston can move along the axial extension direction of the guide body.

7. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The guide body has a protrusion at one end near the medium inlet, and the protrusion is fitted and connected to the inner wall of the valve body.

8. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 6, characterized in that, A first cylinder chamber is formed between the guide body and the inner wall of the valve body, and a second cylinder chamber is formed between the piston and the inner wall of the valve body, with the first cylinder chamber and the second cylinder chamber being spaced apart.

9. The pneumatic shuttle valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic induction component includes: A magnetic ring, which is connected to the piston; A magnetic induction switch, wherein the magnetic induction switch is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the valve body; The magnetic induction switch controls the adsorption of the magnetic ring.

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