Raising cylinder with balance valve
By integrating a balance valve assembly and a welded bracket onto the lifting cylinder of the tunnel boring machine, the oil circuit layout is optimized, solving the problems of low space utilization and insufficient safety of traditional lifting cylinders. This achieves high safety and reliability of the cylinder, making it suitable for high-load conditions of heavy equipment.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIANGSU HENGLI HYDRAULIC
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
Smart Images

Figure CN224496965U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of shield machine lifting cylinder technology, and in particular to a lifting cylinder with a balance valve. Background Technology
[0002] During tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction, the lifting cylinder is a critical component, and its stability and safety are paramount. However, traditional TBM lifting cylinder designs have several shortcomings. First, the lack of a directly welded support to the cylinder barrel results in low space utilization, low integration, and a complex assembly process. Second, the absence of an integrated balance valve assembly makes it impossible to effectively control the cylinder when the load suddenly drops, posing a serious safety hazard. Furthermore, the existing support structure lacks effective measures to prevent shearing of the bolts, further reducing the structure's stability and safety. Utility Model Content
[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a lifting cylinder with a balance valve.
[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:
[0005] A lifting cylinder with a balance valve includes a cylinder barrel, a first guide sleeve assembly is installed at one end of the cylinder barrel, an end cap is installed at the other end of the cylinder barrel, a large piston rod is provided in the inner cavity of the cylinder barrel, a piston is installed in the inner cavity of the large piston rod, the piston divides the large piston rod into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber, and a small piston rod is installed in the rod chamber.
[0006] The small piston rod is provided with a rodless chamber oil passage communicating with the rodless chamber and a rod chamber oil passage communicating with the rod chamber; after the small piston rod extends out of the end cover, it is threadedly connected with a fixing nut and a locking nut, with the fixing nut located outside the locking nut; a transition block is installed on the outer end of the fixing nut by a screw;
[0007] A balance valve seat is installed at the outer end of the transition block. The transition block is provided with pipelines that are respectively connected to the rodless chamber oil circuit and the rod chamber oil circuit. The balance valve seat is provided with a rodless chamber oil port and a rod chamber oil port. The rodless chamber oil port is connected to the rodless chamber oil circuit, and the rod chamber oil port is connected to the rod chamber oil circuit. Two balance valves are installed on the balance valve seat, and the two balance valves are respectively connected to the rodless chamber oil circuit and the rod chamber oil circuit.
[0008] The above structure has the following advantages:
[0009] Enhanced safety: Direct control of the rodless / rod chamber pressure via the balance valve prevents accidental retraction of the cylinder due to sudden load drops or hydraulic system pressure loss, ensuring construction safety; Integrated design: The balance valve is directly mounted on the cylinder, reducing external pipeline connections, lowering leakage risk, and improving system reliability; Compact structure: The hydraulic circuit is integrated within a small piston rod, reducing external space occupation and facilitating installation in confined spaces such as tunnel boring machines.
[0010] Traditionally, the balance valve and the small piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder are connected by threads. After assembly, the positions of the rodless and rod-side ports are not fixed. In some confined spaces, the positions of these ports are critical. Therefore, this invention employs a double-locking structure with both a fixing nut and a locking nut to prevent vibration from causing the balance valve assembly to loosen, thus enhancing reliability. Simultaneously, it ensures the correct installation positions of the rodless and rod-side ports.
[0011] Furthermore, a second guide sleeve is installed on the inner wall of one end of the large piston rod, the second guide sleeve is fitted onto the small piston rod, and the other end of the large piston rod extends out of the first guide sleeve assembly and is connected to a rod head.
[0012] Furthermore, the rod head end is provided with a threaded hole, and the rod head sidewall is provided with an installation step.
[0013] Furthermore, the first guide sleeve assembly includes a first guide sleeve, a first spacer, and a first bushing arranged sequentially, with the first guide sleeve located on the outermost side.
[0014] Furthermore, a first dustproof ring and a rod sealing ring are installed on the inner wall of the first guide sleeve, with the first dustproof ring located outside the rod sealing ring.
[0015] Furthermore, a first bracket and a second bracket are fixed to the outer wall of the cylinder. The first bracket has a keyway at its top, and the second bracket has a lifting hole. The fixing method is welding.
[0016] Furthermore, the end cap is provided with a protective cover to protect the balance valve.
[0017] Furthermore, the balance valve seat is provided with rod chamber pressure test ports and rodless chamber pressure test ports for detecting whether the rod chamber oil passage and the rodless chamber oil passage are blocked, respectively.
[0018] Furthermore, a sealing ring for a hole is fitted onto the outer wall of the piston.
[0019] Furthermore, both the top plates of the first and second supports are provided with screw holes for mounting the lifting cylinder onto the tunnel boring machine.
[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model has a simple structure, and through optimized structural design and functional integration, it significantly improves the safety, reliability, and applicability of the hydraulic cylinder, making it particularly suitable for high-load conditions of heavy equipment such as tunnel boring machines. Specifically, it includes:
[0021] (1) Enhanced safety: The integrated design of the balance valve group + keyway anti-shear structure + pressure measuring port monitoring form a multi-protection mechanism to effectively prevent accidents such as load falling and screw breakage;
[0022] (2) Integration and space optimization: The support welding, the internal installation of the balance valve group, and the layered design of the guide sleeve greatly reduce the external accessories and adapt to the needs of the shield machine to operate in a narrow space;
[0023] (3) Easy assembly and maintenance: The composite connection of the pole head, the screw through hole, and the quick-release design of the protective cover reduce the difficulty of on-site installation and the cost of later maintenance.
[0024] (4) Reliability and extended lifespan: The design of guide sleeves, sealing rings, dustproof rings, etc. reduces wear and leakage, and extends the service life of the hydraulic cylinder. Attached Figure Description
[0025] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0026] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Rear view;
[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Longitudinal sectional view;
[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Sectional view along the middle AA direction;
[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;
[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point C.
[0032] In the diagram: 1. Cylinder, 2. First bracket, 3. Keyway, 4. Second bracket, 5. Balance valve seat, 6. Rodless chamber oil port, 7. Rod chamber oil port, 8. Protective cover, 9. Rod head, 10. Rod chamber pressure test port, 11. Rodless chamber pressure test port, 12. Lifting hole, 13. Transition block, 14. Fixing nut, 15. Locking nut, 16. End cap, 17. Small piston rod, 18. Large piston rod, 19. Piston, 20. Balance valve, 21. Rod chamber oil passage, 22. Rodless chamber oil passage, 23. First guide sleeve, 24. First spacer, 25. First bushing, 26. Second guide sleeve, 27. First dustproof ring, 28. Rod sealing ring. Detailed Implementation
[0033] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.
[0034] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to limit the exemplary implementations according to this application. As used herein, the singular form includes the plural form unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this description, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.
[0035] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.
[0036] like Figures 1-6The lifting cylinder with a balance valve shown includes a cylinder barrel 1. A first guide sleeve assembly is installed at one end of the cylinder barrel 1, and an end cap 16 is installed at the other end of the cylinder barrel 1. A large piston rod 18 is provided inside the cylinder barrel 1, and a piston 19 is installed inside the large piston rod 18. The piston 19 divides the large piston rod 18 into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber. A small piston rod 17 is installed in the rod chamber. The small piston rod 17 is provided with a rodless chamber oil passage 22 communicating with the rodless chamber and a rod chamber oil passage 21 communicating with the rod chamber. After the small piston rod 17 extends out of the end cap 16, it is threadedly connected to a fixing nut 14 and a locking nut 15. The fixed nut 14 is located outside the locking nut 15; a transition block 13 is installed on the outer end of the fixed nut 14 by screws; a balance valve seat 5 is installed on the outer end of the transition block 13 by screws, and the transition block 13 is provided with pipelines that are respectively connected to the rodless chamber oil passage 22 and the rod chamber oil passage 21. The balance valve seat 5 is provided with a rodless chamber oil port 6 and a rod chamber oil port 7. The rodless chamber oil port 6 is connected to the rodless chamber oil passage 22, and the rod chamber oil port 7 is connected to the rod chamber oil passage 21. Two balance valves 20 are installed on the balance valve seat 5, and the two balance valves 20 are respectively connected to the rodless chamber oil passage 22 and the rod chamber oil passage 21.
[0037] A second guide sleeve 26 is installed on the inner wall of one end of the large piston rod 18. The second guide sleeve 26 is fitted onto the small piston rod 17. The other end of the large piston rod 18 extends out of the first guide sleeve assembly and is connected to a rod head 9. The rod head 9 has a threaded hole at its end and an installation step on its side wall.
[0038] The second guide sleeve 26 provides auxiliary guidance for the small piston rod 17, reducing piston rod wear and extending its service life. The rod head 9 features a composite structure of threaded hole and step, which enhances the assembly accuracy and load-bearing capacity of the hydraulic cylinder with the tunnel boring machine (TBM) structural components, ensuring a more stable connection and preventing loosening. The stepped structure also distributes stress, avoiding stress concentration at the connection points and improving resistance to lateral forces.
[0039] The outer wall of piston 19 is fitted with a perforated seal. This perforated seal prevents oil leakage between the rodless chamber and the rod chamber, ensuring stable cylinder thrust, improving hydraulic system efficiency, and reducing energy consumption.
[0040] The first guide sleeve assembly includes a first guide sleeve 23, a first spacer 24 and a first bushing 25 arranged in sequence, with the first guide sleeve 23 located on the outermost side; a first dustproof ring 27 and a rod sealing ring 28 are installed on the inner wall of the first guide sleeve 23, with the first dustproof ring 27 located on the outer side of the rod sealing ring 28.
[0041] The first guide sleeve assembly adopts a layered structure of "guide sleeve + spacer + bushing". This layered structure balances guiding accuracy (guide sleeve) and sealing performance (bushing), addressing both mechanical wear and hydraulic sealing requirements. The spacer isolates the guide sleeve from the bushing, reducing deformation interference caused by thermal expansion. The layered structure also facilitates disassembly and maintenance, reducing repair costs. The first dustproof ring 27 prevents external dust from entering the cylinder, avoiding impurities that accelerate seal wear. The rod sealing ring 28 provides double-layer protection, reducing the risk of hydraulic oil leakage and extending maintenance intervals.
[0042] A first support 2 and a second support 4 are welded to the outer wall of the cylinder 1. The first support 2 has a keyway 3 at its top, and the second support 4 has a lifting hole 12. The first support 2 and the second support 4 are fixed to the outer wall of the cylinder 1. The fixing method can be welding. The first support 2 and the second support 4 are directly welded to the cylinder, eliminating the risk of loosening of traditional bolt connections; the keyway 3 prevents the support from sliding relative to the shield machine structural components, avoiding shear failure of the connecting screws; the lifting hole 12 facilitates the overall lifting of the hydraulic cylinder, improving construction convenience.
[0043] Both the top plates of the first support 2 and the second support 4 are equipped with screw holes for mounting the lifting cylinders onto the tunnel boring machine (TBM). These screw holes allow for direct bolt connection to the TBM structural components, simplifying the assembly process. The standardized design of the screw holes facilitates rapid assembly with the TBM; simultaneously, the multiple screws enhance connection strength, adapting to high-load conditions. Furthermore, the location of the screw holes works in conjunction with the keyway 3 to achieve multi-dimensional fixation and stress distribution.
[0044] The end cap 16 is provided with a protective cover 8 to protect the balance valve 20. The protective cover 8 prevents external impacts or foreign objects from damaging the balance valve 20 and improves the service life of the valve assembly.
[0045] The balance valve seat 5 is equipped with a rod chamber pressure test port 10 and a rodless chamber pressure test port 11, which are used to detect whether the rod chamber oil passage 21 and the rodless chamber oil passage 22 are blocked, respectively. The pressure test ports can monitor the oil passage pressure in real time, determine whether there is blockage or leakage, and facilitate fault diagnosis; the system status can be detected without disassembly, reducing maintenance difficulty.
[0046] When installing this type of lifting cylinder with a balance valve, the small piston rod 17 is fixed to the cylinder 1 with a lock nut 15 and the lock nut 15 is secured with a set screw to prevent loosening. The fixing nut 14 is screwed onto the small piston rod 17. Then, the transition block 13 and the fixing nut 14 are tightened together with screws, and the balance valve seat 5 is fixed to the transition block 13 with screws. The protective cover 8 is fixed to the end cover 16 with screws. This ensures that the installation positions of the rodless chamber port 6 and the rod chamber port 7 are at the target positions, preventing the port positions from changing due to traditional threaded installation.
[0047] When this lifting cylinder with a balance valve is working, oil is supplied to the large chamber of the cylinder from the oil port 6 in the rodless chamber, and the large piston rod 18 extends. Oil is supplied to the small chamber of the cylinder from the oil port 7 in the rod chamber, and the large piston rod 18 retracts.
[0048] In summary, this utility model has a simple structure and significantly improves the ease of installation and construction safety of the hydraulic cylinder through the welding bracket and integrated balance valve group, making it suitable for lifting operations of heavy equipment such as tunnel boring machines.
[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.
Claims
1. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve, characterized in that: Includes a cylinder (1), one end of which is equipped with a first guide sleeve assembly, and the other end of which is equipped with an end cap (16). The cylinder (1) has a large piston rod (18) in its inner cavity, and a piston (19) is installed in the inner cavity of the large piston rod (18). The piston (19) divides the large piston rod (18) into a rod chamber and a rodless chamber, and a small piston rod (17) is installed in the rod chamber. The small piston rod (17) is provided with a rodless chamber oil passage (22) communicating with the rodless chamber and a rod chamber oil passage (21) communicating with the rod chamber; after the small piston rod (17) extends out of the end cap (16), it is threadedly connected with a fixing nut (14) and a locking nut (15), the fixing nut (14) is located outside the locking nut (15); a transition block (13) is installed on the outer end of the fixing nut (14) by a screw; The transition block (13) is equipped with a balance valve seat (5) at its outer end. The transition block (13) is provided with pipelines that are connected to the rodless chamber oil passage (22) and the rod chamber oil passage (21) respectively. The balance valve seat (5) is provided with a rodless chamber oil port (6) and a rod chamber oil port (7). The rodless chamber oil port (6) is connected to the rodless chamber oil passage (22), and the rod chamber oil port (7) is connected to the rod chamber oil passage (21). Two balance valves (20) are installed on the balance valve seat (5). The two balance valves (20) are connected to the rodless chamber oil passage (22) and the rod chamber oil passage (21) respectively.
2. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of one end of the large piston rod (18) is equipped with a second guide sleeve (26), which is sleeved on the small piston rod (17). The other end of the large piston rod (18) extends out of the first guide sleeve assembly and is connected to a rod head (9).
3. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end of the rod head (9) is provided with a threaded hole, and the side wall of the rod head (9) is provided with an installation step.
4. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first guide sleeve assembly includes a first guide sleeve (23), a first spacer (24) and a first bushing (25) arranged in sequence, with the first guide sleeve (23) located on the outermost side.
5. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner wall of the first guide sleeve (23) is equipped with a first dustproof ring (27) and a rod sealing ring (28), with the first dustproof ring (27) located outside the rod sealing ring (28).
6. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder (1) has a first bracket (2) and a second bracket (4) fixed on its outer wall. The first bracket (2) has a keyway (3) at its top and the second bracket (4) has a lifting hole (12).
7. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end cap (16) is provided with a protective cover (8) for the balance valve (20).
8. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The balance valve seat (5) is provided with a rod chamber pressure test port (10) and a rodless chamber pressure test port (11) for detecting whether the rod chamber oil passage (21) and the rodless chamber oil passage (22) are blocked.
9. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston (19) has a sealing ring fitted on its outer side wall.
10. A lifting cylinder with a balance valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top plates of the first bracket (2) and the second bracket (4) are provided with screw holes for assembling the lifting cylinder onto the tunnel boring machine.