Vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device

Abstract

The utility model relates to special metallurgy technical field discloses a kind of vacuum induction furnace isolation valve devices, comprising: rotary drive device;Rotary shaft, with the rotary drive device transmission connection;Swing arm, connect in the rotary shaft;Valve plate, connect in the swing arm, and can rotate with the swing arm;Fixed plate, for installation at the upper end opening of smelting chamber;Sealing ring, set on the fixed plate. By the fixed plate and valve plate are set to be mutually parallel inclined structure, so that valve plate only needs to swing in horizontal direction under the drive of rotary drive device to realize the compression or separation with sealing ring, avoid the tangential friction of valve plate and sealing ring due to the failure of lifting spring in traditional structure, cause the problem of sealing ring damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of special metallurgical technology, and in particular to a vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device. Background Technology

[0002] A vacuum induction furnace is a device for melting alloys in a vacuum environment. It typically has multiple chambers, such as a melting chamber, a mold chamber, and a top charging chamber, with isolation valves between each connected chamber. When the isolation valves are open, the chambers are connected and the vacuum level (gas pressure) is consistent between them. When the isolation valves are closed, the chambers are isolated, and each chamber can operate independently, such as through vacuum charging.

[0003] In a vacuum induction furnace, there are generally two methods for feeding the crucible inside: one is through a side feeding chamber using a vibratory conveyor; the other is through an upper feeding chamber using a hoisting conveyor. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages and cannot replace the other.

[0004] When charging the furnace via the upper charging chamber, the following steps are required: first, close the isolation valve; then, ventilate the upper charging chamber (to equalize the chamber pressure with atmospheric pressure); open the chamber door; hang the bucket containing the raw material on the winch; close the door; evacuate the upper charging chamber; and once the vacuum is balanced, open the isolation valve, start the winch to send the bucket into the melting chamber, and add it to the crucible. The winch then reverses to hoist the bucket back into the upper charging chamber, closes the isolation valve, ventilates the upper charging chamber, opens the door, and removes the bucket, completing the charging process. During this process, the isolation valve needs to operate twice, and because it is located directly above the crucible, heat and dust accumulate significantly, creating a harsh working environment prone to malfunction.

[0005] Currently, the isolation valve between the feeding chamber and the melting chamber mainly adopts a rotary structure. This isolation valve mainly consists of a rotating device, a pressing device, a lifting spring, and a flat valve plate. When the isolation valve needs to be opened, the pressing device retracts upward, its pressure head moves away from the valve plate, and the valve plate is lifted upward under the action of the lifting spring, separating the valve plate from the sealing ring and maintaining a certain distance from it. The rotating device then rotates, turning the valve plate away from the sealing ring. When the isolation valve needs to be closed, the rotating device rotates in the opposite direction, turning the valve plate to the sealing position. The pressing device presses down, counteracting the force of the lifting spring, and presses the valve plate onto the sealing ring, completing the isolation.

[0006] However, because the isolation valve is located directly above the crucible in the melting chamber, heat and dust accumulate severely, creating a harsh working environment. This makes the lifting spring prone to failure, preventing the valve plate from automatically disengaging from the sealing ring. During rotation, the valve plate may become tangential to the sealing ring, causing damage. Furthermore, this isolation valve mechanism requires multiple actuators and position sensors, resulting in a complex structure that is difficult to maintain. Utility Model Content

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to prevent the valve plate from being tangent to the sealing ring when rotating, thereby simplifying the structure and making it easier to maintain.

[0008] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device for selectively isolating or connecting the upper charging chamber with the melting chamber. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device includes: a rotary drive device; a rotary shaft connected to the rotary drive device; a swing arm connected to the rotary shaft; a valve plate connected to the swing arm and capable of rotating with the swing arm; a fixed plate for mounting at the upper opening of the melting chamber; and a sealing ring disposed on the fixed plate.

[0009] The fixed plate is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, the valve plate is parallel to the fixed plate, and the rotation drive device drives the swing arm to swing in the horizontal direction through the rotation shaft, so that the valve plate presses against the sealing ring or disengages from the sealing ring.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotary drive device is located outside the upper feeding chamber. One end of the rotary shaft is connected to the rotary drive device, and the other end of the rotary shaft extends into the upper feeding chamber and is rotatably connected to the upper feeding chamber. The rotary shaft passes through the side wall of the upper feeding chamber and is rotatably and sealingly connected to the side wall of the upper feeding chamber. The swing arm, the valve plate, the fixed plate, and the sealing ring are all located inside the upper feeding chamber.

[0011] Furthermore, the angle of inclination of the fixing plate relative to the horizontal plane is 15° to 30°.

[0012] Furthermore, the rotary drive device includes a motor, an encoder, and a brake, wherein the encoder is connected to the motor, the motor is connected to the rotary shaft, and the brake is connected to the rotary shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, the fixing plate has a ring-shaped structure.

[0014] The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device provided by the above technical solution has the following advantages compared with the prior art: By setting the fixed plate and valve plate as a parallel inclined structure, the valve plate only needs to swing horizontally under the drive of the rotary drive device to achieve pressing or disengaging with the sealing ring. Since the contact surface is an inclined plane, horizontal movement can directly control the separation and pressing of the valve plate and the sealing ring. There is no tangential movement between the valve plate and the sealing ring during the disengagement process, which completely avoids the problem of tangential friction between the valve plate and the sealing ring caused by the failure of the lifting spring in the traditional structure. At the same time, this structure eliminates the complex mechanisms such as the pressing device and lifting spring in the prior art. Reliable sealing and opening can be achieved by a single rotary drive, which significantly simplifies the overall structure, reduces the sensitivity to harsh environments with high temperature and high dust, and improves the reliability and ease of maintenance of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the isolation valve assembly of the vacuum induction furnace along section AA.

[0017] Among them, 1-rotary drive device, 2-rotary shaft, 3-swing arm, 4-valve plate, 5-sealing ring, 6-fixed plate. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0019] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., used to indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device for selectively isolating or connecting the upper feeding chamber with the melting chamber. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device includes a rotary drive device 1, a rotary shaft 2, a swing arm 3, a valve plate 4, a fixing plate 6, and a sealing ring 5.

[0022] The rotating shaft 2 is connected to the rotating drive device 1 for transmission. The swing arm 3 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 2. The valve plate 4 is connected to the swing arm 3 and can rotate with the swing arm 3. The fixed plate 6 is used to install at the upper opening of the melting chamber, and the sealing ring 5 is set on the fixed plate 6.

[0023] The fixed plate 6 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, while the valve plate 4 is parallel to the fixed plate 6. The rotary drive device 1 drives the swing arm 3 to swing back and forth in the horizontal direction through the rotating shaft 2, thereby causing the valve plate 4 to press against or disengage from the sealing ring 5.

[0024] Since both the fixed plate 6 and the valve plate 4 are inclined and parallel to each other, when the swing arm 3 swings horizontally, the valve plate 4 can directly press against or disengage from the sealing ring 5 along the inclined surface of the fixed plate 6. This movement method avoids the tangential friction between the valve plate 4 and the sealing ring 5 caused by the failure of the lifting spring in traditional structures when the valve plate 4 is opened and closed. At the same time, this structure eliminates the complex mechanisms such as the pressing device and lifting spring in traditional structures, and achieves reliable sealing and opening through a single rotation drive, significantly simplifying the overall structure, reducing sensitivity to harsh environments with high temperature and high dust, and improving the reliability and ease of maintenance of the device.

[0025] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the rotary drive device 1 is located outside the upper feeding chamber, which effectively isolates the drive components from the high-temperature, high-dust environment inside the upper feeding chamber. One end of the rotary shaft 2 is connected to the rotary drive device 1, and the other end extends into the upper feeding chamber and forms a rotatable connection with it. The rotary shaft 2 passes through the side wall of the upper feeding chamber and is rotatably sealed to the side wall, for example, by installing a rotary sealing sleeve between the rotary shaft 2 and the chamber wall to ensure the vacuum seal of the upper feeding chamber.

[0026] The swing arm 3, valve plate 4, fixed plate 6, and sealing ring 5 are all located in the upper feeding chamber, forming a complete working component assembly. This internal and external separation design keeps the drive components away from harsh working environments, greatly improving the service life and reliability of the device, while also facilitating the maintenance and repair of the drive components.

[0027] To achieve better sealing performance and operational efficiency, the tilt angle of the fixing plate 6 has been optimized in this invention. In some embodiments, the tilt angle of the fixing plate 6 relative to the horizontal plane is limited to the range of 15° to 30°. This angle range has been verified through multiple tests, ensuring good sealing performance while keeping the clamping force required by the drive device within a reasonable range and ensuring smooth material feeding.

[0028] In some embodiments, the rotary drive device 1 includes a motor, an encoder, and a brake. The motor provides rotational power and is connected to the rotary shaft 2; the encoder is connected to the motor and is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 2 in real time; the brake is connected to the rotary shaft 2 and is used to lock the position of the rotary shaft 2 when needed.

[0029] The encoder allows for precise control of the opening and closing positions of the valve plate 4, ensuring accurate positioning with each operation. The brake provides additional locking force after the valve plate 4 presses against the sealing ring 5, preventing the rotating shaft 2 from reversing due to vibration or external forces, thus ensuring the reliability of the seal. This configuration significantly improves the control precision and operational reliability of the device.

[0030] In some embodiments, the fixing plate 6 is an annular structure, which can be perfectly installed at the upper opening of the melting chamber to form a complete sealing boundary. The sealing ring 5 is correspondingly disposed on the sealing surface of the annular fixing plate 6 and matches the size of the valve plate 4.

[0031] The working process of the vacuum induction furnace isolation valve device in this embodiment of the invention during material feeding in the upper feeding chamber is as follows:

[0032] 1. By reading the encoder value in the rotary drive device 1, set the open and closed positions of the valve plate 4. The open position is the stop position after the valve plate 4 leaves the sealing ring 5, allowing the material bucket to pass through the isolation valve; the closed position is the stop position after the valve plate 4 presses against the sealing ring 5, isolating the upper feeding chamber and the melting chamber. This step only needs to be set during the initial installation.

[0033] 2. The rotary drive device 1 drives the rotary shaft 2 to rotate, thereby driving the swing arm 3 and valve plate 4 to rotate towards the fixed plate 6, and finally press them onto the sealing ring 5, reaching the closed position and stopping. The brake in the rotary drive device 1 is activated to fix the rotary shaft 2. At this time, under the driving force of the motor of the rotary drive device 1, the valve plate 4 deforms the sealing ring 5 to form a seal, and the upper feeding chamber and the melting chamber are isolated.

[0034] 3. Break the air pressure in the upper feeding chamber (i.e., make it equal to atmospheric pressure), open its chamber door, hang the material bucket on the winch, and then close its chamber door.

[0035] 4. Start evacuating the upper feeding chamber until the vacuum level meets the conditions for opening the isolation valve.

[0036] 5. After vacuum balance, the rotary drive device 1 is started in reverse. At this time, the brake is released, and the rotary drive device 1 drives the rotary shaft 2 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby driving the swing arm 3 and the valve plate 4 to rotate away from the fixed plate 6 until they reach the open position. At this time, due to the inclined surface design, the valve plate 4 and the sealing ring 5 are always separated, there is no cross-interference, and it will not be tangent to the sealing ring 5.

[0037] 6. The material bucket is fed into the melting chamber by a hoisting device and poured into the crucible.

[0038] 7. The material bucket is retrieved into the upper feeding chamber by a hoisting device.

[0039] 8. Close the isolation valve and proceed with step 2 above.

[0040] 9. Empty the upper feeding chamber, open its door, remove the material bucket from the hoist, and close the door.

[0041] 10. Adding materials is complete.

[0042] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vacuum induction furnace isolation valve apparatus for selectively isolating or communicating an upper charging chamber with a melting chamber, characterized by, The isolation valve device for the vacuum induction furnace includes: Rotary drive device; The rotating shaft is connected to the rotating drive device for transmission. A swing arm is connected to the rotation axis; A valve plate is connected to the swing arm and can rotate with the swing arm; A fixing plate is used to install at the upper opening of the melting chamber; A sealing ring is disposed on the fixing plate; The fixed plate is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, the valve plate is parallel to the fixed plate, and the rotation drive device drives the swing arm to swing in the horizontal direction through the rotation shaft, so that the valve plate presses against the sealing ring or disengages from the sealing ring.

2. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The rotary drive device is located outside the upper feeding chamber. One end of the rotary shaft is connected to the rotary drive device, and the other end of the rotary shaft extends into the upper feeding chamber and is rotatably connected to the upper feeding chamber. The rotary shaft passes through the side wall of the upper feeding chamber and is rotatably and sealingly connected to the side wall of the upper feeding chamber. The swing arm, the valve plate, the fixed plate, and the sealing ring are all located inside the upper feeding chamber.

3. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The angle of inclination of the fixing plate relative to the horizontal plane is 15° to 30°.

4. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The rotary drive device includes a motor, an encoder, and a brake. The encoder is connected to the motor, the motor is connected to the rotary shaft, and the brake is connected to the rotary shaft.

5. The vacuum induction furnace isolation valve apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The fixing plate has a ring-shaped structure.

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