Valve and method for producing a valve

Abstract

Valve (100) with a valve housing (101) comprising a first region (111) and a second region (112), wherein in the first region (111) at least one valve chamber (121-125) which can be pressurized with air is arranged, in each of which an actuating element (182) for opening and closing a valve opening (183) of the valve chamber (121-125) and an actuator (181) for actuating the actuating element (182) are arranged, wherein a printed circuit board (133) which is designed to electrically actuate the actuator (181) extends into each valve chamber (121-125), wherein the printed circuit boards (133) are connected to a common main printed circuit board (160) which is arranged in the second region (112), characterized in that each valve chamber (121-125) is surrounded by boundary surfaces (131, 132) of the valve housing (101) which essentially seals the valve chamber (121-125) gas-tight,and a space (141) extending between at least two valve spaces (121-125) is open to at least two opposite sides of the valve housing (101), wherein a connecting part (134) of the circuit boards (133) extends through connecting openings (184, 185) of the boundary surfaces (131, 132) of adjacent valve spaces (121-125) and the open space (141), wherein the open space contains a sealing material (250) which encloses the connecting part and the connecting openings (184, 185) in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a valve with a valve housing according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for producing such a valve according to claim 11. State of the art

[0002] Valves according to the preamble of independent claim 1 are already known from the prior art and are typically used in systems for controlling the supply of air, compressed air, or other gases to specific areas of vehicle seats, such as lumbar supports in cars or trucks. At the same time, these valves are used not only for supplying but also typically for releasing air from corresponding systems.

[0003] A wide variety of technologies are already known from the state of the art.

[0004] These valves are used to specifically inflate air cushions, for example in vehicle seats, and to release the air from these air cushions again if necessary.

[0005] It is common practice to use shape memory alloys (SMA), which undergo a change in shape upon heating and / or cooling, and to use this change in shape to switch the valve between a closed and an open state. Instead of SMA elements, other variants that are already known from the state of the art can also be used.

[0006] The electrical actuation of the SMA elements, which is necessary to control their shape change, as well as the electrical actuation of other implementations of these valves, requires a circuit board that extends into the individual valve housings of a valve. Since the implementation of a lumbar support, for example, requires a large number of valve chambers and valve elements to supply individual air cushions with compressed air, a separate electrical control of the actuating element, such as the SMA element, must be implemented for each of these valve chambers or valve elements, so a circuit board must extend into each of the valve chambers.In the prior art, the control of all control elements is usually realized by a main circuit board that is connected to the other circuit boards arranged in the valve chambers, which requires a connection through the valve chambers, which would otherwise have to be provided gas-tight, between the individual circuit boards and the main circuit board.

[0007] EP 3 281 821 A1 discloses sealing the transition between the printed circuit board and the individual valve chambers to create a gas-tight area. This isolates the individual valve chambers from each other and from the external environment, reliably ensuring that the individual valve chambers are pressurized with compressed air and that a desired pressure module is maintained. For this purpose, the electrical component, which includes the main circuit board and the individual circuit boards for the valve chambers, is inserted into the housing, and any remaining free space is then coated with an adhesive to create a seal.

[0008] DE 20 2018 101 851 U1 also shows adhesive points arranged at the transition between individual separating elements in the valve in order to seal them.

[0009] DE 10 2020 200 776 A1 discloses a valve with a valve housing. This document discloses that adjacent valve chambers are directly adjacent to one another, so that exactly one boundary surface is arranged between two adjacent valve chambers, through which a connecting part of the circuit board then extends.

[0010] However, applying the adhesive and securely bonding it to the circuit board and the valve housing proves to be difficult. Task

[0011] Based on the known state of the art, the technical problem to be solved is therefore to specify a valve and a method for producing a valve with which a reliable sealing of the valve chambers is possible and a design of the entire valve that is as space-saving as possible can be realized. Solution

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention by the valve according to claim 1 and the method for producing such a valve according to claim 11. Advantageous developments of the invention are covered in the subclaims.

[0013] The valve according to the invention is characterized in that each valve chamber is surrounded by boundary surfaces of the housing which close the valve chamber substantially gas-tight, and a space which is open to at least two opposite sides of the valve housing extends between at least two valve chambers, wherein a connecting part of the circuit boards extends through connecting openings of the boundary surfaces of adjacent valve chambers and through the open space, wherein the open space contains a sealing material which encloses the connecting part and the connecting openings in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides.

[0014] The open space is a space that would be freely connected to the outside without sealing material, so that without sealing material, the open space can be understood as a "hole" in the valve housing. The sealing material does not have to fill the entire open space, but can also fill it only partially. According to the invention, the sealing material is filled into the open space at least in such a way that the connecting openings in the opposing boundary surfaces of the valve chambers surrounding the open space are sealed.

[0015] This design eliminates the need for a valve cover and valve base enclosing the entire valve or valve housing, allowing the overall design to be smaller or simpler. This saves space and facilitates installation, even when the valve installation space is limited. The open space on two sides of the valve housing facilitates filling with the sealing material and simultaneously reliably seals the connection openings, as trapped air bubbles can be avoided.

[0016] It can be provided that the open space is delimited in a plane which runs substantially parallel to the main plane of the printed circuit boards by the boundary surfaces and two further walls of the valve housing, wherein the boundary surfaces are opposite one another and the further walls are opposite one another and the walls extend between the boundary surfaces.

[0017] In this embodiment, the open space is bounded at least laterally by the boundary surfaces and the two additional walls, but does not necessarily have to be rectangular or square. For example, the open space can also have a circular, elliptical, or elongated shape with rounded ends.

[0018] The main plane of the printed circuit boards is to be understood as the plane in which the printed circuit boards essentially extend or have the greatest extent. The fact that the plane runs only essentially parallel to the main plane of the printed circuit boards means that even slight deviations from exact parallelism are possible, for example because the main plane of the printed circuit boards runs at an angle to this plane, for example because the printed circuit boards are arranged at an angle in the valve housings. The angle can be up to an absolute value of 15° and should still be considered "essentially" parallel at least up to this absolute value. The valve housing itself thus creates the boundary of the open space into which the sealing material can be introduced.

[0019] Furthermore, it can be provided that the open space comprises at least one opening in a bottom of the valve housing or a cover of the valve housing.

[0020] Such a base or cover of the valve housing can be provided to allow the circuit boards to be inserted into the valve chambers and subsequently closed off. If the open space also extends through the base or cover, this can be advantageously used to secure the sealing material not only in the open space but also with the aid of the base or cover. In one embodiment, the sealing material extends within the open space and across a region of the cover or base opposite the open space.

[0021] In one embodiment, the extent of the open space in at least one direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the opening is greater than the extent of the opening in this direction. The longitudinal direction of the opening is understood here as the direction that connects the two open ends of the opening in the cover or base of the valve housing. If the opening is provided in the form of a cylindrical bore or cylindrical opening, for example, this direction runs from the base to the cover surface (or vice versa) and is perpendicular to the imaginary base or cover surface. By creating an opening that is smaller than the area of ​​the open space, the area to be sealed is minimized, at least in this direction.

[0022] Furthermore, the sealing material can at least partially fill the open space. For example, the entire volume of the open space can be filled by only 40% or 50% of the sealing material.

[0023] Completely filling the open space is not necessary as long as the desired sealing effect is ensured. This can be achieved, for example, if the connection openings in the boundary surfaces and the connecting part are surrounded by a gas-tight sealing material.

[0024] In a further development of this embodiment, the sealing material at least partially fills the open space, and the sealing material extends into a region that extends through the opening into the exterior of the valve. If the material extends not only into the open space but also into the exterior of the valve separated by the opening in the base or cover, the sealing material is fixed because it extends partially into the open space and partially outside the open space outside the base or cover. This prevents the sealing material from detrimentally loosening and / or slipping during valve operation, and ensures the tightness of the valve chambers over a long period of time.

[0025] The distance between the boundary surfaces in the open space can be 1 mm to 5 mm, especially 1 mm to 3 mm, and especially 1 mm to 2 mm. These distances enable a reliable and stable construction of the valve housing while simultaneously allowing reliable application of the sealing material. Furthermore, only a small amount of sealing material is required to achieve the desired sealing effect.

[0026] Furthermore, the distance between the walls can be 5 mm to 15 mm, in particular 7 mm to 14 mm, in particular 10 mm to 13 mm and / or the connecting part has a width of 5 mm to 15 mm, in particular 8 mm to 12 mm, in particular 9 mm to 11 mm along the shortest connecting line of the walls.

[0027] Since electrical conductor tracks usually also run across the connecting part, the appropriate design of the open space and the connecting part can ensure the usual functionality of the valve without having to place additional demands on the circuit boards.

[0028] The connecting part can extend from one side of the valve housing to the other, from 1 mm to 3 mm, in particular 1 mm to 2 mm, in particular 1.3 mm to 1.8 mm, in a direction. Corresponding sizes of the connecting part can still be reliably manufactured using conventional printed circuit board manufacturing processes.

[0029] The valve can be an SMA valve, with the actuator being an SMA (Shape Memory Alloy) actuator, and with the conductor element being able to heat the SMA actuator for actuation by means of current. In combination with the teachings of the invention, SMA valves can be manufactured cost-effectively and operated reliably during operation.

[0030] The method according to the invention for producing a valve comprises producing a conductor element comprising the circuit boards and the main circuit board, wherein in a further step the conductor element is introduced into the valve housing and then the open space is at least partially filled with the sealing material from at least one side, so that the sealing material seals the connecting part and the connecting openings in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides.

[0031] With this method, the valve according to the invention can be manufactured reliably.

[0032] In one embodiment, before introducing the sealing material, a cover and / or a base of the valve housing is connected to the valve housing, and the sealing material is subsequently introduced, so that the sealing material seals the connecting part and the connecting openings gas-tight, at least toward the opposite sides, and extends through the opening of the cover and / or base into the exterior of the valve. This ensures that the material extends both into the open space and into the exterior space outside the base or cover, ensuring reliable fixation of the sealing material.

[0033] In one embodiment, the sealing material is applied in a liquid state and then dried. The application of a liquid also allows for the closure of small air spaces, thus achieving a reliable seal.

[0034] The term "dried" or "drying" refers to any process that results in the hardening or solidification of a sealing material that is liquid and / or viscous during its application. The term "dried" therefore encompasses drying by heating, but also UV curing, the hardening of adhesives or liquid plastics with or without the application of heat, cooling and the resulting hardening, and similar processes. UV curing particularly includes irradiating the sealing material with UV light, which, for example, can cause polymerization and thus cure the sealing material. Short description of the characters Fig. 1a and b show a schematic view of a valve according to the invention and a valve chamber with control element Fig. 2a and b show sectional views through the valve according to an embodiment Fig. 3a and b show sectional views through the valve according to another embodiment Detailed description

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a valve 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. Such a valve can be installed, for example, in a vehicle seat to serve as an air supply for one or more air cushions of a lumbar support or the like.

[0036] The valve 100 comprises a valve housing 101, shown schematically here as an outer wall, which can be roughly divided into two areas 111 and 112. In the first area 111, a series of valve chambers 121 to 125 are shown, which are Fig. 1b will be described in more detail.

[0037] Essentially, the valve chambers are formed by two opposing boundary surfaces 131 and 132, which are to be understood as part of the valve housing 101. Within the valve chambers, an actuator is arranged, which, as shown in Fig. 1b, can actuate an actuating element which in turn can open and / or close a valve opening in order to effect or terminate the supply of air or to release air.

[0038] Furthermore, a circuit board 133 is preferably arranged in each of the valve chambers, which circuit board has suitable means for actuating the actuator.

[0039] For example, if the valve is an SMA valve (Shape Memory Alloy valve, i.e., valves that incorporate a shape memory material for actuation), the actuator is made of a shape memory material or at least includes it. This shape memory material is preferably designed to undergo a change in shape when the temperature changes. This change in shape can then move the actuating element. Since shape memory materials return to their original shape when the temperature drops, this can be used to adjust the actuating element between two settings.

[0040] In this embodiment, which is not intended to limit the invention, the respective circuit board of the valve chamber is preferably designed such that it can heat the SMA actuator by supplying current. For this purpose, the circuit board can comprise a series of electrical and / or electronic components that supply the received current to the SMA actuator.

[0041] The individual circuit boards 133 are preferably connected via suitable connecting parts (connecting elements) 134 to adjacent circuit boards of adjacent valve chambers and / or to a main circuit board 160. In particular, in one embodiment, it can be provided that all circuit boards are connected (only) to the main circuit board via a connecting part. This embodiment is described in Fig. 1a is not shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the first circuit board (125) from the direction of the main circuit board is connected to the main circuit board via a connecting part. The other circuit boards are then each connected to adjacent circuit boards via connecting parts.

[0042] The main circuit board 160 is preferably arranged in the second area and comprises, for example, control electronics to control individual or all circuit boards of the individual valve chambers and to supply them with power.

[0043] Together, the main circuit board 160, the connecting parts 134 and the individual circuit boards 133 form the conductor element 161.

[0044] The valve chambers are, as already described, delimited by corresponding boundary surfaces 131 and 132. These boundary surfaces essentially seal the volume of a valve chamber they enclose in a gas-tight manner. This means that the boundary surfaces as such are preferably gas-impermeable and accordingly ensure a gas-tight closure of the valve chambers (taking into account existing top and base surfaces in addition to the lateral boundary surfaces 131 and 132) by enclosing a volume (the valve chamber) that is separated from the external environment and thus sealed gas-tight.

[0045] However, the connecting parts 134 extend through the boundary surfaces of adjacent valve chambers or through the boundary surface of a valve chamber to the second region 112 (such as for the valve chamber 125). Thus, in this region, the boundary surfaces do not provide a gas-tight seal of the valve chamber.

[0046] According to the invention, an open space 141 is created between boundary surfaces of adjacent valve chambers, into which the connecting part 134, which connects the circuit boards of adjacent valve chambers to one another, extends. The open space 141 is bounded in the plane E shown here, which runs essentially parallel to the main plane P of the circuit boards, by the boundary surfaces on the one hand and by further walls 171 and 172 to be described later. In the view shown here, the planes E and P coincide.

[0047] In the Fig. 1a, this means that approximately the right boundary surface 132 of the valve chamber 121 and the left boundary surface of the valve chamber 122 together (except for the through-openings for the connecting part) at least partially delimit the open space between the valve chambers. In addition, this open space can be delimited, at least in the plane of the drawing shown here, by further walls 171 and 172, which extend approximately between the boundary surfaces or from one boundary surface of a first valve chamber to the other boundary surface of a second valve chamber, so that in the Fig. In the image plane shown in Figure 1a, the open space has approximately the shape of a rectangle.

[0048] According to the invention, the open space is at least partially filled with or contains a sealing material. The sealing material is arranged in the open space in such a way that the connecting part and the connecting openings in the respective boundary surfaces of the adjacent valve chambers are enclosed in a gas-tight manner. This means, in particular, that no outside air can penetrate into the valve chambers via the open space between adjacent valve chambers.

[0049] Fig. Figure 1b shows a valve chamber, such as the valve chamber 122, in an exemplary representation. The circuit board 133 and the connecting parts 134 of adjacent circuit boards leading to it are here designed according to the Fig. 1a. Furthermore, the boundary surfaces 131 and 132 of the valve chamber are shown schematically. Corresponding connecting openings 184 and 185 are provided in the boundary surfaces, through which the respective connecting parts 134 pass. The connecting openings can be approximately rectangular and their cross-sectional area can be selected so that they are only slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting part. For example, the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting openings can be up to 5% or up to 10% larger than the corresponding cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting part.

[0050] In the embodiment shown here, the circuit board 133 is connected to an actuator 181, which can actuate the actuating element 182, here in the form of a plunger. Actuation is possible along the double arrow direction shown and can cause the plunger with the plunger head to close or open the valve opening 183, for example, in order to introduce compressed air introduced into the valve chamber through the further opening 184 (which can also coincide with the valve opening 183), for example, into an air cushion. The actuating element can be formed, for example, by an SMA actuator known from the prior art or can comprise such an actuator.

[0051] The further walls 171 and 172 extending from adjacent boundary surfaces of adjacent valve chambers are also shown here in dashed lines. In the space partially delimited by the walls 171 and 172 and the boundary surface 131 (the boundary surface of the adjacent valve chamber is not shown here), into which the connecting part 134 extends, as already explained with reference to Fig. 1a, the sealing material is provided according to the invention, which is not shown separately here.

[0052] The Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b shows a first embodiment in sectional view along the lines of sight A and B from Fig. 1a.

[0053] In the Fig. 2a shows the view along line of sight AA. The view is therefore in the direction of a connecting opening 184, 185 of a boundary surface from a point within the open space. The further walls 171 and 172 as well as part of the connecting part are shown. The further walls 171 and 172 are formed here as part of a hollow body, which is designed as part of the valve housing. These hollow bodies can, but do not have to, have corresponding cover surfaces 291 and corresponding base surfaces 292. An advantage of the invention is that only the open space between the walls needs to be sealed. Further sealing of the cavities is therefore not necessary, and weight and material can be saved, for example, by omitting base surfaces and / or cover surfaces in the region of the further walls between the valve spaces.

[0054] Instead of being part of a hollow body, the walls 171 and 172 could also be formed as essentially flat elements extending from one valve chamber or one boundary surface of one valve chamber to the other boundary surface of the other valve chamber. In one embodiment, the remaining area between the valve chambers can be free of material.

[0055] In the embodiment shown here, the connecting part 134, which connects the circuit boards of adjacent valve chambers to one another, extends between these walls 171 and 172. It is also shown that the sealing material 250, in the sectional view shown here, essentially completely surrounds the connecting part 134. This may, but does not have to, be the case over the entire dimensions of the open space between adjacent valve chambers, as long as it is at least ensured that the connecting openings of adjacent valve chambers and the connecting part 134 extending through these connecting openings are sealed.

[0056] In order to achieve the most reliable fixation of the sealing material within the open space, however, it can be provided that the sealing material completely surrounds the connecting part 134 over the entire dimension of the open space and, moreover, touches the other walls 171 and 172.

[0057] As in the Fig. 2a, the sealing material 250 does not have to completely fill the open space 141, ie the sealing material does not have to be from the lower in Fig. 2a, extend to the upper limit of the other walls. It is sufficient if the (complete) enclosure of the connecting part and / or sealing of the connecting openings is ensured.

[0058] It can also be seen that above and below the sealing material there is no further material in the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b, which forms part of the valve housing. In this embodiment, it is particularly preferred that no cover or base, or both, be provided for the valve housing, but rather that the open space is closed exclusively by the sealing material. This saves space and material, and also reduces the cost of the valve.

[0059] Fig. 2b shows a view along the Fig. 1a, which runs through the connecting part and into the adjacent valve chambers 124 and 125. The valve chambers 124 and 125 are shown with the adjacent boundary surfaces 251 and 252, which also delimit the open space 141.

[0060] In addition to the boundary surfaces 251 and 252, as already described, the valve chambers 124 and 125 comprise further surfaces that ensure a substantially gas-tight closure of the respective valve chambers. However, no additional valve housing material needs to be provided in the area between the boundary surfaces 251 and 252; rather, the open space between the boundary surfaces can also be sealed solely by the sealing material, provided that the connecting openings in the boundary surfaces and the connecting part are separated from the external environment by the sealing material.

[0061] The distances between the opposing boundary surfaces 251 and 252 can also be selected depending on the size requirements of the valve. In doing so, it is preferable to ensure that the sealing material does not fail to achieve its intended effect due to undesirable capillary effects during manufacturing. For example, the smaller the overall outer dimensions of the valve, the smaller the distance between the opposing boundary surfaces can also be selected.

[0062] For this purpose, the distance between adjacent boundary surfaces 251 and 252 can be provided to be between 1 and 5 mm, in particular between 1 and 3 mm, and particularly preferably between 1 and 2 mm, approximately 1.6 to 1.7 mm. These distances are relatively small and thus even reduce the overall size of the valve. At the same time, however, it can be ensured that the sealing material reliably seals the open space. The stability of the circuit boards and the connecting parts is also not compromised with these dimensions.

[0063] The distance between the opposing walls 171 and 172, as shown in Fig. 2a, can, however, be selected to be larger, which is particularly due to the typically larger extension of the connecting part in this direction, through which the lines for supplying power to the individual circuit boards must be routed. Thus, the distance between the further walls 171 and 172 can be between 5 mm and 15 mm, in particular between 7 and 14 mm, particularly preferably between 10 and 13 mm. With these dimensions, common circuit boards that are already used in conjunction with other prior art valve implementations can also be used for the valve according to this invention, which reduces the complexity involved in manufacturing the valves.

[0064] Due to these dimensions between the opposing walls 171 and 172, it is particularly preferred if the connecting part has a width of 5 to 15 mm, in particular 8 to 12 mm, particularly preferably 9 to 11 mm, along the shortest connecting line of the walls, to ensure that the sealing material can preferably completely surround the connecting part. It is understood that the width of the connecting part in this direction must be smaller than the distance between the opposing walls 171 and 172.

[0065] It is particularly preferred if the width d of the connecting part 134 shown here is smaller, preferably at least 2 mm smaller, than the distance h between the walls 171 and 172. During manufacture of the valve, for example, using a liquid sealing material which is dried after being introduced into the open space during manufacture of the valve, it is possible to achieve complete flow around the connecting part, and at the same time, only one access opening or the introduction of the liquid material from only one direction is necessary to seal the open space and the connecting part 134 introduced therein.

[0066] The drying of the sealing material can comprise, for example, cooling the introduced sealing material and / or irradiating the introduced sealing material with UV light (UV curing) or visible light and / or drying by heating the introduced sealing material.

[0067] The Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b show a Fig. 2 alternative embodiments.

[0068] While the basic design and arrangement of the other walls 171 and 172 as well as the boundary surfaces 251 and 252 is the same as Fig. 2 is substantially the same, it is additionally provided here that the valve housing of the valve comprises a base 310. While a base is described here, it is understood that the embodiment of the Fig. 3 can also be directly transferred to a cover, which is then arranged on the opposite side of the valve housing compared to the arrangement of the base. It is also understood that both a base and a cover can be provided in accordance with the seat-described embodiment.

[0069] As in the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3a, the base 310 includes an opening 311. In this embodiment, the sealing material 250 is provided such that it also passes at least partially through the opening 311 in the region 281 and wets or covers the surface of the base 310 facing away from the open space 141, so that the opening 311 in the base 310 is also sealed by the sealing material. However, the opening 311 does not need to be sealed gas-tight. It is sufficient if the material extends partially into the exterior space outside the opening.

[0070] The diameter d of the opening 311 is preferably smaller than the distance between the walls 171 and 172, this distance being determined according to the Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b. Preferably, the diameter of the opening, at least along the AA direction, is at most 75%, preferably at most 50%, particularly preferably at most 25% as large as the distance between the walls 171 and 172.

[0071] Instead of the base surfaces 292, the base 310 can also delimit the other walls 171 and 172 at the bottom, so that the corresponding surfaces 292 can be omitted entirely, resulting in material savings. The base 310 (and analogously for any cover provided) does not have to extend over the entire size of the valve housing, but must merely be provided in such a way that it limits the open space downwards (or upwards for a cover) to the opening 311.

[0072] The same applies accordingly Fig. 3b for a view of the open area 141 along the BB direction.

[0073] Here, too, the provided floor includes an opening 311 through which the sealing material 250 passes at least partially, corresponding to the material 281, so that it wets the side of the floor opposite the open space. In this direction, too, the sealing material seals the entire opening 311.

[0074] The diameter of the opening 311, here denoted by h, can be equal to the diameter d of the opening in Fig. 3a, although this is not necessarily the case. In particular, the opening does not have to be circular, but can also be, for example, oblong, oval, rectangular, square or any other shaped opening. The opening is particularly preferably in the form shown in Fig. 3a shown cutting direction is larger than that in Fig. 3b, since this allows the material to be let in over a larger area during the manufacture of the valve in this direction, which simplifies the complete enclosing of the connecting part 134 in this direction.

[0075] In the embodiment shown here, it can also be provided that the base 310 not only delimits the open space 141 downwards (analogous to a cover), but that it also delimits the valve chambers, at least in this area. It can also be provided that the base 310 forms the entire lower boundary of the valve chambers. However, this is not necessary.

[0076] In particular, it can be provided that a base or a lid according to the design of the Fig. 3b extends only slightly larger than the dimensions of the open space between the individual valve chambers. This allows the valve's material and weight to be reduced, which lowers costs and leads to advantageous effects when installing this valve.

[0077] Regarding the Fig. 2a and Fig. The dimensions mentioned in 2b can also be applied analogously to the design of the Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b may be applied.

[0078] While the valve is in the Fig. 1 to 3 in its intended form after production, the basic process for manufacturing this valve will be described below.

[0079] First, a valve housing is manufactured. This can be made from individual parts or, for example, from a single piece using an injection molding process. At the same time, before or after, a conductor element 161 is manufactured, which may be the main circuit board (see Fig. 1) as well as the individual circuit boards for the individual valve chambers and corresponding connecting parts. The circuit element can be a single piece, but this is not mandatory. For example, the circuit boards for the individual valve chambers can also be manufactured separately and connected to additional circuit boards in other valve chambers using suitable plug-in connections, in order to provide the necessary circuit boards and connecting parts depending on the number of individual valve chambers. This design is preferred when the valve housing is manufactured in one piece, since inserting the circuit element is then not possible.

[0080] Independently of this, the conductor element is then inserted into the valve housing in the next step. Connections to the actuators can also be established to ensure the valve's functionality. In addition, the valve housing can then be sealed, at least in the area of ​​the valve chambers, so that they form a closed space (except for the connecting openings).

[0081] Subsequently, the sealing material, preferably in liquid form, is introduced into the open space(s) between the individual valve chambers. The sealing material can be an adhesive, but also a (hardenable) plastic, in particular a plastic that can be introduced into the open space during injection molding. The introduction is carried out in such a way that enough sealing material is introduced into the open space to seal the openings in the boundary surfaces and the connecting part against the outside space. If a valve is designed according to the design of the Fig. 3 is provided, the base (or lid or both elements) is arranged before the sealing material is introduced, whereby the sealing material is then introduced in such a quantity that it emerges from the corresponding opening in the base and / or lid.

[0082] In a subsequent step, if the sealing material is liquid, a drying step can be performed, for example, through UV curing, heating, or similar, so that the sealing material hardens. The valve can then be installed, for example, in a vehicle seat.

Claims

[1] Valve (100) with a valve housing (101) comprising a first region (111) and a second region (112), wherein in the first region (111) at least one valve chamber (121-125) which can be pressurised with air is arranged, in each of which an actuating element (182) for opening and closing a valve opening (183) of the valve chamber (121-125) and an actuator (181) for actuating the actuating element (182) are arranged, wherein a printed circuit board (133) further extends into each valve chamber (121-125) which is designed to electrically actuate the actuator (181), wherein the printed circuit boards (133) are connected to a common main printed circuit board (160) which is arranged in the second region (112), characterized byin that each valve chamber (121-125) is surrounded by boundary surfaces (131, 132) of the valve housing (101), which seal the valve chamber (121-125) in a substantially gas-tight manner, and a chamber (141) open to at least two opposite sides of the valve housing (101) extends between at least two valve chambers (121-125), wherein a connecting part (134) of the circuit boards (133) extends through connecting openings (184, 185) of the boundary surfaces (131, 132) of adjacent valve chambers (121-125) and through the open chamber (141), wherein the open chamber contains a sealing material (250) which encloses the connecting part and the connecting openings (184, 185) in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides. [2] Valve (100) according to claim 1, wherein the open space (141) is in a plane (E) which is substantially parallel to a main plane (P) of the circuit boards (133) and is delimited by the boundary surfaces (131, 132) and two further walls (171, 172) of the valve housing (101), wherein the boundary surfaces (131, 132) are opposite one another and the further walls are opposite one another and the walls extend between the boundary surfaces. [3] Valve (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the open space (141) comprises at least one opening (311) in a bottom (310) of the valve housing (101) and / or a cover of the valve housing (101). [4] Valve (100) according to claim 3, wherein the extent of the open space (141) in at least one direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the opening (311) is greater than the extent of the opening (311) in this direction. [5] Valve (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sealing material (250) at least partially fills the open space (141). [6] Valve (100) according to claim 4, wherein the sealing material (250) at least partially fills the open space (141) and the sealing material (250) extends into a region which extends through the opening (311) into the exterior of the valve (100). [7] Valve (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a distance of the boundary surfaces (131, 132) in the open space is 1mm to 5mm. [8] Valve (100) according to claim 2 or one of claims 3 to 7 in combination with claim 2, wherein the distance between the walls (171, 172) is 5mm to 15mm, and / or the connecting part (134) has a width of 5mm to 15mm along the shortest connecting line of the walls. [9] Valve (100) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the connecting part (134) extends 1mm to 3mm in a direction from one to the other opposite side of the valve housing (101). [10] Valve (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the valve (100) is an SMA valve, wherein the actuator (181) is an SMA actuator and wherein the circuit board (133) can heat the SMA actuator for actuation by means of current. [11] A method for producing a valve (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the method comprises producing a conductor element (161) comprising the circuit boards (133) and the main circuit board (160), wherein in a further step the conductor element (161) is introduced into the valve housing (101) and then the open space (141) is at least partially filled with the sealing material (250) from at least one side, so that the sealing material (250) seals the connecting part (134) and the connecting openings (184, 185) in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides. [12] Method according to claim 11, wherein before introducing the sealing material (250) a cover and / or a base (310) of the valve housing (101) is connected to the valve housing (101) and then the sealing material (250) is introduced so that the sealing material (250) seals the connecting part (134) and the connecting openings (184, 185) in a gas-tight manner at least in the direction of the opposite sides and extends through the opening (311) of the cover and / or the base (310) into the exterior of the valve (100). [13] Method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the sealing material (250) is introduced in a liquid state and is then dried.

Images