Pressure reducer arrangement

Abstract

Fitting arrangement (10) for a water installation, comprising (a) a valve body (12) having an inlet (16) and an outlet (18); and (b) a pressure reducer arranged in the flow between the inlet and outlet, comprising a pressure reducing valve; characterized in that (c) the pressure reducer is designed as a pressure reducer cartridge which is completely accommodated in the valve body (12), and (d) the opening direction of the pressure reducing valve is parallel to the flow direction.

Description

Technical FieldThe invention relates to a fitting arrangement for a water installation, comprising (a) a fitting housing having an inlet and an outlet; and (b) a pressure reducer arranged in the flow between inlet and outlet and having a pressure reducer valve.Pressure reducers are used to control the pressure in a water installation, such as a drinking water supply line in a building or a heating installation. A pressure reducer has a pressure reducer valve which opens in the event of a pressure drop on the outlet side. Water then continues to flow until the pressure reaches a preset value. After the set pressure has been reached, the valve closes. The pressure in the downstream water installation may not exceed the set value as the input pressure increases.Safety valves are valves on closed water installations which open when a set pressure in the water installation is exceeded. Water and / or steam from the downstream water installation is drained off via the safety valve until the pressure drops to the set value. Safety valves serve to prevent overpressure, for example in boilers of drinking water heaters.Prior ArtPressure reducers are known, for example from DE 20 2009 015 673 U1, ZA2016 / 07709 and DE 20 2019 104 544 U1. DE 10 2007 005 215 B3 discloses a system separator which has a pressure reducer designed as a cartridge. DE 20 2009 013 661 U1 discloses a pressure reducer which is integrated with a filter in a fitting.DE 33 30 299 A1 discloses a safety fitting with a pressure reducer, in which the valve plate of the pressure reducer valve is displaceably guided on a valve spindle and is prestressed in the closed position by a spring. The valve has only one valve disk as a valve closing body and takes over both functions: the function of the pressure reducing valve and the function of the backflow preventer. When the pressure reducer is removed, such as for servicing, adjustment of the pressure reducer is lost.Disclosure of the InventionIt is the object of the invention to provide a fitting arrangement of the type mentioned at the beginning which is smaller and lighter with the same output.According to the invention, the object is achieved in that (c) the pressure reducer is designed as a pressure reducer cartridge which is completely accommodated in the fitting housing, and (d) the opening direction of the pressure reducer valve is parallel to the flow direction.The invention is based on the finding that the alignment of the opening direction of the pressure reducing valve parallel to the flow direction is associated with a lower pressure loss if the pressure reducing valve is designed as a pressure reducing cartridge. This allows the uses of a fitting housing with a smaller cross section to achieve the same performance.A pressure reducer cartridge also has the advantage that the pressure reducer is easy to handle and can be replaced and maintained as a whole. It is therefore preferably provided that a ball valve or another shut-off is provided upstream of the pressure reducer. When the shut-off is closed, the fitting housing lying behind can be opened and the components located therein can be made accessible.In operation, the pressure reducing cartridge is not accessible from the outside. The pressure reducer is thus protected from manipulation or accidental adjustment of the set output pressure. The starting pressure can be set at the factory-unlike in the case of previously available pressure reducers-and remains virtually unchanged thereafter.Preferably, it is provided that the pressure reducing valve comprises a valve closing body acted upon by the force of a spring and the spring is arranged in a cavity bounded by a spring cap and a membrane. Depending on the force exerted by the spring on the valve closing body, the output pressure is higher or lower. The dimensions of the spring cap and the selection of the spring allow the production of pressure reducers for different output pressures.A particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides that the inner wall on the end face of the spring cap forms a spring abutment on which the spring is supported. This embodiment dispenses with an adjustable spring plate and a screw cap or other adjustment possibility. Significantly fewer components are used, which reduces the outlay in assembly, storage, weight and dimensions. The probability of failure is also lower.In a particularly simple embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the pressure reducing cartridge comprises a cartridge housing and the spring cap forms a part of the cartridge housing which is firmly connected to the remaining part of the cartridge housing. For example, it can be provided that the cartridge housing comprises a rivet ring which extends around at least a part of the pressure reducer and is firmly riveted to the spring cap at the end facing away from the pressure reducer valve. The rivet ring thus forms a further part of the cartridge housing. In particular, it can be provided that the end of the rivet ring facing away from the pressure reducing valve is provided with pressing elements which are pressed for riveting onto an edge provided on the spring cap and projecting in the radial direction, so that a connection is produced which cannot be detached without destruction.Conventional pressure reducers are provided with a screw cap that is rotatable for adjusting the output pressure. In contrast, the spring cap according to the invention is firmly riveted and cannot be detached or rotated without the pressure reducing cartridge being destroyed. This prevents manipulation or accidental change of the output pressure even when the valve housing is opened and there is access to the pressure reducing cartridge.In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cavity bounded by the spring cap and the membrane is gas-filled. The gas pressure in the cavity may be atmospheric pressure. It is particularly advantageous if the gas-filled cavity is connected to the atmosphere. Such a connection can be produced, for example, by (a) arranging a ring around the spring cap, (b) sealing the ring with a pair of sealing rings in each case with respect to the outer wall of the spring cap, and (c) the ring between the sealing rings having a through bore connected to the atmosphere in the radial direction, which through bore is aligned with a bore in the spring cap, so that a permanent connection is produced between the cavity in the spring cap and the atmosphere.As a result of the connection to the atmosphere, atmospheric pressure always prevails in the cavity, regardless of the temperature. This fluctuates comparatively little even in the event of temperature changes, so that practically always the same force is exerted on the valve closing body of the pressure reducer.The connection to the atmosphere can be established via a bore in the fitting housing. This is advantageously aligned with the through bore in the radial direction. A particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides, however, that the through bore is arranged in the radial direction in the region of the point at which a connection of parts of the fitting housing is provided. The intermediate space between two fitting parts is sufficient for pressure compensation.A separate ring may be provided which is sealed both with respect to the spring cap and with respect to the inner wall of the fitting housing by a pair of seals in each case. A more cost-effective and simpler configuration provides that the ring is formed on the spring cap. Then, no separate seal is required on the spring cap.The ring may be made of plastic. Plastic is less expensive than, for example, brass or red brass, which are usually used in fittings of this type. Accordingly, it is also advantageous if at least parts of the fitting housing are made of plastic. The required compressive strength of pressurized parts of the fitting housing can be achieved, for example, by forming reinforcing ribs on the outer side of the fitting housing.In a particularly advantageous fitting arrangement, a safety valve is included. Then, the pressure reducer and the safety valve can be assembled together. The required overall length is less than if two separate components have to be installed. The installation outlay is reduced.In particular, if the fittings are to be installed at publicly accessible locations, it is advantageous if the safety valve is designed to be tamperproof.Embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. Exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.DefinitionsIn this description and in the appended claims, all terms have a meaning familiar to the skilled person, which is set forth in the technical literature, standards in particular DIN EN 806-1 and DIN EN 1717 and the relevant internet sites and publications, in particular lexically type, for example www.Wikipedia.de www.weich.de or www.techniklexikon.net the competitors, research institutes, universities and associations, for example German Agreement of the Gas and Water Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical Technical. In particular, the terms used do not have the opposite meaning of what the person skilled in the art takes from the above publications.Brief Description of the DrawingsFIG. 1 is a side view of a fitting assembly including a fitting assembly having a ball valve, a pressure reducing cartridge, and a safety valve. FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 2 in detail. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the pressure reducing cartridge of the arrangement of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pressure reducer cartridge of the assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 shows a cross section of a variant of the exemplary embodiment from FIGS. 1 to 6 with a ring formed onto the spring cap. FIG. 8 shows a detail from FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the variant of FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is an external view of the variant of FIG. 7.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS1.Embodiment (Figs. 1-6)FIG. 1 shows a fitting arrangement generally designated by 10. The fitting arrangement 10 comprises a substantially tubular fitting housing 12 with an inlet 14 and an outlet 16, The inlet 14 and the outlet 16 are provided in the usual manner with connection inserts 34 and 36, as well as nuts 38 and 40, with which they can be installed in a pipeline, for example in front of a drinking water heater. The fitting housing 12 is made of plastic, except for the connection inserts 34 and 36 and nuts 38 and 40. As a result, it is lighter than conventional housings which are manufactured exclusively from metallic materials. Reinforcing ribs 18 are formed on the outside of the fitting housing. The reinforcing ribs 18 increase the compressive strength of the fitting housing.The fitting arrangement has, on the inlet side, a manually operated ball valve 20 in a ball valve housing 52. Actuation takes place via a handle 22, and on the outlet side a lateral connecting piece 24 is formed onto the fitting housing 12. A safety valve arrangement 26 is inserted into the connector 24 and sealed with a seal 28. This is clearly visible in FIG. 2. If the output pressure or the pressure of an arrangement installed on the outlet side exceeds a threshold value, the safety valve 32 of the safety valve arrangement 26 opens and water drains outwards via a drain 30 until the output pressure falls below the threshold value again. Safety valves of this type are generally known and need not be described in greater detail here. In order to prevent manipulations, the safety valve of the present exemplary embodiment is designed to be tamperproof. It is thus also protected from manipulations if it is publicly available.The connector inserts 34 and 36, as well as the safety valve assembly, are secured to the fitting housing 12 and ball valve housing 52 by means of brackets 42, 44 and 46.The brackets are clearly visible in FIG. 4. After the connection inserts 34 and 36 or the safety valve arrangement have been inserted into the fitting housing 12 or the ball valve housing 52, the clamps 42, 44 and 46 are inserted through circumferential slots 48, 50 and 114 into annular grooves underneath and secure them in such a way that the connection inserts 34 and 36 or the safety valve arrangement 26 cannot be pulled out in the axial direction. However, the components remain rotatable. This allows the alignment of the safety valve arrangement 26 to the environment to be adapted.Seated in the fitting housing 12 is a pressure reducer cartridge 54 having a multi-part cartridge housing. The pressure reducing cartridge 54 is shown separately in FIGS. 5 and 6. The cartridge housing includes a spring cap 56, a rivet ring 58 and an insert body 60.Seated in the spring cap 56 is a spring 62, which is supported on the end-side inner wall 64 of the spring cap 56. This can be seen well in FIG. 5. The spring 62 is guided within the spring cap 56 and presses on a spring plate 66. the spring plate 66 exerts a force on a membrane 68, which is clamped between the lower edge of the spring cap 56 in FIG. 5 and the upper edge of the insert body 60.A valve stem 70 extends through the diaphragm 68 and the spring cup 66, and a nut 72 is screwed on the upper end of the valve stem 70 in FIG. 5 and fixes the spring cup and the diaphragm to the valve stem 70. The valve closing body 74 comprises a valve seal 76 which is fixed with a valve disk 77. The valve closing body 74 interacts with a valve seat 78 formed by the insert body 60. If the assembly comprising spring plate 66, diaphragm 68, valve spindle 70 and valve closing body 74 moves downward in the opening direction, the pressure reducing valve opens. During an upward movement in FIG. 5, i.e. in the closing direction, the pressure reducing valve closes. The force exerted on the spring plate 66 by the spring 62 acts in the opening direction of the pressure reducing valve. The output pressure in the outlet-side region downstream of the pressure-reducing cartridge acts in the closing direction of the pressure-reducing valve. The outlet-side region downstream of the pressure reducing cartridge is connected to a control chamber 80 via channels (not shown) in the insert body 60 fixed to the housing or in the valve spindle 70. Accordingly, there is an output pressure in the control chamber 80. As the output pressure drops, the pressure in the control chamber 80 also changes and the pressure reducing valve opens in a known manner.The rivet ring 58 has pressing elements 82 at the end on the spring cap side. These can be seen well in FIG. 6. The spring cap 56 is provided at the free end with a circumferential edge 84 which extends in the radial direction as far as the rivet ring 58. The pressing elements 82 of the rivet ring 58 are pressed onto the upper side of the edge 84 during the production of the arrangement. The rivet ring 58 riveted to the spring cap 56 has the effect that the interior of the spring cap 56 is not accessible from the outside. The bias of the spring 62 in the spring cap is always the same. The spring cap 56 is non-rotatable or adjustable, as is the case with screw caps on known pressure reducers. The arrangement is consequently of significantly simpler construction and requires fewer components.The rivet ring 58 engages with an edge 86 at the lower end facing away from the spring cap 56 around an outwardly projecting edge 88 on the insert body 60 The interior of the spring cap 56 is sealed off from the outside with the seal 90 and a bead on the outer edge of the membrane 68.The interior of the spring cap 56 is air filled. A channel described below connects to the environment, so that atmospheric pressure (ambient pressure) is constantly present in the interior of the spring cap 56. The spring cap 56 has an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the fitting housing 12 and an annular space 92 is thereby formed. Arranged in the annular space 92 is a ring 94, which in the present exemplary embodiment is made of plastic. The ring 94 is again shown in detail in FIG. 3. The ring 94 extends around the spring cap 56, which has two parallel annular grooves with seals 96 and 98 in the region of the ring and seals the spring cap 56 against the ring 94. The ring 94 is also provided on the outside with two annular grooves in which two seals 100 and 102 are arranged, which seal the ring 94 against the inner wall of the fitting housing 12.Between the seals 96 and 98, on the one hand, and the seals 100 and 102, on the other hand, a through bore 104 is provided in the ring 94. The through bore 104 forms a channel which is aligned with a bore 110 in the spring cap 56 and a bore 108 in the fitting housing 12. The bores 110, 104 and 108 form the connection of the interior of the spring cap 56 to the atmosphere.Temperature-induced pressure fluctuations are compensated for to the atmosphere in this way via these bores. The pressure prevailing in the spring cap 56 remains substantially constant.The connection of the interior of the spring cap 56 to the atmosphere is formed by a channel with a comparatively small diameter. This is sufficient for pressure compensation. The connection also makes it possible to discharge water to the outside, which can pass into the interior of the spring in the case of a defective membrane 68. If the diaphragm leaks or is destroyed in some other way and water passes from the inlet 14 into the interior of the spring cap 56, then inlet pressure prevails there without the channel. The inlet pressure in the interior of the spring cap 56 has the effect that the pressure-reducing valve remains permanently open. Then, a lot of water could flow out through the safety valve 26. The channel to the atmosphere has the effect that water which, due to a defective membrane, reaches the interior of the spring cap 56, is discharged to the outside only with a small flow cross section. Atmospheric pressure therefore continues to remain, so that the pressure reducing valve closes even when the diaphragm is not functioning.The described pressure reducer cartridge 54 is inserted into the fitting housing 12 in such a way that its longitudinal axis, i.e. the longitudinal axis of the valve spindle 70 and the direction of movement of the valve closure member 74 run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular fitting housing 12. This can be seen well in FIG. 2. This arrangement causes the water to flow substantially rectilinearly and have a small pressure drop. The lower pressure drop compared to conventional arrangements with a laterally arranged pressure reducer makes it possible to use a smaller flow cross section with the same output. The arrangement is thus made smaller and lighter overall than conventional pressure reducer arrangements. Less material and space is required for storage and transport. The use of a fixed spring cap instead of an adjustable screw cap requires fewer components, so that the assembly is also simpler and faster.2. Exemplary Embodiment (FIGS. 7-10 )In the first exemplary embodiment described above, the ring 94 forms a separate component which is sealed with 4 sealing rings 96, 98, 100, 102 both with respect to the inner wall of the fitting housing 12 and with respect to the outer side of the spring cap. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 shows a variant in which a ring 294 is formed on the outside of the spring cap. This has the advantage that the inner sealing rings can be dispensed with.It can also be seen in FIG. 8 that the radial through bore 204 opens out in the region of the connection point of the fitting housing 212 and of the connection insert 234. The pressure equalization to the atmosphere takes place through this connection point, which is never completely sealed. The seals 200 and 202 with respect to the inner wall of the fitting housing 212 and of the connection insert 234 are arranged on the two sides of this connection point.The exemplary embodiments explained above serve to illustrate the invention claimed in the claims. Features disclosed together with other features can generally also be used alone or in combination with other features explicitly or implicitly disclosed in the exemplary embodiments in the text or in the drawings. Dimensions and sizes are given only by way of example. Suitable ranges will be apparent to those skilled in the art and therefore need not be explained in more detail here. The disclosure of a specific configuration of a feature does not mean that the invention is intended to be limited to this specific configuration. Rather, such a feature can be realized by a large number of other configurations familiar to the skilled person. The invention can therefore be realized not only in the form of the illustrated embodiments, but by all embodiments which are covered by the scope of the appended claims. It is thus possible, for example, to change the connection fitting and its connection to the housing in a variety of ways without deviating from the concept of the invention.The terms "upper", "lower", "right" and "left" refer solely to the appended drawings. It is to be understood that claimed devices may also assume a different orientation. The term "containing" and the term "comprising" mean that further, non-mentioned components can be provided. The term "substantially", "predominantly" and "predominantly" includes all features which have a property or content predominantly, i.e. more than all other mentioned components or properties of the feature, that is to say, for example more than 50% in the case of two components.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 20 2009 015 673 U1

[0004] DE 20 2019 104 544 U1

[0004] DE 10 2007 005 215 B3

[0004] DE 20 2009 013 661 U1

[0004] DE 33 30 299 A1

[0005] Cited Non-Patent LiteratureDIN EN 806-1

[0023] DIN EN 1717

[0023] www.Wikipedia.de www.we know.de or www.techniklexikon.net the competitor, research institute, universities and associations, for example German Verein der Gas and Water Compartment e.V.

[0023]

Claims

Fitting arrangement (10) for a water installation, comprising (a) a fitting housing (12) having an inlet (16) and an outlet (18); and (b) a pressure reducer with a pressure reducer valve arranged in the flow between inlet and outlet; characterized in that (c) the pressure reducer is designed as a pressure reducer cartridge which is completely accommodated in the fitting housing (12), and (d) the opening direction of the pressure reducer valve is parallel to the flow direction.Fitting arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that a ball valve or another shut-off is provided upstream of the pressure reducer.Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure-reducing valve comprises a valve closure body which is acted upon by the force of a spring, and the spring is arranged in a cavity bounded by a spring cap and a membrane.Fitting arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the pressure reducing cartridge comprises a cartridge housing and the spring cap forms a part of the cartridge housing which is firmly connected to the remaining part of the cartridge housing.Fitting arrangement according to Claim 4, characterized in that the cartridge housing comprises a rivet ring which extends around at least part of the pressure reducer and is firmly riveted to the spring cap at the end remote from the pressure reducer valve.Fitting arrangement according to Claim 5, characterized in that the end of the rivet ring facing away from the pressure-reducing valve is provided with pressing elements which, for riveting, are pressed onto an edge which is provided on the spring cap and projects in the radial direction, with the result that a connection is produced which cannot be released without destruction.Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner wall on the end side of the spring cap forms a spring abutment on which the spring is supported.Fitting arrangement according to one of Claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the cavity bounded by the spring cap and the membrane is gas-filled.Fitting arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that the gas pressure in the cavity is atmospheric pressure.Fitting arrangement according to Claim 9, characterized in that the gas-filled cavity is connected to the atmosphere.A fitting arrangement according to claim 9, characterised in that (a) a ring is arranged around the spring cap, (b) the ring is sealed with each of a pair of sealing rings with respect to the outer wall of the spring cap, and (c) the ring between the sealing rings has a through bore connected to the atmosphere in the radial direction, which through bore is aligned with a bore in the spring cap, so that a permanent connection is produced between the cavity in the spring cap and the atmosphere.Fitting arrangement according to Claim 11, characterized in that the ring is integrally formed on the spring cap.Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring and / or at least parts of the fitting housing are manufactured from plastic.Fitting arrangement according to claim 13, characterised in that reinforcing ribs are formed on the outer side of the fitting housing.Fitting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a safety valve is included.Fitting arrangement according to claim 15, characterised in that the safety valve is designed to be tamper-proof.

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