VALVE SYSTEM WITH HOLDER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a valve assembly with a valve housing having at least two connection openings, each opening into a chamber of the valve housing, and closed by a cover, with at least one sealing disc unit that separates the two chambers in the valve housing from each other and has as sealing discs a fixed disc held non-rotatably in the valve housing and at least one rotating disc mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation, wherein the axially adjacent sealing discs each have at least one flow opening in order to release a flow cross-section between the chambers in at least one overlapping position of the flow openings, and with a spring element that is held pre-tensioned between the rotating disc and the cover, wherein the fixed disc rests axially on a housing-fixed projection on its underside facing away from the rotating disc.

[0002] Valve devices of the type mentioned above are known from the prior art. For example, German patent application DE 10 2012 022 212 A1 discloses a generic valve device. In this application, a sealing disc unit with a fixed disc and a rotating disc is arranged in a valve housing to separate two chambers. By rotating the rotating disc, the flow openings of the two sealing discs can be brought into an overlapping position to create a desired flow cross-section between the chambers, thus connecting the connection openings associated with these chambers. The fixed disc rests axially on a projection of the valve housing, for example, on an intermediate plate. This ensures easy installation of the fixed disc.Furthermore, the fixed disc is mounted in the valve housing in a non-rotatable manner, so that the position of its flow opening relative to the chambers does not change, or cannot change. For the desired sealing effect, the rotating disc is axially pressed or compressed against the fixed disc at its end face by means of a spring element, so that the overlapping sealing discs prevent fluid from passing from one chamber to the other when the flow openings are spaced apart or side by side instead of being aligned and do not form a flow cross-section.

[0003] Typically, the rotating disc faces the chamber where the supply pressure from a connection opening acting as an inlet prevails, so that the rotating disc is also pressed against the fixed disc by the supply pressure. Furthermore, document DE 10 2009 007 691 B3 discloses a level control valve for an air suspension device with a rotating valve body opposite a stationary disc.

[0004] The present invention is based on the objective of creating an improved valve device that ensures increased robustness, in particular against pressure increases or peaks that occur in the chamber to which the fixed disk is assigned or directed, in particular the drain chamber.

[0005] The problem underlying the invention is solved by a valve assembly with the features of claim 1. The valve assembly according to the invention has the advantage that even when increased hydraulic back pressures occur in the chamber of the valve housing facing the fixed disk, the tightness and integrity of the valve assembly are maintained. This allows the valve assembly to be integrated into systems in which pressure peaks or pressure variations are to be expected in a section of the system that is fluidically connected to a connection opening of the valve assembly serving as a drain, i.e., fluidically connected to the chamber located on the side of the fixed disk facing away from the rotating disk (drain chamber).The invention ensures that even when hydraulic pressure in the outlet chamber exceeds both the hydraulic pressure and the pressure of the spring element in the inlet chamber, the fixed disc does not axially detach from the housing-mounted projection, thus maintaining the tightness of the sealing disc assembly. It also ensures that the fixed disc does not displace or tilt the rotating disc, which could cause it to jam in the valve housing and prevent further actuation of the valve assembly. This significantly increases the overall robustness of the valve assembly compared to previously known valve assemblies and expands its range of applications.

[0006] The valve assembly according to the invention, with the features of claim 1, is characterized in that a retainer is arranged in the valve housing, bearing axially against the fixed disk on one side and against the cover on the other. Thus, the fixed disk is axially supported by the retainer against the cover of the valve assembly and is positively prevented from shifting and, in particular, from detaching from the housing-mounted projection. This also prevents the fixed disk from impairing the function of the rotating disk, and the robustness of the valve assembly, as described above, is achieved. The retainer therefore provides positive support of the sealing disk against the cover of the valve housing, independent of the spring force of the spring element, which also acts on the fixed disk via the rotating disk to hold it in place.Preferably, the fixed disk is pressed or forced against the housing-fixed projection by the retainers and covers, so that the fixed disk rests axially without play on the housing projection.

[0007] According to the invention, the hold-down device has several longitudinal struts, each of which bears axially against the fixed disk and the cover. The longitudinal struts extend, in particular axially or parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotary disk, through the valve housing and abut the fixed disk at one end and the cover at the other to effect the force transmission from the cover to the fixed disk. The longitudinal struts or axial struts thus support the fixed disk against the cover. Preferably, the longitudinal struts are arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the fixed disk to ensure uniform force application to the fixed disk and uniform support of the fixed disk within the valve housing. Preferably, the longitudinal struts are designed as beams with a circular, square, or rectangular cross-section. The rectangular cross-section, in particular, allows for high stability.Preferably, the rectangular shape with a long and a short side is designed such that the long side extends radially or parallel to a radial axis to the axis of rotation of the rotating disc to provide advantageous support in the radial direction. By providing several longitudinal struts spaced apart in the circumferential direction, the hold-down device is designed to be particularly lightweight and space-saving. Optionally, each longitudinal strut has an annular segment strut extending transversely to its longitudinal extent at its end facing the fixed disc. This segment strut serves as a bearing surface for the fixed disc. This advantageously transfers and distributes the holding force to the fixed disc. The annular segment strut extends, for example, symmetrically on both sides of the longitudinal strut in the circumferential direction of the sealing disc.

[0008] Particularly preferably, at least two adjacent longitudinal struts of the hold-down device are connected to each other by a ring strut extending transversely to them. In this context, a ring strut is understood to be a ring segment strut, which in particular has a circular ring segment shape and thus does not form a closed ring. This results in a stable connection between these adjacent longitudinal struts and the advantage that the hold-down device can be pre-assembled and simply inserted and positioned in the valve housing. In particular, the hold-down device is designed such that the longitudinal struts are connected to each other by at least one connecting ring arranged parallel to the sealing discs. The connecting ring is preferably arranged, or can be arranged, coaxially with the axis of rotation of the rotary disc in the valve housing.Preferably, the connecting ring is designed as an outer ring or an inner ring, wherein an outer ring is understood to be a connecting ring extending along the outer edge of the fixed disk or close to a shell wall of the valve housing, and an inner ring is understood to be a connecting ring arranged radially spaced from the outer circumference of the fixed disk and closer to the axis of rotation of the rotary disk. Optionally, the longitudinal struts are connected to each other by at least two connecting rings, in particular by an inner ring and an outer ring, to increase the stability of the hold-down device. The inner ring and the outer ring are, for example, located at the same axial height or plane, or they are located at different axial heights or planes, in particular aligned parallel to each other.

[0009] Preferably, at least one connecting ring has an outer diameter that corresponds to or nearly corresponds to the outer diameter of the fixed disk and rests axially on the fixed disk. This allows the retainer to rest flat along the connecting ring on the fixed disk, thus fully locking it to the housing-mounted projection of the valve housing. In this case, the connecting ring thus forms the outer ring described above. The housing-mounted projection is, in particular, an intermediate base of the valve housing.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer diameter of the turntable is smaller than the outer diameter of the fixed disk, and the inner diameter of the connecting ring is larger than the outer diameter of the turntable. This allows the turntable to rest on the fixed disk within the connecting ring, leaving an edge region of the fixed disk exposed upon which the connecting ring rests. Because the inner diameter of the connecting ring is larger than the outer diameter of the turntable, a radial distance is ensured between the connecting ring, particularly the outer ring, and the turntable, permanently preventing radial contact between the turntable and the connecting ring.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each longitudinal strut is connected to a radial strut that extends radially inwards to a further connecting ring, in particular to the inner connecting ring or inner ring. The radial struts are arranged on the longitudinal struts such that they terminate at a distance from the ends where the longitudinal struts rest on the fixed disk, so that the radial struts run above the fixed disk and, in particular, also above or axially spaced from the rotary disk. According to a further embodiment, the radial struts run in a first section with little or no distance to the fixed disk and in a second section with a small axial distance to the rotary disk, wherein the first section is radially outer and the second section radially inner, resulting in an axial step in the course of the respective radial strut.The radial struts connect the outer ring to the inner ring, and the first connecting ring to the next connecting ring. Each longitudinal strut extends at a distance from the fixed disk above the rotating disk to the connecting ring, so that the radial strut preferably runs axially spaced and thus without contact with the rotating disk up to the inner connecting ring. The radial struts ensure that the connecting rings are permanently and securely aligned with each other, particularly coaxially.

[0012] A one-piece design for the hold-down device is particularly preferred. This means that the longitudinal struts, along with at least one connecting ring or connecting ring segment and optionally the radial struts, are formed as a single unit. This makes the hold-down device especially easy to handle during assembly and allows for high strength at a low weight.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the height of the connecting ring resting on the fixed disk is – viewed in the axial direction – slightly greater than the thickness of the rotary disk in the axial direction, so that the radial struts and / or the second connecting ring are axially spaced from the rotary disk. This is particularly advantageous if the radial struts project inwards axially above the connecting ring from the respective longitudinal strut.

[0014] According to the invention, each longitudinal strut has at least one spring section for tolerance compensation along its length. The longitudinal struts are thus designed to be elastically deformable, at least in certain areas, in order to compensate for tolerances that may occur during the manufacture of the valve assembly. In particular, this ensures that when the valve housing is closed by means of the cover, the respective longitudinal strut can be clamped or clamped between the cover and the fixed disc by means of elastic deformation of the spring section. This guarantees that the cover closes securely at all times and simultaneously ensures that the longitudinal strut is always in axial contact with the cover at one end and with the fixed disc at the other.

[0015] Particularly preferred is the spring section of the respective longitudinal strut formed at the end of the longitudinal strut facing the cover by a lateral, especially radial, recess in the longitudinal strut. This recess, in the form of a relief cut, reduces the cross-section of the respective longitudinal strut in a specific area, thereby reducing its resistance to bending in this area. The remaining cross-section of the longitudinal strut at the level of the recess then serves as an elastically deformable spring section. In particular, the recess is arranged close to the end of the longitudinal strut facing the cover, so that the longitudinal strut can flex in the area of ​​the cover and compensate for tolerances when the cover is installed.

[0016] Preferably, the cover has a projection extending into the valve housing, in particular annular or disc-shaped, which serves to rest on the longitudinal struts. This ensures precise support of the cover on the longitudinal struts for advantageous stability. Preferably, at least the outer diameter of the projection is selected such that the cover, with the projection, rests only on the resilient section of the respective longitudinal strut. For this purpose, the outer diameter is selected to be smaller than the inner diameter of the valve housing and, in particular, smaller than the outer diameter of the longitudinal struts, and most preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the radial recess in the respective longitudinal strut. The recess in the longitudinal struts is formed, in particular, on the radially inner side of the longitudinal struts, so that the longitudinal struts can compress inwards against the resilient section.The projection thus ensures targeted application of the respective longitudinal strut to the spring section in the springing area.

[0017] Preferably, the inner diameter of the second connecting ring, or the inner connecting ring, is larger than the outer diameter of the spring element, which is designed as a helical spring. This allows the spring element to pass through the connecting ring in order to press the rotating disk against the fixed disk. The inner connecting ring also serves as a guide for the helical spring.

[0018] It is further preferred that the radial struts each have one or more sliding projections on their underside facing the turntable. These sliding projections ensure that, should the turntable be forced against the spring force of the spring element by the counter-pressure in the opposite chamber, the axial displacement of the turntable is limited by the sliding projections. Furthermore, the sliding projections allow the turntable to be rotated safely even when counter-pressure occurs, as the sliding projections advantageously slide on the turntable, thus preventing the turntable from jamming against the radial struts themselves and becoming stuck due to excessive static friction. In particular, the sliding projections have a convexly shaped contact surface to ensure an advantageous coefficient of friction.Preferably, each of the radial struts has several sliding projections arranged along its longitudinal extent on its underside.

[0019] Preferably, the connecting ring or outer ring resting on the fixed disk has recesses evenly distributed around its circumference on its upper surface facing the cover. The recesses are particularly segment-shaped and are designed in the connecting ring such that, in at least one rotational position of the connecting ring, at least one of the recesses corresponds, at least partially, to one of the connection openings. This ensures that even with a small axial height of the valve assembly, the cross-section of one of the connections is not reduced by the connecting ring. Because the recesses are evenly distributed around the circumference, the connecting ring can be inserted into the valve housing in several rotational positions, in which one of the recesses of the connecting ring interacts with or corresponds to the at least one connection opening.

[0020] Preferably, a guide groove is formed in a casing wall of the valve housing for each of the longitudinal struts, in which the respective longitudinal strut is axially displaceable and held in a positive-locking manner circumferentially. The longitudinal struts, together with the guide grooves in the valve housing, thus form an anti-rotation device for the hold-down device. During assembly, the hold-down device with its longitudinal struts is inserted into the guide grooves until it rests axially on the fixed disc. Because the longitudinal struts are held in the groove in a positive-locking manner circumferentially, rotation of the hold-down device is no longer possible in the installed state. This prevents incorrect assembly of the hold-down device.In particular, the recesses on the upper side of the outer connecting ring are each arranged between two adjacent longitudinal struts, and the guide grooves are arranged relative to the at least one connection or the at least one connection opening in such a way that, in the mounting position of the retainer in the valve housing, one of the recesses of the connecting ring is aligned with the connection or corresponding to it. The guide grooves, the longitudinal struts, and the design of the recesses in the outer ring thus ensure unambiguous and error-free mounting of the retainer in the valve housing with respect to the at least one connection at all times.In particular, the longitudinal struts project radially slightly from the connecting ring, if present, which rests axially on the fixed disc, so that the longitudinal struts can be inserted into the guide grooves and the connecting ring into the valve housing.

[0021] Preferably, the hold-down device has exactly three, exactly four, or more than four longitudinal struts. Furthermore, the hold-down device preferably has a number of recesses in the upper surface of the outer ring corresponding to the number of longitudinal struts, with the recesses preferably always being arranged centrally between two adjacent longitudinal struts. If the valve housing has several connections, in particular inlet connections, for one of the chambers, especially for the inlet / supply chamber, the connections are located, in particular, on an axial plane and, viewed circumferentially, at a distance from each other that corresponds to the distance between the recesses in the upper surface of the outer ring. This ensures a simple and unambiguous assignment of the hold-down device to the connections in the valve housing.

[0022] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. To this end, we show Figure 1 shows an advantageous valve assembly in a longitudinal section view, Figure 2 shows an actuating device of the valve assembly with a sealing disc unit in a perspective view, Figure 3 shows a perspective longitudinal section view of the actuating device in a valve housing of the valve assembly, Figure 4 shows an enlarged detail longitudinal section view of the valve assembly in the area of ​​the sealing disc unit, Figure 5 shows a simplified top view of a retainer of the valve assembly and Figure 6 shows a detail sectional view of the actuating device.

[0023] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a perspective longitudinal section of an advantageous valve assembly 1, which can be used, for example, in a coolant circuit of a motor vehicle. The valve assembly 1 has a valve housing 2 with a cover 3, wherein an actuating device 4 is arranged in the valve housing 2, which can be operated by an actuator 5 mounted or mountable on the cover 3.

[0024] The valve housing 2 has a substantially circular cylindrical outer wall 6 and a base 7, which together with the cover 3, arranged on the end face of the outer wall 6 facing away from the base 7, enclose a cavity. Several openings are evenly distributed around the circumference of the outer wall 6. Figure 1Three identifiable fluid connections are arranged, each having a connection opening 8, 9, 10 that extends through the casing wall 6 into the cavity of the valve housing 2. The connections or fluid connections project radially outwards from the casing wall 6, allowing, for example, connecting nozzles, pipes, or hoses to be pushed onto the connections to integrate the valve assembly 1 into a fluid system. The connections with the connection openings 8, 9 are located at the same axial height or on a plane perpendicular to the axial extent of the casing wall 6, while the connection with the connection opening 10 is located at an axially offset height or plane.In particular, the connection with the opening 10 is an inlet connection through which, for example, a fluid is supplied to the valve assembly 1, and the connections with openings 8 and 9 are outlet connections that can be selectively connected to the inlet connection 10 by the actuator 4 in order to convey the supplied fluid. A sealing disc unit 11 of the actuator 4 is located between these two planes, or, viewed axially along the valve housing 2, between the connection 10 on the one hand and the connections 8 and 9 on the other. Optionally, the valve housing 2 has a further connection that is diametrically opposite the opening 9 and is arranged at the level of the opening 10 or at the level of the opening 8, viewed axially.

[0025] Figure 2Figure 1 shows the actuating device 4 in a perspective view. The actuating device 4 includes the sealing disc unit 11, which in this case consists of two sealing discs. The first of the sealing discs is a fixed disc 12 held non-rotatably in the valve housing 2, and the second is a rotating disc 13 rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation 15. The sealing discs 12 and 13 are each circular, with the outer diameter of the sealing disc 12 being larger than the outer diameter of the rotating disc 13. The sealing discs 12 and 13 are arranged coaxially with each other and, in particular, with the outer wall 6 of the valve housing 2, and abut each other at their end faces, as also shown, for example, in the sectional view of Figure 1. Figure 1shown. Because the outer diameter of the rotary disk 13 is smaller than that of the fixed disk 12, a free, annular outer edge remains on the end face of the fixed disk 12 facing the rotary disk 13, extending over the entire circumference of the fixed disk 12.

[0026] According to the present embodiment, the fixed disk 12 has at least two flow openings 14 that extend completely axially through the fixed disk 12, of which only one is visible in the figures. The flow openings 14 are closed at their edges and thus formed as openings in the fixed disk 12, so that, in particular, the free annular outer edge of the fixed disk 12 is preserved. The two flow openings 14 of the fixed disk 12 are offset by 90° in the fixed disk 12, so that in the assembled state, as shown in Figure 1As shown, one of the flow openings 14 is assigned to the connection opening 9, and the other flow opening 14 (not visible in the figures) is also assigned to the connection opening 9, and these are arranged at an angular offset of 90° to each other. The axis of rotation 15 is the geometric axis of rotation of the fixed disk 12 and the rotating disk 13, and the mechanical axis of rotation of the rotatable rotating disk 13.

[0027] As in Figure 1As shown, the fixed disk 12 rests axially on an intermediate base 16 of the valve housing 2, which forms a housing-fixed housing projection 17 for the fixed disk 12. The intermediate base 16, or the housing projection 17, also has at least one axially projecting retaining projection 18, which is radially spaced from the outer wall 6 and projects parallel to it, i.e., axially in the direction of the cover 3. The fixed disk 12 has at least one cup- or trough-shaped recess 19 on its underside facing away from the rotating disk 13; that is, a recess that does not extend through the fixed disk 12 but has a closed bottom.The recess 19 is designed to at least partially receive the retaining projection 18, the cross-section of which corresponds at least substantially to the cross-section of the recess 19, so that the retaining projection 18 is positively engaged in its radial extension – with respect to the axis of rotation 15 – and in its circumferential direction, in particular without play or almost without play. Because the retaining projection 18 and the recess 19 are formed off-center on the intermediate base 16 and in the fixed disk 12, respectively, they provide an anti-rotation device 20 in the assembled state, preventing the fixed disk 12 from rotating within the valve housing 2.

[0028] The outer diameter of the fixed disk 12 corresponds essentially to the inner diameter of the casing wall 6, wherein, according to the preferred embodiment, the outer diameter is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the casing wall 6, so that the fixed disk 12 can also be pressed into the valve housing 2. Optionally, a sealing elastomer disk 21 is also arranged between the fixed disk 12 and the housing projection 17, the contour of which corresponds to the contour of the fixed disk 12 and, in particular, also to the housing projection 17 or the intermediate base 16, and thus also has corresponding flow openings 14, wherein, instead of a recess 19, an opening is provided in the elastomer disk 21, through which the retaining projection 18 projects into the recess 19 of the fixed disk 12, as shown in Figure 1shown. This also secures the elastomer disc 21 against rotation in the valve housing 2 on the housing projection 17 or on the intermediate floor 16.

[0029] As mentioned above, the rotary disk 13 rests on the end face of the fixed disk 12 and has a smaller outer diameter compared to the latter. The rotary disk 13 is rigidly connected to a drive shaft 22, which extends axially from the sealing disk assembly 11 through the cover 3 to the actuator 5. The drive shaft 22 is rotatably mounted in the cover 3 and has a coupling end 23 that is or can be non-rotatably connected to a coupling element of the actuator 5. When the actuator 5, which is designed, for example, as an electric motor, is actuated, the coupling element exerts a torque on the coupling end 23, causing the drive shaft 22 and the rotary disk 13 rigidly connected to it to rotate within the valve housing 2, particularly relative to the fixed disk 12.According to the present embodiment, the rotary disk 13 has only one flow opening 24, which is open at the edge, thus interrupting the rotary disk 13 at its outer edge when viewed circumferentially. The flow opening 24 is designed such that it is at least as large as the respective flow opening 14, so that in an overlapping position of the sealing discs 12, 13, the flow opening 24, which is aligned with one of the flow openings 14, exposes the full flow cross-section of the affected flow opening 14. By actuating the actuator 5 and rotating the rotary disk 13, the flow opening 24 can thus be assigned to one or the other flow opening 14.

[0030] The sealing disc unit 11 divides the cavity of the valve housing 2 into several chambers 25, 26, of which there are two chambers 26, in Figure 1Only two are discernible. Chambers 25 and 26 are axially separated from each other within the valve housing 2 by the sealing disc unit 11. Chamber 26 is assigned to port 8, and chamber 25 to port 10. A further chamber 26 is assigned to port 9, which is also separated from chamber 25 by the sealing disc unit 11 and from the adjacent chamber 26 by a side wall 27. Each of the two chambers 26 is assigned one of the flow openings 14 of the fixed disc 12. Thus, by rotating the rotary disc 13, port 10 can be connected to either port 8 or port 9. Intermediate positions are also possible, in which the flow opening 24 is located partially above both chambers 26 or flow openings 14, so that port 10 is fluidically connected to both ports 8 and 9 simultaneously.

[0031] The drive shaft 22 has an axial stop 28, which serves to abut the cover 3. Between the axial stop 28, or another axial stop of the drive shaft 22, and the rotary disk 13, a spring element 29, in this case in the form of a helical spring, is axially pre-tensioned and arranged coaxially with the drive shaft 22. The spring element 29 exerts a spring force on the rotary disk 13, which presses the rotary disk 13 against the end face of the fixed disk 12 and the axial stop 28 against the cover 3. The spring element 29 is thus supported by the axial stop 28 against the cover 3 of the valve housing 2 and ensures that the sealing discs 12, 13 of the sealing disc assembly 11 are in a sealing position against each other.

[0032] The drive shaft 22 preferably extends through the turntable 13 into a cup-shaped recess 30 of the fixed disk 12, through which the drive shaft 22 is rotatably mounted in the fixed disk 12. The drive shaft 22 is thus rotatably mounted by the cover 3 on one side and by the fixed disk 12 on the other. The drive shaft 22 is, in particular, positively locked to the turntable 13 and thus non-rotatably connected, optionally by means of a coupling element 31, which is positively locked to the drive shaft 22 on one side and to the turntable 13 on the other, at least in the direction of rotation.

[0033] The valve assembly 1 or the actuating device 4 also has a retainer 32. The retainer 32 is arranged axially between the cover 3 and the fixed disk 12 and rests axially against them. The retainer 32 thus holds the fixed disk 12 axially on the intermediate base 16 or the housing projection 17 and prevents it from detaching.

[0034] Figure 2Figure 32 also shows the hold-down device 32 in the perspective view of the actuating device 4. According to the present embodiment, the hold-down device 32 has four longitudinal struts 33 that extend axially from the fixed disk 12 to the cover 3 and are arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the fixed disk 12. Each longitudinal strut 33 has a rectangular cross-section with a long and a short side. The long side extends radially or parallel to a radial with reference to the axis of rotation 15 from the outer circumference of the fixed disk 12 inwards.

[0035] The longitudinal struts 33 each have a spring section 34 at their end facing the cover 3 and at their end facing away from the fixed disk 12. This spring section is formed by a recess 35 that extends from the radial inner side towards the radial outer side of the respective longitudinal strut 33. This creates a kind of relief at the end of the respective longitudinal strut 33, through which the free end at the radially inner section can pivot towards the fixed disk 12 under elastic deformation of the spring section 34. According to the present embodiment, the respective longitudinal strut 33 is otherwise free of spring sections and rests on the fixed disk 12 at its other end. The cover 3 has, as in Figure 1 or 4As an example, the valve assembly 1 has an annular or disc-shaped projection 42 extending axially into the cavity or chamber 25 of the valve housing 2. In the assembled state, this projection rests on the longitudinal struts 33 above the recesses 35 in the area of ​​the recess 35. The spring sections 34 thus advantageously compensate for manufacturing tolerances through elastic deformation of the spring sections 34 during assembly, and also advantageously press the retainer 32 against the fixed disk 12.

[0036] Optionally, and as shown in the present embodiment, the longitudinal struts 33 are rigidly connected to one another, particularly to simplify assembly. For this purpose, the hold-down device 32, according to the present embodiment, has a connecting ring 36 and a further connecting ring 37. The connecting rings 36 and 37 are aligned coaxially with each other, with the connecting ring 37 having an outer diameter that is significantly smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting ring 36. The outer and inner diameters of the connecting ring 36 are selected such that the connecting ring 36 rests completely on the fixed disk 12. The connecting ring 36 fills the space created by the smaller outer diameter of the rotating disk 13 compared to the outer diameter of the fixed disk 12.The outer diameter of the connecting ring 36 is at most as large as the outer diameter of the fixed disk 12, preferably it is slightly smaller, as in . Figure 2 shown such that the longitudinal struts 33 project radially from the connecting ring 36. The longitudinal struts 33 preferably terminate radially at the level of the outer diameter or outer circumference of the sealing disc 12.

[0037] The inner connecting ring 37 (inner ring) is connected to the longitudinal struts 33 by radial struts 38, each of which leads to one of the longitudinal struts 33. The radial struts 38 run axially spaced from the turntable 13 from the respective longitudinal strut 33 to the connecting ring 37, as shown by way of example in Figure 4The figure shows a distance x between the turntable 13 and the radial strut 38. The connecting ring 37 is also axially spaced from the turntable 13. This is achieved in particular by ensuring that the height h of the connecting ring 36 is greater than the thickness d of the turntable 13 – measured in the axial direction – so that the radial struts 38 extend from the top of the connecting ring 36 to the connecting ring 37 and merge radially into the connecting ring 37, preferably integrally. Preferably, the hold-down device 32 is formed entirely in one piece, so that the longitudinal struts 33, the radial struts 38, and the connecting rings 36 and 37 are formed integrally. The hold-down device 32 is preferably made of a plastic material. Alternatively, the connecting ring 37 is made of metal.According to another embodiment, not shown here, the hold-down device 32 is designed in multiple parts, wherein in particular the connecting rings 36, 37, the radial struts 38 and the longitudinal struts 33 are designed as separate parts and are firmly connected to each other.

[0038] Optionally, recesses 39 are also formed in the outer connecting ring 36, evenly distributed around its circumference, on the upper side facing away from the fixed disk 12, between adjacent longitudinal struts 33. The recesses 39 are particularly concave, and their shape corresponds in particular to the shape of the connection 10, as shown by way of example in Figure 1As shown. If the connecting ring 36 is arranged in the valve housing 2 such that a recess 39 is aligned with, for example, the port 10, the flow cross-section of the port 10 is not reduced by the connecting ring 36. If the valve housing 2 is axially taller overall, such a recess 39 can also be omitted if the sealing disc assembly 11, together with the connecting ring 36, is arranged axially between the ports 8, 9, and 10, which are located on different planes.

[0039] Figure 3 Figure 1 shows a perspective detail section of the valve assembly 1, from which the cover 3 has now been removed. The outer wall 6 of the valve housing 2 optionally features, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3The figure shows several axially extending guide grooves 40, which are formed on the inside of the outer wall 6, distributed evenly around its circumference. In particular, the number of guide grooves 40 corresponds to the number of longitudinal struts 33, with four longitudinal struts 33 being present in the present embodiment. In principle, more or fewer longitudinal struts 33 are also possible. For example, in another embodiment (not shown here), exactly three longitudinal struts 33 or more than four longitudinal struts 33 are present. The guide grooves 40 are designed for partial reception on the respective longitudinal strut 33. For this purpose, the width of each guide groove 40 is only slightly wider than the short side of the respective longitudinal strut 33, so that the longitudinal struts 33 are guided axially displaceably in the guide grooves 40.Because the longitudinal struts 33 protrude slightly from the connecting ring 36, as mentioned above, secure assembly and insertion of the longitudinal struts 33 into the guide grooves 40 are ensured. The evenly distributed arrangement of the longitudinal struts 33 and the guide grooves 40 allows the retainer 32 to be inserted into the valve housing 2 in several rotational angle positions. Due to the symmetrical design of the retainer 32, incorrect assembly is impossible. The guide grooves 40 and the longitudinal struts 33 interacting with them guarantee correct alignment of the retainer 32 with respect to the connection opening 10 and, in particular, with the flow openings 14 of the fixed disc 12, ensuring that the flow cross-sections are not impaired or reduced by the retainer 32.

[0040] Figure 4An enlarged, detailed sectional view of the valve assembly 1 in the area of ​​the sealing disc unit 11 is shown. Figure 4 The thickness d of the turntable 13 and the height h of the connecting ring 36 are shown. The difference between the height h and the thickness d gives the axial distance x between the radial struts 38 and the turntable 13. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the inner connecting ring 37 is chosen to be larger than the outer diameter of the helical spring or spring element 29, so that the spring element 29 passes through the connecting ring 37 and rests axially on the turntable 13 to press the turntable 13 against the fixed disk 12.

[0041] In Figure 4The cover 3 with the projection 42 is also shown. The retainer 32 is clamped between the cover 3 and the fixed disk 12, so that the fixed disk 12 is always pressed against the housing projection 17 or the intermediate base 16 and cannot detach from it, even if, for example, hydraulic pressure occurs in the port 8 that exceeds the hydraulic pressure in the chamber 25 or in the port 10. The retainer 32 ensures that even if back pressure peaks occur in the port 8 or in one of the chambers 26, the fixed disk 12 cannot detach from its predetermined position and thereby, for example, displace or pivot the rotary disk 13.The turntable 13 can itself be displaced slightly by a counter-pressure according to the distance x, the path of movement being limited by the inner connecting ring 37 and the radial struts 38, which preferably have the same axial distance to the turntable 13. Alternatively, the distance x is zero or nearly zero, so that the turntable 13 is held axially free of play or nearly so.

[0042] This creates a particularly robust valve assembly 1 that can also be used in hydraulic systems where unexpectedly high back pressures may occur, especially in one of the drain ports.

[0043] Figure 5Figure 32 shows a simplified top view – i.e., in the axial direction – of the hold-down device 32, illustrating different embodiments. As shown in the previous figures, the hold-down device 32, indicated by the solid line, has four longitudinal struts and radial struts 38. This figure also shows the preferred embodiment in which the longitudinal struts 33 project slightly radially beyond the outer connecting ring 36. Dashed lines indicate... Figure 5 An alternative embodiment is shown in which the hold-down device 32 has only three longitudinal struts 33 and radial struts 38. However, in this case as well, these are arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the hold-down device 32 and are therefore at an angle of 120° to each other. As mentioned above, the hold-down device 32 can also have more than four longitudinal struts and corresponding radial struts 38.

[0044] Figure 6Figure 1 shows a detailed sectional view of the valve assembly 1 in the area of ​​one of the radial struts 38 according to a further embodiment. Optionally, several sliding projections 41 are arranged on the underside of the radial struts 38 and / or on the connecting ring 37. These projections are particularly convex in shape to ensure a sliding contact with the rotary disk 13. The sliding projections 41 prevent the rotary disk 13 from jamming or binding, even under higher back pressures.

Claims

1. Valve device (1) with a valve housing (2) which comprises at least two connection openings (8,9,10), each of which opens into a chamber (25,26) of the valve housing (2), and is closed by a cover (3), with at least one sealing disk unit (11), which separates the two chambers (25,26) from one another and which comprises - as sealing disks - a fixed disk (12) held non-rotatably in the valve housing (2) and at least one rotating disk (13) mounted rotatably around an axis of rotation (15), wherein the sealing disks resting axially on one another each comprise at least one flow opening (14,24), in order to release a flow cross section between the chambers (25,26) in at least one overlapping position of the flow openings (14,24) with one another, and with a spring element (29), which is held pre-tensioned between the rotating disk (13) and the cover (3), wherein the fixed disk (12) rests axially on the lower side, facing away from the rotating disk (13), on a housing-fixed projection (17), characterised in that a hold-down device (32) is arranged in the valve housing (2), which rests axially on the fixed disk (12), on the one hand, and on the cover (3), on the other hand, that the hold-down device (32) comprises multiple longitudinal struts (33), in particular arranged evenly distributed over the circumference of the fixed disk (12), which each rest axially against the fixed disk (12) and the cover (3), and that the respective longitudinal strut (33) comprises at least one spring section (34) for tolerance compensation in the longitudinal extension.

2. Valve device according to claim 1, characterised in that the longitudinal struts (33) are connected to one another by at least one connecting ring (36,37) arranged parallel to the sealing disks (12,13).

3. Valve device according to claim 2, characterised in that the connecting ring (36) comprises an outer diameter which corresponds or nearly corresponds to the outer diameter of the fixed disk (12) and rests axially on the fixed disk (12).

4. Valve device according to any one of the claims 2 or 3, characterised in that an outer diameter of the rotating disk (13) is smaller than the outer diameter of the fixed disk (12), and in that the inner diameter of the connecting ring (36) is larger than the outer diameter of the rotating disk (13).

5. Valve device according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, characterised in that each longitudinal strut (33) is connected to a respective radial strut (38) which leads radially inwards to a further connecting ring (37).

6. Valve device according to claim 5, characterised in that the connecting rings (36,37) are aligned coaxially with one another.

7. Valve device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hold-down device (32) is formed in one piece.

8. Valve device according to any one of the claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the connecting ring (36) resting on the fixed disk (12) comprises depressions (39) arranged evenly distributed over its circumference on its upper side facing toward the cover (3).

9. Valve device according to claim 8, characterised in that, in a jacket wall (6) of the valve housing (2), for each of the longitudinal struts (33), which in particular slightly protrude radially from the connecting ring (36) resting on the fixed disk, a respective guide groove (40) is formed, in which the respective longitudinal strut (33) is axially displaceable and held in a formfitting manner in the circumferential direction.

10. Valve device according to any one of the claims 8 and 9, characterised in that the height (h) of the connecting ring (36) resting on the fixed disk (12) is slightly taller than the thickness (d) of the rotating disk (13) in the axial direction, so that the radial struts (38) and / or the further connecting ring (37) lie axially spaced apart from the rotating disk (13).

11. Valve device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spring section (34) at the end of the respective longitudinal strut (33) facing toward the cover (3) is formed by at least one lateral, in particular radial recess (35) in the respective longitudinal strut (33).

12. Valve device according to any one of the claims 2 to 11, characterised in that the cover (3) comprises a projection (42) which protrudes into the valve housing (2) and which is used to rest on the longitudinal struts (33).

13. Valve device according to claim 12, characterised in that the outer diameter of the projection (42) is designed such that the cover (3) with the projection (42) only rests on the resilient section of the respective longitudinal strut (33).

14. Valve device according to any one of the claims 2 to 13, characterised in that the hold-down device (32) comprises exactly three, exactly four, or more than four longitudinal struts (33).

15. Valve device according to any one of the claims 5 to 14, characterised in that the radial struts (38) comprise one or more sliding projections (41) on their lower side facing toward the rotating disk (13).