rotary valve

Abstract

To provide a solution for dispensing with a bearing adjustment ring at an internal peripheral side and an external peripheral side, related to the support of a shaft of a rotor of a rotary valve.SOLUTION: A rotary valve comprises a housing 2 having a removal housing cover 3, and a rotor 4 in the housing 2. The rotor 4 is at least partially arranged outside the housing 2 by removing and moving the housing cover 3 from the housing 2 so as to be accessible for a purpose of the cleaning and inspection of a rotary valve 1. An end part 5 of a shaft 6 of the rotor 4 is attached to a bearing assembly 7 which is supported to the housing cover 3. Bearings 11, 12 of the bearing assembly 7 are movable with respect to each other in a direction traversing a longitudinal direction of the shaft 6, and adjustable in positions so that the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 is set in a horizontal direction with respect to the housing 2 when the housing cover 3 moves so as to separate from the housing 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to rotary valves, and more particularly to rotary valves including a housing with a removable housing cover and a rotor within the housing that can be at least partially positioned outside the housing by removing and moving the housing cover from the housing. [Background technology]

[0002] In such a rotary valve, the rotor is at least partially disposed outside the housing as described above, allowing the interior of the rotary valve to be cleaned or inspected, for example. The end of the rotor shaft is attached to a bearing assembly supported by the housing cover. The bearing assembly includes a first bearing and a second bearing. The bearings are adjustable in position so that the rotor shaft is maintained horizontally relative to the housing when the housing cover is removed from the housing.

[0003] Such a rotary valve is known from Patent Document 1. In this known rotary valve, the bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a bearing adjustment ring. Each bearing adjustment ring is threadedly engaged with the bearing housing and rotatable within the bearing housing. The bearing assembly may include an inner first rolling bearing, an outer second rolling bearing, and a spacing ring disposed between these bearings, all of which are disposed between the inner and outer bearing adjustment rings. To avoid the problem of the rotor shaft "dropping" or "downward displacement" when supported at only one end, the entire bearing assembly is tiltable to keep the rotor shaft horizontal. This occurs when the housing cover is removed and separated from the housing to position the rotor at least partially outside the housing and allow access to the interior of the rotary valve.

[0004] The problem with the structure known from Patent Document 1 is that it is quite complex and the result in maintaining the level of the rotor shaft is highly dependent on the locking effect of the bearing assembly between the inner and outer bearing adjusting rings to prevent them from moving relative to each other.

[0005] Patent document 2 discloses a rotary valve according to the preamble of claim 1 of the present application, in which the first bearing and the second bearing are movable relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 3000754 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 6,186,164 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One of the aims of the present invention is to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an alternative solution that does not require inner and outer bearing adjustment rings.

[0008] A rotary valve according to the invention comprises the features of one or more of the appended claims.

[0009] In a first aspect of the present invention, at least one of the first bearing and the second bearing is Across the longitudinal direction of the shaft The base flange is fixed relative to the housing cover, and the adjustment flange is attached to the base flange which is screw-connected to the housing cover. Across the longitudinal direction of the shaft That is, vertical movement is the relative rotation of the first bearing relative to the second bearing. Across the longitudinal direction of the shaft In this way, the positioning of the first and second bearings relative to each other can be used to keep the rotor shaft horizontal when the rotor shaft is supported at only one end. The bearings mentioned above can be antifriction bearings or other suitable types of bearings.

[0010] In a preferred approach for realizing the threaded connection between the adjustable flange and the base flange, the threaded connection includes at least one bolt with a thread that mates with a thread formed in an opening in the adjustable flange, the at least one bolt having a tapered end that contacts the oblique mating surface of the opening in the base flange. By turning the bolt, the tapered end that cooperates with the oblique mating surface of the opening in the fixed base flange causes the adjustable flange to move in the plane of the adjustable flange relative to the fixed base flange. This applies particularly to vertical movements, but also to possible horizontal movements, as explained further below.

[0011] To allow movement of the adjusting flange in two perpendicular directions within the plane of the adjusting flange, the threaded connection between the adjusting flange and the base flange includes at least three bolts, each bolt having threads that mate with threads formed in an opening in the adjusting flange, and each bolt having a tapered end that contacts the oblique coupling surface of the opening in the base flange.

[0012] Preferably, two of the at least three bolts are located opposite each other in a horizontal plane through the rotor shaft to allow for horizontal adjustment of the shaft, while the third bolt is located above the shaft in a vertical plane through the rotor shaft to allow for vertical adjustment of the shaft. For movement in this vertical plane, a fourth bolt opposite the third bolt is not required, since gravity assists any movement in a direction opposite to that which the third bolt can perform. However, it is also possible to use a fourth bolt opposite such a third bolt for movement in the vertical plane.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, which can be applied independently of or in addition to the above features, a center bolt and a lock plate are provided at an end of the rotary valve, and the lock plate can be placed in an operating position, and in this operating position, the lock plate can be rotated by rotating the center bolt to lock the shaft together with the rotor. Longitudinal direction of the shaft The center bolt is supported so that it can move freely.

[0014] Additionally, the locking plate preferably resides below the center bolt in the inoperative position to prevent unintentional damage to the center bolt threads. In this manner, gravity helps to keep the locking plate in the inoperative position, requiring deliberate handling by the operator to place the locking plate in the operative position.

[0015] Preferably, the locking plate includes a locking plate handle for moving the rotatable locking plate between an inoperative position and an operative position.

[0016] The locking plate preferably has at least one projection that engages with one or more notches in the shaft hub of the rotor shaft, thereby blocking rotation of the rotor by engaging the projection with one of the notches in the shaft hub. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a rotary valve in an actuated position. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a rotary valve in an inactivated position. [Figure 3] 1 is a three-dimensional view showing a rotary valve according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the end portion thereof cut away. [Figure 4] 1A-1C are vertical cross-sectional views of the end of a rotary valve of the present invention, illustrating two different vertical positions of the first and second bearings. [Figure 5] 2A-2C are horizontal cross-sectional views of the end of a rotary valve of the present invention, illustrating two different horizontal positions of the first and second bearings. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are side cross-sectional and front views of the end of the shaft on the removable house cover side. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are side cross-sectional and front views showing another state of the end of the shaft on the removable house cover side. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are side cross-sectional and front views of yet another state of the end of the shaft on the removable house cover side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the drawings of exemplary embodiments of the rotary valve of the present invention, which are not limited in terms of the appended claims.

[0019] Wherever the same reference numbers are used in the figures, they refer to the same items.

[0020] Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2, these figures show a rotary valve 1 comprising a housing 2 with a removable housing cover 3 (shown in Figure 2) and a rotor 4 within the housing 2. The rotor 4 is positionable at least partially outside the housing by removing and moving the housing cover 3 from the housing 2, thereby allowing access to the interior of the rotary valve 1, for example, for cleaning or inspection. Figures 1 and 2 further show that an end 5 of a shaft 6 of the rotor 4 is attached to a bearing assembly 7 supported by the housing cover 3.

[0021] According to FIG. 1, when the rotor 4 is completely inside the housing 2 and the housing cover 3 is attached to the housing 2, the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 is also arranged, usually via a sleeve, inside a bearing 8 at a position opposite to where the removable and displaceable housing cover 3 is located in the housing 2.

[0022] 2 shows that the rotor 4 is partially located outside the housing 2. This can be achieved by first removing the housing cover 3 from the housing 2 and then moving the end 10 comprising the bearing assembly 7 and the housing cover 3, e.g., by sliding, using a structure comprising, e.g., guide rails 9. However, this structure is not required and other arrangements for moving the end 10 away from the housing 2 are also possible.

[0023] The shaft 6 of the rotor 4, when supported only by bearings 7 which are supported by the housing cover 3, has a tendency to drop or move downwards by a small distance D, as shown in Figure 2. In the present invention, the problem of the rotor 4 dropping or moving downwards is countered by features which will be further illustrated in the following description and with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows details of the end portion 10 of the rotary valve 1. FIG. 3 shows that the bearing assembly 7 includes a first bearing 11 and a second bearing 12. When the housing cover 3 is removed and separated from the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 2, the first and second bearings 11, 12 are adjustable to align the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 with the housing 2. This adjustable bearing arrangement is realized by the fact that at least one of the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12 is movable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft 6. Essentially, this means that the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12 are movable relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft 6. These points are more clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0025] Figures 3, 4 and 5 all show that the first bearing 11 is mounted on an adjusting flange 13 which is laterally or vertically movable relative to the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 and which is threadedly connected to a fixed base flange 14 on the housing cover 3. In principle, this could also be done the other way around.

[0026] In each figure, the threaded connection between the adjusting flange 13 and the base flange 14 is shown to include at least one bolt 15 with threads that mate with a corresponding thread in an opening in the adjusting flange 13. These threads are not shown because their construction is clearly common knowledge to those skilled in the art. At least one bolt 15 further includes a tapered end 16 that abuts an oblique mating surface 17 in the opening in the fixed base flange 14. For clarity, the angle of the mating surface 17 for the oblique positioning provided by this mating surface 17 is shown to scale. Furthermore, a mirror image configuration using two bolts 15 cooperating with the tapered opening 17 is also possible. These cooperating bolts 15 and openings 17 are located on opposite sides of the shaft 6 of the rotor 4. Such a configuration will be described below for movement in a horizontal plane with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b).

[0027] Next, the difference between what is shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) and what is shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) will be explained.

[0028] 4(a) and 4(b) are vertical cross-sectional views showing that the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12 are positioned at different vertical positions.

[0029] In FIG. 4( a ), the bolt 15 is at the entrance to an opening in the base flange 14 that has an inclined connecting surface 17 , so that the first bearing 11 is positioned slightly higher than the second bearing 12 by a distance A.

[0030] In FIG. 4(b), the bolt 15 is threaded into an opening in the base flange 14 having an inclined connecting surface 17, so that the first bearing 11 is positioned slightly lower than the second bearing 12 by a distance B.

[0031] 4(a) and 4(b) allows the relative vertical position of the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12 to be adjusted by moving the bolts 15 in or out of the openings in the base flange 14, thereby maintaining the rotor shaft 6 horizontal. As mentioned above, the relative position adjustment of the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12 can also be achieved by a mirror image structure using two bolts 15 cooperating with tapered openings 17. These bolts 15 and openings 17 are provided on opposite sides of the rotor 4 shaft 6.

[0032] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) show the structure described with reference to Figures 4(a) and 4(b), but now with the respective bearings 11 and 12 moved in a horizontal plane. Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are horizontal cross-sectional views illustrating two different relative horizontal positions of the first bearing 11 and the second bearing 12. Further discussion regarding operation based on the configuration of Figures 5(a) and 5(b) is similar to the discussion above with reference to Figures 4(a) and 5(b), and therefore will be omitted for brevity. Figure 5(b) illustrates a displacement of a distance C in the horizontal direction.

[0033] 4(a)(b) and 5(a)(b) in combination depict a simplified preferred embodiment in which the threaded connection between the adjusting flange 13 and the base flange 14 includes at least three bolts 15. Each bolt 15 has threads that correspond to the threads of an opening in the adjusting flange 13. Each bolt 15 also has a tapered end 16 that abuts an angled mating surface 17 of the opening in the base flange 14.

[0034] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) show that two of the at least three bolts 15 are located opposite each other in a horizontal plane through the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 to provide horizontal adjustment of the shaft 6, while Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show that the remaining third bolt 15 is located above the shaft 6 in a vertical plane through the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 to provide vertical adjustment of the shaft 6. Once again, vertical movement can also be achieved by a mirror image arrangement using two bolts 15 on opposite sides of the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 with tapered ends 16 cooperating with openings 17.

[0035] 6(a)(b), 7(a)(b), and 8(a)(b), the end of the rotary valve 1 is provided with a center bolt 18 and a locking plate 19. The locking plate 19 can be placed in an operating position (as shown in FIGS. 7(a)(b) and 8(a)(b)). In this operating position, the locking plate 19 supports the center bolt 18, and rotation of the center bolt 18 allows longitudinal movement of the shaft 6 together with the rotor 4.

[0036] 6(a) and (b) show that the lock plate 19 is located below the center bolt 18 in the inoperative position. FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 6(b). This is to prevent accidental damage to the threads of the center bolt 18, which may occur when the rotor 4 rotates at high speed inside the shaft hub 23.

[0037] Additionally, the locking plate 19 is provided with a locking plate handle 20 for moving the locking plate 19 between the inoperative position shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b) and the operative position shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b).

[0038] FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 7(b). FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 8(b). FIGS. 7(a)(b) and 8(a)(b) show that the locking plate 19 has at least one protrusion 21 that engages with one or more notches 22 in a shaft hub 23 that houses the shaft 6 of the rotor 4. In FIGS. 7(a)(b), the locking plate 19 is not positioned to block rotation of the rotor 4 because rotation of the rotor 4 is blocked by a motor connected to the rotor 4. In FIGS. 8(a)(b), the rotor 4 is disconnected from the motor, and one of the protrusions 21 (FIG. 7) engages with a notch 22 (FIG. 6) in the shaft hub 23 of the shaft 6 of the rotor 4 to block rotation of the rotor 4.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the rotary valve of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this particular embodiment and can be modified in many ways without departing from the present invention. Therefore, the discussed exemplary embodiment should not be used to strictly interpret the appended claims accordingly. Instead, this embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims, without intending to limit the scope of the claims to this exemplary embodiment. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted solely according to the appended claims, and any possible ambiguities in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. A rotary valve (1) comprising: a housing (2) having a removable housing cover (3); and a rotor (4) within the housing (2), the rotor (4) being positionable at least partially outside the housing (2) by removing and moving the housing cover (3) from the housing (2) to provide access to the interior of the rotary valve (1); an end (5) of a shaft (6) of the rotor (4) being mounted on a bearing assembly (7) supported by the housing cover (3), the bearing assembly (7) including a first bearing (11) and a second bearing (12), the bearings (11) and (12) being adjustable in position so that the shaft (6) of the rotor (4) is oriented horizontally relative to the housing (2) when the housing cover (3) is moved away from the housing (2); the first bearing (11) and the second bearing (12) being movable relative to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shaft (6); At least one of the first bearing (11) and the second bearing (12) is mounted on an adjustment flange (13), which is movable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the shaft (6) of the rotor (4) and is threadedly connected to a base flange (14) of the housing cover (3); The threaded connection between the adjusting flange (13) and the base flange (14) includes at least one bolt (15) having a thread that fits into a threaded portion formed in an opening of the adjusting flange (13), and the at least one bolt (15) has a tapered end (16) that contacts an oblique connecting surface (17) of the opening of the base flange (14). A rotary valve characterized by:

2. 2. The rotary valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the threaded connection between the adjusting flange (13) and the base flange (14) includes at least three bolts, each bolt (15) having a thread that mates with a thread formed in an opening in the adjusting flange (13), and the bolts (15) have tapered ends (16) that contact an oblique connecting surface (17) of the opening in the base flange (14).

3. 3. A rotary valve according to claim 2, characterized in that two of the at least three bolts (15) are located at opposite positions in a horizontal plane passing through the shaft (6) of the rotor (4) to allow horizontal adjustment of the shaft (6), while the third bolt (15) is located above the shaft (6) in a vertical plane passing through the shaft (6) of the rotor (4) to allow vertical adjustment of the shaft (6).

4. A center bolt (18) and a lock plate (19) are provided at the end of the rotary valve (1), which are coaxial with the shaft. the locking plate (19) has at least one protrusion (21) that engages with one or more notches (22) in a shaft hub (23) that receives the shaft (6) of the rotor (4); 4. The rotary valve according to claim 1, wherein the locking plate (19) can be arranged in an operating position, in which the locking plate (19) supports the center bolt (18) so that by rotating the center bolt (18), the shaft (6) can move together with the rotor (4) in the longitudinal direction of the shaft (6).

5. 5. A rotary valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the locking plate (19) is located below the center bolt (18) in the inoperative position.

6. 6. A rotary valve according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the locking plate (19) is provided with a locking plate handle (20) for moving the rotatable locking plate (19) between an inoperative position and an operative position.

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