Unit for regulating and controlling a fluid pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795384-B2
Application number	US-201715803976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2017
Priority date	May 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A unit for regulating or controlling a fluid pressure has a valve housing with an inlet and an outlet. A switching film is disposed in the valve housing and switches at pressure differences of 1 mbar to 250 mbar for regulating, opening or blocking a flow of a fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The switching film is formed of a fluorine and carbon containing polymer material. The switching film has a plate-shaped flat body with a bending region and has a central closure region surrounded by the bending region. The bending region, when switching the switching film, moves the central closure region relative to a valve seat of the valve housing in an axial direction of the plate-shaped flat body toward or away from the valve seat by a low-stretch bending movement. A switching film for such a unit is provided also.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switching film for a unit regulating or controlling a fluid pressure and having a valve housing with an inlet and an outlet, the switching film comprising:
a plate-shaped flat body of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, comprising:
a bending region having a plurality of corrugations are formed as concavely or convexly extending curvature regions;
a central closure region surrounded by the bending region,
wherein a thickness of the bending region has a reduced thickness of at most 0.3 mm, thinner than a remainder of the switching film; and
a rim region surrounding the bending region,
wherein the switching film in the rim region is thicker than the thickness in the bending region, and the switching film in the rim region is at most twice as thick as the thickness of the bending region;

wherein the switching film across an entire expansion of the switching film has a thickness that varies by at more 50% of the thickness in the rim region;
wherein the bending region in a radial direction of the plate-shaped flat body extends in a corrugated shape about the central closure region,
wherein the reduced thickness of 0.3 mm or less in the plurality of corrugations in the bending region, despite stiffness of the PTFE material, provides a stretch-free bending movement of the switching film accomplished by a radii change of the plurality of corrugations, thereby reducing crack formation and bending fatigue in the PTFE material while enabling switching at pressure differences of 1 mbar to 100 mbar.

2. The switching film according to claim 1 , wherein
the central closure region is a cup-shaped bulge.

3. The switching film according to claim 1 , wherein
the plate-shaped flat body comprises a diameter that amounts to less than 150 mm.

4. The switching film according to claim 1 , wherein
the PTFE material is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene; polytetrafluoroethylene with admixtures; and thermoplastically processible polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. A unit for regulating or controlling a fluid pressure, the unit comprising:
a valve housing comprising
an inlet and
an outlet;

a housing cover secured onto the valve housing, the housing cover together with the valve housing enclosing an internal chamber formed between the housing cover and the valve housing;
the switching film according to claim 1 disposed in the valve housing between the housing cover and the valve housing, the switching film dividing the internal chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, the switching film for regulating, opening or blocking a flow of a fluid from the inlet to the outlet;
wherein a radially outer portion of the switching film includes a clamping region;
wherein the housing cover has an annular groove radially surrounding the first chamber;
wherein the valve housing has an annular wall surrounding and radially enclosing the second chamber;
wherein an axial outer end of the annular wall is received into the annular groove of the housing cover, the annular wall clamping the clamping region of the switching film in the annular groove of the housing cover.

6. The unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the bending region, when switching the switching film, moves the central closure region relative to a valve seat of the valve housing in an axial direction of the plate-shaped flat body toward the valve seat or away from the valve seat by the stretch-free bending movement.

7. The unit according to claim 6 , wherein
the central closure region comprises a cup-shaped bulge.

8. The unit according to claim 6 , wherein
the switching film has a diameter smaller than 150 mm.

9. The unit according to claim 5 , further comprising
an annular support ring arranged on the switching film;
a spring element arranged on a radially outer side of the valve seat, the spring element having a first end contacting the value housing and a second end directly contacting against the annular support ring;
wherein the spring element exerts a force on the switching film through the annular support ring;
wherein the spring element is supported by the annular support ring at the switching film.

10. The unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the central closure region comprises a cup-shaped bulge.

11. The unit according to claim 10 , wherein
the spring element is arranged about the cup-shaped bulge.

12. The unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the switching film is movable between maximum positions in an open state and a closed state relative to a valve seat of the valve housing by applying an atmospheric pressure as a control pressure at one side of the switching film.

13. The unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the switching film is movable between maximum positions in an open state and in a closed state relative to the valve seat by applying a control pressure that is different from an atmospheric pressure at one side of the switching film.

14. The unit according to claim 13 , further comprising
a mechanical actuation means acting on the switching film and configured to switch the switching film.

15. The unit according to claim 5 , further comprising
a mechanical actuation means acting on the switching film and configured to switch the switching film.

16. The unit according to claim 5 , embodied as a valve for pressure regulation of an internal combustion engine or for pressure regulation of a crankcase of the internal combustion engine.

Assignees

• Mann & Hummel Gmbh

Inventors

• Kuemmerling Volker
• Jessberger Thomas
• Bock Lukas

Classifications

• F16K7/12 Primary

  with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm · CPC title

• F16K27/00

  Construction of housing (methods for welding housings B23K); Use of materials therefor · CPC title

• F16K17/02

  opening on surplus pressure on one side; closing on insufficient pressure on one side (check valves F16K15/00) · CPC title

• F16K7/17 Primary

  the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure · CPC title

• F01M2013/0016

  with a membrane · CPC title