Pneumatic control device and process control device equipped therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242874-B2
Application number	US-202017102543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2020
Priority date	May 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A pneumatic control device includes a functional assembly that has an interruption valve device for the selective opening or interruption of at least one main working channel used for the pneumatic control of a pneumatic actuator. The functional assembly also contains a manually actuatable valve device that is connected to the interruption valve device by means of at least one auxiliary working channel and which enables manual pneumatic control of the connected actuator, if the at least one main working channel is interrupted by the interruption valve device at the same time. A process control device can also be equipped with a control device of this type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process control device comprising:
a functional assembly module, the functional assembly module having a housing, at least one main working channel within the housing, at least one auxiliary working channel within the housing, an interruption valve device contained within the housing for the selective opening or interruption of the at least one main working channel, a manually actuatable valve device connected to the interruption valve device via the at least one auxiliary working channel, and an assembly interface formed on an exterior of the housing;
a pneumatic actuator connected to the functional assembly module housing, the pneumatic actuator being pneumatically controlled by the interruption valve device of the functional assembly module via the at least one main working channel, and being further pneumatically controlled by the manually actuatable valve device via the at least one auxiliary working channel only when the at least one main working channel is interrupted by the interruption valve device; and
an electropneumatic control unit module detachably connected to the functional assembly module housing, the electropneumatic control unit module having a housing, an assembly interface formed on an exterior of the housing for detachable engagement with the assembly interface of the functional assembly module housing, control electronics contained within the housing for processing of feedback signals from the pneumatic actuator and a control valve electrically controlled by the control electronics, and pneumatically connected to the at least one main working channel of the functional assembly module.

2. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the functional assembly module further comprises:
an air input connection for connection to a compressed air source;
an air discharge connection connected to the control valve of the electropneumatic control unit module;
a supply channel connecting the air input connection to the air discharge connection; and
a shut-off valve device provided in the supply channel for selectively blocking or opening the fluid connection to the at least one main working channel, wherein the shut-off valve device is able to block the fluid connection only if the at least one main working channel is blocked by the interruption valve device and is able to open the fluid connection only if the at least one main working channel is opened by the interruption valve device, whereby the electropneumatic control unit module can be removed from the functional assembly module without disruption of air flow to the pneumatic actuator.

3. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the functional assembly has two main working channels for the control of a double-acting pneumatic actuator, in each of which main working channels the interruption valve device is arranged, wherein the manually actuatable valve device is connected to the interruption valve device by means of two auxiliary working channels, wherein the connected pneumatic actuator can be pneumatically controlled by means of the manually actuatable valve device only when both main working channels are interrupted by the interruption valve device.

4. The process control device according to claim 3 , wherein the interruption valve device has a separate interruption valve unit for each main working channel.

5. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein air can be supplied to or removed from the at least one auxiliary working channel by actuation of the manually actuatable valve device when the interruption valve device is in the interruption position to pneumatically control the pneumatic actuator, and
wherein the functional assembly further comprises a first actuating means separate from the manually actuatable valve device, the first actuating means being functionally connected to the interruption valve device for switching the interruption valve device to either the open position or the interruption position independent of the manually actuatable valve device, and without using the air which is supplied to or removed from the at least one auxiliary working channel via the manually actuatable valve device.

6. The process control device according to claim 5 , wherein the functional assembly has an externally accessible second actuating means for the manual actuation of the manually actuatable valve device.

7. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the manually actuatable valve device is designed to be able to effect either the supply of air to or the removal of air from or a blocking of each auxiliary working channel.

8. The process control device according to claim 7 , wherein, in case of the presence of two auxiliary working channels, both auxiliary working channels are able to be blocked at the same time.

9. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the functional assembly is designed as a functional module that can be handled in a uniform manner.

10. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the manually actuatable valve device has a basic setting predefined by spring means.

11. The process control device according to claim 10 , wherein each auxiliary working channel is blocked in the basic setting.

12. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electropneumatic control unit is designed as a positioner unit, the control electronics of which have a regulatory function.

13. The process control device according to claim 12 , wherein the regulatory function is a position regulation function.

14. The process control device according to claim 1 , wherein the electropneumatic control unit is designed as a control module that is detachably mounted on the functional assembly.

Assignees

• Festo Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Neef Bodo
• Maile Christoph

Classifications

• F15B21/00 Primary

  Common features of fluid actuator systems; Fluid-pressure actuator systems or details thereof, not covered by any other group of this subclass · CPC title

• F15B2211/85

  Control during special operating conditions · CPC title

• F15B2211/41536

  being connected to multiple ports of an output member · CPC title

• F15B2211/895

  Manual override · CPC title

• F15B20/00 Primary

  Safety arrangements for fluid actuator systems; Applications of safety devices in fluid actuator systems; Emergency measures for fluid actuator systems · CPC title