Industrial apparatus comprising a pneumatic control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415155-B2
Application number	US-201716765296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

This industrial apparatus ( 2 ) comprises a pneumatic system ( 4 ), a first mechanical device ( 36 ) and a second mechanical device ( 38 ). The pneumatic system ( 4 ) includes: a first pneumatic actuator ( 6 ) for commanding the first mechanical device ( 36 ), a second pneumatic actuator ( 8 ) for commanding the second mechanical device ( 38 ), a pneumatic control valve ( 10 ) switchable between several states to command of the first and second actuators ( 6, 8 ). The control valve ( 10 ) comprises an actuation portion ( 56 ), movable in translation between: a resting position, corresponding to a first state (S 1 ), a first pushed position, corresponding to a second state (S 2 ), and a second pushed position, corresponding to a third state (S 3 ). The first pushed position corresponds to an intermediary position between the resting position and the second pushed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An industrial apparatus comprising a pneumatic system, a first mechanical device and a second mechanical device, the pneumatic system comprising:
a first pneumatic actuator configured to command the first mechanical device;
a second pneumatic actuator configured to command the second mechanical device; and
a pneumatic control valve switchable between several states to command the first and second pneumatic actuators;
wherein:
the pneumatic control valve comprises an actuation portion, movable in translation between:
a resting position, corresponding to a first state;
a first pushed position, corresponding to a second state; and
a second pushed position, corresponding to a third state; and

wherein:
the first pushed position corresponds to an intermediary position between the resting position and the second pushed position; and
the pneumatic control valve is configured to oppose an increased mechanical resistance to displacement of the actuation portion when the actuation portion is moved from the first pushed position towards the second pushed position.

2. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic control valve is adapted to selectively activate or inactivate the first and second pneumatic actuators depending on the selected state, respectively, by connecting at least one of the first or second pneumatic actuators with a compressed gas source of the pneumatic system or with an exhaust line of the pneumatic system.

3. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first state corresponds to an inactivated state of both the first and second pneumatic actuators, wherein the second state corresponds to an activated state of the second pneumatic actuator and to an inactivated state of the first pneumatic actuator, and wherein the third state corresponds to an activated state of the first pneumatic actuator and to an inactivated state of the second pneumatic actuator.

4. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control valve comprises:
first and second outlet ports connected, respectively, to an input port of the first and second actuators;
a supply port connected to a compressed gas source of the pneumatic system; and
an exhaust port connected to an exhaust line of the pneumatic system.

5. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control valve comprises a main body and a movable inner portion connected with the actuation portion, wherein the movable inner portion is configured to move by sliding inside an internal cavity of the main body, and wherein the movable inner portion comprises fluid conduction channels, so as to selectively connect together or obstruct some of the ports of the control valve, depending on the selected state of the control valve.

6. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuation portion is movable in translation along a translation axis which is a longitudinal axis of a main body of the control valve.

7. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuation portion comprises an outer surface configured to be actuated by hand or foot.

8. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuation portion is spring biased to return in the resting position when no outside actuation force is exerted on the actuation portion.

9. The industrial apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the industrial apparatus is an industrial vehicle.

10. The industrial apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the industrial vehicle comprises a steering column, a steering wheel, at least a first articulation and a second articulation;
wherein the first articulation allows a pivoting movement of the steering column, relative to a fixed frame of the vehicle, around a respective first rotation axis;
wherein the second articulation allows a tilting movement of the steering wheel relative to the steering column, around a second rotation axis; and
wherein the first mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the first articulation and the second mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the second articulation.

11. The industrial apparatus of claim 10 ,
wherein the first actuator is configured to unlock the locking mechanism of the first articulation when in an activated state, and to keep the locking mechanism locked when in an inactivated state; and
wherein the second actuator is configured to unlock the locking mechanism of the second articulation when in an activated state, and to keep the locking mechanism locked when in an inactivated state.

12. The industrial apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the control valve is in a driver cabin of the industrial vehicle.

13. An industrial vehicle comprising a pneumatic system, a first mechanical device and a second mechanical device, wherein:
the industrial vehicle comprises a steering column, a steering wheel, at least a first articulation and a second articulation;
the first articulation allows a pivoting movement of the steering column, relative to a fixed frame of the vehicle, around a respective first rotation axis;
the second articulation allows a tilting movement of the steering wheel relative to the steering column, around a second rotation axis; and
the pneumatic system comprises:
a first pneumatic actuator configured to command the first mechanical device;
a second pneumatic actuator configured to command the second mechanical device; and
a pneumatic control valve switchable between several states to command the first and second pneumatic actuators;
wherein:
the first mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the first articulation and the second mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the second articulation or the first mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the second articulation and the second mechanical device is a locking mechanism of the first articulation; and
the pneumatic control valve comprises an actuation portion, movable in translation between:
a resting position, corresponding to a first state;
a first pushed position, corresponding to a second state; and
a second pushed position, corresponding to a third state;
wherein the first pushed position corresponds to an intermediary position between the resting position and the second pushed position.

14. The industrial vehicle of claim 13 ,
wherein the first actuator is configured to unlock the locking mechanism of the first articulation when in an activated state, and to keep the locking mechanism locked when in an inactivated state; and
wherein the second actuator is configured to unlock the locking mechanism of the second articulation when in an activated state, and to keep the locking mechanism locked when in an inactivated state.

15. The industrial vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the control valve is in a driver cabin of the industrial vehicle.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Abraham Lionel

Classifications

• F15B2211/30585

  having a single valve for multiple output members · CPC title

• F15B11/20

  controlling several interacting or sequentially-operating members · CPC title

• F15B13/16

  Special measures for feedback {, e.g. by a follow-up device} · CPC title

• F15B2211/783

  Sequential control · CPC title

• F15B2013/0412

  with three positions · CPC title