Fluid control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12140241-B2
Application number	US-202117328379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2021
Priority date	May 24, 2021
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

A fluid control system for supplying fluid to a fluid consumer, having a valve module including a channel body to which a fluid switching valve, a fluid pressure regulator and a vacuum switching valve are attached, the channel body having a first fluid channel extending from a fluid input port to an input port of the fluid pressure regulator and having a second fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid pressure regulator to an input port of the fluid switching valve, and having a third fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid switching valve to a fluid consumer port, and having a first vacuum channel extending from a vacuum input port to an input port of the vacuum switching valve, and having a second vacuum channel extending from an output port of the vacuum switching valve to the fluid consumer port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid control system for supplying fluid to a fluid consumer, comprising a valve module including a channel body to which a fluid switching valve, a fluid pressure regulator and a vacuum switching valve are attached, the channel body having a first fluid channel extending from a fluid input port to an input port of the fluid pressure regulator and having a second fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid pressure regulator to an input port of the fluid switching valve, and having a third fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid switching valve to a fluid consumer port, and having a first vacuum channel extending from a vacuum input port to an input port of the vacuum switching valve, and having a second vacuum channel extending from an output port of the vacuum switching valve and joining the third fluid channel upstream of the fluid consumer port,
wherein a plurality of valve modules are disposed in a housing and are mounted to a pressure supply bar and to a vacuum supply bar which are disposed on an inner surface of the housing, the pressure supply bar having a pressure port and a plurality of fluid outlets, the vacuum supply bar having a vacuum port and a plurality of vacuum outlets.

2. The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure outlets of the pressure supply bar are arranged at a first constant pitch along a first straight line, and wherein the vacuum outlets of the vacuum supply bar are arranged at a second constant pitch along a second straight line, and wherein the first straight line and the second straight line are aligned parallel to each other and wherein the first pitch and the second pitch are identical.

3. The fluid control system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid input port in the channel body is connected to the pressure outlet in the pressure supply bar, and wherein the vacuum input port in the channel body is connected to the vacuum outlet in the vacuum supply bar.

4. The fluid control system according to claim 1 , wherein a control circuit is arranged on a rear side of the housing, wherein each of the valve modules is provided with a contact board, wherein the contact board is electrically connected to the fluid switching valve and the fluid pressure regulator and the vacuum switching valve of each valve module, wherein the control circuit is assigned a plurality of connectors, each of which is designed for electrical contacting of a contact board, and wherein the control circuit is designed for electrical control of the fluid switching valve, the fluid pressure regulator and the vacuum switching valve of each valve module.

5. The fluid control system of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of valve modules are mounted on the pressure supply bar and the vacuum supply bar in parallel with each other.

6. The fluid control system of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit includes a bus interface for connection to a bus communication system.

Assignees

• Festo Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Niefer Daniel
• Casimir Ute
• Bowers Charles

Classifications

• F15B2211/89

  Control specific for achieving vacuum or "negative pressure" · CPC title

• F15B13/0825

  the modular elements being mounted on a common member, e.g. on a rail · CPC title

• F15B13/0817 Primary

  Multiblock manifolds · CPC title

• Y10T137/87885

  Sectional block structure · CPC title

• F16K31/0603

  Multiple-way valves · CPC title