Hydraulic valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486904-B2
Application number	US-202218285252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2022
Priority date	Apr 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A shut off valve for a hydraulic system is provided. The shut off valve comprises a wall of a hydraulic reservoir, a hydraulic fluid outlet, a valve seat, a valve plate, a valve arm, and a valve control shaft. The hydraulic reservoir is for holding hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid outlet is formed through the wall. The valve seat is provided on an inner surface of the wall encircling the hydraulic fluid outlet. The valve seat has an engagement surface. The valve plate is shaped to engage with the engagement surface of the valve seat. The valve arm is connected between the valve plate and the valve control shaft. The valve control shaft is formed through the wall spaced apart from the hydraulic fluid outlet. The valve plate is configured to rotate about the valve control shaft between a first position in which the valve plate does not cover the valve seat, and a second position in which the valve plate covers the valve seat to shut off the hydraulic fluid outlet. The engagement surface of the valve seat is inclined, relative to a plane of rotation of the valve plate, between the first and second positions such that the valve plate is sealed against the engagement surface when the valve plate is in the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A shut off valve for a hydraulic system comprising:
a wall of a hydraulic reservoir for holding hydraulic fluid; a hydraulic fluid outlet formed through the wall; a valve seat provided on an inner surface of the wall encircling the hydraulic fluid outlet, the valve seat having an engagement surface; a valve plate shaped to engage with the engagement surface; a valve control shaft formed through the wall spaced apart from the hydraulic fluid outlet; a valve arm connected between the valve plate and the valve control shaft, wherein the valve plate is configured to rotate about the valve control shaft between:
a first position in which the valve plate does not cover the valve seat; and
a second position in which the valve plate covers the valve seat to shut off the hydraulic fluid outlet;
wherein the valve control shaft includes an aperture extending through a diameter of the valve control shaft, and a locking pin assembly comprising a locking pin insertable through the aperture into one of a first position locking pin receiver or a second position locking pin receiver to lock the valve control shaft in either the first position or the second position; and wherein the engagement surface of the valve seat is inclined, relative to a plane of rotation of the valve plate, between the first and second positions such that the valve plate is sealed against the engagement surface when the valve plate is in the second position.

2 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the engagement surface of the valve seat is inclined relative to a plane of rotation of the valve plate by at least 1° and no greater than 10°.

3 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve plate is connected to the valve arm at a centre of the valve plate, wherein the valve plate is rotatable with respect to the valve arm about the centre of the valve plate.

4 . The shut off valve according claim 1 , wherein
the valve arm is provided on an opposing side of the valve plate to the valve seat.

5 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the valve plate is a circular plate.

6 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , wherein
a centre of the engagement surface of the valve seat is offset from the plane of rotation of the valve plate in a direction normal to the plane of rotation of the valve plate such that the valve arm bends when moving from the first position to the second position.

7 . The shut off valve according to claim 6 , wherein
a ramp guide provided on the wall adjacent to the valve seat, the ramp guide comprising a ramp surface inclined between the first and second positions of the valve plate, wherein the ramp guide is configured to guide the valve plate as it rotates from the first position to the second position.

8 . The shut off valve according to claim 6 , wherein
the bending of the valve arm provides a spring force of at least 50 N to seal the valve plate against the engagement surface of the valve seat in the second position.

9 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect when the valve plate is in the first position; and/or a second sensor configured to detect when the valve plate is in the second position.

10 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first castellation configured to abut the valve arm in the first position and a second castellation configured to abut the valve arm in the second position, the first and second castellations defining the range of rotation of the valve plate between the first and second positions.

11 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a locking pin assembly comprising a locking pin, a first position locking pin receiver, and a second position locking pin receiver, the locking pin assembly configured to lock the valve control shaft in the first position or the second position.

12 . The shut off valve according to claim 1 , wherein
the wall of the hydraulic reservoir comprises a plate configured to be installed in an aperture of a hydraulic reservoir.

13 . A hydraulic system comprising:
a hydraulic reservoir configured to hold hydraulic fluid, the hydraulic reservoir comprising at least one wall; a hydraulic fluid outlet formed through the wall; a hydraulic pump fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid outlet; and a shut off valve comprising: a valve seat provided on an inner surface of the wall encircling the hydraulic fluid outlet, the valve seat having an engagement surface; a valve plate shaped configured to engage with the engagement surface of the valve seat; a valve control shaft formed through the wall spaced apart from the hydraulic fluid outlet; a valve arm connected between the valve plate and the valve control shaft, wherein the valve plate is configured to rotate about the valve control shaft between: a first position in which the valve plate does not cover the valve seat; and a second position in which the valve plate covers the valve seat to shut off the hydraulic fluid outlet; wherein the valve control shaft includes an aperture extending through a diameter of the valve control shaft, and a locking pin assembly comprising a locking pin insertable through the aperture into one of a first position locking pin receiver or a second position locking pin receiver to lock the valve control shaft in either the first position or the second position; wherein the engagement surface of the valve seat is inclined, relative to a plane of rotation of the valve plate, between the first and second positions such that the valve plate is sealed against the engagement surface when the valve plate is in the second position.

14 . The hydraulic system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect when the valve plate is in the first position, wherein the hydraulic pump is not operable, or issues an alert, when the first sensor does not detect that the valve plate is in the first position.

15 . The hydraulic machine comprising the hydraulic system of claim 13 .

Assignees

• Caterpillar Global Mining Llc

Inventors

• Strashny Igor
• Hamilla Andrew

Classifications

• F16K35/06

  using a removable actuating or locking member, e.g. a key (F16K35/10, F16K35/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K37/0025

  Electrical or magnetic means (F16K37/0075 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K3/10 Primary

  with special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together · CPC title