Valve assembly, fluid management system and a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023383857-A1
Application number	US-202318322291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A valve assembly for a fluid management system of a vehicle is provided The valve assembly includes: a valve body having an inner volume defining at least a first chamber, a second chamber, a breathing chamber in fluid communication with atmosphere, and a fluid medium flow path extending through the valve body, the fluid medium flow path having an inlet for receiving a fluid medium and an outlet for said fluid medium, said first chamber being at least partly disposed in the fluid medium flow path. A flow closing member is displaceable arranged within the valve body to control the flow of fluid medium from the inlet to the outlet via the first chamber. The flow closing member is displaceable between an open position, in which fluid medium may flow in the fluid medium flow path from the inlet to the outlet via the first chamber, and a closed position, in which said flow closing member prevents fluid medium to flow in the fluid medium flow path from the inlet to the outlet.

First claim

1 . A valve assembly for a fluid management system of a vehicle, said valve assembly comprising:
a valve body having an inner volume defining at least a first chamber, a second chamber, a breathing chamber in fluid communication with atmosphere, and a fluid medium flow path extending through the valve body, the fluid medium flow path having an inlet for receiving a fluid medium and an outlet for said fluid medium, said first chamber being at least partly disposed in the fluid medium flow path; a flow closing member displaceable arranged within the valve body and configured to control the flow of fluid medium from said inlet to said outlet via said first chamber, said flow closing member being displaceable between an open position, in which fluid medium is permitted to flow in the fluid medium flow path from the inlet to the outlet via the first chamber, and a closed position, in which said flow closing member is positioned to prevent fluid medium to flow in the fluid medium flow path from the inlet to the outlet, said inlet being in pressurized communication with a first area region of said flow closing member when said flow closing member is in the closed position, whereby a first pressure being applied to said first area region of said flow closing member, resulting in a first force which is the product of the first pressure and the area of the first area region subjected to the first pressure, said outlet being in pressurized communication with a second area region of said flow closing member when said flow closing member is in the open position, whereby a second pressure being applied to said second area region of said flow closing member, resulting in a second force which is the product of the second pressure and the area of the second area region subjected to the second pressure, wherein said valve body comprises an additional inlet in pressurized communication with a third area region of said flow closing member, said third area region being located on an opposite side of said flow closing member than the first and second area regions, whereby a third pressure being applied to said third area region of said flow closing member, resulting in a third force which is the product of the third pressure and the area of the third area region subjected to the third pressure, whereby said third force is directed to exert a counteracting force to the first and second forces, and wherein a force difference between said first and third forces controls the movement of said flow closing member from said closed position to said open position, whilst a force difference between said second and third forces controls the movement of said flow closing member from said open position to said closed position.

2 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said flow closing member is displaceably arranged in said valve body such that an opening pressure is provided when the first pressure being applied to said first area region of said flow closing member equals, or is greater than, the third pressure being applied to said third area region of said flow closing member.

3 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said flow closing member is displaceably arranged in said valve body such that a closing pressure is provided when the second pressure being applied to said second area region of said flow closing member is lower than the third pressure being applied to said third area region of said flow closing member.

4 . Valve assembly according to claim 3 , wherein a pressure difference between the opening pressure and the closing pressure is at least one bar.

5 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the area of said first area region is substantially the same as the area of said third area region.

6 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the area of said second area region is proportional in size to the area of said third area region with a factor derivable from the third pressure divided by the third pressure minus a pressure difference between an opening pressure and a closing pressure.

7 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said flow path extends substantially in a longitudinal direction, and said flow closing member being displaceable along a centre height direction axis, said centre height direction axis being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal direction.

8 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first chamber and said second chamber is of different volumes.

9 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the flow closing member comprises a first portion and a second portion, said first portion and second portion having different cross section profiles.

10 . Valve assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are cylindrical shaped portions having cross section profiles of different diameters.

11 . Valve assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said valve body comprising:
an inlet port at least partly defined by the inlet, and configured to be connected to an air compressor for receiving fluid medium in the form of compressed air, an outlet port at least partly defined by the outlet, and configured to be connected to a downstream air management device for delivering compressed air to an air consumer system, and an additional inlet port at least partly defined by the additional inlet, and configured to be connected to a compressed air storage tank for receiving a system pressure from said compressed air storage tank for exerting a counter-pressure against the third area region.

12 . A fluid management system for a vehicle, said fluid management system comprising:
a valve assembly according to claim 1 , an air compressor arranged upstream of said valve assembly and configured to be connected to the inlet of the valve assembly, a compressed air storage tank arranged downstream of said valve assembly and configured to receive compressed air from said air compressor when said valve assembly is in the open position, said additional inlet of said valve assembly being configured to be in pressurized communication with a pressure outlet of said compressed air storage tank, wherein said valve assembly is arranged and configured to control the movement of said flow closing member in response to a change in pressure in the compressed air storage tank.

13 . Fluid management system according to claim 12 , wherein said valve assembly is arranged and configured to vary the opening pressure for the flow closing member so as to essentially equal a prevailing pressure in the compressed air storage tank.

14 . Fluid management system according to claim 12 , further comprising an air dryer device arranged in-between said valve assembly and the compressed air storage tank.

15 . Fluid management system according to claim 12 , further comprising a pneumatic system operable from compressed air delivered from the compressed air storage tank.

16 . A vehicle comprising a valve assembly according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Bebon Hugo

Classifications

• F16K17/19 Primary

  Equalising valves predominantly for tanks {(when combined with safety valve by change of position F16K17/36)} · CPC title

• F15B1/265

  with pressurised main reservoir · CPC title

• B60G17/0528 Primary

  Pressure regulating or air filling valves · CPC title

• F16K31/1223

  one side of the piston being acted upon by the circulating fluid · CPC title

• F16K17/24

  acting directly on the cutting-off member · CPC title