Fluid valve, in particular a return valve for a painting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782786-B2
Application number	US-201414504866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	May 6, 2009
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Exemplary illustrations of a fluid valve, e.g., a return valve for returning residual paint, rinsing agent, and compressed air from a paint line when changing color in a painting system, are disclosed. An exemplary fluid valve may be adjusted between an open position, in which the fluid valve is at least partially open, e.g., for rinsing a paint line with a rinsing agent and for pressurizing the paint line with a new color for the color change, and a closed position, in which the fluid valve is closed, e.g., for applying the new color after the color change. An exemplary fluid valve may switch to the closed position, upon actuation by the medium thereof, e.g., medium flowing through or present in the valve. In another example, a fluid valve may close depending on the fluid present at the input side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid valve for a paint system, the fluid valve switches between an opening position and a closing position, where a fluid flows through an inlet when the valve is in the opening position, the fluid valve comprising:
a cylinder having a piston movable therein, the piston being biased by a lower spring on a first side of the piston and biased by an upper spring on a second side of the piston;
a piston engaging with a rod, the rod including an elongated hole, the elongated hole receiving a spring, the piston and the rod facilitating movement of a shut off body wherein the shut off body moves between the opening position and the closing position based on the fluid viscosity on the inlet side.

2. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , wherein
a) the fluid valve in the opening position is opened to the maximum for flushing a paint line with a maximum flushing agent stream,
b) the fluid valve has a waiting position,
c) the fluid valve in the waiting position is at least partially open for waiting for the paint during loading paint in the paint line, and
d) the fluid valve only switches from the waiting position, but not from the opening position, autonomously into the closing position.

3. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic membrane which carries a shut-off body.

4. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid valve is also controllable externally by a valve drive.

5. The fluid valve according to claim 4 , further comprising a first control input over which the fluid valve is externally actuated into the closing position, and a second control input over which the fluid valve can be externally actuated into the opening position.

6. The fluid valve of claim 1 wherein the rod further includes a drive pin.

7. The fluid valve according to claim 6 , wherein
a) the first control air connection opens on one side of the piston into the cylinder in order to switch the fluid valve pneumatically into the closing position,
b) the second control air connection opens on the other side of the piston into the cylinder in order to switch the fluid valve pneumatically into at least one of the opening position and an awaiting position.

8. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , wherein
a) the fluid valve has a position sensor which recognizes whether the fluid valve is in a certain position selected from the group comprising the opening position, the closing position, and a waiting position,
b) the position sensor operates in a certain manner selected from the group comprising a pneumatical, electrical, and opto-electronical manner.

9. The fluid valve according to claim 8 , wherein
a) the shut-off body is coupled with the piston by a compensation element,
b) the compensation element allows a play between the shut-off body and the piston, and
c) the play of the compensation element is larger than the movement of the shut-off body from the opening position into the closing position so that the shut-off body can move own medium actuated from the opening position into the closing position without movement of the piston.

10. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , wherein
a) a valve seat is provided which includes a conical portion and at least one cylindrical portion; and
b) a shut-off body is provided which includes at least one conical portion and at least one cylindrical portion, wherein the cylindrical portion of the shut-off body is provided to form a ring gap with the cylindrical portion of the valve seat, wherein the ring gap has a substantially constant gap size over its axial extension.

11. The fluid valve according to claim 10 , wherein the shut-off body includes a circumferential sealing edge which is located at the free end of the shut-off body or axially behind the free end of the shut-off body.

12. The fluid valve according to claim 10 , wherein the cylindrical portion of the shut-off body is located at the free end of the shut-off body or axially behind the free end of the shut-off body.

13. The fluid valve according to claim 10 , wherein the shut-off body includes a first conical portion and a second conical portion, wherein the cylindrical portion of the shut-off body is located between the first conical portion and the second conical portion of the shut-off body.

14. The fluid valve according to claim 1 , the fluid valve generates an own medium actuated closing force for switching into the closing position.

15. The fluid valve according to claim 14 , wherein the own medium actuated closing force is amplifiable by an integrated closing force amplifier.

16. The fluid valve according to claim 15 , wherein the closing force amplifier operates pneumatically external medium actuated.

17. The fluid valve according to claim 15 , wherein the closing force amplifier generates the closing force amplification by a preload mechanism.

18. The fluid valve according to claim 15 , wherein the closing force amplifier includes an arrest mechanism which is unlockable based on the fluid present at the inlet side in order to achieve at least one of the closing position and a closing force amplification.

19. The fluid valve according to claim 15 , wherein
a) the closing force amplifier comprises a pressure controlled pilot valve,
b) the pilot valve connects a first control air line with a first control air connection of the fluid valve so that the pressure in the first control air line supports the closing movement of the fluid valve when the pilot valve is opened,
c) the pilot valve has a control input which is connected with a feed line of the fluid valve so that the pilot valve opens if a pressure builds up in the feed line of the fluid valve.

20. The fluid valve according to claim 15 , wherein
a) the closing force amplifier has an amplifier valve,
b) the amplifier valve of the closing force amplifier selectively opens and closes a first control air connection which opens into a cylinder and serves for closing the fluid valve,
c) the pressure applied to the first control air connection increases the closing force if the amplifier valve is opened.

21. The fluid valve according to claim 20 , wherein the first control air connection radially opens into the lateral surface of the cylinder.

22. The fluid valve according to claim 20 , wherein
a) the first control air connection axially opens into an end face of the cylinder,
b) the first control air connection is selectively closed and opened by the piston of the fluid valve,
c) the opening mouth of the first control air connection has a smaller cross-section than the piston, wherein the ratio of the cross-sections defines a force amplification factor.

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Melcher Rainer
• Herre Frank
• Baumann Michael
• Buck Thomas

Classifications

• B05B1/306

  the actuating means being a fluid · CPC title

• B05B1/3006

  the controlling element being actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed (B05B1/323 takes precedence; single-unit outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed B05B11/0062) · CPC title

• Y10T137/7869

  Biased open · CPC title

• B05B15/025 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F16K31/12

  actuated by fluid ({fluid-actuated lift valves F16K1/126} ; fluid-actuated check valves F16K15/00; fluid-actuated safety valves F16K17/00) · CPC title