Pressure regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835266-B2
Application number	US-201414765883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A pressure regulator for liquid media includes a through-flow path which extends between two connections for a medium-conducting line. The through-flow path is equipped with a valve seat which can be released or closed by a closing element that is mounted in a movable manner between a closing position and a release position. A wear of the closing element and/or the valve seat can be monitored during ongoing operations using a wear sensor device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressure regulator for fluid media comprising:
a modular design and a basic housing with at least one module space for housing a functional module;
a through-flow path which extends between two connections for a media-conducting line and through the at least one module space;
a valve seat module having a valve seat and a closing element mounted movably between a closed position and a released position, the valve seat module being arranged in the through-flow path and capable of being released or closed by the closing element,

wherein
a wear sensor device, with which a wear on the closing element and/or the valve seat can be monitored during operation.

2. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor device is configured in such a manner that a position of the closing element relative to a reference zero position can be sensed.

3. The pressure regulator according to claim 2 , wherein the reference zero position is defined when the unimpaired closing element occupies its closed position and lies against and closes an unimpaired valve seat.

4. The pressure regulator according to claim 2 , wherein the position of the closing element can be indirectly sensed by the wear sensor device.

5. The pressure regulator according to claim 4 , wherein the closing element is coupled to an actuator and the wear sensor device is configured in such a manner that the wear sensor device determines the position of the closing element indirectly via a configuration and/or position of the actuator.

6. The pressure regulator according to claim 5 , wherein
a) the actuator is a pressure membrane which curves as a result of pressure, with an axial movement of the closing element being producible by the pressure membrane;
b) the wear sensor device comprises a distance sensor, by which the distance between a measuring point on the pressure membrane and a reference point can be sensed, so that the pressure membrane serves as a measuring membrane.

7. The pressure regulator according to claim 6 , wherein the distance between the measuring point and the reference point is measurable in a direction parallel to the movement direction of the closing element, in particular coaxially thereto.

8. The pressure regulator according to claim 6 , wherein the pressure regulator is of modular design and comprises a basic housing with at least one module space for functional modules.

9. The pressure regulator according to claim 8 , wherein the pressure regulator comprises a pressure unit comprising a plurality of compressed-air modules which each comprise a compressed-air membrane which curves as a result of pressure, with an axial movement of the closing element being producible by the pressure membranes.

10. The pressure regulator according to claim 9 wherein the pressure unit comprises at least one compressed-air module and the pressure membrane of the latter is the measuring membrane.

11. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the valve seat module includes a valve seat housing with the valve seat and the closing element both being housed within the valve seat housing.

12. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator comprises at least one exchangeable valve seat module which is insertable into a module space of the basic housing and has a flow duct, in which the valve seat is arranged and which forms a section of the through-flow path when the valve seat module is inserted into the module space.

13. The pressure regulator according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one valve seat module comprises the closing element.

14. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator comprises at least one exchangeable regulating piston module which is insertable into a module space of the basic housing and has a regulating piston which regionally delimits a variable flow space which forms a section of the through-flow path when the regulating piston module is inserted into the module space.

15. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure regulator comprises a pressure unit comprising a plurality of compressed-air modules which each comprise a compressed-air membrane which curves as a result of pressure, with an axial movement of the closing element being producible by the pressure membranes.

16. The pressure regulator according to claim 1 , wherein the basic housing has at least two module spaces for functional modules.

17. The pressure regulator according to claim 16 , wherein a first module space of the at least two module spaces merges with a second module space of the at least two module spaces.

18. The pressure regulator according to claim 17 , wherein the first module space has a smaller cross-section than the second module space.

19. The pressure regulator according to claim 18 , further comprising a transition between the first module space and the second module space, the transition being an encircling step facing the second module space.

20. The pressure regulator according to claim 16 , wherein a first module space of the at least two module spaces is arranged coaxially with a second module space of the at least two module spaces.

Assignees

• Eisenmann Se

Inventors

• Picht Hans-Peter
• Schweikardt Ruediger

Classifications

• G05D16/185

  using membranes within the main valve · CPC title

• G05D16/0652

  using several membranes without spring · CPC title

• F16K37/0083 Primary

  by measuring valve parameters · CPC title

• F16K7/126

  the seat being formed on a rib perpendicular to the fluid line · CPC title

• G05D16/063

  the sensing element being a membrane · CPC title