Abstract
A valve assembly with a valve body, which has a fluid passage designed as a fluid inlet and at least one fluid passage designed as a fluid outlet, is disclosed. A fluid chamber connecting the fluid inlet to the at least one fluid outlet is formed in the valve body. A movably mounted closing body is positioned in the fluid chamber. The closing body is guided axially and/or radially by at least one guide ball. The at least one guide ball is arranged between the closing body and a lateral delimitation of the fluid chamber. A fluid passage is formed in the radial direction of the valve body.
Claims
1. A valve assembly, comprising: a valve body having a fluid inlet passage and at least one fluid outlet passage, the valve body further having a fluid chamber configured to connect the fluid inlet passage to the at least one fluid outlet passage; a closing body movably mounted in the fluid chamber; and at least one guide ball arranged between the closing body and a lateral boundary of the fluid chamber, the at least one guide ball being configured to guide axial and/or radial movement of the closing body within the fluid chamber, wherein one of the fluid inlet passage and the at least one fluid outlet passage is formed in the radial direction of the valve body.
2. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the at least one fluid outlet passage is formed in the radial direction of the valve body, and and the fluid inlet passage is formed in the axial direction of the valve body.
3. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve body is formed from a plurality of sub-bodies.
4. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the at least one fluid outlet passage includes a plurality of fluid outlet passages which are each formed in the radial direction of the valve body, and the plurality of fluid outlet passages are arranged in such a way as to be irregularly distributed in the circumferential direction of the valve body.
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein: the ball retainer has at least one passage and/or at least one recess, and the at least one passage and/or the at least one recess each form a flow cross section.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the at least one guide ball includes a plurality of guide balls is arranged in the fluid chamber, and the plurality of guide balls are held in place by positioning structure.
11. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein: the ball retainer includes the positioning structure, the positioning structure defines a plurality of depressions, and the plurality of depressions are configured to at least partially accommodate and position the plurality of guide balls, respectively.
12. The valve assembly as claimed in any of claims 10 to 11 claim 10, wherein: the positioning structure defines axial retaining grooves which are defined in the valve body, and the axial retaining grooves are configured to at least partially accommodate and position the plurality of guide balls, respectively.
13. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fluid outlet passage is formed between adjacent sub-bodies of the plurality of sub-bodies.
14. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a return spring positioned in the fluid chamber, wherein: the valve body further has a valve seat, the return spring is configured to generate a preloading force which acts upon the closing body in the direction of a valve seat, and to create an opening between the closing body and the valve seat, a fluid force is configured to act on the closing body counter to the preloading force.
15. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a magnet assembly, wherein: the valve body further has a valve seat, the magnet assembly is configured to generate a preloading force which acts upon the closing body in the direction of a valve seat, and to create an opening between the closing body and the valve seat, a fluid force is configured to act on the closing body counter to the preloading force.
16. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a ball retainer movably guidable in the fluid chamber, wherein: the at least one guide ball is arranged on the ball retainer, and the preloading force acts on the at least one guide ball via the ball retainer.
17. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a ball retainer movably guidable in the fluid chamber, wherein: the at least one guide ball is arranged on the ball retainer, and the preloading force acts on the at least one guide ball via the ball retainer.
18. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a spring retainer positioned in the fluid chamber, wherein: the return spring is supported at one end on the ball retainer and at the other end on the spring retainer.
19. The valve assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the spring retainer is designed as an integrated component of the valve body.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly according to the invention in the closed state.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of the valve assembly according to the invention from FIG. 1 in the open state.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly according to the invention in the closed state.
[0042] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a third exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly according to the invention in the closed state.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly according to the invention in the closed state.
[0044] FIG. 6 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a valve assembly according to the invention in the closed state.
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of a valve body according to one exemplary embodiment in plan view.
[0046] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of a valve body according to one exemplary embodiment consisting of two sub-bodies in a phantom view.
[0047] FIG. 9 shows a schematic detail illustration of a valve body according to one exemplary embodiment consisting of two sub-bodies with illustration of a lateral fluid outflow on the valve body.
[0048] FIGS. 10 to 13 each show a schematic plan view of one exemplary embodiment of a ball retainer for a valve assembly according to the invention.
EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0049] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 9, the illustrated exemplary embodiments of a valve assembly 1 according to the invention each comprise a valve body 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, in which a fluid chamber 7 connecting a fluid inlet FE to a fluid outlet FA is formed. A closing body 10 mounted movably in the fluid chamber 7 is acted upon by a preloading force FVS in the direction of a valve seat 5 formed in the valve body 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, wherein, to open the valve seat 5, a fluid force FF acts on the closing body 10 counter to the preloading force FVS. During this process, the closing body 10 is guided axially and/or radially by at least one guide ball 12. Moreover, the at least one guide ball 12 is arranged between the closing body 10 and a lateral boundary of the fluid chamber 7. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 6, the fluid chamber 7 of the valve assembly 1 has at least one cylindrical fluid chamber section 7A.
[0050] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 1 to 9, the preloading force FVS acts at an angle on the closing body 10 via the at least one guide ball 12 and braces the at least one guide ball 12 against the closing body 10, and therefore a resulting force on the closing body 10 has an axially acting closing component and a transverse component acting perpendicularly to the closing component.
[0051] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 1 to 9, the valve assembly 1 in the exemplary embodiments illustrated is in each case embodied as a dynamic restrictor 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E. In the case of the dynamic restrictors 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E shown, the stroke of the closing body 10 is set as a function of the preloading force FVS and the fluid force FF. The valve body 3, 3A, 3B comprises a plurality of fluid passages, e.g. a fluid inlet FE and a fluid outlet FA.
[0052] The fluid inlet FE is embodied as an opening in the circular bottom surface of the valve body 3, 3A, 3B. This permits an inlet flow which is substantially axial to the movement of the closing body 10. The valve seat 5 is introduced as a conical seat at the inner edge of the opening in the bottom of the hat-shaped sleeve. Of course, the valve seat 5 and/or the valve body 3, 3A, 3B can also have another suitable shape.
[0053] The fluid outlet FA is embodied as a lateral opening in the valve body 3, 3A, 3B. This permits an outlet flow which is substantially orthogonal to the movement of the closing body 10. It can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4 that the fluid outlet FA is implemented, for example, as a bore in the outer wall of the hat-shaped sleeve of the valve body 3, 3A. It can be seen from FIGS. 5 to 9 that the valve body 3, 3B is composed of two elements, a sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and a spring-seat valve body 3.2. Here, the fluid outlet FA is formed, for example, as an aperture between the two elements 3.1, 3.2.
[0054] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 1 to 6, in the exemplary embodiments illustrated a plurality of guide balls 12 is arranged in the fluid chamber 7 in addition to the closing body 10, which is illustrated as a sealing ball 10A in the exemplary embodiments of the valve assembly 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6. The number and dimensions of the guide balls 12 can be freely selected and adapted to the installation space conditions or to the design of the closing body 10 and the fluid chamber 7.
[0055] The guide balls 12 guide the closing body 10 radially and/or axially. As a result, vibrations of the closing body 10 are prevented or at least reduced, and therefore the noise behavior of the valve assembly 1 is considerably improved. The position of the guide balls 12 can be distributed as desired on the closing body 10. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated, the guide balls 12 are arranged downstream of the closing body 10. The guiding behavior of the guide balls 12 is improved by the preloading force FVS, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiments is implemented by a return spring 14 or by a magnetic force, since the at least one guide ball 12 is braced against the closing body 10. As a result, a radial force acts on the guide balls 12 in addition to the axial force transmitted. This radial force counteracts axial and/or radial vibrations of the closing body 10. The effect of the radial play compensation and the reduction of the tendency of the valve assembly 1 to vibrate can be set by way of the geometry of the closing body 10 and of the guide balls 12 and by way of the preloading force. The guide balls 12 are preferably embodied as steel balls.
[0056] By means of the frictional force between the guide balls 12 and the lateral boundary of the fluid chamber 7, it is possible to achieve a hysteresis behavior which leads to delayed closing of the valve assembly 1 in situations with a high desired flow rate. As a result, the valve assembly 1 presents a reduced fluidic resistance to successive pump delivery strokes.
[0057] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve assembly 1 or the dynamic restrictor 1A in the exemplary embodiment illustrated comprises a plurality of guide balls 12 and a return spring 14, which brings about the preloading force FVS on the guide balls 12. As can also be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the return spring 14 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is embodied as a spiral spring which is supported at one end on a spring retainer 9 and at the other end on the guide balls 12. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spring retainer 9 is embodied as a retention disk 9A and is pressed into the fluid chamber 7 at the open end of the valve body 3A.
[0058] In the closed state of the valve assembly 1, which is illustrated in FIG. 1, the effective preloading force FVS of the return spring 14 is greater than the fluid force FF acting from the outside at the fluid inlet FE, and therefore the preloading force FVS of the return spring 14 presses the closing body 10 or the sealing ball 10A into the valve seat 5 via the guide balls 12.
[0059] In the open state of the valve assembly 1, which is illustrated in FIG. 2, the effective preloading force FVS of the return spring 14 is less than the fluid force FF acting from the outside at the fluid inlet FE, and therefore the fluid force FF presses the closing body 10 or the sealing ball 10A out of the valve seat 5 against the preloading force FVS of the return spring 14. By means of the guide balls 12, the closing body 10 or sealing ball 10A is guided radially and axially during the opening movement and during the closing movement.
[0060] In addition to the described embodiment as a sealing ball 10A, other embodiments for the closing body 10 are, of course, also possible, such as, for example, as a sealing bush, as a spherical cap, or as a special shape of a sealing region with an adjoining guide extension.
[0061] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 3 to 6, the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the valve assembly 1 comprise a ball retainer 16 as an additional component, on which the at least one guide ball 12 is arranged. The ball retainer 16 can have various suitable shapes and is guided so as to be axially movable with radial play in the fluid chamber 7. Moreover, the effective preloading force FVS acts on the at least one guide ball 12 via the ball retainer 16. The ball retainer 16 is intended to prevent “drifting” of the at least one guide ball 12 downstream and to distribute the preloading force FVS more uniformly between the guide balls 12.
[0062] As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 3, the valve assembly 1 or the dynamic restrictor 1B in the exemplary embodiment illustrated comprises a plurality of guide balls 12 and a return spring 14, embodied as a spiral spring, which brings about the preloading force FVS on the guide balls 12. As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 3, a ball retainer 16 is arranged between the return spring 14 and the guide balls 12. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the ball retainer 16 is embodied as a retention ball 16A. In this case, the return spring 14 is supported at one end on a spring retainer 9 embodied as a retention disk 9A and at the other end on the retention ball 16A. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spring retainer 9 is pressed into the fluid chamber 7 at the open end of the valve body 3A.
[0063] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the valve assembly 1 or the dynamic restrictor 1C, 1D in the exemplary embodiments illustrated comprises a plurality of guide balls 12 and a return spring 14, embodied as a spiral spring, which brings about the preloading force FVS on the guide balls 12. As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, a ball retainer 16 is arranged between the return spring 14 and the guide balls 12. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated, the ball retainer 16 is embodied as a disk 16B. The ball retainer 16 embodied as a disk 16B has at least one flow cross section in order to allow fluid volume compensation in the fluid chamber 7 during a movement.
[0064] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 10 to 12, the disk 16B, 16E, 16F can have at least one passage 16.1 and/or at least one recess 16.2, which in each case form at least one flow cross section. As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 4, 5 and 10, the illustrated disk 16B in each case has a central passage 16.1. As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 11, the illustrated disk 16E has a plurality of recesses 16.2 formed at the edge. As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 12, the illustrated disk 16F has a central passage 16.1 and a plurality of recesses 16.2 formed at the edge.
[0065] As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 4, the return spring 14 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is supported at one end on a spring retainer 9 embodied as a retention disk 9A and at the other end on the ball retainer 16 embodied as a disk 16B. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spring retainer 9 is pressed into the fluid chamber 7 at the open end of the valve body 3A.
[0066] As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 5, the spring retainer 9 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is embodied as a retention cup 9B, which is pressed into the fluid chamber 7 and at least partially accommodates the return spring 14. At the bottom, the retention cup 9B has a central passage 9.1. As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 5, the return spring 14 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is supported at one end on the bottom of the retention cup 9B and at the other end on the disk 16B. Moreover, the open end of the retention cup 9B forms a stop 9.2, which limits the opening movement of the closing body 10.
[0067] As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 6, the valve assembly 1 or the dynamic restrictor 1E in the exemplary embodiment illustrated comprises a plurality of guide balls 12 and a return spring 14, embodied as a spiral spring, which brings about the preloading force FVS on the guide balls 12. As can furthermore be seen from FIG. 6, a ball retainer 16 is arranged between the return spring 14 and the guide balls 12. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the ball retainer 16 is embodied as a retention capsule 16C, which at least partially accommodates the return spring 14 and has a central passage 16.1 at the bottom. In this case, the return spring 14 is supported at one end on a spring retainer 9 embodied as a retention disk 9A and at the other end on the bottom of the retention capsule 16C. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spring retainer 9 is embodied with a central passage 9.1 and is pressed into the fluid chamber 7 at the open end of the valve body 3B.
[0068] As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve assembly 1 or the dynamic restrictor 1D, 1E in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in each case comprises a static restrictor 2, which forms a permanent fluid connection between the fluid inlet FE and the fluid outlet FA. As can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the static restrictor 2 in the exemplary embodiments illustrated is in each case formed in the bottom of the valve body 3B, which is designed as a hat-shaped sleeve.
[0069] It can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6 that the valve body 3, 3B comprises a plurality of fluid outlets FA. In the sectional view, two fluid outlets FA can be seen, which lie opposite one another in the circumferential direction. There may also be further fluid outlets.
[0070] It can furthermore be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6 that the valve body 3, 3B is formed from a plurality of elements. In these exemplary embodiments, the valve body 3B comprises, for example, two pot-shaped elements. Of these, the first element contains the sealing seat and is referred to as the sealing-seat valve body part 3.1. The second element comprises the spring seat and is referred to as the spring-seat valve body part 3.2. Here, the fluid outlet FA is embodied as an aperture between the two elements 3.1, 3.2. For example, by virtue of their shape, the sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and the spring-seat valve body part 3.2 have recesses and/or projections or offsets, for example, which, in interaction, permit a fluid to pass between the two elements. The sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and the spring-seat valve body part 3.2 are pressed together in a fluidtight manner.
[0071] FIG. 7 furthermore shows a schematic illustration of a valve body 3, 3B in plan view. In this case, the valve body comprises a sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and a spring-seat valve body part 3.2. These elements have a corresponding shape in order to permit a fluid to pass between the two elements in the assembled state. The sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and the spring-seat valve body part 3.2 have recesses and projections or offsets. These form two fluid outlets FA in the side walls of the valve body 3, 3B. The fluid inlet FE is designed as an opening in the bottom surface of the valve body 3, 3B.
[0072] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of a valve body 3, 3B according to one exemplary embodiment consisting of two sub-bodies. In this case, the overlap of the sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and of the spring-seat valve body part 3.2 in the assembled state can be clearly seen. Likewise, the fluid outlet FA formed is shown centrally. The fluid inlet FE is indicated in the upper region.
[0073] FIG. 9 shows a schematic detail illustration of a valve body 3, 3B according to one exemplary embodiment consisting of two sub-bodies. In this case, it can be clearly seen how throughflow is made possible by virtue of the formed shape of the sealing-seat valve body part 3.1 and of the spring-seat valve body part 3.2. For this purpose, the fluid flow resulting from an opened valve is illustrated by means of flow arrows. As illustrated, the lateral fluid outflow takes place substantially orthogonally to the direction of movement of the closing body 10. The closing body 10 is not illustrated in the figure, but its movement for opening or closing the valve runs along the valve body center line, which is illustrated by dashed lines. The fluid outlet from the valve body therefore takes place substantially orthogonally to the direction of movement of the closing body.
