VALVE SHAFT LOCKING MECHANISM

Abstract

A tapping armature for liquid containers, in particular for being connected to the outlet port or the outlet opening of a transport and storage container for liquids, the tapping armature comprising an armature housing in which a valve body pivotable by means of a valve shaft and serving to open and close a flow cross section of an outlet tube is disposed, a connection end of the valve shaft for being connected to the valve body being disposed in the outlet tube of the armature housing and an operating end of the valve shaft protruding from the armature housing through a housing dome formed on the armature housing. A form-fitting engagement is established between the housing dome and a valve shaft portion housed in the housing dome in order to axially secure the valve shaft in the armature housing.

Claims

1. A tapping armature for liquid containers, in particular for being connected to the outlet port or the outlet opening of a transport and storage container for liquids, the tapping armature comprising an armature housing in which a valve body pivotable by means of a valve shaft and serving to open and close a flow cross section of an outlet tube is disposed, a connection end of the valve shaft for being connected to the valve body being disposed in the outlet tube of the armature housing and an operating end of the valve shaft protruding from the armature housing through a housing dome formed on the armature housing, wherein a form-fitting engagement is established between the housing dome and a valve shaft portion housed in the housing dome in order to axially secure the valve shaft in the armature housing.

2. The tapping armature according to claim 1, wherein an engagement means is realized for establishing the form-fitting engagement, the engagement means having a radial dome projection formed in a passage opening of the housing dome, which serves for the passage of the valve shaft portion, the radial dome projection forming an axial locking mechanism together with a radial valve shaft projection of the valve shaft portion.

3. The tapping armature according to claim 2, wherein the dome projection is formed at the axially lower end of the passage opening in the housing dome.

4. The tapping armature according to claim 2, wherein the dome projection is ramp-shaped and has a relatively short locking ramp steeply rising in the installation direction of the valve shaft and a relatively long and flat latching ramp descending in the installation direction of the valve shaft.

5. The tapping armature according to claim 4, wherein the valve shaft projection is also ramp-shaped and has a locking ramp descending in the installation direction and a locking shoulder formed at the end of the locking ramp.

6. The tapping armature according to claim 2, wherein the valve shaft portion is realized as a sealing portion for receiving radial sealing elements for sealing the valve shaft against the housing dome.

7. The tapping armature according to claim 6, wherein the outer diameter of the valve shaft projection corresponds to the outer diameter of the valve shaft portion.

8. The tapping armature according to claim 2, wherein adjacent to the dome projection, the valve shaft portion has a supporting collar for resting on the locking ramp of the dome projection in a supporting manner.

9. The tapping armature according to claim 8, wherein the supporting collar and the valve shaft projection have corresponding cross-sectional contours.

Description

[0018] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the tapping armature will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of a tapping armature connected to a transport and storage container for liquids with a valve shaft guided in a housing dome of an armature housing;

[0020] FIG. 2 shows a valve shaft portion mounted in the housing dome of the armature housing;

[0021] FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the valve shaft portion;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal-section view of a tapping armature with the valve shaft portion mounted in the housing dome of the armature housing.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a tapping armature 10 having an armature housing 11, an inlet end 12 of armature housing 11 being connected to an outlet port 14 by means of a cap nut 13, outlet port 14 being disposed on a liquid container 15 of which only the armature connection portion is illustrated in FIG. 1. Liquid containers 15 of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1 are produced by blow molding, for example, and form a part of an intermediate bulk container (IBC), where they are disposed in a cage disposed on a pallet.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows tapping armature 10 in its closed position, in which a valve body 17 disposed on a valve shaft 16 blocks a flow cross section of an outlet tube 19 formed by armature housing 11. In the embodiment example illustrated here, valve body 17 is connected to a connection end 22 of valve shaft 16 via a shaft-hub connection 18. An operating end 20 of valve shaft 16 protrudes from armature housing 11 through a housing dome 21 formed on armature housing 11, and a valve shaft portion 23 of valve shaft 16 is housed in housing dome 21.

[0025] As can be seen in FIG. 2 in particular, an engagement means 24 is formed between housing dome 21 and valve shaft portion 23 formed in the area of transition between connection end 22 and operating end 20, engagement means 24 having a radial dome projection 26 which is formed in a passage opening 25 of housing dome 21 and which is realized as a ring web in the embodiment example at hand. A radial valve shaft projection 27 is formed on valve shaft portion 23. As can be gathered from FIG. 2, valve shaft projection 27 and dome projection 26 together form an axially acting locking mechanism when valve shaft 16 is installed in armature housing 11, for which purpose valve shaft 16 is introduced into housing dome 21 from above in the installation direction 32.

[0026] Both dome projection 26 and valve shaft projection 27 are ramp-shaped; when viewed in installation direction 32, dome projection 26 first has a relatively short, steeply rising locking ramp 28, past which valve shaft projection 27 is guided during installation, causing valve shaft projection 27 to lock behind dome projection 26 once a locking ramp 29 which is formed on valve shaft projection 27 and descends in the installation direction has slid past dome projection 26.

[0027] In contrast to the relatively low pressing force necessary during installation for reaching the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, in which valve shaft projection 27 is locked behind dome projection 26, a pulling force which is significantly greater than the pressing force is necessary for severing the locked connection between valve shaft 16 and housing dome 21 of armature housing 11 owing to a latching ramp 30 of dome projection 26 rising in removal direction 33 and a locking shoulder 31 formed on valve shaft projection 27.

[0028] This ensures that a separation of valve shaft 16 from armature housing 11 can only ever be the result of an intentional removal process and cannot occur during a normal opening process of the valve. By contrast, only a relatively low pressing or joining force is required owing to the inverse rising directions of locking ramp 28 of dome projection 26 and locking ramp 29 of valve shaft projection 27, which allow locking ramps 28, 29 to slide on each other when establishing the connection between valve shaft 16 and dome projection 26.

[0029] As further shown in FIG. 2, adjacent to dome projection 26, valve shaft portion 23 has a supporting collar 34 for resting on locking ramp 28 of dome projection 26 in a supporting manner, locking ramp 28 and supporting collar 34 having corresponding cross-sectional contours 35, 36.

[0030] In another embodiment, FIG. 3 shows a valve shaft portion 37 which differs from valve shaft portion 23 in that it does not have a supporting collar which is formed on a groove flank 38 of a receiving groove 39 designed to receive a radial sealing element 43 and which has a cross-sectional contour 36 matching cross-sectional contour 35 of dome projection 26, but a chamfer 40 disposed on groove flank 38 opposite dome projection 26. This ensures that valve shaft 16 is axially supported as illustrated in FIG. 4 by a handle 40, which is connected to valve shaft 16, coming into contact with an upper edge 42 of housing dome 21 only, and that a physical contact between groove flank 38 and dome projection 26 is precluded. This ensures that groove flank 38 cannot undesirably damage dome projection 26 if valve shaft 16 is pressed too far into housing dome 21 during installation, which could lead to the desired great pulling forces not being achieved.