Abstract
A nonreturn valve for an exhaust pipe of a combustion device comprising including a tubular body, a floating body, a valve seat for the floating body disposed inside the tubular body, and a circumferential groove disposed radially inside the tubular body, wherein a radial inner circumferential wall portion is formed at least as a portion of a gas guide channel extending in the direction of the floating body and having a mouth circumferential edge. A tubular buoyancy body having the valve seat is disposed inside the circumferential groove and is formed to be movable in parallel to the radial inner circumferential wall portion between a buoyancy position in which the buoyancy body forms between itself and the mouth circumferential edge a circumferential passage gap connecting the circumferential groove to the gas guide channel and a blocking position closing the passage gap in an axial direction.
Claims
1. A nonreturn valve for an exhaust pipe of a combustion device, wherein the nonreturn valve has a tubular body which can be installed in a vertical portion of the exhaust pipe, a floating body, a valve seat disposed inside the tubular body for the floating body which is formed such that it is liftable from the valve seat by vertically upward steaming gas and a circumferential groove disposed radially inside the tubular body, defined by a radial inner circumferential wall portion, a radial outer circumferential wall portion and a bottom wall portion, wherein the radial inner circumferential wall portion and the bottom wall portion are formed internally within the tubular body, and wherein the radial inner circumferential wall portion is formed at least as a portion of a gas guiding channel extending toward the floating body with a mouth circumferential edge wherein, between the radial inner circumferential wall portion and the radial outer circumferential wall portion a tubularly formed buoyancy bodyforming the valve seat is disposed, which is formed to be movable in parallel to the radial inner circumferential wall portion between a buoyancy position in which the buoyancy body forms between itself and the mouth circumferential edge a circumferential passage gap connecting the circumferential groove to the gas guide channel and a blocking position closing the passage gap in an axial direction.
2. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein a radially inwardly extending circumferential blocking extension is formed on the inside of the buoyancy body, which, in the blocking position, is disposed resting on the mouth circumferential edge.
3. The nonreturn valve according to claim 2, wherein at least one retaining arm is formed on the radial inner circumferential wall portion, which retaining arm extends radially inwards and blocks a movement of the buoyancy body out of the blocking position in the axial direction beyond the buoyancy position.
4. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein a circumferential seat extending in the axial direction, which is the valve seat, is formed on the buoyancy body, wherein in the buoyancy position the circumferential seat between itself and the mouth circumferential edge forms the circumferential passage gap between the circumferential groove and the gas guide channel.
5. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein the buoyancy body has a buoyancy device which in the case of a fluid located in the circumferential groove is formed to generate a force acting in the direction of the buoyancy position for the buoyancy body.
6. The nonreturn valve according to claim 5, wherein the buoyancy body has a radial inner circumferential wall and a radial outer circumferential wall, wherein the buoyancy device is formed as a buoyancy chamber formed between the radial inner circumferential wall and the radial outer circumferential wall.
7. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein the radial outer circumferential wall portion extends beyond the radial inner circumferential wall portion when viewed in axial direction from the bottom wall portion.
8. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein the floating body has an extension extending in the axial direction, wherein a guide sleeve is formed inside the buoyancy body, in which the floating body is guided movably in the axial direction.
9. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein the radial outer circumferential wall portion f is formed as an outer circumferential wall of the tubular body, wherein the outer circumferential wall has a closably formed through opening.
10. The nonreturn valve according to claim 1, wherein the floating body has at least one annular subsection and at least one plate-shaped subsection, wherein each next-larger subsection forms an additional valve seat for the next-smaller subsection.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Further details, features and advantages of the object of the invention result from the following description in connection with the drawing, in which an exemplary and preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is presented. In the drawing:
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a nonreturn valve according to the invention,
[0021] FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of the individual parts of the nonreturn valve according to invention from FIG. 1,
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a partially sectioned perspective view of the nonreturn valve according to the invention,
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a sectioned detail view of the nonreturn valve according to the invention, wherein a buoyancy body of the nonreturn valve is disposed in a blocking position,
[0024] FIG. 5 shows a detail view of the nonreturn valve according to the invention, wherein the buoyancy body of the nonreturn valve is disposed to be moved out of the blocking position,
[0025] FIG. 6 shows a perspective sectional view of a tubular body of the nonreturn valve according to the invention,
[0026] FIG. 7 shows a perspective sectional view of the buoyancy body of the nonreturn valve according to the invention,
[0027] FIG. 8 shows a partially sectioned front view of the nonreturn valve according to the invention for a normal operating status and a corresponding detailed view, and
[0028] FIG. 9 shows a partially sectioned front view of the nonreturn valve according to the invention for a blocked operating status and a corresponding detailed view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The following describes the nonreturn valve 1 according to the invention of an exhaust pipe of a combustion device with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. The nonreturn valve 1 shown in FIG. 3 in a partially sectioned perspective view comprises, as essential components for the invention, a tubular body 2 which can be installed in a vertical portion of an exhaust pipe through which the flow passes from bottom to top, a floating body 3 which is movably disposed on the tubular body 2 and a buoyancy body 4 which is disposed inside the tubular body 2 and is tubular in shape. Inside the tubular body 2 a valve seat 5 is disposed, which is formed on the buoyancy body 4 and on which the floating body 3 rests in its closing position (see for example FIGS. 4 and 9). The floating body 3 can be lifted from the valve seat 5 downstream (see for example arrow 6 in FIG. 3 for the downstream direction) by an exhaust gas flowing vertically or from bottom to top. The term downstream refers to a direction in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, whereas the term upstream refers to the opposite direction and thus a direction opposite to the flow direction of the exhaust gas. The nonreturn valve 1 also has a circumferential groove 7 which is open downstream and is formed inside the tubular body 2. The radial inner circumferential groove 7 disposed in the tubular body 2 is delimited by a radial inner circumferential wall portion 8, a radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 and a bottom wall portion 10, wherein in the illustrated exemplary embodiment the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8 and the bottom wall portion 10 are formed by resting radially inward within the tubular body 2. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8, the radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 and the bottom wall portion 10 are also formed integrally with the tubular body 2, as can be seen for example from FIG. 6, which shows an illustration of the individual parts of the tubular body 2. As further shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8 is formed at least as a portion of a gas guide channel 11 extending in the direction of the floating body 3, the gas guide channel 11 having a mouth circumferential edge 12 at one end side, the mouth of which is covered and closed by the floating body 3 in its closing position.
[0030] The floating body 3 comprises an outer subsection 14, which is ring-shaped, and an inner subsection 15, which is plate-shaped, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and below. In the closing position of floating body 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) the outer subsection 14 of floating body 3 rests on the valve seat 5. In addition, the outer subsection 14 forms an additional valve seat 16 (see for example FIG. 2) on which the inner subsection 15 rests in the closing position. If the associated combustion device is operated at partial load operation, for example, the inner or next-smaller subsection 15 lifts off from its additional valve seat 16 and partially releases the exhaust pipe. The position of the inner subsection 15 is adjusted to the amount of exhaust gas to be channeled. If the amount of exhaust gas increases further, as is the case with full-load operation of the combustion device, the outer subsection 14 of the floating body 3 also leaves its valve seat 5 and releases the maximum passage cross-section of the nonreturn valve 1, as shown, for example, in FIG. 8. From FIGS. 2 and 8 it is furthermore apparent that the inner subsection 15 of the floating body 3 carries an upstream, i.e. downwards, facing extension 17 which telescopically engages an extension 18 of the outer subsection 14 which is also facing upstream. The extension 18 of the outer subsection 14 is firmly connected to the buoyancy body 4 via radial arms 19 (see, for example, FIGS. 3 and 9) and a sleeve-shaped guide or guide sleeve 20. The sleeve-shaped extension 18 of the outer subsection 14 forms a guide for the cone-shaped extension 17 of the inner subsection 15 in its upper area. The extensions 17 and 18 each carry a stop at their lower end, which interacts with a complementary stop. This limits the upward movement of subsections 14 and 15 relative to the tubular body 2 and/or buoyancy body 4, respectively. In other words, the floating body 3 has the extension 18 extending in axial direction 21, wherein the guide sleeve 20 is formed radially inside the buoyancy body 4 and wherein the floating body 3 is movably guided in axial direction 21 by means of the guide sleeve 20. The nonreturn valve 1 with floating body 3 executed in two stages is suitable for high-capacity combustion devices with simultaneous control of the partial load area. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, the floating body 3 is also executable in one part or with more than two parts.
[0031] As can also be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the nonreturn valve 1 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment also comprises an annular sealing element 23, which is fixed in a circumferential groove formed on the buoyancy body 4, and a sealing ring 24, which is inserted at one longitudinal end of the tubular body 2 and is fastened to the tubular body 2 by a socket ring 25, which can be detachably fastened to the tubular body 2. The sealing ring 24 is used to shield the circumferential groove 7 as much as possible vertically and to direct condensate flowing vertically upstream into the circumferential groove 7.
[0032] The tubularly formed buoyancy body 4 is shown as an illustration of the individual parts in FIG. 7. In the assembled state of the nonreturn valve 1, the buoyancy body 4 is disposed between the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8 and the radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 and at least partially within the circumferential groove 7. The tubular buoyancy body 4 is concentrically disposed around the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8, the buoyancy body 4 being movably formed between a buoyancy position (see for example FIGS. 5 and 8) and a blocking position (see for example FIGS. 4 and 9) in an axial direction 21 (see for example FIG. 3) parallel to the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8. The buoyancy body 4 is disposed at a distance from the bottom wall portion 10 both in the buoyancy position and in the locking position, wherein the distance between the buoyancy body 4 and the bottom wall portion 10 is greater in the buoyancy position than in the blocking position.
[0033] Retaining arms 28 guide the movement of the buoyancy body 4 between the buoyancy position and the blocking position, the retaining arms 28 being formed on the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8. The retaining arms 28 also block a movement of the buoyancy body 4 beyond the buoyancy position so that the buoyancy position defines the maximum downstream rise level of the buoyancy body 4.
[0034] In the buoyancy position, but also in intermediate positions until the blocking position is reached, the buoyancy body 4 forms a circumferential passage gap 22 between itself and the mouth circumferential edge 12 (see for example FIGS. 5 and 8). In doing so, the passage gap 22 connects the circumferential groove 7 with the gas guide channel 11, so that excess fluid can be channeled from the circumferential groove 7 into the gas guide channel 11. For this purpose, it is advisable that the radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 extends beyond the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8 when viewed in axial direction 21 from the bottom wall portion 10. In other words, the radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 has a greater longitudinal extent than the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8. In the blocking position, the buoyancy body 4 closes the passage gap 22 so that no fluid can be pushed out of the circumferential groove 7 and channeled via the passage gap 22.
[0035] To ensure the blocking effect, a circumferential blocking extension 26 is formed on the inside of the buoyancy body 4, which extends radially inwards. The circumferential blocking extension 26 is disposed over the sealing element 23 in the blocking position shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 on the mouth circumferential edge 12, so that no passage gap 22 is formed through which fluid or even gas flowing upstream from the circumferential groove 7 could pass into the gas guide channel 11. In addition, a circumferential seat 27 extending in axial direction 21 is formed on the buoyancy body 4. The circumferential seat 27 in the example shown is also the valve seat 5, so that the invention is characterized, among other things, by a valve seat 5 disposed movably in axial direction 21 within the tubular body 2.
[0036] The buoyancy position of the buoyancy body 4 shown in FIG. 8 represents the maximum achievable buoyancy height or ascent height for the buoyancy body 4. The retaining arms 28, which are formed on the radial inner circumferential wall portion 8, ensure that a movement of the buoyancy body 4 out of the blocking position in axial direction 21 beyond the buoyancy position is blocked, wherein in the buoyancy position (see for example FIG. 8) the circumferential blocking extension 26 rests against the hook-shaped retaining arms 28, which extend radially inwards, so that a further movement of the buoyancy body 4 beyond the buoyancy position is blocked. When the buoyancy body 4 is disposed in a position moved out of the blocking position or in the buoyancy position, the circumferential seat 27 between itself and the opening circumferential edge 12 forms the circumferential passage gap 22, through which, if necessary, fluid from the circumferential groove 7 can then pass into the gas guide channel 11 and is channeled via the gas guide channel 11.
[0037] In order to realize a movement of the buoyancy body 4 between the blocking position and the buoyancy position, the buoyancy body 4 has a buoyancy device 29. The buoyancy device 29 generates for the buoyancy body 4 in a fluid located in the circumferential groove 7 a force acting in the direction of the buoyancy position, so that the buoyancy body 4 in the circumferential groove 7 assumes a corresponding position in the axial direction 21 as a function of the filling level of the liquid within the circumferential groove 7 and/or as a function of the prevailing operating state. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the buoyancy body 4 has a radial inner circumferential wall 30 and a radial outer circumferential wall 31, each extending in the axial direction 21 and being connected to each other at their longitudinal ends lying downstream with respect to the installed state. The buoyancy device 29 is a buoyancy chamber 32 formed between the radial inner circumferential wall 30 and the radial outer circumferential wall 31 and containing air.
[0038] Although the functioning of the nonreturn valve 1 according to the invention can be understood from the above description, the two extreme positions of the nonreturn valve 1 with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 8 and 9 are briefly described again below.
[0039] FIGS. 5 and 8 show a full-load operation of the combustion device in which the floating body 3 of the nonreturn valve 1 releases a maximum passage cross-section so that exhaust gas can flow downstream from the gas guide channel 11 (see arrow 6 in FIG. 8). Both subsections 14 and 15 of the floating body 3 are disposed so that they move at maximum capacity downstream the in axial direction 21. In addition, the buoyancy body 4 is also disposed to move at maximum capacity downstream in axial direction 21, wherein the retaining arms 28 retain the buoyancy body 4 in the buoyancy position and block a position of the buoyancy body 4 beyond the buoyancy position. At full-load operation the buoyancy body 4 is pulled into the buoyancy position by the floating body 3 downstream in the direction of arrow 6 in FIG. 8 when the gas flowing downstream lifts the floating body 3, regardless of the filling level of liquid in the circumferential groove 7 or whether the circumferential groove 7 is dry and without liquid. A guide surface 36 guides the downstream facing movement of the circumferential blocking extension 26 of the buoyancy body 4, such guide surface 36 being formed on each retaining arm 28 and extending to a retaining projection 37 formed at the end side of each retaining arm 28. In the buoyancy position, the circumferential blocking extension 26 of the buoyant body 4 abuts correspondingly against the radially outwardly projecting retaining projections 37 of the retaining arms 28 so that further movement of the buoyant body 4 downstream of the retaining arm 28 is blocked as shown in the detailed view of FIG. 8 for a retaining arm 28.
[0040] FIGS. 4 and 9 show a blocking operation for the nonreturn valve 1 according to the invention, in which a pressure acts upstream (see arrow 38 in FIG. 9), whereby the floating body 3 is disposed as pressed against the valve seat 5. The floating body 3 thus pushes the buoyancy body 4 upstream (see arrow 38 in FIG. 9) in such a way that the buoyancy body 4 closes the passage gap 22 by sealingly resting the circumferential blocking extension 26 on the mouth circumferential edge 12. This ensures that neither gas flowing upstream nor fluid from the circumferential groove 7 passes through the gas guide channel 11.
[0041] Finally, as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 9, the radial outer circumferential wall portion 9 is formed as an outer circumferential wall 33 of the tubular body 2. In the outer circumferential wall 33 a closable through-opening 34 is formed, which serves as a drain for maintenance purposes when, for example, flushing the nonreturn valve 1 and which is closed with a knurled screw 35 in the example shown. In doing so, the passage opening 34 is connected to the circumferential groove 7.
[0042] The invention described above is of course not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated. It will be seen that numerous modifications can be made to the embodiment shown in the drawing, which are obvious to the person skilled in the art according to the intended application, without deviating from the scope of the invention. The invention includes everything that is contained in the description and/or depicted in the drawing, including anything that, in deviation from the concrete exemplary embodiment, is obvious to the person skilled in the art.
