MODULAR PRESSURE REGULATION VALVE FOR A SHOCK ABSORBER

Abstract

A pressure regulation valve including a multiplicity of function modules, preferably pre-mounted function modules, with a pilot stage module and an actuator module, which are firmly interconnected via a press connection, preferably exclusively a press connection, and which preferably have a central axis. A shock absorber with at least one pressure regulation valve.

Claims

1. A pressure regulation valve comprising a multiplicity of function modules, with a pilot stage module and an actuator module, which are firmly interconnected via a press connection, exclusively via a press connection, and which have a central axis.

2. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, further comprising a main stage module as a further function module, which is firmly connected to the actuator module or the pilot stage module via a press connection.

3. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulation valve exclusively consists of or is constructed from function modules and/or at least or exactly of/from the actuator module, the pilot stage module, and the main stage module.

4. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the actuator module has an actuator with an actuator axis, wherein the actuator is formed as a linear actuator and/or the actuator module has a cylindrical press area, which is arranged coaxially to the actuator axis.

5. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the pilot stage module has a pilot stage valve which can be operated preferably along a valve axis and/or has a cylindrical press area which is arranged coaxially to the valve axis.

6. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 4, wherein the actuator axis and the valve axis of the pilot stage valve form a common central axis of the pressure regulation valve.

7. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein an operation member of the actuator module abuts on a valve body of the pilot stage module for operating the pilot stage valve.

8. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 2, wherein the press connection between the main stage module and the actuator module or the pilot stage module is created by corresponding cylindrical press areas, which are arranged coaxially to the central axis.

9. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the actuator module comprises a coil module, a magnetic drive module and a coil lid module, wherein the coil module and the magnetic drive module are firmly connected to the coil lid module via a press connection in each case, wherein each of the press connections is created by respectively two corresponding cylindrical press areas, which are arranged coaxially to the central axis, and/or wherein no firm connection is provided between the coil module and the magnetic drive module.

10. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 9, wherein the coil lid module is arranged centrally in the pressure regulation valve and/or the coil lid module is firmly connected to the pilot stage module, the main stage module, the coil module and the magnetic drive module via respectively one press connection and the pilot stage module, the main stage module, the coil module and the magnetic drive module do not have a firm connection among each other.

11. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic drive module has a movably borne operation member or a movably borne magnetic armature and preferably a pole core.

12. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the pilot stage module has a ball valve body and a conical seat.

13. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 12, wherein the pilot stage module has a guide section for the ball valve body, and has a single-piece module body which has the conical seat and the guide section.

14. The pressure regulation valve according to claim 1, wherein the pilot stage module has a receiving section for receiving a fluid component, including a throttle which has a thread, and/or the pilot stage module has a failsafe valve seat at the end of the guide section located opposite the conical seat, and a spring member, which biases the ball valve body into the failsafe valve seat, and/or the main stage module has a main stage valve which is formed as a piston slide valve or as a seat valve.

15. A shock absorber comprising one, two or several pressure regulation valves according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The invention will hereinafter be described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings are merely schematic representations and the invention is not limited to the specific represented embodiment examples.

[0038] FIG. 1A shows a perspective sectional views of a pressure regulation valve with an NO magnetic drive module,

[0039] FIG. 1B shows a perspective sectional views of a pressure regulation valve with an NO magnetic drive module,

[0040] FIG. 1C shows a perspective sectional views of a pressure regulation valve with an NO magnetic drive module,

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of a pressure regulation valve with an NC magnetic drive module,

[0042] FIG. 3A shows a sectional view through a pilot stage module,

[0043] FIG. 3B shows a sectional view through a pilot stage module,

[0044] FIG. 3C shows a sectional view through a pilot stage module,

[0045] FIG. 4A shows p-Q characteristic lines,

[0046] FIG. 4B shows p-Q characteristic lines,

[0047] FIG. 5A shows a sectional view through a second embodiment example of a pilot stage module,

[0048] FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of a failsafe construction member,

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a p-Q characteristic line of a pilot stage according to the second embodiment example, and

[0050] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a shock absorber with two pressure regulation valves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In FIG. 1A a pressure regulation valve 1 is represented in a perspective sectional view. The pressure regulation valve consists of exactly three function modules: an actuator module 2, a pilot stage module 3 and a main stage module 4. In FIG. 1B a perspective exploded view is represented with reference to these three function modules 2, 3, 4. The pilot stage module 3 has a radially outwardly located, cylindrical press area 31, which creates a press connection between the actuator module 2 and the pilot stage module 3 with a corresponding press area 211 in the actuator module 2 or the coil lid module 21 thereof. Likewise, also the main stage module 4 has a cylindrical press area 41 which is located radially inside in the embodiment example represented, said press area creating a press connection between the main stage module 4 and the actuator module 2 with a corresponding press area 212 in the actuator module 2 or the coil lid module 21.

[0052] The main stage module represented has an axial connector for the fluid or hydraulic fluid to be controlled, radial outflow openings 42 and further a main stage valve 43 with a valve body 431 which is axially movable on the central axis of the pressure regulation valve 1. In the embodiment example represented the main stage valve 43 is a piston slide valve. The valve body 431 is biased onto an abutment 433 by a spring member 432 and closes the main stage valve 43 in the pressureless state while doing so. The control edge of the valve body 431 is located on the outer diameter thereof and interacts with the radial outflow openings 42.

[0053] In an embodiment variant not explicitly represented, the main stage valve 43 is a seat valve. The abutment 433 represented in FIGS. 1A and 1B in the simplest case forms a valve seat 433, so that the control edge of the valve body 431 is located on the axial side thereof facing the valve seat 433 and said edge then interacts with the valve seat 433.

[0054] Further, the valve body 431 of the main stage valve 43 (in both above-mentioned embodiment variants) comprises a throttle 434 in the manner known per se and thereby creates the pilot space 5 in interaction with the pilot stage module 3 and presently the actuator module 2. Thereby the main stage valve 43 opens when there is a sufficiently low pressure in the pilot space 5 or when a force is produced by the pressure decrease at the throttle of the valve body 431 which overcomes the spring force of the spring member 432.

[0055] In FIG. 1C there is also represented the modularly constructed actuator module 2 in an exploded view with reference to its assembly groups or modules coil lid module 21, magnetic drive module 22 and coil module 23. The coil module 23 comprises a magnetic coil 231, magnetically conductive material 232 to create (a part of) the magnetic circuit and an electrical connector 233 for supplying the magnetic coil 231. The magnetic drive module 22 has an operation member in the form of a magnetic armature 221, which is linearly displaceable along an actuator axis, which also coincides with the central axis 11 of the pressure regulation valve 1 in the Figures, and presently directly operates a valve body 33 of the pilot stage valve 32 of the pilot stage module 3. The coil lid module 21 is presently constructed as a single piece of a magnetically conductive material, closes the magnetic circuit and, together with the coil module, creates a housing for the actuator module 2. In the represented embodiment example the coil lid module 21 and the coil module 23 are firmly interconnected exclusively via exactly one press connection. Further, the coil lid module 21 and the magnetic drive module 22 are firmly interconnected via a press connection and additionally via a welding connection. The modules of the actuator module 2 have corresponding press areas for this purpose. In contrast, the magnetic drive module 22 and the coil module 23 are not firmly interconnected.

[0056] The magnetic drive module 22 shown in FIGS. 1A, B and C has a pole core 223, which is arranged at an end of the magnetic drive module directed toward the pilot stage module 3. When the magnetic coil 231 is energized, the magnetic armature 221 is displaced in the direction of the pole core 223 and thus in the direction of the pilot stage module 3. Accordingly, the pilot stage valve 32 is closed upon energization, so that the magnetic drive module 22 represented in FIGS. 1A to 1C creates an NO valve.

[0057] In FIG. 2 a variant of the pressure regulation valve 1 of FIGS. 1A to 1C is represented, which differs only with respect to the construction of the magnetic drive module 22. Here, the pole core 223 is arranged at the end of the magnetic drive module 22 facing away from the pilot stage module, so that, upon energization, the magnetic armature 221 moves away from the pilot stage module 3. Further, a spring member 224 is provided here, which, in the unenergized case, biases the magnetic armature 221 away from the pole core 223 and in the direction of the pole stage module 3, so that the pilot stage module 32 is closed in the unenergized case. The magnetic drive module 22 represented in FIG. 2 thus creates an NC valve.

[0058] In FIG. 3A a section through a pilot stage module 3 is represented. This comprises a module body 34 and a valve body 33, which is presently formed as a ball valve body. The module body 34 comprises on the inner side a valve seat 341, which is presently formed as a conical seat, and, downstream thereof, i.e. located on the top in FIG. 3A, a guide section 342 with a cylindrical, inner-side guide for the ball valve body 33, when said ball valve body is lifted off the valve seat 341. Further, the module body 34 comprises radial outflow openings 343 for the fluid when the pilot stage valve 32 is open, which are arranged axially between the valve seat 341 and the guide section 342 in the represented embodiment example. On its radial outer side, the module body further comprises the press area 31 already described above.

[0059] In FIG. 3A the pilot stage module 3 or its pilot stage valve 32 is represented in a closed state; the ball valve body 33 closes the conical valve seat 341. In FIG. 3B the pilot stage valve is represented in an open state; the ball valve body 33 is lifted off the conical valve seat 341 and the fluid flows out of the pilot space 5 through the interior of the module body 34, past the valve seat 341 and the valve body 33, and leaves the pilot stage module 3 via the radial outflow openings 343.

[0060] Further, the module body 34 comprises a recess 344 for receiving a fluid component 35 upstream of the valve seat 341. Presently, said component is formed as the throttle 35, as represented in FIG. 3C. Such a throttle 35 permits, for example, to adjust or vary the slope in a p-Q diagram, i.e. the increase of the fluid flow with reference to the increase of a pressure present. In addition, the damping of the main stage and thereby the dynamic behavior of the valve can be influenced with the aid of the cover or throttle 35.

[0061] In FIGS. 4A and 4B various p-Q diagrams of the pressure regulation valve 1 are represented. Generally, initially no fluid flows through the pressure regulation valve 1 while the pressure increases from zero, since the main stage valve 42 and the pilot stage valve 32 are closed. Upon reaching the so-called opening pressure the pilot stage valve 32 opens, so that a pressure decrease takes place in the pilot space 5, which then also opens the main stage valve 42. After reaching the opening pressure, the fluid flow through the pressure regulation valve 1 increases with a small slope and presently approximately linearly while the pressure increases further.

[0062] In FIG. 4A various characteristic lines are represented for various seat diameters of the conical valve seat 341. Generally, at a given pressure present at the pressure regulation valve 1 a smaller hydraulic force is exerted on the valve body 33 in the case of a small seat diameter than in the case of a larger seat diameter. Accordingly, in the case of a small seat diameter the pilot stage valve opens only at a relatively high opening pressure. In FIG. 4A the characteristic line 4A1, which has the highest opening pressure, corresponds to the smallest seat diameter of the conical valve seat 341, the characteristic line 4A2 with a medium opening pressure to a medium seat diameter and the characteristic line 4A3 with a low opening pressure to the largest seat diameter. The remaining parameters, for example the energization of the pressure valve 1, were kept constant and presently set to the maximal current.

[0063] In FIG. 4B again p-Q characteristic lines are represented, here for the case of different sizes of the air gap 223 between the magnetic armature 221 and the pole core 222. Said gap is presently implemented by an axial sliding of the pilot stage module 3 in the actuator module 2 or its coil lid module 21, wherein the pilot stage module 3 and the actuator module 2 are connected via a press connection. It is assumed presently that the valve is an NO valve. The upper characteristic line 4B1 on the top in the diagram with the highest opening pressure is implemented with a small air gap, i.e. when the pilot stage module 1 is inserted less deeply into the actuator module 2 and correspondingly the magnetic armature 221 abuts on the valve body 222 of the pilot stage valve 32 only when there is a relatively small air gap 223 to the pole core 222. In contrast, the characteristic line 4B3 on the bottom of the diagram corresponds to the case that the magnetic armature 221 already abuts on the valve body 33 of the pilot stage valve 32 when there is a relatively large air gap 223, which can be achieved by inserting the pilot stage module 3 more deeply into the actuator module 2. The middle characteristic 4B2 then corresponds to a medium-sized air gap 223.

[0064] In FIG. 5A a section through a second embodiment example of a pilot stage module 3 is represented, which has a throttle 35. In addition to the configuration represented in FIG. 3C, for example, the second embodiment example represented in FIG. 5 comprises a failsafe valve seat 36 as a second valve seat, which is located opposite the conical valve 341 as the first valve seat and is likewise formed as a conical seat itself. Further, the second embodiment example of the pilot stage module 3 comprises a spring member 37, which biases the ball valve body 33 into the failsafe valve seat 36 and also holds it in the failsafe valve seat 36 in the unenergized case. The failsafe valve seat 36 in the represented embodiment example is made available via an additional component, the so-called failsafe construction member 38.

[0065] In FIG. 5B a perspective internal view of the failsafe construction member 38 is represented. In this second embodiment example the guide section 342 for the ball valve body 33 is not created by the module body 34, but by the failsafe construction member 38, wherein the failsafe construction member 38 is arranged as a cap axially on the downstream side of the conical valve seat 341 on the module body 34. Likewise, there exist no radial outflow openings in the pilot stage module 3 or the module body 34; rather, the axial opening of the failsafe valve seat 36 is the only fluid through-flow opening in the pilot stage module 3 according to the second embodiment example.

[0066] When the ball valve body 33 is located in the failsafe valve seat 36, said seat is not closed completely. Presently, this is ensured by lateral bypass openings 381 in the guide section 342 of the failsafe valve seat 36 and/or by a non-circular contour of the failsafe valve seat 36 or its fluid through-flow opening. In the represented embodiment example, the failsafe valve seat is a polygon in the form of a regular octagon. However, also other, preferably regular polygons can be employed.

[0067] In the unenergized case, when the magnetic armature 221 exerts no force on the pilot stage valve 32 (NO valve or actuator module whose magnetic armature extends upon energization), the ball valve body 33 is held in the downstream failsafe valve seat 36 by the spring member. Said seat does not close the fluid path through the pilot stage valve 32 completely, but, by the bypass openings 381 or the, for example, polygonal shape of the failsafe valve seat 36, in the unenergized case, ensures a specific (medium, different from zero, non-maximal) free fluid cross section. In this operating state, the pilot valve then acts like an additional, constant throttle in the pilot stage valve 32. Since the failsafe valve seat 36 with its throttle effect is located downstream of the pilot space 5, in which the pressure for controlling the main valve is formed, the fluid is additionally backed up in the pilot space 5. Consequently, a higher pressure must be present at the main stage valve in order to produce the pressure decrease at the valve body 431 of the main stage valve 43 or its throttle which is required for opening the main stage valve 43. The opening pressure of a failsafe characteristic line 6A2 in the p-Q diagram (see FIG. 6) is therefore higher than that of the characteristic line for the so-called minimum energization 6A3, in which the pilot stage valve 32 is maximally opened or has the largest fluid passage cross section.

[0068] At the so-called minimum energization of the coil, the ball valve body 32 is lifted off the failsafe valve seat 36 by the magnetic armature 221, generally the operation member of the actuator module 2, against the spring force of the spring member 27, and is moved to a middle position between the failsafe valve seat 36 and the conical valve seat 341. Upon minimum energization, thus a p-Q characteristic line is implemented which (analogously to an NO valve) has an only low opening pressure and extends approximately linearly with a small slope above the opening pressure. The opening pressure is not equal to zero in this case either, since initially a minimum pressure must be built up at the main stage in order to produce a sufficient pressure decrease via the throttle of the valve body 43 of the main stage valve 42 in order to overcome the spring force of the spring member 432 of the main stage valve 43.

[0069] Upon maximum energization, the ball valve body 33 is pressed onto the conical valve seat 341 of the pilot stage valve 32 in a pressureless fall, so that the pilot stage valve 32 opens only after overcoming the magnetic force, i.e. only at a relatively high opening pressure (characteristic line 6A1 in FIG. 6). When the pressure increases further, the fluid stream then increases in the same manner as upon minimum energization.

[0070] In contrast, in the unenergized case, when the valve body 32 is located in the failsafe valve seat 36, a greater increase of the pressure at the main stage is required to produce the required pressure difference. Consequently, the volume flow increases significantly more slowly upon increasing pressure at the main stage in the unenergized case (failsafe case) than upon minimum or maximum energization.

[0071] In FIG. 7 a shock absorber 6 with two pressure regulation valves 1 is represented schematically. The shock absorber 6 comprises a pressure cylinder 61, in which an axially displaceable piston 62 divides the volume of the pressure cylinder into two pressure chambers, which are connected via respectively one pressure regulation valve 1 (and a check valve) for each flow direction. Instead of the two pressure regulation valves 1 represented in FIG. 7 it is also possible to employ one single pressure regulation valve 1 with fluid rectification (not represented).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0072] 1 pressure regulation valve [0073] 11 central axis [0074] 2 actuator module [0075] 21 coil lid module [0076] 211 press area [0077] 212 press area [0078] 22 magnetic drive module [0079] 221 magnetic armature, operation member [0080] 222 pole core [0081] 223 air gap [0082] 224 spring member [0083] 23 coil module [0084] 231 magnetic coil [0085] 232 magnetically conductive material [0086] 233 electrical connector [0087] 3 pilot stage module [0088] 31 press area [0089] 32 pilot stage valve [0090] 33 valve body, ball valve body [0091] 34 module body [0092] 341 valve seat, conical valve seat [0093] 342 guide section [0094] 343 radial outflow openings [0095] 344 recess for 35 [0096] 35 throttle, cover, fluid component [0097] 36 failsafe valve seat [0098] 37 spring member, helical spring [0099] 38 failsafe construction member [0100] 381 bypass openings [0101] 4 main stage module [0102] 41 press area [0103] 42 radial outflow openings [0104] 43 main stage valve [0105] 431 valve body [0106] 432 spring member, helical spring [0107] 433 abutment/valve seat [0108] 434 throttle [0109] 5 pilot space [0110] 6 shock absorber [0111] 61 pressure cylinder [0112] 62 piston