PRESSURE OPERATED SHUT OFF VALVE AND FLUID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM COMPRISING SUCH PRESSURE OPERATED SHUT OFF VALVE

Abstract

A pressure operated shut off valve for a vehicle fluid distribution system, comprising at least one valve housing, a valve chamber enclosed by the valve housing, at least a first fluid entry port, at least a first fluid exit port, at least a first fluid inlet duct opening into the valve chamber, at least a first fluid outlet duct opening into the valve chamber, at least a first valve body slidably arranged in the valve chamber, the valve body being held closed against the valve seat and being operable by the fluid pressure provided in the inlet duct and acting on the valve body thus lifting the valve body from the valve seat, wherein a mechanical stop selectively blocking or unblocking the valve body upon actuating is provided. A fluid delivery device utilizing such pressure operated shut off valve.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A pressure operated shut off valve for a vehicle fluid distribution system, the pressure operated shut off valve comprising: at least one valve housing; a valve chamber enclosed by the valve housing; at least a first fluid entry port; at least a first fluid exit port; at least a first fluid inlet duct opening into the valve chamber; at least a first fluid outlet duct opening into the valve chamber; at least a first valve body slidably arranged in the valve chamber, the first valve body being held closed against a valve seat and being operable by fluid pressure provided in the inlet duct and acting on the first valve body to lift the first valve body from the valve seat; a mechanical stop selectively blocking or unblocking the first valve body upon actuation; a selector mechanism comprising a control cam serving as the mechanical stop; wherein the selector mechanism is rotably or slidably arranged in the valve housing or at the valve housing and thereby selectively blocking and unblocking the first valve body depending on a position of the selector mechanism; wherein the first valve body is a resilient diaphragm; and wherein the diaphragm has a cam follower on a side facing towards an inside of the valve chamber.

16. The pressure operated shut off valve according to claim 15, further comprising: at least a second valve body; at least a second fluid exit port; at least a second fluid outlet duct; and the selector mechanism selectively blocking or unblocking the first valve body and/or the second valve body upon actuation.

17. The pressure operated shut off valve according to claim 15, wherein: the selector mechanism comprises a selector slide or a selector shaft.

18. A fluid distribution device including the at least one pressure operated shut off valve of claim 15, and further comprising: a fluid delivery pump; a first feed line; a plurality of fluid consumers; a plurality of fluid delivery lines, wherein each one of the plurality of fluid delivery lines is arrangeable in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of fluid consumers; and wherein the first feed line and the plurality of fluid delivery lines are connected by the pressure operated shut off valve.

19. The fluid distribution device according to claim 18, wherein: the plurality of fluid delivery lines are each connected in parallel to the first feed line.

20. The fluid distribution device according to claim 18, further comprising: the pressure operated shut off valve comprising a first valve block and a second valve block; the first valve block and the second valve block each comprise a plurality of valve bodies and a plurality of fluid exit ports; and the first valve block and the second valve block being connected in parallel to the fluid delivery pump by the first feed line and a second feed line, respectively.

21. The fluid distribution device according to claim 20, wherein: the fluid delivery pump is a rotationally reversible dual outlet pump.

22. The fluid distribution device according to claim 20, wherein: the first valve block and the second valve block are arranged in a common fluid distribution housing; and the selector mechanism is arranged between the first valve block and the second valve block slidably within the fluid distribution housing such that the selector mechanism selectively blocks and unblocks the plurality of valve bodies of the first valve block and the plurality of the valve bodies of the second valve block in parallel.

23. The fluid distribution device according to claim 18, further comprising: an electric drive driving the selector mechanism.

24. The fluid distribution device according to claim 23, wherein: the electric drive comprises at least one of a motor drive, a solenoid drive, a solenoid actuator or a stepper motor.

25. A vehicle wash system including the fluid distribution device of claim 18, and further comprising: at least two consumers chosen from a group of consumers comprising: a headlamp wash device; a rear screen wash device; a front screen wash device; a front view camera wash device; a night vision system; a license plate; a rearview camera wash device; a side view camera wash device; a surround view camera wash device; and a sensor cleaning device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Advantageous embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and rather simplified view of an embodiment of a pressure operated shut off valve according to the invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the fluid distribution device according to the current invention;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 with arrows indicating the operation of the selector mechanism;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic view according to that of FIG. 3 showing another mode of operation of the selector mechanism;

[0037] FIG. 5 is yet another embodiment of the fluid distribution device according to the current invention comprising first and second valve blocks controlled by one common selector mechanism;

[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the fluid distribution device according to the invention, comprising two solenoid drives for driving the selector slide;

[0039] FIG. 7 is a fluid distribution device according to FIG. 6, comprising one single electric drive for driving the selector mechanism; and

[0040] FIG. 8 is yet another drive concept for the selector mechanism of the fluid distribution device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 shows a pressure operated shut off valve 1 according to the current invention for the vehicle fluid distribution system explained hereinafter.

[0042] The pressure operated shut off valve 1 comprises a valve housing 2 enclosing a valve chamber 3 in which a valve body in the form of a resilient and flexible diaphragm 4 is arranged.

[0043] The valve housing 2 comprises a first fluid entry port 5a and a first fluid exit port 6a. The first fluid entry port 5a belongs to a fluid inlet duct 7 merging into the valve chamber 3, whereas the first fluid exit port 6a belongs to a first fluid outlet duct 8 opening into the valve chamber 3.

[0044] Within the valve chamber 2 there is arranged a selector slide 9 which is slidable from the left to the right and vice versa. The selector slide 9 may be driven by an electric motor which is not shown in FIG. 1. The selector slide 9 provides a mechanical stop for the diaphragm 4.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows the blocked position of the diaphragm 4 which abuts against a valve seat 10 at the periphery of an opening of the first fluid inlet duct 7 into the valve chamber 6. The diaphragm 4 has a cam follower 11 on the side facing towards the inside of the valve chamber 3. The cam follower 11 in FIG. 1 abuts the selector slide 9 which functions as a mechanical stop 4. The diaphragm in this position is held against the valve seat 10. The cam follower 11 can be an integral part of the diaphragm 4, however, alternatively, the cam follower 11 can be a separate part.

[0046] The selector slide 9 has a cam recess 12 of the side facing towards the diaphragm 4 and the cam follower 11 snugly fits into the cam recess 12 once the selector slide 9 is positioned such that the cam follower 11 of the diaphragm 4 and the cam recess 12 are aligned. In this position, fluid entering the first fluid entry port 5 will act on the diaphragm 4 and the hydraulic pressure of the fluid will lift the diaphragm 4 from the valve seat 10 thus establishing fluid communication between the first fluid inlet duct 7 and the first fluid outlet duct 8 via the valve chamber 3.

[0047] In the drawings, the design of the selector slide 9 is rather simplified, for example the cam recess 12 is shown to be rectangular in cross section, however, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the side of the selector slide 9 facing towards the diaphragm 4 may have any shape and in particular may be designed as a cam surface with smooth transitions and with control curves.

[0048] A person skilled in the art will also appreciate that rather than a selector slide 9 there may be provided a rotable shaft or a disc with cam surfaces as a mechanical stop for the diaphragm 4.

[0049] Once the selector slide 9 is for example moved in FIG. 1 from the left to the right, the cam follower 11 is allowed to be moved into the cam recess 12, into which it fits and thus allowing the diaphragm 4 to be lifted off the valve seat 10 upon pressurization of the first fluid entry port 5a.

[0050] A first embodiment of the fluid distribution device 13 will hereinafter be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. In FIGS. 2 to 4 same parts will be denoted by the same reference numbers.

[0051] The fluid distribution device 13 according to FIG. 2 comprises a fluid source in the form of a fluid tank 14, a fluid delivery pump 15, a first feedline 16a and first, second and third fluid delivery lines 17a, 17b and 17c to multiple fluid consumers, for example two multiple spray nozzles of a vehicle screen wash system.

[0052] The fluid distribution device 13 includes a fluid distribution housing 18 in which a pressure operated shut off valve 1 of the kind as explained before is arranged. The pressure operated shut off valve 1 according to this embodiment has a first fluid entry port 5a and first, second and third fluid exit ports 6a, 6b and 6c. The valve housing 2 of the pressure operated shut off valve 1 is in the form of a first valve block 19a, comprising first, second and third valve bodies, the valve bodies being connected to first, second and third cam followers 20a, 20b, 20c, which correspond to the cam follower 11 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0053] At the valve housing 2, there is arranged a selector slide 9 with only one cam recess 12. The selector slide 9 is driven by an electric motor 21, which either can move the selector slides to the left as indicated in FIG. 3 or to the right as indicated in FIG. 4.

[0054] When the fluid delivery pump 15 is operated, fluid is delivered via first feedline 16a to the first fluid entry port and hydraulic pressure is applied to the first, second and third valve bodies.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 2, with the position of the selector plate 9 as shown, the first cam follower 20b is allowed to enter into cam recess 12 and consequently, the second valve body is permitted to be lifted up by the fluid pressure whilst all other valve bodies remain in their valve seat and are prevented from opening. In this condition, fluid is delivered via the second fluid exit port 6b to second fluid delivery line 17b and to a consumer, for example a spray nozzle of a vehicle screen wash system.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3 and as indicated by the arrows, when the electrical motor 21 is operated in clockwise direction, selector plate 9 moves to a position which allows cam follower 20a to be lifted up so that the first valve body may open and establish a fluid connection between the first feedline 16a and the first fluid delivery line 17a.

[0057] As this is shown in FIG. 4, when electric motor 21 is operated in counter clockwise direction, selector plate 9 moves to a position which allows the third cam follower 20c to move into the cam recess 12 and thus a fluid connection between the first feedline 16a and the third fluid delivery line 17c will be established.

[0058] Another embodiment of the fluid distribution device according to the current invention is shown in FIG. 5, in which same parts are denoted with same reference numerals.

[0059] The embodiment according to FIG. 5 differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 4 in that the fluid delivery pump 15 is designed as a dual pump with reversible sense of rotation and with first and second feedlines 16a, 16b. The fluid delivery device 13 comprises a first valve block 19a and a second valve 19b, which are of about the same design. Each of the first and second valve blocks 19a and 19b includes first, second and third valve bodies arranged in first, second and third valve chambers. Each valve block 19a, 19b has its own valve housing 2.

[0060] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that several valve blocks may be arranged in one common valve housing.

[0061] The two valve housings are arranged in the fluid distribution housing 18. The first and the second valve blocks each have a first fluid entry port 5 and first, second and third fluid exit ports 6a, 6b, 6c connected to first, second and third fluid delivery lines 17a, 17b, 17c.

[0062] In the fluid distribution housing 18 there is arranged only one single selector slide 9 with a cam recess 12 on either side. Each of the first and second valve blocks 19a and 19b comprises first, second and third cam followers 20a, 20b, 20c, connected to the first, second and third valve bodies. The cam followers 20a, 20b, 20c of each of the first and the second valve blocks 19a and 19b are facing towards each other and the selector slide 9 is arranged between the first and second valve blocks 19a, 19b such that each of the second cam followers 20b of the fast valve block 19a and of the second valve block 19b may engage the cam recess 12 on either side of the selector slide 9 in the position shown in FIG. 5. First feedline 16a and first, second and third fluid delivery lines 17a, 17b and 17c are connected in parallel, whereas second feedline 16b and the first, second and third fluid delivery lines 17a, 17b, 17c of the second valve block 19b are also connected in parallel. When the fluid delivery pump 15 is operated with normal electrical polarity, fluid is delivered from the fluid delivery pump 15 via first feedline 16a to the first valve block 19a, when the fluid delivery pump 15 is operated with reversed electric polarity, fluid is delivered from the fluid delivery pump 15 via second feedline 16b to the second valve block 19b.

[0063] Now reference will be made to FIGS. 6 to 8 which show different embodiments of the fluid distributions device 13 with different drive mechanisms for the selector slide 9. For the sake of simplicity not all the parts of the fluid delivery device 13 are shown in the FIGS. 6 to 8. Again, same parts are denoted by same reference numerals.

[0064] Turning now to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 shows the first valve block 19a of the fluid delivery device 13 and the selector slide 9 mounted at the first valve block 19a. The selector slide 9 has a drive mechanism comprising first and second solenoid actuators 22a and 22b. Energization of first solenoid actuator 22a pushes the selector slide 9 from the left to the right, energization of second solenoid actuator 22b pushes the selector slide 9 from the right to the left. As this can be seen from FIG. 6, there are three positions of the selector slide 9, the cam recess 12 of which can assume three different positions vis--vis first, second and third cam followers 20a, 20b and 20c.

[0065] Turning now to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows yet another drive concept for the selector slide 9. The first valve block 19a has more than three fluid exit ports, so that the selector slide 9 has to assume more than three different positions. The selector slide 9 is driven by an electric motor 21 actuated by a motor control 23. The motor control 23 receives a control signal from a position encoder 24 which may for example detect a position marking on the selector slide 9.

[0066] Yet another concept of driving the selector slide is shown in FIG. 8. The selector slide 9 is driven by a stepper motor 25 which receives a control signal from a stepper motor control 26.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0067] 1 Pressure operated shut off valve [0068] 2 Valve housing [0069] 3 Valve chamber [0070] 4 Diaphragm [0071] 5 First fluid entry port [0072] 6a,6b,6c First, second and third fluid exit ports [0073] 7 Fluid inlet duct [0074] 8 First fluid outlet duct [0075] 9 Selector slide [0076] 10 Valve seat [0077] 11 Cam follower [0078] 12 Cam follower recess [0079] 13 Fluid distribution device [0080] 14 Fluid tank [0081] 15 Fluid delivery pump [0082] 16a, 16b First and second feedlines [0083] 17a, 17b, 17c First, second and third fluid delivery lines [0084] 18 Fluid distribution housing [0085] 19a, 19b First and second valve blocks [0086] 20a, 20b, 20c First, second and third cam followers [0087] 21 Electric motor [0088] 22a, 22b First and second solenoid actuators [0089] 23 Motor control [0090] 24 Position encoder [0091] 25 Stepper motor [0092] 26 Stepper motor control