FLUID CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A fluid control system for supplying fluid to a fluid consumer, having a valve module including a channel body to which a fluid switching valve, a fluid pressure regulator and a vacuum switching valve are attached, the channel body having a first fluid channel extending from a fluid input port to an input port of the fluid pressure regulator and having a second fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid pressure regulator to an input port of the fluid switching valve, and having a third fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid switching valve to a fluid consumer port, and having a first vacuum channel extending from a vacuum input port to an input port of the vacuum switching valve, and having a second vacuum channel extending from an output port of the vacuum switching valve to the fluid consumer port.

Claims

1. A fluid control system for supplying fluid to a fluid consumer, comprising a valve module including a channel body to which a fluid switching valve, a fluid pressure regulator and a vacuum switching valve are attached, the channel body having a first fluid channel extending from a fluid input port to an input port of the fluid pressure regulator and having a second fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid pressure regulator to an input port of the fluid switching valve, and having a third fluid channel extending from an output port of the fluid switching valve to a fluid consumer port, and having a first vacuum channel extending from a vacuum input port to an input port of the vacuum switching valve, and having a second vacuum channel extending from an output port of the vacuum switching valve to the fluid consumer port.

2. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid switching valve, the fluid pressure regulator and the vacuum switching valve are disposed on an upper surface of the channel body and wherein the fluid consumer port is disposed on an end face of the channel body oriented transverse to the upper surface.

3. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid switching valve and the fluid pressure regulator are mounted to a first channel body portion of the channel body, the first channel body portion having a first channel body interface and comprising a first portion of the third fluid channel extending there through and terminating at a first orifice of the first channel body interface, and wherein the vacuum switching valve is attached to a second channel body portion of the channel body, the second channel body portion having a second channel body interface and comprising a second portion of the third fluid channel extending there through an terminating at a second orifice of the second channel body interface, the first channel body interface and the second channel body interface being sealingly interconnected with each other.

4. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein a pressure sensor is disposed on the channel body and is electrically connected to a sensor interface.

5. The fluid control system of claim 4, wherein the pressure sensor is located between the fluid switching valve and the fluid pressure regulator at the top of the first channel body section and wherein a sensing channel is formed in the first channel body section between the pressure sensor and the third fluid channel.

6. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid switching valve is formed as a 3/2-way solenoid valve.

7. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum switching valve is formed as a 3/2-way solenoid valve.

8. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure regulator is configured as a proportional pressure regulator valve having a piezo valve, a pressure sensor and an electronic controller for regulating an output pressure based on a sensor signal from the pressure sensor.

9. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of valve modules are disposed in a housing and are mounted to a pressure supply bar and to a vacuum supply bar which are disposed on an inner surface of the housing, the pressure supply bar having a pressure port and a plurality of fluid outlets, the vacuum supply bar having a vacuum port and a plurality of vacuum outlets.

10. The fluid control system of claim 9, wherein the pressure outlets of the pressure supply bar are arranged at a first constant pitch along a first straight line, and wherein the vacuum outlets of the vacuum supply bar are arranged at a second constant pitch along a second straight line, and wherein the first straight line and the second straight line are aligned parallel to each other and wherein the first pitch and the second pitch are identical.

11. The fluid control system of claim 9, wherein the fluid input port in the channel body is connected to the pressure outlet in the pressure supply bar, and wherein the vacuum input port in the channel body is connected to the vacuum outlet in the vacuum supply bar.

12. The fluid control system according to claim 9, wherein a control circuit is arranged on a rear side of the housing, wherein each of the valve modules is provided with a contact board, wherein the contact board is electrically connected to the fluid switching valve and the fluid pressure regulator and the vacuum switching valve, wherein the control circuit is assigned a plurality of connectors, each of which is designed for electrical contacting of a contact board, and wherein the control circuit is designed for electrical control of the fluid switching valve, the fluid pressure regulator and the vacuum switching valve.

13. The fluid control system of claim 12, wherein a plurality of valve modules are mounted on the pressure supply bar and the vacuum supply bar in parallel with each other in the first pitch.

14. The fluid control system of claim 13, wherein the control circuit includes a bus interface for connection to a bus communication system.

15. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure regulator is disposed on the channel body between the fluid switching valve and the vacuum switching valve.

16. The fluid control system of claim 2, wherein a vacuum port is disposed on the top of the channel body adjacent the vacuum switching valve and configured to individually provide a vacuum to the vacuum switching valve.

17. The fluid control system of claim 1, wherein a fluid filter is associated with the fluid consumer port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view on a fluid control system comprising a housing and several valve modules mounted on a pressure supply bar and a vacuum supply bar,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a valve module with a partially cut channel plate, and

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a pneumatic diagram of the valve module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A fluid control system 1 according to FIG. 1 comprises a housing 30, which is shown in a disassembled state, therefore only a base plate 31 is represented in FIG. 1, whereas a cover for the base plate 31 is not shown.

[0025] The fluid control system 1 comprises several valve modules 2, each being an assembly group which can be handled, operated and tested separately and which can be mounted into the housing 30 or disassembled from the housing 30 by an end-user of the fluid control system 1.

[0026] The fluid control system 1 also comprises a control circuit 40, which is mounted by means of respective supports 45 to the base plate 31 and which comprises a printed circuit board 46 which is equipped with a processor, e.g. a microcontroller, and further electronic and electrical components (not shown) to form an electronic circuit to control the function of the valve modules 2. Furthermore the printed circuit board 46 is equipped with plug connectors 48 which are arranged in a row and which serve for an electric connection with the valve modules 2. Another plug connector 49 may be used for a connection of the control circuit 40 to a bus communication system.

[0027] An upper surface 32 of the base plate 31 is equipped with a pressure supply bar 21 which extends with a rectangular profile along an extension axis 28, which is oriented parallel to a width of the base plate 31. A left end region 55 and a right end region 56 of the pressure supply bar 21 are both shaped as rectangular blocks. A pressure port 22 located at the right end region 56 is equipped with an elbow fitting 59, which is connected with a tube 60 and a fluid coupling 61 that allows a connection of the pressure supply bar 21 with a pressure supply (not shown) by means of a tube or hose (not shown). The pressure supply bar 21 has an even surface 62 which is equipped with fluid outlets 23, which are arranged along the extension axis 28 with a constant pitch 29. Each of the fluid outlets 23 is realised as a bore which is oriented perpendicularly to the even surface 62 and which is surrounded by an o-ring seal 63. Preferably each of the fluid outlets 23 is realised as a threaded bore that allows the assembly of a screw (not shown) for individually sealing the respective fluid outlet 23, if this fluid outlet 23 is not in use.

[0028] Furthermore the upper surface 32 of the base plate 31 is equipped with a vacuum supply bar 24 which extends with a rectangular profile along an extension axis 28 and is oriented parallel to the pressure supply bar 21. A left end region 57 and a right end region 58 of the vacuum supply bar 21 are both shaped as rectangular blocks. A vacuum port 25 located at the right end region 58 is equipped with an elbow fitting 64, which allows a connection of the vacuum supply bar 24 with a vacuum supply (not shown) by means of a tube or hose (not shown). The vacuum supply bar 24 has an even surface 65 which is equipped with vacuum outlets 26, which are arranged along the extension axis 28 with the same constant pitch 29 as the fluid outlets 23. Each of the vacuum outlets 26 is realised as a bore which is oriented perpendicularly to the even surface 65 and which is surrounded by an o-ring seal 66. Preferably each of the vacuum outlets 26 is realised as a threaded bore that allows the assembly of a screw (not shown) for individually sealing the respective vacuum outlet 26, if this vacuum outlet 26 is not in use.

[0029] To allow an individual vacuum supply for a valve module 2 each of the valve modules is equipped with a supply port 77 which is located on an upper surface 38 of the channel body 3. According to FIG. 1 one of the supply ports 77 is equipped with an elbow fitting 67, whereas the other supply ports 77 are closed with a respective screw 78.

[0030] The pressure supply bar 21 and the vacuum supply bar 24 serve as interfaces for the fluidic coupling of the respective valve modules 2, in which are explained in more detail below.

[0031] Each of the valve modules 2 as shown in FIG. 1 has the same configuration of components, therefore the following explanation of the valve module 2 is valid for all valve modules 2 of the fluid control system 1 according to FIG. 1.

[0032] The valve module 2 comprises a channel body 3, a fluid switching valve 4, a fluid pressure regulator 5, a vacuum switching valve 6 and a pressure sensor 14. The fluid switching valve 4, the fluid pressure regulator 5, the vacuum switching valve 6 and the pressure sensor 14 are electromechanical fluid components which are operated with electric energy and which serves to control fluid flows to a fluid consumer port 12 and from the fluid consumer port 12 respectively. As can be seen from FIG. 1 the fluid consumer port 12 of is equipped with a hose coupling 36 which allows the connection of a flexible hose (not shown), which is to be connected with a fluid consumer, in particular an actuator (not shown). The fluid consumer port 12 is located on an end face 16 of the channel body 3, which also may be called a front face and which is located adjacent to a front face 33 of the base plate 31. This allows an easy access to the hose couplings 36 even if the cover of the housing 30 is connected with the base plate 31.

[0033] According to FIGS. 1 and 2 the fluid switching valve 4 is connected with the contact board 41 by means of a connector 83. The fluid pressure regulator 5 is connected with the contact board 41 by means of a connecting cable 84. The vacuum switching valve 6 is connected with the contact board 41 by means of a connecting cable 85 and the pressure sensor 14 is connected with the contact board 41 by means of a connecting cable 86.

[0034] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 the channel body 3 comprises a first channel body portion 17 and a second channel body portion 18. The first channel body portion 17 mainly serves for the handling of compressed air and therefore the fluid switching valve 4, the fluid pressure regulator 5 and the pressure sensor 14 are located on an upper face 15 of the first channel body portion 17. The second channel body portion 18 mainly serves for the handling of vacuum and therefore the vacuum switching valve 6 is located on the upper surface 38 of the second channel body portion 18. However the second channel body portion 18 also carries the hose coupling 36 mounted to the fluid consumer port 12.

[0035] The first channel body portion 17 comprises a first fluid channel 7 which extends from a fluid input port 10 located in a first recess 51 having a rectangular profile which is adapted to the profile of the pressure supply bar 21. The fluid input port 10 is realised as a short tube which is to be plugged into one of the fluid outlets 23 of the pressure supply bar 21. The first fluid channel 7 is connected with an input port 70 of the fluid pressure regulator 5 and therefore allows a supply of compressed air from the pressure supply bar 21 to the fluid pressure regulator 5. The first channel body portion 17 also comprises a second fluid channel 8 which extends from an output port 71 of the fluid pressure regulator 5 to an input port 68 of the fluid switching valve 4. Furthermore a first portion 19 of a third fluid channel 9 extends from an output port 69 of the fluid switching valve 4 to a first second channel body interface 42 of the first channel body portion 17. In addition a fourth fluid channel 13 extends from the first portion 19 of the third fluid channel 9 to an input port 74 of the pressure sensor 14.

[0036] A second portion 20 of the third fluid channel 9 penetrates the second channel body portion 18 between a second channel body interface 43 and the end face 16. The second channel body interface 43 is located opposite to the first channel body interface 42 of the first channel body portion 17. In particular the first channel body interface 42 and the second channel body interface 43 both have even surfaces which are connected with each other in an airtight manner such that compressed air provided by the fluid switching valve 4 can be piped to the fluid consumer port 12. In addition a first vacuum channel 80 extends from a vacuum input port 11 which located in a second recess 52 having a rectangular profile which is adapted to the profile of the vacuum supply bar 24 to an input port 72 of the vacuum switching valve 6. The vacuum input port 11 is realised as a short tube which is to be plugged into one of the vacuum ports 25 of the vacuum supply bar 24. Furthermore a second vacuum channel 81 extends from an output port 73 of the vacuum switching valve 6 to the fluid consumer port 12. As can be seen from the schematic representation in FIG. 2 a fluid filter 27 is arranged in the second vacuum channel 81.

[0037] The fluid connections between the components fluid switching valve 4, fluid pressure regulator 5, vacuum switching valve 6 and fluid consumer port 12 are symbolised by the respective symbols in FIG. 3.