Arrangement for a utility vehicle

Abstract

An arrangement for a utility vehicle includes at least one air dryer unit and a regulating unit, wherein the air dryer unit and the regulating unit are designed in each case as separate units. The air dryer unit has at least one air dryer module, in particular an air dryer cartridge, at least one discharge valve and at least one control line for the pneumatic control of the discharge valve. At least one connecting line is provided in the air dryer unit with connection to the air dryer module. The connecting line leads directly to a consumer non-return valve for the air dryer unit, which is arranged outside of the air dryer unit, wherein the connecting line can be used at least partially bi-directionally and/or can be or is connected to a bi-directionally usable line section.

Claims

1. An arrangement for a utility vehicle, comprising: at least one air dryer unit; a regulating unit, wherein the air dryer unit and the regulating unit are each configured as separate units, the air dryer unit has at least one air dryer module, at least one discharge valve and at least one control line for pneumatically controlling the discharge valve, in the air dryer unit, following the air dryer module, at least one connecting line leads directly to a consumer non-return valve for the air dryer unit, which is located outside the air dryer unit, and the connecting line is at least partially bi-directionally usable and/or is connectable or connected to a bi-directionally usable line section.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control line additionally serves for pneumatically controlling a compressor.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting line is a connecting line without any pneumatic elements.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting line is unthrottled and/or does not have a throttle element.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting line leads to a system boundary of the air dryer unit and is connectable at the system boundary to a further line or, in the installed state of the arrangement, is connected to a further line.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the consumer non-return valve, which is coupleable or coupled to the connecting line, is arranged in the regulating unit.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the regulating unit, a further additional non-return valve is coupleable or coupled to the connecting line, wherein the additional non-return valve enables a flow to pass through the connecting line in a direction which is contrary to a permitted flow direction of the consumer non-return valve.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting line is connectable to a line or, in the installed state of the arrangement, is connected to a line, in which a further additional non-return valve is provided, and the line is coupleable or coupled to the connecting line, wherein the further additional non-return valve enables a flow to pass through the connecting line in a direction which is contrary to the permitted flow direction of the consumer non-return valve.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting line and the control line are designed as adapters and/or in that a control line is integrated and/or guided in the connecting line.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air dryer unit has at least one heater.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulating unit has a multi-circuit protection valve.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulating unit has a regeneration device for regeneration of the air dryer unit.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air dryer module is an air dryer cartridge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a first exemplary embodiment of an inventive arrangement for a utility vehicle with an air dryer unit and a regulating unit.

(2) FIG. 2 is a further exemplary embodiment of an inventive arrangement.

(3) FIG. 3 is a third exemplary embodiment of an inventive arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(4) FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic illustration, an inventive exemplary embodiment of an arrangement 10 for a utility vehicle with a compressed air source 12, an air dryer unit 14 and a regulating unit 16.

(5) The air dryer unit 14 and the regulating unit 16 are each constructed as separate structural units.

(6) In particular, both units, i.e. the air dryer unit 14 and the regulating unit 16 are also constructed as a separate and structurally separate unit with respect to the compressor 12.

(7) It is contemplated that the air dryer unit 14 and the regulating unit 16 are adjacently arranged and secured. In particular, it is contemplated here, but not imperative, that the air dryer unit 14 and the regulating unit 16 are secured or flanged to a common securing plate or a common securing element. It is, however, also contemplated that the air dryer unit 14 and the regulating unit 16 each have a separate securing element or a separate securing plate or a separate securing flange.

(8) In particular, the air dryer unit 14 as a whole is designed to be fully replaceable.

(9) The air dryer unit 14 further has an air dryer cartridge 18, a discharge valve 20, a connecting line 22 and a control line 24.

(10) The connecting line 22, in this case, connects the air dryer cartridge 18 to a connection 26 provided at the system boundary of the air dryer unit 14, i.e. on the housing exterior of the air dryer unit 14.

(11) The control line 24 is likewise connected to a connection 28 connected to the housing of the air dryer unit 14.

(12) The connecting line 22 is designed merely as a connecting line without pneumatic elements.

(13) In particular, this connecting line 22 connects the air dryer unit 14 directly, and in an unthrottled manner, to a consumer non-return valve 30, which is located outside the air dryer unit 14 and, in the exemplary embodiment shown, is arranged in the regulating unit 16.

(14) The consumer non-return valve 30 also serves as a so-called main non-return valve for the air dryer unit 14 here.

(15) The control line 24 serves for controlling the compressed air source 12 via the control connection 12a and for controlling the discharge valve 20 via the associated control connection 20a of the discharge valve 20.

(16) In this case, the discharge valve 20 is designed as a 2/2-valve (pneumatically controlled).

(17) A construction as a 3/2-way valve is also contemplated.

(18) In the state shown, the discharge valve 20 is closed and the discharge 32, which is located at the system boundary of the air dryer unit 14, is blocked.

(19) In particular, it is provided that the discharge 32 is arranged on the housing exterior of the air dryer unit 14.

(20) The connections 26 and 28 are each connected to further lines, wherein the connection 26 is connected to a connecting line 34 and the connection 28 is connected to a connecting line 36.

(21) In this case, the line 36 is connected to the control connection 12a of the compressor 12 and to the control connection 20a of the discharge valve 20.

(22) The regulating unit 16 has connections 38 and 40 at its system boundary.

(23) In this case, the connection 38 is connected to the connecting line 34 and the connection 40 is connected to the connecting line 36.

(24) The connection 38 leads to an inner line 42 in the interior of the housing of the regulating unit 16.

(25) The connection 40 leads to an inner line 44.

(26) The regulating unit 16 has, in its interior, i.e. in the interior of its housing, a multi-circuit protection valve 46 and a (control) unit 48 for carrying out the regeneration of the desiccant cartridge.

(27) A further non-return valve 50 is moreover provided.

(28) The consumer non-return valve 30 is connected to the line 42 in such a way that air arriving from the air dryer unit 14 via the lines 22 and 34 can pass through and flow through the non-return valve 30. This operating state corresponds to the normal operating state, in which a compressed air supply for further consumers C1 and/or C2 is provided and drying takes by means of the air dryer unit 14.

(29) For the regeneration process, the non-return valve 30 is in the blocking position and, via the unit 48, compressed air can flow through the non-return valve 50 and then “backwards” through the air dryer cartridge 18 via the lines 42, 34 and 22.

(30) The line 34 can therefore be used bi-directionally; namely, on the one hand, for supplying compressed air to the consumers (flow direction from left to right in FIG. 1) and, on the other, for the regeneration of the air dryer unit 14 and, in particular, the air dryer cartridge 18 (flow direction from right to left in FIG. 1).

(31) The consumer non-return valve 30, which is coupleable, or here coupled, to the connecting line 22, is therefore arranged in the regulating unit 16.

(32) Moreover, a further additional non-return valve 50, which is coupleable or coupled to the connecting line 22, is provided in the regulating unit 16, wherein the additional non-return valve 50 enables a flow to pass through the connecting line 22 in a direction which is contrary to the permitted flow direction of the consumer non-return valve 30.

(33) In this context, the discharge valve 20 must then also be switched over accordingly via its pneumatic control 20a, so that the discharge 32 is opened. The corresponding pneumatic control signal is likewise provided via the unit 48 and the lines 24, 36 and 44.

(34) The compressor 12 can be controlled accordingly, i.e. switched on and switched off, via the line 36 and the line 24, which is located in the air dryer unit 14 and is connected to the control connection 12a of the compressor 12.

(35) The unit 48 provides the corresponding pneumatic control signal for this.

(36) This control signal can also be provided independently of the system pressure.

(37) The control valve 50 also serves this purpose in the embodiment shown.

(38) As a result of this construction, the compressor 12 and the discharge valve 20 can be switched synchronously.

(39) In this case, the discharge valve 20 can be switched, for example, via the system pressure and/or a separate control input.

(40) In this context, it is essentially also contemplated that the connection of the control connection 12a of the compressor 12 takes place via a separate line, which is also guided outside the air dryer unit 14.

(41) FIG. 2 shows a modification of the embodiment of the arrangement 110 which is shown in FIG. 1.

(42) Identical features are here denoted by values increased by 100.

(43) In this case, the arrangement 110 shown in FIG. 2 has all the structural and functional features of the arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1.

(44) However, there are the following differences:

(45) The arrangement 110 shown in FIG. 2 has, in addition to the line 122, a further line 123 with a non-return valve 123a, which permits a flow coming from the dryer cartridge 118 in the direction of the regulating unit 116. In this case, the line 123 leads into a connection 127. The line 122 leads into a line 134.

(46) A non-return valve 134a, which only enables a flow coming from the regulating unit 116 in the direction of the air dryer unit 114, is arranged in the line 134. In this case, the line 135, in a first operating state, i.e. supplying compressed air to the consumers C1, C2, serves to provide and forward the cleaned and dried compressed air.

(47) An additional (optional) non-return valve 135a is provided in the line 135.

(48) This non-return valve 135a is here arranged such that a flow of compressed air coming from the dryer cartridge 118 in the direction of the regulating unit 116 is permitted.

(49) The line 135 has a line section 135b, through which a bi-directional flow can pass and which substantially represents a joining of the lines 122, 123, 134 and 135.

(50) It is contemplated that an in-circuit flow through the lines 122, 123 and 134 is prevented in the non-return valve 123a and/or 135a. For example, an additional electronic barrier can be provided here.

(51) The line 134 serves in particular for the regeneration process.

(52) The connecting line 122, in the installed state of the arrangement 110, is therefore connected to the line 134 in which a further additional non-return valve 134a is provided, which is coupleable or coupled to the connecting line 122, wherein the additional non-return valve 134a enables a flow to pass through the connecting line 122 in a direction which is contrary to the permitted flow direction of the consumer non-return valve 130.

(53) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it would also be contemplated to dispense with the non-return valve 150 and 130 in the regulating unit 116 completely.

(54) FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of an arrangement 210, which likewise has all the functional and structural features of the arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1.

(55) All corresponding features or components are denoted by identical reference signs, wherein the reference signs are, however, increased by a value of 200 for better comprehension and differentiation.

(56) An essential difference here consists in that the connections 26 and 28 or 38 and 40 have been combined to form a common connection 226 or 238. In this case, the line 236 is guided in the line 234.

(57) A control line 236 is therefore integrated in the connecting line 234.

(58) The connecting line 222 and the control line 224 are designed as adapters 260.

(59) The adapter 260 serves to connect the connection 226 (common connection for the connecting line 234 and control line 236 on the air dryer unit 214) and the connection 238 (common connection for the connecting line 234 and control line 236 on the regulating unit 216).

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(60) 10 Arrangement 12 Compressed air source 12a Control connection 14 Air dryer unit 16 Regulating unit 18 Air dryer cartridge 20 Discharge valve 20a Control connection 22 Connecting line 24 Control line 26 Connection 28 Connection 30 Consumer non-return valve 32 Discharge 34 Connecting line 36 Connecting line 38 Connection 40 Connection 42 Inner line 44 Inner line 46 Multi-circuit protection valve 48 (Control) unit 50 Non-return valve 110 Arrangement 112 Compressed air source 112a Control connection 114 Air dryer unit 116 Regulating unit 118 Dryer cartridge 120 Discharge valve 120a Control connection 122 Line 123 Line 123a Non-return valve 124 Control line 126 Connection 127 Connection 130 Consumer non-return valve 132 Discharge 134 Line 134a Non-return valve 135 Line 135a Non-return valve 135b Line section 136 Connecting line 138 Connection 140 Connection 142 Inner line 144 Inner line 146 Multi-circuit protection valve 148 (Control) unit 150 Non-return valve 210 Arrangement 212 Compressed air source 212a Control connection 214 Air dryer unit 216 Regulating unit 218 Air dryer cartridge 220 Discharge valve 220a Control connection 222 Connecting line 224 Control line 226 Connection 230 Consumer non-return valve 232 Discharge 234 Connecting line 236 Connecting line 238 Connection 242 Inner line 244 Inner line 246 Multi-circuit protection valve 248 (Control) unit 250 Non-return valve 260 Adapter C1 Consumer C2 Consumer