阅读说明：本技术 用于移动控制阀的阀盘的膜以及控制阀 (Membrane for moving a valve disk of a control valve and control valve ) 是由 S.凯里科里安 K.林德斯特罗姆 P.雷恩斯特罗姆 于 2020-05-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种控制阀和一种用于在第一位置与第二位置之间移动控制阀的阀盘的膜(20)。所述膜具有垂直于所述膜的延伸平面(p)的中心轴线(x)。所述膜包括外环形边缘部分(31)、被配置成连接所述阀盘的中心部分(32)和为环形且设置在所述中心部分与所述外环形边缘部分之间的柔性部分(33)。所述膜是柔性的以允许所述中心部分沿着所述中心轴线来回移动,由此允许所述阀盘移动到所述第一位置和所述第二位置中的一个。所述膜被设计成具有所述柔性部分的固有预拉伸,这允许所述膜从所述第一位置朝向所述第二位置在所述阀盘上施加力。(A control valve and a membrane (20) for moving a valve disc of the control valve between a first position and a second position are disclosed. The membrane has a central axis (x) perpendicular to an extension plane (p) of the membrane. The membrane comprises an outer annular edge portion (31), a central portion (32) configured to connect the valve disc, and a flexible portion (33) which is annular and arranged between the central portion and the outer annular edge portion. The membrane is flexible to allow the central portion to move back and forth along the central axis, thereby allowing the valve disc to move to one of the first and second positions. The membrane is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion which allows the membrane to exert a force on the valve disc from the first position towards the second position.)

1. A membrane (20) for moving a valve disc (17) of a control valve (9) between a first position and a second position, wherein

The membrane (20) extending along an extension plane (p),

the central axis (x) of the membrane (20) being perpendicular to the extension plane (p),

the membrane (20) comprises an outer annular edge portion (31), a central portion (32) configured to connect the valve disc (17) and a flexible portion (33) which is annular and is arranged between the central portion (32) and the outer annular edge portion (31), and

the membrane (20) being flexible to allow the central portion (32) to move back and forth along the central axis (x), thereby allowing the valve disc (17) to move to one of the first and second positions,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the membrane (20) is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion (33), which allows the membrane (20) to exert a force on the valve disc (17) from the first position towards the second position.

2. The film (20) according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion (33) has an undulating shape with rounded peaks (36) and rounded valleys (37).

3. The film (20) according to claim 2, wherein the peaks (36) are located closer to the central axis (x) than the valleys (37).

4. The film (20) according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the flexible portion (33) comprises an intermediate annular side (38) extending between and connecting a peak (36) and a trough (37).

5. The membrane (20) according to claim 4, wherein the flexible portion (33) has a thickness (T), and wherein the thickness (T) through the intermediate annular side (38) is thinner than the thickness through the peaks (36) and valleys (37).

6. The membrane (20) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the membrane (20) has an active side (20a) and an inactive side (20b), wherein the outer annular edge portion (31) has an annular surface (34) on the active side (20a), and wherein the wave crests (36) are located above the annular surface (34) in the rest position of the membrane (20).

7. The membrane (20) according to claim 6, wherein the wave troughs (37) are located below the annular surface (37) in the rest position.

8. A control valve (9) having an outlet (12) and being configured to connect the outlet (12) to a low pressure source (3) or a high pressure source (13), the control valve comprising

An outlet chamber (14) connected to the outlet (12),

a high pressure port (15) leading to the outlet chamber (14),

a low pressure port (16) leading to the outlet chamber (14),

a valve disc (17) movable between a first position (FIG. 2) closing the high pressure port (15) and a second position (FIG. 3) closing the low pressure port (16),

a pilot circuit (18) acting on a membrane (20) which mechanically acts on the valve disc (17) via a flexible portion of the membrane (20),

an actuator (21) configured to connect the pilot circuit (18) to one of the low voltage source (3) and the high voltage source (13), wherein the membrane (20) is configured to move the valve disc (17) to the first position when the pilot circuit (18) is connected to the high voltage source (13) and to move the valve disc (17) to the second position when the pilot circuit (18) is connected to the low voltage source (3),

characterized in that the membrane (20) is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion (33) which allows the membrane (20) to exert a force on the valve disc (17) from the first position towards the second position.

9. Control valve (9) according to claim 8, wherein

The membrane (20) extending along an extension plane (p),

the central axis (x) of the membrane (20) being perpendicular to the extension plane (p),

the membrane (20) comprises an outer annular edge portion (31), a central portion (32) configured to connect the valve disc (17) and a flexible portion (33) which is annular and arranged between the central portion (32) and the outer annular edge portion (31).

10. The control valve (9) according to claim 9, wherein the flexible portion (33) has an undulating shape with rounded wave crests (36) and rounded wave troughs (37).

11. The control valve (9) according to claim 10, wherein the wave crests (36) are located closer to the centre axis (x) than the wave troughs (37).

12. A control valve (9) according to any of claims 10-11, wherein the flexible portion (33) comprises an intermediate annular side (38) extending between and connecting a peak (36) and a trough (37).

13. The control valve (9) according to claim 12, wherein the flexible portion (33) has a thickness (T), and wherein the thickness (T) through the intermediate annular side (38) is thinner than the thickness through the peaks (36) and the valleys (37).

14. The control valve (9) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the membrane (20) has an active side (20a) and an inactive side (20b), wherein the outer annular edge portion (31) has an annular surface (34) on the active side (20a), and wherein the wave peak (36) is located above the annular surface (34) in the rest position of the membrane (20).

15. Control valve (9) according to any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the wave trough (37) is located below the annular surface (34) in the rest position.

16. A control valve according to any of claims 9-15, wherein the central portion (32) is connected to the valve disc (17) via a stem member (21) extending through and attached to a central bore (35) of the central portion (32).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a membrane for moving a valve disc of a control valve between a first position and a second position according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a control valve according to the preamble of claim 8.

Background

In larger milking installations, the problem may arise that the milking vacuum is built up fast enough at the start-up of the milking installation. The problem is related to the function of the membrane of the control valve controlling the shut-off valve provided on the respective long milk conduit to the milking cluster. In order to effectively establish the milking vacuum, it is important that each shut-off valve is properly closed after the milking implement is shut down in order to prevent leakage of ambient air into the milking vacuum system. Therefore, the control valves must be activated to control the respective shut-off valve to be closed, so that air cannot leak into the milking vacuum system during vacuum build-up.

Sometimes, the membrane of the control valve may not be able to lift the valve disc from a position in the valve disc seat, in particular from its first position, in which vacuum or underpressure is allowed through the outlet of the control valve. The valve disc may be attached to the valve disc seat in its first position in the control valve. To solve this problem, a solution has been tested in which a coil spring is mounted under the membrane. According to this solution, the valve disc is subjected to a force from the helical spring and is biased away from the valve disc seat and the first position towards the second position. The idea is that the coil spring may assist the membrane in pulling the valve member away from the first position. However, the functionality of this solution is not perfect. Furthermore, this solution is associated with increased service costs.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above problems. In particular, the purpose is to overcome the problem of the valve disc being attached at one of its positions.

This object is achieved by the membrane initially defined, which is characterized in that the membrane is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion, which allows the flexible portion to exert a force on the valve disc from the first position towards the second position.

The inherent pre-tensioning of the membrane may assist the relatively high pressure or the relatively low pressure in moving the valve disc from the first position to the second position. Thus, the membrane may overcome the problem of prior art valve discs jamming or attaching to the valve disc seat in the first position. It may be less important to move the valve disc from the second position to the first position. Atmospheric pressure, when applied, may overcome the inherent pre-tension of the membrane to move the valve disc to the first position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the flexible portion has exactly a wave-like shape in cross-section with rounded wave crests and rounded wave troughs. Such a wavy shape may create an inherent pretension of the flexible portion to exert a pulling force on the central portion in a desired direction along the central axis, i.e. precisely from the first position. The cross-section may be parallel to the central axis.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the wave crests are located closer to the central axis than the wave troughs. The inner wave peak and central portion can thus be elevated relative to the outer wave trough and central portion.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the flexible portion comprises an intermediate annular side extending between and connecting the peaks and the troughs. The intermediate annular side may be inclined from the peak to the valley.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the flexible portion has a thickness, wherein the thickness through the middle annular side is thinner than the thickness through the peaks and valleys. Such a thinner intermediate annular side may increase the flexibility of the flexible portion.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the membrane has an active side and an inactive side, wherein the outer annular rim portion has an annular surface on the active side, wherein the wave crests are located above the annular surface in the rest position of the membrane.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the trough is located below the annular surface in the rest position.

The object is also achieved by the control valve initially defined, which is characterized in that the membrane is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion, which allows the membrane to exert a force on the valve disc from the first position towards the second position. The inherent pretension of the membrane of the control valve may help the relatively high pressure or the relatively low pressure to move the valve disc from the first position to the second position and thus prevent the valve disc from being attached against the valve disc seat in the first position.

Various embodiments of the control valve are defined in the dependent claims 9 to 16. For example, the central portion of the membrane may be connected to the valve disc via a stem member extending through and attached to a central aperture of the central portion.

Drawings

The invention will now be explained in more detail by a description of embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a milking installation comprising a plurality of milking clusters.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a control valve of the milking installation in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the control valve of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a membrane of the control valve of fig. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the top of the membrane of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the underside of the membrane of fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the membrane along the line VII-VII in fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the membrane of fig. 7.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 discloses a milking installation comprising a plurality of milking sites, wherein each milking site comprises a milking cluster 1 having a plurality of teatcups 2 attached to teats of animals to be milked at the milking site.

Each milking cluster 1 may be connected to the vacuum pump arrangement 3 via a respective long milk conduit 4, a common vacuum conduit 5 and a milk receptacle 6. During milking, milk can thus be transported from the animals via the respective milking cluster 1, the respective long milk conduit 4 and the common milk conduit 5 to the milk receptacle 6 by means of the vacuum or low pressure provided by the vacuum pump arrangement 3. Milk collected in the milk receptacle 6 may be transported to a milk storage tank 7 for delivery to a dairy.

Each long milk conduit 4 is provided with a respective shut-off valve 8. The shut-off valves 8 are configured to close or open the respective long milk conduits 4 in order to provide a low pressure for the respective milking cluster 1.

The closing and opening of the shut-off valve 8 is controlled by means of a control valve 9, see also fig. 2 and 3.

The control valve 9 has an outlet 12. The outlet 12 is connected to the shut-off valve 8, as can be seen from fig. 1. The control valve 9 is configured to connect the outlet 12, and thus the shut-off valve 8, to a low-pressure source formed by the vacuum pumping means 3, or to a high-pressure source formed by the atmosphere, via the high-pressure inlet 13.

The control valve 9 comprises an outlet chamber 14 connected to the outlet 12. The outlet chamber 14 includes a high pressure port 15 and a low pressure port 16. A valve disc 17 is disposed in the outlet chamber 14 and is movable between a first position (see fig. 2) closing the high pressure port 15 and a second position (see fig. 3) closing the low pressure port 16.

The control valve 9 further comprises a pilot circuit 18. The pilot circuit 18 may be connected to a low voltage source or a high voltage source. In the disclosed embodiment, the pilot circuit 18 may be connected to a low pressure source, i.e. the vacuum pump arrangement 3, via the common vacuum conduit 5, the long milk conduit 4 and the low pressure inlet 19. Alternatively, the pilot circuit 18 may be connected directly to the vacuum pump arrangement 3 via the low pressure inlet 19.

The pilot circuit 18 acts on a membrane 20, which may have an active side 20a and a passive side 20b, see also fig. 4 to 7. Passive side 20b is deflected toward valve disc 17. The membrane 20 acts mechanically against the valve disc 17. In the disclosed embodiment, the diaphragm 20 is connected to the valve disc 17 by a stem member 21 that may extend through the low pressure port 16.

The actuator 22 is constituted by the control valve 9 and is configured to connect the pilot circuit 18 to one of the low voltage source 3 and the high voltage source. The actuator 22 may comprise a solenoid acting on a magnetic disk 23 arranged in the pilot circuit 18.

The pilot circuit 18 extends between an active side 20a of the membrane 20 and a passive side 20b of the membrane 20. In fig. 3, the pilot circuit is open from the active side 20a of the film to the passive side 20b of the film. In fig. 2, the disk 23 turns off the pilot circuit 18.

The actuator 22 includes a passage 24 which may be provided as a solenoid extending centrally through the actuator 22, as shown in fig. 2 and 3. In the disclosed embodiment, a channel 24 extends between the surrounding atmosphere and the pilot circuit 18. Thus, the pilot circuit 18 may be connected to a high pressure source, i.e. the atmosphere, via a channel 24.

The membrane 20 is configured to move the valve disc 17 to the first position when the pilot circuit 18 is connected to a high pressure source, i.e. to the atmosphere via the passage 24, and to move the valve disc 17 to the second position when the pilot circuit 18 is connected to a low pressure source, i.e. to the vacuum pump means 3 via the low pressure inlet 19.

In fig. 2, valve disc 17 is in a first position closing high pressure port 15. In the disclosed embodiment, the actuator 22 is not activated, i.e. no current is fed to its solenoid, so that the disk 23 can be moved from the solenoid, for example by gravity, to a primary position preventing low voltages from reaching the active side 20a of the membrane 20 through the pilot circuit 18. Atmospheric pressure may act on the active side 20a of the membrane 20, pushing the membrane 20 downwards, which means that the membrane 20 pushes the stem member 21 downwards, such that the stem member 21 pushes the valve disc 17 against the high pressure port 15 to the first position.

Thus, the low pressure in the first position may be led via the low pressure inlet 19, the low pressure port 16, the outlet chamber 14 through the control valve 9 and through the outlet 12 to the shut-off valve 8, which in response to the low pressure may open the long milk conduit 4 to allow the low pressure, i.e. the milking vacuum, to act on the milking clusters 1 and the teatcups 2.

In fig. 3, the valve disc 17 is in a second position closing the low pressure port 16. In the disclosed embodiment, the actuator 22 is activated, i.e. a current is fed to its solenoid, so that the disk 23 can be pulled to the solenoid to close the channel 24 and prevent the high voltage from passing through the pilot circuit 18 to the secondary position of the active side 20a of the membrane 20. Conversely, low pressure may act on the active side 20a of the membrane 20, pulling the membrane 20 upward, which means that the membrane 20 pulls the stem member 21 upward such that the stem member 21 pulls the valve disc 17 against the low pressure port 16 to the second position.

Thus, the high pressure in the second position may be led via the high inlet 13, the high pressure port 15, the outlet chamber 14 through the control valve 9 and through the outlet 12 to the shut-off valve 8, which in response to the high pressure may close the long milk conduit 4 to prevent low pressure, i.e. milking vacuum, from acting on the milking cluster 1 and the teatcups 2.

The membrane 20 of the disclosed embodiment will now be further described with reference to fig. 4 to 8. It should be noted that fig. 4 to 6 disclose a membrane element having two membranes 20. The control valves 9 may be arranged side by side in pairs, wherein the membrane 20 may advantageously be manufactured with two membranes 20 as disclosed in fig. 4 to 6. However, for one control valve 9, only one of the membranes 20 disclosed in fig. 4 to 6 may be used, see fig. 7.

The membrane 20 extends along an extension plane p. The central axis x of the membrane 20 is perpendicular to the extension plane p. The membrane 20 comprises an outer annular edge portion 31, a central portion 32 and a flexible portion 33.

The outer annular edge portion 31 can have an annular surface 34 on the active side 20a of the membrane 20. The annular surface 34 may be parallel to the extension plane p. The central portion 32 may be circular and configured to couple with the valve disc 17. The flexible portion 33 is annular and is disposed between the central portion 32 and the outer annular edge portion 31. Flexible portion 33 may abut and be connected to outer annular edge portion 31 and central portion 32.

The central portion 32 has a central aperture 35. The rod member 21 may extend through and attach to the central aperture 35 of the central portion 32.

The membrane 20 is flexible to allow the central portion 32 to move back and forth along the central axis x, thereby allowing the valve disc 17 to move to one of the first and second positions.

As initially mentioned, the membrane 20 may not always be able to lift the valve disc 17 from its first position allowing low pressure through the outlet 12. To overcome this problem, the membrane 20 is designed with an inherent pretension of the flexible portion 33, which allows the membrane 20 to exert a force on the valve disc 17 from the first position towards the second position. The movement of the valve disc 17 from the first position illustrated in fig. 2 can thus be facilitated by the inherent pretension of the flexible portion 33. It should be noted that when high pressure acts on the active side 20a of the membrane 20 via the passage 24, the inherent pretension may not prevent the valve disc 17 from moving from the second position.

As can be seen in particular from fig. 7 and 8, the flexible portion 33 may have an undulating shape with rounded wave crests 36 and rounded wave troughs 37 in a cross-section including the central axis x. The peaks 36 may be located closer to the central axis x than the valleys 37.

The flexible portion 33 includes an intermediate annular side 38 extending between and connecting the peaks 36 and valleys 37. The intermediate annular side 38 may slope from the peak 36 to the valley 37. As can be seen from fig. 8, the intermediate annular side 38 may be inclined outwardly and downwardly with respect to the extension plane p and thus form an angle of inclination with the extension plane p.

The flexible portion 33 has a thickness T. The thickness T through the middle annular side 38 may be thinner than the thickness through the peaks 36 and through the valleys 37.

The peaks 36 may be located above the annular surface 34 in the rest position of the membrane 20, and the valleys 37 may be located below the annular surface 34 in the rest position.

Fig. 6 discloses the passive side 20b of the membrane 20. The center portion 32 includes a bottom surface 39 on the passive side 20 b. The bottom surface 39 may surround the central hole 35 and may be parallel to the extension plane p. The central portion 32 may include four grooves 40 extending through the bottom surface 39 and arranged perpendicularly with respect to each other. The purpose of the recess 40 is to allow low pressure to pass through the low pressure port 16 in the first position of the valve disc 17, see fig. 2.

The membrane 20 may be made of a plastic elastic material, such as silicone rubber. The bending stiffness of the material of the membrane 20 may be at least 45 shore, preferably at least 50 shore.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed but may be varied and modified within the scope of the following claims.