Abstract:
A valve transport protection device for a valve comprises at least one valve connection surface with at least one fluid channel port, a preferably rectangular protection portion for covering the fluid channel port and elastic tabs which protrude from opposite ends of the protection portion and comprise a locking opening, for a form-locking engagement with protrusions protruding from the valve. The valve transport protection device is implemented without any adhesive on its side facing the valve.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a valve transport protection device for a valve comprising at least one valve connection surface with at least one fluid channel port. The invention further relates to a valve assembly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Valves for valve assemblies comprise a valve connection surface by means of which the valve is connected to a valve node, for example. The valve connection surface is provided with at least one fluid channel port in order to provide a flow connection between the valve and a fluid channel of the valve node. During shipment of the valve, said valve connection surface has to be protected in order to avoid dirt or foreign particles from entering the interior of the valve. Moreover, the fluid channel ports are frequently provided with seals which may get lost during the shipment of the valve. 
     For protecting the valve connection surfaces and the fluid channel ports, adhesive films have been used so far which are glued to the valve connection surface. These films have the disadvantage that during peeling off the film residues of the employed adhesive agent might stick to the valve connection surface. In addition, the seals provided on the fluid channel ports may stick to the adhesive film when peeling it off from the valve connection surface. Moreover, it may happen that the film which is transparent in many cases is overlooked during the installation of the valve, so that the film is not removed before installation. 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a valve transport protection device for a valve, which allows a more flexible use and shows an easier handling. Further, it is the object of the invention to provide a valve assembly comprising a valve and a valve transport protection device which allows an easier handling. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a valve transport protection device for a valve having at least one valve connection surface with at least one fluid channel port, the device comprising a protection portion for covering the fluid channel port and elastic tabs which protrude from opposite ends of the protection portion and comprise a locking opening, for a form-locking engagement with protrusions protruding from the valve, the valve transport protection device being implemented without any adhesive on its side facing the valve. 
     According to the invention, the valve transport protection device is connected with the valve and the valve connection surface not through an adhesive agent, but in a form-locking manner by laterally protruding, elastic tabs which are able to embrace the protrusions provided on the valve, as the protrusions project into the locking openings. A valve transport protection device of this type can be repeatedly fastened to and detached from the valve connection surface, so that it can be reused for the same or another valve. Due to the fact that no adhesive agents are used, it cannot happen that any residues of the adhesive stick to the valve connection surface or the fluid channel ports after detaching the valve transport protection device. Furthermore, the seals provided on the fluid channel ports cannot stick to the valve transport protection device due to the absence of any adhesive agent layer. Depending on the selected material, the valve transport protection device has also a larger thickness than the films which were used hitherto, so that it cannot be overlooked during installing the valve. 
     The tabs are formed in bracket-shaped fashion, for instance, and embrace the protrusions. Such tabs may be simply pulled over the protrusions and hooked in thereon, allowing a simple way of fastening the valve transport protection device to the valve. 
     Each tab can be connected with the protection portion through at least two webs, so that the webs, so to speak, delimit the locking opening in lateral direction. In the state when the valve transport protection device is mounted to the valve, the webs extend at both sides of the protrusions. If the webs are realized so as to have an appropriate elasticity, they pull the protection portion against the valve connection surface and the tabs against the protrusions. 
     The webs may extend from opposite edges of the protection portions, for example, i.e. they may be arranged in a way at the ends of the protection portion, so that during hooking in the tabs the entire protection portion is tensioned between the tabs. 
     The protection portion may additionally comprise prolongation portions which extend between the webs and cover the portions of the valve connection surface toward the protrusions. These prolongation portions project quasi beyond the tensioned protection portion, likewise resting against the valve connection surface and protecting it due to an appropriate stiffness of the material employed. Regardless of the position of the protrusions, these prolongation portions thus allow to increase the surface area which is protected by the valve transport protection device. 
     The protection portion and the tabs are arranged in a plane in an unloaded state and when not being fastened to the valve, for instance, and the valve transport protection device is plate-shaped. This allows a simple and space-saving storage of the valve transport protection device, on the one hand. In addition, the valve transport protection device is able to be produced by simple ways and means. The flexible webs allow an adaptation to various valves and valve connection surfaces. 
     The valve transport protection device is made in one piece of an elastic material, preferably of plastic or rubber, for example. In these embodiments, the entire valve transport protection device is designed so as to be elastic, so that a better adaptation of the protection portion to the respective valve connection surface is also possible. 
     An adaptation to curved valve connection surfaces is possible, too. It is also conceivable, however, that only the tabs or the webs of the tabs are designed so as to be elastic. 
     A plate-shaped transport protection device may be readily cut out, for instance, from a plate-shaped body by a cutting method, in particular by a water jet cutting method or by punching. As an alternative, the valve transport protection device may also be produced by a casting or injection molding method or a foaming method. 
     The present invention further provides a valve assembly comprising a valve having at least one valve connection surface with at least one fluid channel port and two protrusions protruding on opposite lateral surfaces, and comprising a valve transport protection device according to the invention, the protection portion resting against the valve connection surface and the tabs being hooked into the protrusions. The valve transport protection device is elastically tensioned between the protrusions and bears against the valve connection surface. 
     It is possible that seats for bolts are provided on the protrusions. In the mounted state, the tabs overlie the seats. This is why the seats are protected against dirt or foreign particles, too. It is also possible, for instance, that the protection portion also covers the seat openings which are situated at the side of the valve connection surface. 
     It is further possible that bolts are already inserted in the seats, the tabs pressing the bolt heads against the protrusions and securing the bolts on the valve against falling out. Moreover, the bolts are not accessible when the tabs cover the bolts or bolt heads. This ensures, in addition, that the valve transport protection device has to be removed prior to installing the valve. 
     The protection portion may completely cover the valve connection surface, i.e. has the same dimensions as the valve connection surface, for example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a valve transport protection device according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a valve for a valve assembly according to the invention, 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the valve from  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a valve assembly according to the invention, and 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the valve assembly from  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a valve transport protection device  10  for a valve  12  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The valve  12  has a valve connection surface  14  provided with three fluid channel ports  16  in the embodiment shown. Each of the fluid channel ports  16  is provided with a seal  18  in order to seal the fluid channel ports  16  during the installation on a valve node, for example. 
     Further, the valve  12  is provided with protrusions  22  which protrude at opposite lateral surfaces  20 . The protrusions  22  each have an upper side  25  arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the side surface  20  and are flush with the valve connection surface  14  at the underside. 
     Each of the protrusions  22  is provided with a seat  24  for a fastening means, here a bolt  26  with a bolt head  27  resting against the upper side  25 . 
     The seats  24  extend substantially perpendicular to the valve connection surface  14  and through the protrusions  22 . 
     The valve transport protection device  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is supposed to protect the valve connection surface  14  and the fluid channel ports  16  against dirt and foreign particles prior to installation. 
     To this end, the plate-shaped elastic valve transport protection device  10  comprises a protection portion  28  which is able to rest in flat fashion against the valve connection surface  14  (see also  FIGS. 4 and 5 ), as well as an elastic tab  32  protruding from the protection portion  28  at opposite ends  30 . The tabs  32  each have a locking opening  34 , in order to fix the valve transport protection device  10  to the protrusions  22  of the valve  12 , as will be explained in the following. 
     In the embodiment which is shown here, each of the tabs  32  is connected with the protection portion  28  via two webs  36  each, with the webs forming the lateral limitation of the locking opening  34 . The protection portion  28  further comprises two prolongation portions  38  which extend between the two webs  36  of the tabs  32  in each case. 
     In the unloaded, not installed state which is shown in  FIG. 1 , the valve transport protection device  10  is plate-shaped, i.e. extends in a plane. 
     Having such a shape, the valve transport protection device  10  can be easily made from a plate-shaped body, for instance of plastic or rubber. To this end, a cutting method, in particular a water jet cutting method is used. For larger quantities, punching it out from a plate-shaped body or, as an alternative, casting or injection-molding or foaming methods are also possible. 
     For the purpose of fitting the valve transport protection device  10  to a valve  12 , the rectangular protection portion  28  is placed on the valve connection surface  14  in such a manner that all of the fluid channel ports  16  and the valve connection surface  14  are covered by the protection portion  28  substantially over the full surface area (i.e. without the protrusions  22 ). 
     Subsequently, the elastic tabs  32  are pulled around the protrusions  22  until the tabs  32  rest against the upper side  25  of the protrusions  22 , i.e. the tabs  32  embrace the protrusions  22  ( FIG. 4 ). In this installation state, the webs  36  are tensioned and thus pull the protection portion  28  against the valve connection surface  14 . The fluid channel ports  16  are entirely covered by the valve transport protection device  10  and the protection portion  28  and hence are protected. 
     As can be seen in particular in  FIG. 5 , the prolongation portions  38  cover additional areas of the valve connection surface  14 , which are close to the protrusions  22 , so that the surface area protected by the valve transport protection device  10  is enlarged. 
     Removing the valve transport protection device  10  can be performed easily by pulling off the tabs  32  from the protrusions  22 . 
     As the valve transport protection device  10  is installed without using any adhesive agents and itself is realized without any adhesive, it cannot happen that any adhesive residues stick to the valve connection surface  14  during the removal of the valve transport protection device  10 . Further, it is also not possible that the seals  18  remain adhered to the valve transport protection device  10  or to the protection portion  28  of the valve transport protection device  10 . 
     As can be seen in particular in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , additional covering faces  40  are provided on the tabs  32 ; these covering faces cover the seats  24  for the bolts  26  in the mounted state and press the bolt heads  27  against the protrusions  22 . This is why the bolts  26  which are inserted in the seats  24  are protected against falling out. 
     Thus, the valve transport protection device  10  serves as a protection device for the fluid channel ports, on the one hand, and as a safeguarding device for the bolts  26  so that they cannot get lost, on the other hand. 
     In contrast to adhesive films which have been used hitherto, an inadvertent installation of the valve  12  together with the attached valve transport protection device  10  is not possible. It is merely due to the thickness of the valve transport protection device  10  that it is in evidence during the installation of the valve  12 , in contrast to adhesive films, so that the valve  12  is prevented from being installed together with the valve transport protection device  10 . 
     In addition, the bolts  26  are not accessible due to the covering faces  40 , so that—at the latest during the attempt to tighten the valve  12 —it will be apparent that the valve transport protection device  10  has not been removed. 
     As the valve transport protection device  10  is retained on the valve exclusively in a form-locking manner, a safe hold of the valve transport protection device  10  is ensured even in case the valve transport protection device  10  is repeatedly attached and removed, because renewing an adhesive layer is not required, for example. 
     In the embodiment which is shown here, the valve transport protection device  10  is homogenous and entirely made from rubber or plastic, i.e. from an elastic material, also allowing an adaptation to curved valve connection surfaces, for example. 
     It is also conceivable, however, that merely the tabs  32  or the webs  36  of the tabs  32  are designed so as to be elastic and that the protection portion  28  is designed so as to be rigid, i.e. the protection portion  28  and the tabs  32  are made from different materials or the protection portion is stiffened in addition.