Hydraulic valve

Abstract: An hydraulic valve of the flow-controlled type and including a valve housing provided with inlet and outlet means and a valve body which is intended to coact with a valve seat in a manner to open and interrupt the connec­ tion between the inlet and outlet means in dependence on a continuously controllable pilot flow in a pilot-flow channel extending from a pilot-flow chamber located on the side of the valve body remote from the valve seat to the outlet in the flow direction after the valve body. The pilot-flow chamber, in turn, communicates with the inlet via a variable constriction. For the purpose of simplifying this type of valve and rendering the valve more compact, the valve body (9) is arranged in a recess (25) which extends to the valve seat (26) and which is formed concentrically with the valve seat. The recess (25) is formed in a seat-part (8) which incorporates one or more slots (34) which are open towards the recess (25) and which discharge into the pilot-flow chamber (27). The seat-part also includes at least one inlet port (19) which communicates with the inlet (2) and which also communicates with the slot or slots (34), such as to form the variable constriction, thereby providing a facility in which the valve body (9) can be moved continuously between its valve-open and valve-­ closed positions in a controllable manner.

Description: The present invention relates to a hydraulic valve, which inter alia, can be used as a completely novel type of blocking valve or so-called locking-valve. Such valves find use in hydraulic systems and are intended to block hydraulic lines passing to and from hydraulic motors. Such valves may also be used for the primary purpose of eliminating so-called load creep, which occurs in various types of hydraulic piston-cylinder devices or rams when under load and which, more specifically, means that any load whatsoever held by an hydraulic piston-cylinder device will be slowly lowered due to internal leakage of hydraulic medium in the hydraulic system, and particularly in operating valves present in the system. Various valves which are intended to prevent load sink are known to the art. The use of pilot-controlled check valves is particularly known in this regard, but these valves have the drawback of being of the on/off-type, i.e. the valve body, or valve plug, of such valves can either take solely a fully open position or a fully closed position. This is because the valve body is spring-biased in the direction of its closed position and can only be moved to its open position by a force which exceeds the spring force. The novel type of valve known from US-A-4 535 809, according to the preamble of claim 1 is based on the principally known technique of controlling or positionally adjusting the valve body independently of pressure, but in dependence on a pilot flow which derives from the main flow controlled by the valve, e.g. blocked. Such hydraulic valves have the form of seat valves and, compared with conventional pressure-controlled seat valves, have been found to possess many advantages, not least because such valves, as distinct from the pressure-control valves can be set precisely to any position whatsoever between their two limit positions, i.e. between their fully open and fully closed positions, and thereby enable both large and small fluid flows to be controlled continuously with precision, as well as flows which are under pressures greater than 500 bar, without requiring the application of excessively large valve-setting forces. This latter advantage also renders this type of valve particularly useful in systems in which very high pressures occur, for instance in mobile hydraulic systems. Furthermore, because the valve-setting forces are so small, such valves can be remotely controlled with the aid of electric signals or impulses, in a very ready and simple fashion. This new type of valve, however, also has a number of drawbacks. One primary drawback is that the operating function of such valves requires the provision of a valve body which is technically complicated from the aspect of manufacture. This prevents such valves from being fitted with known valve plugs that are capable of being manufactured in large numbers, or which are already available commercially in large numbers, such as spherical balls for instance. Consequently, this type of valve is more difficult and more expensive to use. Furthermore, this type of valve requires a relatively long valve body, which means that the valve itself is also relatively long and cannot be made as compact as would be desired, not least from the aspect of installation. Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide an hydraulic valve which can also be used as a blocking or locking valve and which is so configured as to enable the valve to be used at least in all instances where it is desired not only to achieve leakage-free blocking or locking of an hydraulic system, but also to achieve continuous valve-opening and valve-closing movement of the valve body, so as to enable an hydraulic flow to be controlled continuously irrespective of the value of the pressure prevailing in the system, and also in a manner which will enable the operator himself to determine, for instance, the speed at which a supported load shall be lowered. Another object of the invention is to provide a valve of the aforesaid new kind which is constructed a) so as to enable the valve to be made compact, b) so as to enable the valve to be manufactured at low costs, and c) primarily so as to enable the valve to function in the manner intended with a standard-type valve body, therewith contributing significantly to the low-cost aspect with regard to manufacture and maintenance. These objects of the invention are achieved with a valve constructed in accordance with the invention and having the characterizing features set forth in the following claims. The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of an inventive valve construction; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a slightly modified version of the inventive valve construction; and Figure 4 is sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3. The reference numeral 1 used in the drawings identifies generally a valve housing which is provided with an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. The inlet and outlet are interconnected by a bore 4 in the housing 1 and form part of a main passageway for the passage of a main flow of medium in a direction marked with arrows 5. An inventive valve 6 is secured detachably in the bore 4, with the aid of a screw joint 7, said valve having the form of a so-called cartridge insert. Thus, the inventive valve 6 of the illustrated and solely exemplifying embodiment has the form of a cartridge insert and comprises three different main-parts, namely a seat-part 8, a valve body 9, and a screw cap or insert sleeve 10. The insert sleeve 10 has at least one external screwthread which coacts with a corresponding internal screwthread in the bore 4, such as to obtain the screw joint 7, and is also provided with a spanner-grip 11 which enables the valve to be fitted into the bore 4 of the valve housing 1. The end of the sleeve 10 distal from the spanner-grip 11 has provided thereon a cylindrical flange part 12, into which the seat-part 8 of the valve is fitted partially, with a press fit. Thus, when screwing the sleeve 10 into the bore 4 of the valve housing, one end surface of the seat-part 8 will be brought into abutment with a first shoulder 13 provided within the bore 4, and the other end surface 16 of said seat-part will be brought into engagement with a second shoulder 15, optionally via a packing 17 located between said end surface 16 and said second shoulder 15. When screwed into the bore 4, in which the seat-part 8 is thus fixated in its intended position, the seat-part 8 has one and preferably several inlet ports 19 in communication with one another and with the valve inlet 2, via a circumferential gap 20 defined between the valve and the wall of the bore 4 and at least one outlet port 22 located in the valve outlet 3, or communicating with said outlet port in some other way, as illustrated in Figure 1. The valve 6 is sealed against the wall 21 of the bore 4 with the aid of annular seals 23 on both sides of the inlet ports 19. The valve body 9 of the inventive valve according to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 has the form of a spherical ball 24, referred to hereinafter as the valve ball 24, which is located in a circular recess 25 formed in the seat-part 8 of the valve. The recess 25 has an internal diameter which is equal to the largest external diameter of the valve ball, and has a larger internal diameter than the internal diameter of respective outlet ports 22 provided in the seat-part 8 of said valve, said outlet ports being disposed concentrically in relation to said recess 25 and in communication with the outlet 3. When in its valve-closing position, the valve ball 24 is intended to lie in abutment with a valve seat 26 provided in the seat-part 8 of the valve, and is held in abutment with said seat with a holding force hereinafter defined in more detail. Formed in the insert sleeve 10 of said valve, on the side of the valve ball remote from the valve seat 26, is a chamber 27 which communicates, via one or more ports 28, with a circumferential annular gap 29 disposed between the insert sleeve 10 and the wall 21 of the bore 4. A pilot flow channel 30 extends from the gap 29 to the valve outlet 3. Fitted in the channel 30 is a control device 31, shown purely schematically in Figure 1, which may consist, for instance, of a throttle valve or pilot-flow valve whose settings can be adjusted continuously and smoothly between a fully open and a fully closed position, such as to control the pilot flow from the pilot-flow chamber 27 to the valve outlet 3 in a continuous and smooth fashion. When the valve ball 24 of the Figure 1 embodiment is in abutment with the valve seat 26, and therewith closes the main passageway through the valve, the diametric plane 32, shown in chain, will lie essentially in line with the bottom 33 of one or more, preferably two, slots 34 disposed diametrically in the seat-part 8, these slots being delimited from the inlet ports 19 and the valve inlet 2 and opening into the pilot-flow chamber 27. One side of the slot 34 is connected with the recess 25 in which the valve ball 24 is located, whereas the other side of the slots is connected to the circular or cylindrical flange-part 12 of the insert sleeve. As a result of the spherical shape of the valve body, or valve ball, and of the placement or position of the diametric plane 32 of said spherical body in register with the bottom 33 of respective slots when the valve ball rests against its seat 26, there will constantly prevail a certain degree of communication with the pilot-flow chamber, past the valve ball 24. Consequently, the hydraulic pressure prevailing in the valve inlet 2 will also prevail in the chamber 27 and will act on that surface of the valve ball present in said chamber, therewith holding the valve ball 24 in abutment with its seat 26 with a holding force commensurate with the area of said surface, provided that the control unit 31 is in its closed position. When in its closed position, the control unit 31 will not permit the occurrence of any pilot flow in the pilot-flow channel 30 and will therewith also prevent the exit of pressure medium from the chamber 27. The pressure in the chamber 27 will therewith be the same as the pressure in the valve inlet 2, i.e. the same as the pressure upstream of the valve ball 24, as seen in the direction of flow. As is known, the pressure will always be higher on the inlet or pressure side of the valve than on its outlet side, and the pressure prevailing in the pilot-flow chamber will therewith generate on that surface of the valve ball which faces towards the chamber 27 a holding force which, due to the area ratios that prevail, is greater than the counterpressure which is dependent on valve-inlet-port pressure and which acts on that zone of the spherical surface of said valve ball which is bordered by the diametric plane 32 and a plane which extends parallel therewith through the valve seat 26, said pressure thereby holding the valve ball 24 in abutment with its seat 26, and therewith in its valve-closing position, provided that the control unit 31 is unactivated and closed. Due to the pressure differences which prevail on different sides of the valve ball, activation of the control unit 31, even to a small extent, will automatically result in a pilot flow from the pilot-flow chamber 27 to the valve outlet 3, downstream of the valve seat 26 through the pilot-flow channel 30, therewith causing the valve ball 24 to move away from its seat 26 and open the connection between the valve inlet and valve outlet 2,3 and thus through the valve 6. The valve ball 24 is caused to move from its seat 26 through a distance necessary to obtain an equilibrium between the flow past the valve ball 24 to the chamber 27 and the pilot flow through the control unit 31 and the pilot-flow channel 30 to the outlet 3. Immediately the valve ball 24 leaves its seat 26, the slots 34 are exposed to an increasing extent, therewith increasing the through-flow area past the valve ball 24 with increasing distances of the valve ball 13 from its seat 26. The slots 33 thus function as a variable constriction. As a result of the continuous, i.e. unbroken, fluid-control afforded by the control unit 31, the valve ball 24 will also be controlled between its two limit positions in a smooth and continuous fashion, therewith providing continuous control of the flow through the valve 6, irrespective of the prevailing pressure. When the control unit 31 is brought to its closed position and a pilot flow no longer exists, the pressure in the pilot-flow chamber 27 will again rise and cause the valve ball 24 to move automatically downwards, so as to bring the valve ball finally into abutment with its valve seat 26 and therewith shut-off the valve 6. In the case of the embodiment of the inventive valve illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, there is a very small connection between the main passageway upstream of the valve ball 24 held in its closed position, due to the fact that the diametric plane 32 of the valve ball is located on a level with the bottoms 33 of the diametrically positioned slots functioning as a variable constriction. This connection, necessary to the operational function of the inventive valve, can, however, be achieved in another way and it thus lies within the scope of the invention instead to position the valve ball 24 such that the diametric plane 32 of said ball will lie in the region between the bottom 33 of respective slots and the upper defining surface 35 of the inlet ports. In this case, when the valve ball 24 occupies its valve-closing position, the valve ball will not permit any hydraulic medium to pass from the main passageway to the pilot-flow chamber 27, due to its linear abutment with the wall part 36 of said recess. The connection between the main passageway and the pilot-flow chamber 27 necessary to the operational function of the valve can, in this case, be achieved by providing a plurality of holes of very small diameter in the partition wall 37 between the slot 34 and the inlet ports 19. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a modified embodiment of the inventive valve. The sole difference between this embodiment and the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is that the valve body 9 has a different configuration, although the function of the valve body is the same as that of the spherical valve body 24. The shape-modified valve body, here referenced 38, includes a spherical segment 39 intended for coaction with the valve seat 26, a first cylindrical part 40, with which said spherical segment merges and which has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the recess 25, and a second cylindrical part 41 having an external diameter which is so adapted to the internal diameter of said recess as to provide a slide fit between the recess 24 and the second cylindrical part 41 of the valve body 38. The transition or separation plane 41 between the two cylindrical parts 40 and 41 corresponds to the diametric plane 32 of the valve ball and, in the closing position of the valve body, shall thus lie on a level with the bottom 33 of the slots functioning as a variable constriction, so as to provide the requisite connection between the inlet 2 and the pilot-flow chamber 27. This modified embodiment may also comprise small holes formed in the partition wall 37 between the slots 34 and the inlet ports 19, in order to form the requisite connection between the inlet 2 and the pilot-flow chamber 27, in which case the separation plane 41 between the two cylindrical parts 40 and 41 of the valve body 38 shall be located in the region beneath the bottom planes 33 of the slots when the valve body 30 is in its valve-closing position. For the purpose of restricting movement of the valve body away from its seat, a peg 42 may be arranged to extend into the pilot-flow chamber 27, as illustrated in the drawings, although this movement restriction can also be achieved with the aid of the "roof" 43 of the chamber 27, by positioning said roof on a level with the free end of the illustrated peg. It will be understood that the present invention is not restricted to the aforedescribed and illustrated embodiments, and that changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept as defined in the following claims.

Claims: An hydraulic valve of the kind which is flow-controlled and which includes a valve housing having inlet means (2) and outlet means (3) and a valve body (9) which is intended to coact with a valve seat (26) for the purpose of opening and interrupting the communication between the inlet and outlet means (2, 3) in dependence on a continuously controllable pilot flow in a pilot-flow channel (30) extending from a pilot-flow chamber (27) located on the side of the valve body remote from its valve seat to the outlet (3) in the flow direction after the valve body (9), said pilot-flow chamber (27) in turn communicating with the inlet (2) via a variable constriction, in which the valve body (9) is arranged in a recess (25) which extends to the valve seat (26) and which is configured concentrically relative to said seat; and in that said recess is formed in a seat-part (8) which forms part of the valve and which incorporates one or more slots (34) which are open towards the recess (25) and discharge into the pilot-flow chamber (27), and at least one inlet port (19) which connects with the inlet (2) and which also communicates with said slot or slots (34) such as to form said variable constriction, characterized in that the slots (34) are arranged in the circumferential wall of the seat part (8) and the valve body includes a spherical part (24;39) which is intended for coaction with the valve seat (26), thereby providing a facility whereby the valve body (9) can be moved continuously between its opening and closing positions in a controllable fashion. A valve according to Claim 2, characterized in that the valve body is a spherical ball (24). A valve according to Claim 3, characterized in that when the valve ball (24) occupies its valve-closed position and thus lies in abutment with its seat (26), the diametric plane (32) of the valve ball lies on a level with or substantially on a level with the bottom (33) of said slot or slots, such as to form a connection between the slot or slots (34) and the inlet port (19) of the seat-part. A valve according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve body includes a spherical segment (39) which coacts with the valve seat (26), a first cylindrical part (40) whose diameter is the same as the diameter of the spherical segment (39), and a second cylindrical part (41) which is mounted with a slide-fit in the recess (25), and in that the partition plane of said valve body between the two cylindrical parts (40, 41) is located on a level with or substantially on a level with the bottom (33) of said slot or slots, such as to form a connection between the slot or slots (34) and the inlet port (19) of the seat-part, when the valve body occupies its valve-closing position. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat-part (8) includes two or four slots (34), which are disposed diametrically in relation to one another. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat-part (8) is provided in a bore (4) in the valve housing and is held in position in said bore by means of an insert sleeve (10) which can be screwed into said bore and which has a cylindrical flange part (12) which partially embraces the seat-part (8) and which forms part of the pilot-flow chamber (27). A valve according to Claim 6, characterized in that for the purpose of restricting valve-body movement in a direction away from the valve seat (26), the valve includes a peg (42) which extends from the insert sleeve into the pilot-flow chamber (27).

Inventors: ANDERSSON BO, ANDERSSON, BO
Applicants: VALVTECH AB
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F15B13
IPC codes: F16K31, F15B13