Patent Publication Number: US-2023139829-A1

Title: Mounting Clip to Mount an Actuator Unit to a Valve Unit and Assembly Having an Actuator Unit, a Valve Unit and a Mounting Clip

Description:
Mounting clip to mount an actuator unit to a valve unit and assembly having an actuator unit, a valve unit and a mounting clip 
     The invention relates to a mounting clip to mount an actuator unit to a valve unit. Further on, the invention relates to an assembly having an actuator unit, a valve unit and a mounting clip. 
     DE 10 2017 209 459 B4 discloses an assembly comprising a valve unit having a valve unit housing and an actuator unit having an actuator unit housing. A flange of the valve unit housing has through holes. A shoulder of the actuator unit housing surrounds a control terminal of the actuator unit coaxially to a control axis of the control terminal. The shoulder of the actuator unit housing has bolts which extend in the direction parallel to the control axis of the control terminal away from the shoulder and which are configured to penetrate into the through holes in the flange of the valve unit housing so that the bolts upon attachment of the actuator unit on the flange of the valve unit housing protrude through the through holes in the flange of the valve unit housing. The assembly further comprises a mounting element to fix the actuator unit on the valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the flange of the valve unit housing. This mounting element is provided by a fork-shaped splint. Such a fork-shaped splint is complex in manufacturing and expensive. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,458 B2 discloses a mounting clip for retaining an electrical connector in a coupled engagement. This mounting clip is not suitable to replace the known fork-shaped splint used to fix an actuator unit on a valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the valve unit. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,222 A discloses a valve unit assembly with connection by a clip. This mounting clip is not suitable to replace the known fork-shaped splint used to fix an actuator unit on a valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the valve unit. 
     The brochure “FIREFLY FIRE CLIPS, EL266/19023, Marshall-Tufflex Ltd”shows several different fire clips also not suitable to replace the known fork-shaped splint used to fix an actuator unit on a valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the valve unit. The Product Information “Fire Clip External MMT2, Marshall-Tufflex Ltd, 12-9-2019” shows details of one of said fire clips. 
     EP 3 015 767 B1, EP 1 008 804 A2 and EP 2 801 672 A1 show other mounting elements. EP 3 015 767 B1 shows a mounting element used to mount a gas valve unit to a gas/air mixer. EP 1 008 804 A2 shows a mounting element used to mount a gas duct to gas valve unit. EP 2 801 672 A1 shows a mounting element to mount housing sections of back flow preventers. All these mounting elements are not suitable to replace the known fork-shaped splint used to fix an actuator unit on a valve unit. 
     A novel mounting clip is needed allowing a simple and reliable fixation of an actuator unit on a valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the valve unit being easy and cheap in manufacturing. 
     Against this background, a novel mounting clip to mount an actuator unit to a valve unit is provided. 
     The novel mounting clip is configured to mount an actuator unit to a valve unit, the valve unit having a valve unit housing and a flange formed at the valve unit housing, the actuator unit having an actuator unit housing and a shoulder formed at the actuator unit housing. 
     The novel mounting clip has first sections positioned in first level, wherein said first sections are straight and run parallel to each other within said first level, and wherein said straight sections are configured to be inserted into grooves provided at the shoulder of the actuator unit. 
     The novel mounting clip has a second section positioned in a second level, wherein said second section is U-shaped, and wherein said second section is configured to be inserted into a recess provided at the flange of the valve unit. 
     The novel mounting clip has third sections extending between each of said first sections and the second section, wherein each of said third sections has a first subsections being bent, a second subsection being bent and a third subsection being straight or angled. The first subsections of the third sections extend between the first sections and the third subsections of the third sections. The second subsections of the third sections extend between the second section and the third subsections of the third sections. 
     The novel mounting clip allows a simple and secure fixation of an actuator unit on a valve unit upon attachment of the actuator unit on the valve unit being easy and cheap in manufacturing. 
     According to a first embodiment of the mounting clip, the third subsections of the third sections are positioned in a third level, said third level being positioned between said first level and said second level, wherein the first subsections of the third sections extend between the third level and said first level, and wherein the second subsections of the third sections extend between the third level and said second level. The third level may run parallel to the second level. The third level and the second level may enclose an acute angle with first level. The second subsections of the third sections may be positioned in fourth levels running perpendicular to the third level. The first subsections of the third sections may be positioned in fifth levels, wherein the fifth levels and the fourth levels enclose an acute angle, and wherein the fifth levels converge from the first level towards the third level. The first embodiment of the mounting clip is most preferred. The same is very easy and very cheap in manufacturing. 
     According to a second embodiment of the mounting clip, the third subsections of the third sections are positioned in said second level offset from said second section, wherein the first subsections of the third sections extend between the first level and said second level, wherein the second subsections of the third sections are positioned in a third level. The third level and the second level may enclose an obtuse angle. The first level and the second level may enclose an acute angle. 
     All sections of the mounting clip are made from one monolithic metal wire. The metal wire may have a diameter in a range between 1.0 mm and 3.5 mm, preferred in a range between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm, most preferred in a range between 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm. 
     The assembly having an actuator unit, a valve unit and a mounting clip is defined in claim  14 . 
    
    
     
       Preferred developments of the invention are provided by the dependent claims and the description which follows. Exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail on the basis of the drawing, in which: 
         FIG.  1   a    shows an assembly having an actuator unit, a valve unit and a mounting clip; 
         FIG.  1   b    shows an actuator unit and a valve unit being disassembled from each other; 
         FIGS.  2   a  to  2   e    show different views of a first mounting clip; 
         FIGS.  3   a  to  3   e    show different views of a second mounting clip. 
     
    
    
       FIG.  1    shows an assembly having an actuator unit  10 , a valve unit  20  and a mounting clip  30 . 
     The valve unit  10  has a valve unit housing  11  and a flange  12  formed at the valve unit housing  11 , namely at an inlet section  13  of the valve unit housing  11 . The flange  12  of the valve unit housing  11  has openings  14  (see  FIG.  1   b   ). 
     The actuator unit  20  has an actuator unit housing  21  and a shoulder  22  formed at the actuator unit housing  21 . The shoulder  22  of the actuator unit housing  21  surrounds a control terminal  23  of the actuator unit  21  coaxially to a control axis of the control terminal  23 . The shoulder  22  of the actuator unit housing  21  has bolts  24  (see  FIG.  1   b   ). The bolts  24  extend in the direction parallel to the control axis of the control terminal  23  away from the shoulder  22 . The bolts  24  are configured to penetrate into the openings  14  in the flange  12  of the valve unit housing  11  so that the bolts  24  upon attachment of the actuator unit  20  on the flange  12  of the valve unit  10  protrude into the openings  14  in the flange  12 . 
     In  FIG.  1    the mounting clip  30  shown in  FIGS.  2   a  to  2   e    is used to fix the actuator unit  20  on the valve unit  10  upon attachment of the actuator unit  20  on the flange  12  of the valve unit housing  11 . 
     The mounting clip  30  has first sections  31  positioned in first level  32 , wherein said first sections  31  are straight and run parallel to each other within said first level  32 . Said first sections  31  are configured to be inserted into grooves  25  provided at the shoulder  22  of the actuator unit  20 . 
     The mounting clip  30  has a second section  33  positioned in a second level  34 , wherein said second section  33  is U-shaped. Said second section  33  is configured to be inserted into a recess  15  provided at the flange  12  of the valve unit  11 . 
     The mounting clip  30  has third sections  35  extending between each of said first sections  31  and the second section  33 . 
     Each of said third sections  35  has a first subsections  35   a  being bent, a second subsection  35   b  being bent and a third subsection  35   c  being straight. 
     The first subsections  35   a  of the third sections  35  extend between the first sections  31  and the third subsections  35   c  of the third sections  35 . The second subsections  35   b  of the third sections  35  extend between the second section  33  and the third subsections  35   c  of the third sections  35 . 
     The third subsections  35   c  of the third sections  35  are positioned in a third level  36 . Said third level  36  is positioned between said first level  32  and said second level  34 . See  FIG.  2   c   . The distance between the third level  36  and the first level  32  is larger than the distance between the third level  36  and the second level  34 . A bending radius of the first subsections  35   a  is greater than a bending radius of the second subsections  35   b.    
     The first subsections  35   a  of the third sections  35  extend between the third level  36  and said first level  32 . The second subsections  35   b  of the third sections  35  extend between the third level  36  and said second level  34 . 
     The third level  36  runs parallel to the second level  34 . The third level  36  and the second level  34  each enclose an acute angle β 1  with first level  32 . The acute angle β 1  may be between 2° and 20°, preferably between 5°and 15°. 
     The second subsections  35   b  of the third sections  35  are positioned in fourth levels  37  running perpendicular to the third level  36 . The first subsections  35   a  of the third sections  35  are positioned in fifth levels  38 . The fifth levels  38  and the fourth levels  37  enclose an acute angle β 2 . The acute angle β 2  may be between 5°and 25°. 
     The fifth levels  38  converge from the first level  32  towards the third level  36  and towards the second level  34 . 
     The first sections  31  being positioned in first level  32  have angled end sections  31 a. 
     All sections  31 ,  33 ,  35  of the mounting clip  30  are made from one monolithic metal wire. The monolithic metal wire may have a diameter in a range between 1.0 and 3.5 mm, preferred in a range between 1.5 and 3.0 mm, most preferred in a range between 2.0 and 2.5 mm. 
     The mounting clip  40  shown in  FIGS.  3   a  to  3   e    may alternatively be used to fix the actuator unit  20  to or at the valve unit  10  upon attachment of the actuator unit  20  on the flange  12  of the valve unit housing  11 . 
     The mounting clip  40  has first sections  41  positioned in first level  42 , wherein said first sections  41  are straight and run parallel to each other within said first level  42 . Said first sections  41  are configured to be inserted into grooves  25  provided at the shoulder  22  of the actuator unit  20 . 
     The mounting clip  40  has a second section  43  positioned in a second level  44 , wherein said second section  43  is U-shaped. Said second section  43  is configured to be inserted into a recess  15  provided at the flange  12  of the valve unit  11 . 
     The mounting clip  40  has third sections  45  extending between each of said first sections  41  and the second section  43 . 
     Each of said third sections  45  has a first subsections  45   a  being bent, a second subsection  45   b  being bent and a third subsection  45   c  being angled. 
     The first subsections  45   a  of the third sections  45  extend between the first sections  41  and the third subsections  45   c  of the third sections  45 . 
     The second subsections  45   b  of the third sections  45  extend between the second section  43  and the third subsections  45   c  of the third sections  45 . 
     The third subsections  45   c  of the third sections  45  are positioned in said second level  44  offset from said second section  43 . The second section  43  is positioned between the third subsections  45   c  of the third sections  45 . 
     The first subsections  45   a  of the third sections  45  extend between the first level  42  and said second level  44 . The second subsections  45   b  of the third sections  45  are positioned in a third level  46 . 
     The third level  46  and the second level  44  enclose an obtuse angle α 1 . See  FIG.  3   c   . The obtuse angle α 1  may be between 155°and 175°. 
     The first level  42  and the second level  44  enclose an acute angle α 2 . The acute angle α 2  may be between 2° and 20°, preferably between 5° and 15°. 
     The first subsections  45   a  of the third sections  45  are positioned in a fourth levels  47 . The fourth levels  47  run perpendicular to the first level  42 . 
     All sections  41 ,  43 ,  45  of the mounting clip  40  are made from one monolithic metal wire. The monolithic metal wire may have a diameter in a range be-tween 1.0 and 3.5 mm, preferred in a range between 1.5 and 3.0 mm, most preferred in a range between 2.0 and 2.5 mm. 
     The invention provides a simple and reliable attachment and fixation of an actuator unit  20  and valve unit  10 . The solution provided by the novel mounting clip  30 ,  40  is cheap, easy and reliable. The clip  30 ,  40  is a spring type clip with pre-load in assembly. 
     The clip  30 ,  40  is designed in the way that allows simple mounting and dismounting without a tool. The mounting and dismounting of the clip are toolless. 
     During the installation (pressing in) of the clip  30 ,  40  the preload of the clip  30 ,  40  provides haptic feedback to installer that end position is not reached. In moment of reaching end position the haptic feedback is provided to installer. 
     The force of the preload of an installed clip  30 ,  40  provides secure coupling of actuator unit  20  and valve unit  10 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
       10  valve unit 
       11  valve unit housing 
       12  flange 
       13  inlet section 
       14  opening 
       15  recess 
       20  actuator unit 
       21  actuator unit housing 
       22  shoulder 
       23  control terminal 
       24  bolt 
       25  groove 
       30  mounting clip 
       31  first section 
       31   a  end section 
       32  first level 
       33  second section 
       34  second level 
       35  third section 
       35   a  first subsection 
       35   b  second subsection 
       35   c  third subsection 
       36  third level 
       37  fourth level 
       38  fifth level 
       40  mounting clip 
       41  first section 
       41   a  end section 
       42  first level 
       43  second section 
       44  second level 
       45  third section 
       45   a  first subsection 
       45   b  second subsection 
       45   c  third subsection 
       46  third level 
       47  fourth level