DE20108638U1 - Actuator with position indicator - Google Patents

Description

BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

LAW FIRM

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German Patent and Trademark Office Zweibrückenstr. 12

80297 Munich DR ING. KARL DOEHMERT. PA f]»ll»|

DIPL.-ING ALBERTBOEHMERT, Pa II'«>2-iV/3>

WILHELM J. H. STAHLBERG, RA, lin.im.-n

DR.-ING. WALTER HOORMANN, HAV Ural",

DIPL-PHYS. DR. HEINZ GODDAR. CA·. Mincbn

DR-ING ROLAND LIESEGANG. HA·. Munich

WOLF-DIETER KUNTZE. Attorney, lawyer, ALeanie

DIPL-PHVS. ROBERrMUNZHLiBER. &Rgr;&Lgr; (IV)JlW)

DR. LUDWIG KOUKER, Ra. Mr.™,

DR. (CHEM-J ANDREAS WINKLER, &Rgr;&Lgr;·, limviai

MICHAELA HUTH-DIERIG, KA.M1lnch.11

DIPL.-PHYS. DR. MARION TÖNHARDT, HA·. d&kM«'

DR. ANDREAS EBERT-WEIDENFELLER, Ra, lm>i

DIPL.-[NG. EVA LIESEOANG, PA·, Munich

DR. AXEL NORDEMANN, RA. Bert.

DIPL.-PHY3. DR. DOROTHEE WEBER-BRULS.PA-.F«

DIPL.-PHYS. DR. STEFAN SCHOHE. PA·. Munich

DR.-ING. MATTHIAS PHILIPP. PA·. Bielefeld

DR. MAJVTIN WIRTZ, RA. DCbueUorf

DR. DETMAR SCHÄFER, RA, Drei™

DR. JAN BERND NORDEMANN, LL.M.. RA, BeA

PA - PalenlaawaJfPateni Anuiney

RA - ReehtsanwaU/Aiianiey al Law

* - European Patent Attorney

^&Lgr; - BnuKieDnurg, zugelusarc at the Brandenburg Higher Regional Court

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All rights reserved .

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PROF DR. WILHELM NORDEMANN. KA. ItKIJ' DIPL.-PHYS EDUARD BAUMAKN. PA-. llolmkirel,,,,, DR.-ING. GERALD KLÖPSCH, PA·. IWId.«r DIPL-ING. HANS W. GROENING. PA·, Münehm DIPL-ING. SIEGFRIED SCHIRMER, &EEgr;&Lgr;·. Bielefeld DIPL.-PHYS. LORENZ HANEWINKEL. PA·, p»lett..™ DIPL-ING. DR. JAN TÖNNIES, HA, RA. Kiel DIPL.-PHYS. CHRISTIAN BIEHL, PA· K;.l DIPL.-PHYS- DR.-ING. UWE MANASSE, PW lirm«.·,. DR. CHRISTIAN CZYCHOWSKI. RA. üenin DR. CARL-RICHARD HAARMANN. RA. Mündie., DIPL.-PHYS. DR- THOMAS L. BITTNER, PA'. Be ₁ Ii,,

DR- VOLKER SCHMITZ, LAWYER, Munich

DIPL.-PHYS. CHRISTIAN W. AfPELT. PA·, Münd,e» DR. ANKE NORDEMANN-SCHIFFEL, ra°, Fa^ ₁₁ KERSTIN MAUCH, LLM., RA. fWam DIPL-BIOL. DR. JAN B. KRAUSS, PA. Munich JÜRGEN ALBRECHT, RA. Müntheo ANKE SIEBOLD, RA, Bremen

DR. KLAUS TIM BRÖCKER, RA. BeHi ₁ , ANDREAS DUSTMANN, LLM.. RA, Poi«bm DIPL-ING. NILS TF SCHMlD, PA, Manchen

[n Together Dartwit injfin cooperation with

DIPL-CHEM. DR. HANS L/LRJCH MAY. PA·. Munich

Your sign
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Your letter of

New registration (utility model) Our symbol
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S50015

Bremen,

22 May 2001

Samson Aktiengesellschaft

Weismüllerstrasse 3
60314 Frankfurt am Main

Actuator with position indicator

Description

The invention relates to an actuating device with a valve that has a valve housing, a valve cone, a valve seat and a valve rod, wherein the valve cone is movable relative to the valve seat and the valve rod follows the movement of the valve cone; with a drive acting on the valve rod in a drive housing and with a position indicator for displaying the position of the valve, which has a mechanically coupled to the valve rod.

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BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT
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rod which follows the movement of the valve cone, changes from a first position to a second position when changing between the closed position and the open position of the valve and in the first position either runs within the drive housing or at least partially protrudes from a passage opening of the drive housing and in the second position at least partially protrudes from the passage opening of the drive housing or runs within the drive housing.

Position indicators are used to provide a simple visual representation of the current valve position of a control device. A valve position indicator is often necessary or at least desirable, particularly for on-off valves such as angle seat valves.

Electronically read position indicators for actuators to detect the valve position are known, for example, from WO 95/08071. However, such position indicators are complex and expensive.

US 4,453,697 discloses a pneumatic pilot valve with an indicator pin that dips more or less into a hole to indicate the valve status, whereby this indicator pin can also be used as a push button for manual operation of the valve. This pilot valve has a complex and costly structure.

Actuators with mechanically operated position indicators that show two valve positions are also known, eg from EP 0 651 192. However, the disadvantage here is that the position marks are only visible from a limited angle or are even difficult to see due to the window design. In addition, the structure is again complex and expensive.

A generic actuator with position indicator is known from US 4,072,126. In order to optically read the valve status, a convex window above one and two mutually movable components in different colors are used, whereby one of the components can be inserted into the other component by changing the outwardly facing

BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT -j-

reflected color can be moved by a valve movement. However, such position indicators have the disadvantage that the reflector is manufactured either by using a stable metal mold or by an additional work process such as vapor deposition, gluing on metal foils or the like, and is therefore expensive. In addition, the use of two components that can be moved relative to one another is complicated and expensive.

The invention is therefore based on the object of further developing the actuator of this type in such a way that the disadvantages of the prior art are overcome, in particular a robust, cost-effective and easily readable position indicator is created. In addition, it should be possible to read the position indicator from a largely independent viewing angle.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the rod has a first color on its front surface and a second color on its outer surface at its one end which can be moved out of the drive housing, and the first color contrasts with the second color, wherein preferably the first color is a dark color and the second color is a light and/or signal color.

It can be provided that the outer surface of the rod is provided at least at one end of the rod by a display cover, which is preferably made of plastic colored in the second color.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the drive housing and/or a stencil applied thereto presents a third color in the region of the passage opening for the rod, which preferably corresponds essentially to the first color.

Preferably, the invention proposes that the template is made of plastic and is connected or connectable to the drive housing and/or a display dome, preferably via a snap connection.

BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

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Furthermore, it can be provided that a transparent display dome, which is connected to the drive housing
and/or the template, has a convex curvature and substantially surrounds one end of the rod.

Preferably, the material thickness of the display dome can be increased with increasing
Distance from the drive housing decreases.

Finally, the invention also proposes that a display dome in
axial extension of the rod has a recess through which the rod can be moved
is.

The design of the transparent display dome in the form described above also allows the user to observe the valve states when the observation point is on the symmetry axis of the display dome and is also inexpensive to manufacture.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail using two schematic drawings.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an actuator with position indicator according to the invention, with closed valve position (closed), in section; and

Figure 2 shows the embodiment of Figure 1, with the valve in the open position (Open), in section.

Figures 1 and 2 show an actuator 1 according to the invention with position indicator 5, consisting of a valve 10 with a valve housing 12, a valve cone 14 and a valve seat 16. The valve 10 is designed as a lift valve in which the valve cone 14 closes the valve seat 16 depending on the lift position.

BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

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Even though the valve 10 can in principle assume any valve position, its use as an open-close valve is particularly advantageous for the position indicator 5 described below. Figure 1 shows a closed valve position (closed); and Figure 2 shows the open valve position (open).

Furthermore, Figures 1 and 2 show a drive 18 with a drive housing 20, which in turn comprises a spring accumulator chamber 22 including spring accumulator 23 and a drive chamber 24 into which a fluid, e.g. air, flows through a fluid feed 25 and acts on a membrane 26. The membrane 26 is connected to a membrane plate 28, which transmits membrane movements to a valve rod 22. In the embodiment shown, the valve cone 14 is subjected to force in the closing direction by the spring accumulator 23 via the valve rod 22 connected to it, so that it is ensured that the valve cone 14 seals the valve seat 16 when there is no pressure in the drive chamber 24.

The valve rod 29 is mechanically coupled to a rod 30 via the diaphragm plate 28 in such a way that every movement of the valve cone 14 forces a translational movement of the rod 30. The rod 30 remains within the drive housing 20 when the valve 10 is closed, see Figure 1, and protrudes at least partially from a passage opening 21 of the drive housing 20 when the valve 10 is open, see Figure 2. The rod 30 can be screwed to the valve rod 29 and the drive 28 for this purpose, so that the stroke of the rod 30 also quantitatively corresponds to the stroke of the valve cone 14.

In the embodiment shown, the rod 30 has a display cover 34 at the end that can partially protrude from the drive housing 20 to provide the position indicator 5. The display cover 34 is provided with a dark color (for example black) on its front surface 36 and a signal color on its lateral peripheral surface 35. The display cover 34 is made of colored plastic and can be manufactured inexpensively. Furthermore, a template 37 is arranged on the drive housing 20 in the area of the passage opening 21 for the rod 30. The template is black or at least dark in color and is made of plastic. The template

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BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

blone 37 is held against the drive housing 20 by an indicator dome 38. The indicator dome 38 also encloses the passage of the rod 30.

In other embodiments not shown, the template has a snap connection for connection to the drive housing or the display dome for fixing.

The template 37 serves to increase the optical contrast between the drive housing 20 on the one hand and the rod 30 at the end protruding from the drive housing 20 in the open position of the valve 10, i.e. in the area of the peripheral surface 35, on the other hand, which serves to increase the readability of the position indicator 5. The display cover 38 and the template 37 are both made of plastic and can easily be color-coordinated to one another so that the greatest possible contrast is created when the valve 10 is open, i.e. in the position shown in Figure 2.

The signal color of the peripheral surface 35 is not visible when the valve 10 is closed, as shown in Figure 1.

Due to the high optical contrast between the dark color of the front surface 36 and the drive housing 20 with the template 37 on the one hand and the signal color of the peripheral surface 35 on the other hand, an easy differentiation of the states of the valve 10 is possible and thus a position indication of the valve 10 is provided.

This optical effect is enhanced by the additional, transparent indicator dome 38, which essentially surrounds the end of the rod 30 that protrudes from the drive housing 20 when the valve 10 is open. For this purpose, the indicator dome 38 is convexly curved and its material thickness decreases with increasing distance from the drive housing 20. This creates the effect of a lens, and the perception of the signal color and thus the position of the valve 10 is only slightly dependent on the viewing angle. This also enables a viewer who is in the axial extension of the rod 30 to reliably recognize valve states.

BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

Furthermore, the indicator dome 38 provides mechanical protection for the rod 30 and thus prevents unwanted external forces from acting on the valve rod 30.

In a variant of an actuator according to the invention (not shown) without display cover and template, the front surface of the rod can have a dark color that corresponds as closely as possible to the color of the drive housing in this area, and the lateral surface of the rod can have a signal color.

In an equally advantageous embodiment of the invention (not shown), the transparent indicator dome has a recess in the axial extension of the rod, so that the rod is protected against lateral mechanical influences, while the optical effect of the position indicator is only slightly influenced. This embodiment offers advantages in terms of production and assembly.

The direction of action of the spring accumulator 23 is not essential for the inventive idea. The actuator according to the invention can of course also be used in fluidic drives that do not have a spring accumulator or a spring accumulator 23 that opens the valve 10 when the fluidic pressure fails.

In addition, it is also possible to use it with other drives, such as electric drives, or other valve types, such as rotary plug valves, if the valve movement is converted into a translational movement of a rod.

The invention disclosed in the foregoing description, drawings and claims
Features of the invention can be used individually or in any combination to achieve the invention in its various embodiments.
be.

List of reference symbols Actuator 1 Position display 5 Valve 10 Valve housing 12 Valve cone 14 Valve seat 16 drive 18 Drive housing 20 Passage opening 21 Spring storage chamber 22 Spring accumulator 23 Drive room 24 Fluid supply 25 membrane 26 Diaphragm plate 28 Valve rod 29 pole 30 Shell surface 31 Ad coverage 34 Circumferential area 35 Frontal area 36 template 37 Display dome 38

Claims (7)

1. Actuator ( 1 ) with a valve ( 10 ) having a valve housing ( 12 ), a valve cone ( 14 ), a valve seat ( 16 ) and a valve rod ( 29 ), wherein the valve cone ( 14 ) is movable relative to the valve seat ( 16 ) and the valve rod ( 29 ) follows the movement of the valve cone ( 14 ); with a drive ( 18 ) acting on the valve rod ( 29 ) in a drive housing ( 20 ) and with a position indicator ( 5 ) for indicating the position of the valve ( 10 ), which has a rod ( 30 ) mechanically coupled to the valve rod ( 29 ), which follows the movement of the valve cone ( 14 ), changes from a first position to a second position when changing between the closed position and the open position of the valve ( 10 ) and in the first position either runs within the drive housing ( 20 ) or at least partially protrudes from a passage opening ( 21 ) of the drive housing ( 20 ) and in the second position at least partially protrudes from the passage opening of the drive housing ( 20 ) or runs within the drive housing ( 20 ), characterized in that the rod ( 30 ) is movable out of the drive housing ( 20 ) on one side and is End has a first color on its front surface ( 36 ) and a second color on its lateral surface ( 31 , 34 ), and the first color contrasts with the second color, wherein preferably the first color is a dark color and the second color is a light and/or signal color. 2. Actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer surface of the rod ( 30 ) is provided at least at one end of the rod ( 30 ) by a display cover ( 34 ) which is preferably made of plastic colored in the second color. 3. Actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive housing ( 20 ) and/or a template ( 37 ) applied thereto in the region of the passage opening ( 21 ) for the rod ( 30 ) presents a third color, which preferably corresponds essentially to the first color. 4. Actuator according to claim 3, characterized in that the template ( 37 ) consists of plastic and is connected or connectable to the drive housing ( 20 ) and/or a display dome ( 38 ), preferably via a snap connection. 5. Actuator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a transparent display dome ( 38 ) which is connected to the drive housing ( 20 ) and/or the template ( 37 ), has a convex curvature and substantially surrounds one end of the rod ( 30 ). 6. Actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that the material thickness of the display dome ( 38 ) decreases with increasing distance from the drive housing ( 20 ). 7. Actuator according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the indicator dome ( 38 ) has a recess in the axial extension of the rod ( 30 ) through which the rod ( 30 ) is movable.