GB2346200A

GB2346200A - Lockable gas flow valve regulator with gearing

Info

Publication number: GB2346200A
Application number: GB0001793A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arvo Aalto; Kari Fabritius; Jouni Laurikainen; Martti Purtola
Original assignee: Halton Oy
Current assignee: Halton Oy
Priority date: 1999-01-28
Filing date: 2000-01-26
Publication date: 2000-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-26
Also published as: FR2789145B1; SE0000069D0; GB0001793D0; SE0000069L; FR2789145A1; NL1014115A1; GB2346200B; DE10002529A1; SE522118C2; NL1014115C2; FI990155A0; FI104995B

Abstract

A regulator for an iris valve comprises regulation knob 11 operable, by rotation and toothing 12a, F on shaft J which is connected directly or otherwise to the valve. Knob 11 is preferably hollow with toothing F located circumferentially on its inside wall. Shaft J may have a second gearwheel 12b which engages toothing on the valve. Further toothing 11c on knob 11 may be biased against toothing 10d on fixed spindle 10b by spring 14 to lock knob 11 in position such that it can only be rotated by pushing it against spring 14. End piece 15 can be interconnected and set relative to knob 11 by toothing C1, C2 so that a reading arrow I connected to spindle 10c can indicate via scale E, on end piece 15, the valves condition. Sweeping memory 16 can be provided on end piece 15. The regulator can be locked by screws R2 so that regulation is not possible.

Description

2346200 Regulator construction for a valve that regulates a gaseous

medium, such as an air flow The invention concerns a regulator cons.ruction for a valve that regulates a gaseous medium, such as an air flow.

In respect of the prior art, reference is Made to the following cited publications: FI

Patent Application 961481, FI Patent 4,742, and US Patent 4,163,726.

In the present patent application, a solutin of regulation of an entirely novel type is sugaested for a valve, which solution permits a regulation that provides different positions of regulation reliably and pre6sely. In the present patent application, a novel regulator construction is described, for a valve of the so-called iris regulator type that regulates an air flow, which regulator construction provides precise regula tion but whose construction is, nevertheless, simple.

The regulator comprises a toothing inside the regulation knob, which toothing is connected with a toothed shaft which h4 been passed through the channel body, a hoop part being displaced further by means of a toothing provided at one end of the shaft. The hoop part further regulates, either directly or by means of a regulation wire or equivalent, the construction that regulales the air flow, such as slats. The regulator body itself has been fitted outside the chap'nel and attached to the channel. By means of a -ear transmission, the movement of rotation of the regulation knob is transferred further to the hoop part or equivalent. Troug gh the hoop part, the regulation move ment is transferred further to the constn4ction that regulates the gaseous medium, such as an air flow, such as to slats that an be positioned as a construction shaped as a truncated cone.

The valve regulator construction in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the reaulation knob is provided with a toothing, with which a backup toothing on 0 17 C) 2 the shaft is connected operationally, in which connection the construction!' that regulates the air flow inside the channel is displaced directly or by means of an intermediate part/parts.

In the following, the invention will be described with reference to some preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the figures in the accompanying drawings, the invention being, yet, not supposed to be confined to said embodiments alone.

Figure IA is an illustration of a slat construction that throttles an air flow. 10 Figure IB illustrates the operation of a regulator construction in accordance with the invention in connection with a what is called iris regulator as shown in Fig. IA.

Figure 1C is a cross-sectional view illustrating the principle of a regulation knob, and 0 the principle of operation of the regulator construction is described on the basis of this illustration.

Figure ID illustrates the principle of regulation of a slat construction in accordance with the present invention. By means of a toothing, a hoop placed inside the channel 0 and a wire connected with the hoop and regulating the position of the slats are displaced.

Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of a regulation knob construction in accordance with the invention before its assembly.

Figure 2B shows the construction shown in Fig. 2A as assembled.

Figure 2C shows the regulation knob construction as assembled and partly in section.

Figure 3 is an axonometric view of a regulation knob in accordance with the 0 invention and as placed apart from the channel.

3 Fig. 1A is an illustration of principle of a valve 300 that regulates the flow of a gaseous medium, such as an air flow, and of a regulator part 200 of said valve. The regulator part 200 regulates a slat consoction. of the valve 300, which construction has been fitted in a channel 100. The vdve 300 is favourably a what is called iris regulator. Preferably there is a slat constr:uction SI, S2- in which the slats SI, S2... placed as overlapping each other can be, turned into different regulation positions. Thus, by means of the slat construction, SI, S2..., a what is called iris regulator is formed that can be opened and closed, i.e. a valve that regulates the air flow quantity. By means of the slats SI, S2-", a construction shaped as a truncated cone is provided. In accordance with the invention, the position of turning of the slats SI, S2..' is regulated by means of a regulator part 200, which comprises a gearwheel transmission, by whose means the movement of rotation of the regulation knob I I of the regulator part 200 is transferred furtber to a hoop 13 placed inside the channel 100, with which hoop one or several regulator wires tj and/or t2, such as a cable, connected with the construction SI, S211 that regulates the air flow has/have been connected operationally. The regulator wires tl,t2... are favourably made of a rigid material, in which case they can receive a pushing force without buckling, and also a pulling force. In this way, by their meaps, it is possible to regulate both an opening movement and a closina movement of thp slats SI, S =1 2... when constructions shaped as a truncated cone and having differen cone angles are formed. The hoop 13 is displaced by rotating the regulation knob! 11 on the regulator part 200 of the valve 300. The movement of rotation of the regulation knob 11 is transferred through the gearwheel transmission 12aJ,12b to the.hoop 13 and further, from the connected wire/wires tj, t2... to the slat construction SI, S2... in itself known that regulates the air flow, such as a what is called iris regulator.

The presentation in Fig. IB is -also an ill,ustration of principle. The wire t,I t2--- is further connected with one or several slat$ S11 S2". and runs through said slats. The slats S 1) S2... are placed overlapping each. other at their longitudinal edges, and they can be pivoted by means of articulated joints around their ends so as to produce different cone angles for the semi-conical construction SI, S2.. When the air flow is throttled as little as possible, the slat parts are placed parallel to the channel 100, and, 4 in a corresponding way, when the throttle is increased, the slat parts are positioned as a construction shaped as a truncated cone, as is shown in Fig. 1A. One wire ti or several wires tI, t2... are connected from one end to the hoop 13 and from the other end to the inner wall of the channel 100. The wires tp t2... have been passed as freely moving through the through holes in the brackets el, e2provided on the outer faces of the slats. Fig. I C is an illustrative sectional view of the regulation knob 11. The end piece I Oc can be rotated to the desired position of turning, and after that it can be locked by 10 means of a screw Ri in relation to the spindle part 10b. T"he regulation knob I I is a hollow construction, in which, in the space inside the hollow space DI, there is a toothing F on the inner circumference of the regulation knob 11. The toothing F is jointly operative with the gearwheel 12a provided outside the channel 100, which gearwheel 12a has been fitted to rotate a second gearwheel 12b connected with the 15 shaft J, which latter aearwheel 12b is again placed inside the channel 100 and displaces the toothed hoop 13, to which the regulator wires t1, t2 that displace the slat plates have been connected from one end. Between the shoulder 1 lb of the regulation knob piece 11 and the upper shoulder 1 Oa' of the stationary spindle I Oa, there is a spring 14, which presses the part 11 by means of spring force so that the toothing 20 1 Ic on the part 11 is pressed against the toothing 10d on the end piece 10c of the spindle 10. The toothings 12a and 12b can also have been formed on the shaft J as a continuous toothing extending over the entire length of the shaft J. If desired, the part 10c can be locked in relation to the part 11 by means of a screw 25 R2. In normal operation, the screw R2 is neither needed nor used. In such a case, regulation of the valve 300 is not possible. The part 50 connected with the part 10c is provided with a reading arrow 1. At the location of the reading arrow 1, the turning position of the part 11 and the position of regulation of the air flow can be read from the scale E on the cover flange 15 connected with the turning part 11. By means of 30 the possibility of setting of the cover flange 15 in relation to the regulation knob 11, calibration of the valve is permitted before it is taken to use. The parts 15 and the part 11 have been interconnected by means of toothings C, and C2, however, so that, when necessary, the part 15 can be ro ated in relation to the part 11, for example, when the valve 300 is being calibratedi In a circumferential groove U on the top face of the part 15, there is a displaceable 5 so-called sweeping memory 16. When,it is desired to displace the slats SI, S 2... of the regulator valve by displacing the hoop 13, it must be possible to rotate the part 11. This takes place so that the part I I is shifted downwards in the direction of the arrow L, in the way indicated in Fia. 1, in which case the toothing I Ic on the part 11 is separated from the backup toothing 10d on the part 10c, and the regulation knob I I can be rotated freely in relatiog to the spindle 10 when the air flow is being regulated. In such a case, by rotating the regulation knob, the gearwheel 12a and further the gearwheel 12b are rotated and the hoop 13 is displaced, with which hoop 13 the regulator wires ti, t2... are conneted, which wires are operationally connected with the slats SI, S2... and displace sai4slats. In this way the slats SI, S2... can be displaced and the air flow in the channl 100 be regulated so that the cone angle of the truncated cone formed by the slats 31, S2... is varied.

Fig. 1D illustrates the transfer of a movement of regulation in accordance with the invention to the circular hoop construction 13 placed inside the channel 100. On one of its side faces, the hoop construction comprises a toothing 13', which is in engagement with a backup toothing l2b' on the gearwheel 12b of the shaft I The gearwheel 12b extends at least partly to the interiovi of the channel 100. Thus, when the shaft J i is rotated, the hoop 13 and the connected. regulation wire t, and/or t2... are displaced, which wire has been passed as running thpugh the openings el', e2'... in the brackets el, e2... placed on the outer faces of the, slats and which wire is further attached to the body inside the channel 100 or to a'part connected to said body. There may be one or several regulation wires ti. The re bulation wire tj, t2... is a rigid construction, and it has been passed freely through the,openings el', e2'-.-. One end of the wire tj, t2... has been attached to the channel 106 or to a part connected to the channel.

Fig. 2A is a sectional view of a regulator construction 200 in accordance with the invention. The regulator construction 200 in accordance with the invention is 6 rotationally symmetric in relation to the central axis (X). The upper body part 15 has been positioned apart from the rest of the construction in view of illustration of the part 15. The gearwheel 12a has been fitted to enter into engagement with the inside circumferential toothing F in the hollow space D, in the regulation knob 11. The gearwheel 12a rotates the gearwheel 12b connected with the shaft J, which gearwheel 12b is further operationally coupled with the toothing 13' on the hoop 13. The gearwheel 12a comprises a toothing l2a', and correspondingly the gearwheel 12b is provided with a toothing 12b'. The hoop 13 displaces the wires tj and/or t2 so as to position the slats SI, S2... in flow throttling positions. Between the shoulder 1 lb of the regulation knob piece 11 and the upper shoulder l0a' on the stationary spindle 10a, there is a spring 14, which presses the part 11, by means of spring force, so that its toothing llc is pressed against the toothing 10d on the end piece 10c of the spindle 10. The part 10c comprises a shoulder 40, with which the reading arrow I on the plate 50 has been connected. The part 11 is connected with an end flange 15. The 15 parts 15 and 11 have been interconnected by means of the toothings C I, C2, however, so that, if necessary, the part 15 can be rotated in relation to the part 11, for example, when the valve is being calibrated. The spindle 10 is a non-revolving fixed construction part connected with the body R, and the spindle portions 10a, 10b have been made as a single piece, either by casting or by turning on a lathe out of a blank. The 20 part 10c has been connected to the part 10b by means of a screw R1.

Fig. 2B shows the construction of Fig. 2A as assembled. A so-called sweeping memory 16 is placed in the circumferential groove U on the top face of the part 15. Before the slat construction is opened completely, for example, for sweeping and cleaning of the channels, in the circumferential groove U on the part 15 the sweeping memory 16 is placed at the location of the reading arrow I. When the valve is opened, and when the valve is closed after sweeping, the part 11 is rotated so that the sweeping memory 16 is placed directly facing the reading arrow I and reaches contact with said arrow. In such a case, the valve is again in its original position of regulation. On the inclined circumferential face of the part 15, there is a scale E, so that the position of opening of the valve can be read from the location of the reading arrow 7 The figure illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the gear transmission consists of two separate gearwheels 1a and 12b. This permits the selection of a suitable transmission ratio. An ernbodimont of the invention is also possible in which the gear transmission has been accomp$hed so that there is one oblong gearwheel, which has been passed through a through hole P in the channel 100 to the toothing 13' on the hoop 13. Within the scope of the invention, an embodiment is also possible in which the rotation drive is taen from a circumferential toothing F placed outside the regulation knob 11. Thus, the invention is not supposed to be confined to the preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the figures alone.

Fig. 2C shows the construction in accordance with the invention as assembled. The figure shows the screw R1. by whose rnans the part 10c has been connected to the part 10b in a stationary position. On its Inside front face, the part 10c comprises an annular circumferential toothing 10d, which enters into engagement with a correspon ding annular circumferential toothing llc on the regulation knob 11. When the regulation knob I I is displaced downwards in the direction indicated by the arrow L, against the spring force of the spring 14, the toothings I Od and I I c are brought apart from one another, in which connection the regulation knob I I can be rotated, and thereby the position of opening of the valve 300 can be regulated.

Fig. 3 is an axonometric separate illustrapon of the regulation knob 11. The regula tion knob I I will be placed outside the channel 100, and the gearwheel 12b con nected with the regulator part 200, which gearwheel 12b has been positioned in contact with the backup toothing 13' oil the hoop 13, has been passed through a through opening P in the channel 100 (in Fig. 1D) to the interior of the channel 100 so as to displace the hoop 13. When the hoop 13 is displaced, the regulator construc- tion connected with it is also displaced, preferably by means of wires tj, t2... or by means of at least one wire ti.

8 PATENT CLAMS:

1. A regulator construction (200) for a valve (300) that regulates a gaseous medium, such as an air flow, which valve (300) comprises slats (SI, S2"') or some other construction that regulates the air flow, which construction can be displaced so that a regulation knob (11) of the regulator part (200) is rotated, characterized in that the regulation knob (11) is provided with a toothing (F), with which a backup toothing (12a') on the shaft (J) is connected operationally, in which connection the construction (SI, S2...) that regulates the air flow inside the channel (100) is displaced directly or by means of an intermediate part/parts.

2. A valve (300) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the regulation knob (11) comprises an inside circumferential toothing (F), which is defined by the free space (DI) inside the body piece of the regulation knob (11).

3. A valve (300) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the backup toothing (12a') is placed on the gearwheel (12a) of the shaft (J), and that there is a second aearwheel (12b), whose toothing (12b') is in engagement with a backup toothing (13') on the hoop (13) placed inside the channel (100), in which connection, when the shaft (J) is rotated by means of the regulation knob (11), the shaft (J) and the connected toothings are rotated and the hoop (13) placed inside the channel (100) is displaced in the direction determined by the movement of rotation of the regulation knob, and a regulation wire (tj) connected with the hoop (13) is displaced, which wire is a rigid construction and has been passed through through holes (el', e-2', eD provided in brackets (el, e2...) placed on the slats (SI, S2...), and in which connection the other end of the wire is connected with the channel (100) or with a construction connected with the channel, in which case, when the direction of movement of the hoop is reversed, the direction of regulation of the valve is changed, i.e. the valve (300) is opened or closed.

4. A reaulator construction as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gearwheel (12a) has been fitted to be engaged operationally with the circumferential 9 toothing (F) in the inside hollow space (DI) in the regulation knob (11), in which connection, when the regulation knob 1 I) is rotated, the gearwheels (12a, 12b) are rotated, in which connection the gearwheel (12a) has been fitted outside the channel (100), and that the gearwheel (12b) is placed at least partly inside the channel (100), in which connection said gearwheel has. been fitted to displace the hoop (13) placed inside the channel (100), with which oop the slat parts (SI, S2...) are connected through the wire (tj) or wires (t,, t2).

5. A regulator valve construction as' claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the regulator part (200) of the valve (300) comprises, in the regulation knob (11), a spring (14) placed between a shoulder (10al) of the stationary spindle (10a) and a shoulder (I lb) of tile regulation knob piece (11), which spring presses the part (11) with spring force jo that the toothing (I I c) on the part (11) is pressed against the toothing (10d) on jhe end piece (10c) of the spindle (10), in 15 which connection the spring (14) keeps.the regulation knob piece (11) in the upper position and locked. 6. A regulator construction as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the part (11) is connected wiO an end piece (15), which pieces have been 20 interconnected by means of toothings (CII C2), however, so that, when necessary, the part (15) can be rotated in relation to the part (11), and that in a circumferential groove (U) or equivalent on the top face of the part (15), there is a so-called sweeping memory (16) that can be positioned, and that a reading arrow (I) is placed on an end part (50) connected with the part (10c), in which case the position of regulation 25 of the valve (300) can be read from the scale (E) on the part (15) from the location of the reading arrow J). 7. A regulator construction as claimed i any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the part (1 Oc) is provided. with a toothing (1 Od), and the part (11) 30 comprises a backup toothino (I Ic), in whch connection, when the part (11) is shifted (arrow L 1), the toothings (I I c, I Od) are shifted apart from one another, and the part (11) can be rotated freely around the spindle (10), in which connection the gearwheel I (12a) placed in the space (DI) is rotated by the intermediate of the circumferential toothing (F) placed inside the part (11), and further the shaft (J) is rotated, and through the shaft the second gearwheel (12b), which is in engagement with the shaft (J), is rotated, which gearwheel (12b) is further in engagement with the hoop (13), preferably with a backup toothing (IT) on said hoop, and that the hoop (13) is connected with regulation wires (tj, t2), favourably stiff cables, which have been passed running through one or several slats (SI, S2) and connected further, for example, to the channel (100), in which connection, when the hoop (13) is displaced, the regulation wires (tj, t2...) and further the slat construction (SI, S2...) connected with them are shifted, in which connection the slats (SI, S2---) can be placed in different cone angles so as to regulate the flow of a gaseous medium, such as air, through the valve (300).

B. A valve regulator substantially as here in-described with reference to the accompanying drawings.