Stackable valve manifold arrangement

• US 6,701,962 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Festo AG & Co.
• Original Assignee: Festo GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Forster, Karl-Heinz, Latino, Frank, Bogdanowicz, Grzegorz
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US10/124,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 137/271, 137/884
• US Class Current: 137/884
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0814 Monoblock manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0821 Attachment or sealing of modular units to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0832 Modular valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0853 Electric circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0857 Electrical connecting means, e.g. plugs, sockets
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/086 Sensing means, e.g. pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0867 Data bus systems
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

A stackable valve manifold arrangement including a first valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves. The first valve manifold having an upper surface. A second valve manifold is provided which is adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves. The second valve manifold has a lower surface that is in opposed relationship to the upper surface of the first valve manifold, and the second valve manifold is in fluid communication with the first manifold. The first and second manifolds may each be joined to a circuit board forming a module. The modules are vertically stackable and operatively connected to each other to form a system.

Claims

1. A stackable valve manifold arrangement comprising:

a first valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves along a length thereof, the first valve manifold having a top portion extending longitudinally along the length of the first manifold, the top portion including an upper surface and a valve base including a plurality of valve stations for accommodating the plurality of valves; and

a second valve manifold having a longitudinally extending top portion adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves along a length thereof, the second valve manifold having a longitudinally extending lower surface, the second valve manifold being connected to the first valve manifold such that the lower surface of the second manifold is in opposed relationship to the top surface of the first valve manifold and the first manifold is in fluid communication with the second manifold.

2. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second manifolds each have a port formed therein and the port of the first manifold aligns with the port of the second manifold to provide fluid communication between the first and second manifolds.

3. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first valve manifold and the lower surface of the second valve manifold each include a pressure port which are both operatively connected together.

4. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein the upper surface of the first manifold and the lower surface of the second manifold each include an exhaust port which are operatively connected together.

5. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the top portion of the first and second valve manifolds each include a recess for accommodating the plurality of valves.

6. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 5, wherein the recess is defined by the longitudinally extending valve base bounded by a pair of upstanding posts, the posts forming the upper surface of the manifold.

7. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second valve manifolds having a front face having working ports fluidly connected to the valve stations.

8. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, further including a coupling extending between the upper surface of the first valve manifold and the lower surface of the second valve manifold for providing a sealed fluid connection between the first and second manifolds.

9. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second valve manifolds is secured to a printed circuit board.

10. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second valve manifolds include a front face and the front faces include a plurality of working ports for connecting the plurality of valve stations to a plurality of actuators.

11. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second valve manifolds includes a side edge having a port operatively connected to a pressure source for supplying pressure to each of the valve stations.

12. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the first manifold is longitudinally coextensive with the second manifold.

13. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the second manifold includes a plurality of discrete valve stations extending along the length of the second valve station.

14. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the first manifold is secured to a first printed circuit board, and the second manifold is secured to a second printed circuit board, the second circuit board being in opposed spaced relationship to the first circuit board.

15. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 14, wherein the first manifold is secured on top of the first circuit board and the second manifold is secured on top of the second circuit board and said second circuit board include a clearance for a coupling to extending between the top surface of the first manifold and the bottom surface of the second manifold.

16. A stackable valve manifold arrangement comprising:

a first longitudinally extending valve manifold having an top portion including a plurality of valve stations adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves;

a first circuit board secured to the first valve manifold forming a first module;

a second longitudinally extending valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves, the second valve manifold having a lower surface; and

a second circuit board secured to the second valve manifold forming a second module, the second module being positioned above and opposed from the first circuit board and supported on the top portion of the first manifold, and the first module being in electrical and fluid communication with the second module.

17. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 16, wherein the upper surface of the first manifold includes at least one first port that is adapted to be in fluid communication with the plurality of valves, and the lower surface of the second manifold has at least one second port that is adapted to be in fluid communication with the plurality of valves, and the first port is aligned with the second port and connected thereto.

18. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second circuit boards include a plurality of valve connectors adapted for electrically connecting to the plurality of valves.

19. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 16, wherein the first and second modules are bus compatible.

20. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 19, wherein the first and second modules are PC/104 bus compatible.

21. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 19, wherein the first and second circuit boards include a bus connector connectable to a bus and a valve actuation circuit for generating valve actuating signals from information received from the bus.

22. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 21, wherein the valve actuation circuit includes a port address decoder and a current driver.

23. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 21, wherein data for solenoid control is decoded from the data bus.

24. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 19, further including a third circuit board disposed in spaced relationship with one of the first and second circuit boards and electrically connected thereto.

25. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 24, wherein the third circuit board including a microprocessor adapted to receive input signals and generate output signals.

26. The valve manifold arrangement as defined in claim 16, further including a bridge connector extending between the first and second circuit boards to provide electrical connection there between.

27. An electro-pneumatic vertically stackable system comprising:

a first longitudinally extending valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves, the first valve manifold having an upper surface;

a PC/104 compatible first circuit board secured to the first valve manifold forming a first module;

a second longitudinally extending valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves;

a PC/104 compatible second circuit board secured to the second valve manifold forming a second module, wherein the second valve manifold is supported from below by the first valve manifold and is in fluid communication therewith; and

a PC/104 compatible CPU board forming a third module being positioned adjacent to and secured to one of the first and second modules and in electrical communication with the first and second modules, the third module generating signals to drive the plurality of valves.

28. The system as defined in claim 27, wherein the first, second and third modules are connected to each other in a vertically stacked arrangement.

29. A stackable valve manifold arrangement comprising:

a first and second valve manifold adapted to operatively receive a plurality of valves along a length thereof, the first and second valve manifolds having a top portion, a bottom surface and a front face extending longitudinally along the length of thereof, the front face is generally perpendicular to the top portion, the second manifold being stacked on top of the first manifold and in fluid communication therewith,

the front face of the first and second manifolds include a plurality of valves stations adapted to receive the plurality of valves, and wherein the first and second manifolds are adapted to have the plurality of valves secured to and removed there from without separating the first manifold from the second manifold, and wherein the lower surface of the first and second manifolds defining a recess for accommodating electrical connectors for the plurality of valves.

30. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 29, wherein the first and second manifolds have an H-shaped configuration.

31. The manifold arrangement as defined in claim 29, wherein the first manifold is secured to a first circuit board and the second manifolds is secured to a second circuit board, the first circuit board being in opposed spaced relation to the second circuit board and being operatively connected thereto.