Electrically actuated valve

• US 6,820,651 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fluid Automation Systems S.A. (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fluid Automation Systems S.A. (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Gandin, Lionel, Seuret, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US10/376,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 137/596.17, 137/625.65, 251/129.16, 251/129.17
• US Class Current: 137/625.65
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0405 for seat valves, i.e. poppet valves
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/044 operated by electrically-controlled means, e.g. solenoids, torque-motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0606 fluid passing through the solenoid coil
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0624 Lift valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0627 with movable valve member positioned between seats
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/081 Magnetic constructions
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1638 Armatures not entering the winding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86622 Motor-operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87217 Motor

Abstract

An electrically actuated valve includes firstly a fixed core (1) accommodating, at least, one coil (2) in, at least, one housing and forming therewith, at least, one electromagnet of the electrically actuated valve. Further, this valve includes a body (4) forming with the fixed core (1) the sealingly tight carrier structure of the electrically actuated valve. Thirdly, this valve includes, at least, one movable core (3) placed between the fixed core (1) and the body (4). This electrically actuated valve is specially innovative in that the fixed core (1) is made as an unitary part from an injected ferromagnetic material and in that it combines several functions, in particular that of the pneumatic connection and/or of the electrical connection of the coil/coils (2). The decrease in the number of parts and the simplification of the design allow, accordingly, an additional miniaturization.

Claims

1. An electrically actuated valve, comprising:

a fixed core (1) accommodating at least one coil (2) in at least one housing and forming therewith at least one electromagnet;

a body (4) forming with the fixed core (1) a carrier structure;

at least one movable core (3) placed between the fixed core (1) and the body (4) and movable between two service positions, wherein

the fixed core (1) is designed as an unitary part made by injection from a ferromagnetic material, constitutes a magnetic circuit of the electromagnet/electromagnets and incorporates at least one of pneumatic and electrical connections;

a pressure admission passage (5) with an outer admission orifice (5a) and an inner admission orifice (5b),

the pressure admission passage being located in the body (4); and

a common passage (6) with a common outer oritice (6a) and at least one common inner orifice (6b),

the common passage being located either in the unitary part forming the fixed core (1) or in the body (4), in such a manner as to enable the common passage to communicate with other passages either directly or indirectly through the chamber (9) between the fixed core (1) and the body (4).

2. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure discharge passage (7) with an outer discharge orifice (7a) and an inner discharge orifice (7b), the pressure discharge passage being located in one of the unitary part forming the fixed core (1) and in the body (4).

3. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 2, wherein the outer discharge orifice (7a) of the pressure discharge passage (7) is positioned perpendicularly or parallelly with respect to the axis of the valve.

4. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 2, wherein the pressure admission passage (5) and the pressure discharge passage (7) provide a pneumatic inter-valve connection, owing to each of the pressure admission and discharge passages including two standardized outer orifices on two opposite sides of the valve.

5. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the outer orifices (5a, 6a, 7a) are located in the same plane.

6. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein all the outer orifices (5a, 6a, 7a) are parallel with respect to the axis of the valve and are placed on the free side of the body (4) facing outwards.

7. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer orifices (5a, 6a, 7a) forms a passage protruding from the valve.

8. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein the movable core (3) and a corresponding housing formed by the chamber (9) between the fixed core (1) and the body (4) facing the coil (2) or the entire electrically actuated valve have a shape which increases a contact surface between the movable core (3) and the fixed core (1) to optimise the magnetic force.

9. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, further comprising at least one permanent magnet (18) having a shape of a disk or a ring and placed concentrically or parallelly with respect to the axis of the valve in a central part of the fixed core (1) surrounded by the coil (2).

10. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein the unitary part forming the fixed core (1) is arranged in such a manner as to allow a final assembling of the valve from the fixed core (1) and the body (4), enabling a sealingly tight fastening of the fixed core with the body owing to respective geometrical shapes of the fixed core and body.

11. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 10, wherein the unitary part forming the fixed core (1) comprises, on a side oriented towards the body (4), a peripheral section sensibly forming a receptacle and being adapted to receive the movable core (3) as well as the body (4) in an inside circumference, the peripheral section allowing direct magnetic flux transmission to the movable core and securing the body (4) to the unitary part.

12. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 10, wherein the fastening of the fixed core (1) to the body (4) includes at least one of an adhesive, pins, clips (17), and staples (16) extending through the body (4) and the part forming the fixed core.

13. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection of a group of interconnected electrically actuated valves is incorporated into the body (4) via a standardized connector (14) extending through the body, centralizing an electrical control of a whole group of electrically actuated valves on a single electrically actuated valve.

14. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the unitary part forming the fixed core (1) and the body (4) includes lugs (13), supports or orifices for the inter-valve fastening or fastening of the electrically actuated valve on a pneumatic base (20).

15. An electrically actuated valve according to claim 14, wherein the inter-valve fastening or the fastening on the pneumatic base (20) includes at least one of screws (21), clips (22), rails (23), bayonet systems (24), and pneumatic connectors.