Flow controller

• US 9,651,953 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imi Hydronic Engineering International SA (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Imi Hydronic Engineering International SA (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Essfeld, Fritz, Henke, Bernhard, Schmidt, Carina, Trantham, John
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALISTER, WILLIAM M
• Application Number:
  US14/812,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 137495, 137500, 137501
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/526 for limiting the maximum flow rate, using a second valve
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1015 using a valve or valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2220/0264 Hydraulic balancing valves
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/014 using sliding elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7788 Pressures across fixed choke

Abstract

A flow controller for a heating system with a housing, which has an inlet connection for a heating medium, an outlet connection for the heating medium, and a preadjustment connection, with a rate regulating module, and with a handle, which acts together with a movably disposed structural element of the rate regulating module to preadjust the flow. To change the preadjustment of the flow via the handle, an effective cross section of a first flow-through opening for the heating medium can be adjusted and to regulate the preadjusted flow of the heating medium, a sleeve of the rate regulating module and a cup of the rate regulating module are disposed axially movable to one another. The inflow to the rate regulating module occurs on an outer side via the first flow-through opening which is provided on the sleeve and upstream of the second flow-through opening.

Claims

1. A preadjustable flow controller for a heating system comprising:

a housing that has an inlet connection for a heating medium, an outlet connection for the heating medium, and a preadjustment connection;

a rate regulating module, which depending on a preadjustment and a pressure difference changes a flow for the heating medium; and

a handle that acts together with the rate regulating module to preadjust the flow,

wherein, to change the preadjustment of the flow via the handle, an effective cross section of a first flow-through opening for the heating medium is adjusted,

wherein, to regulate the preadjusted flow of the heating medium, a sleeve of the rate regulating module and a cup of the rate regulating module, which are provided spring-loaded to one another via a bias spring, are disposed axially movable to one another and depending on an axial position, which varies with the pressure difference, a cross section of a second flow-through opening for the heating medium is changed,

wherein the inflow to the rate regulating module occurs via the first flow-through opening, which is provided through the sleeve and is provided upstream of the second flow-through opening based on a flow direction of the heating medium, and

the second flow-through opening is provided on an axial end the cup, thereby the inflow from the first flow-through opening passes on the outer cylindrical surface of the cup through the second flow-through opening.

2. The flow controller according to claim 1, wherein the rate regulation module includes a regulating insert, which is disposed movable in regard to the sleeve and which depending on a relative position of the sleeve and regulating insert defines the effective cross section of the first flow-through opening, the regulating insert acting together with the handle.

3. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein the regulating insert is provided rotatable with respect to the sleeve and the cup.

4. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein an axial association of the sleeve with the regulating insert is fixedly predetermined.

5. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein the regulating insert engages with a control section in the sleeve and/or wherein an inner cylindrical surface of the sleeve lies flat against an outer cylindrical surface of the control section.

6. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein a control contour, which depending on a rotary position of the regulating insert, completely releases the first flow-through opening or in any case partially covers it to preadjust the cross section of the first flow-through opening, is provided on the regulating insert in an area of the control section.

7. The flow controller according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is provided immovable and wherein the cup is held axially movable.

8. The flow controller according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve surrounds the cup on an outer side thereof.

9. The flow controller according to claim 1, wherein the second flow-through opening effective for regulating the preadjusted flow and variable with respect to the cross section of the second flow-through opening, based on a flow direction of the heating medium, is provided between the first flow-through opening and the outlet connection.

10. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein the cup is held axially movable on an inner cylindrical surface on the sleeve and on an outer cylindrical surface on a support section of the regulating insert.

11. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein, for guiding the cup axially movable relative to the sleeve, a first support site formed between the sleeve and the cup, and a second support site formed between the cup and the regulating insert are provided.

12. The flow controller according to claim 2, wherein an axial gap between the regulating insert and the cup is formed as the second flow-through opening.

13. The flow controller according to claim 12, wherein the axial gap is formed as a cylindrical annular gap with a circumferentially identical width.

14. The flow controller according to claim 11, wherein the first support site and the second support site are provided axially spaced apart from one another.

15. The flow controller according to claim 11, wherein the rate regulating module includes a regulating insert coaxially provided between the sleeve and the cup, and

the regulating insert includes a side wall formed in parallel with and spaced apart from an outer cylindrical surface of the cup, and an axially inwardly projection that overlaps with the axial end of the cup in an axial direction of the cup.