Fluid handling – Diverse fluid containing pressure systems – Fluid separating traps or vents
Patent
1998-06-19
2000-04-11
Michalsky, Gerald A.
Fluid handling
Diverse fluid containing pressure systems
Fluid separating traps or vents
250903, F16K 2404
Patent
active
060477202
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a venting system for hydraulic systems.
A bleeder valve for venting gases from a hydraulic system is already known. The bleeder valve has a valve body with two valve chambers, which are connected with each other by a bore, one of which has a narrowed inlet connected with the hollow chamber of the hydraulic system, and a valve seat with a first ball as the valve body assigned to the bore. A valve body is located in the first valve chamber, which is pushed away from the valve seat by its own weight and has a greater inherent weight than the hydraulic liquid. The second valve chamber contains a valve seat assigned to the bore with a second ball, prestressed by a spring, as the valve body, and has an opening towards the outside air. When the pressure in the system exceeds a predetermined value, the second ball is raised so that the air escapes (DE 92 12 977 A1).
It is furthermore known to detect impurities in hydraulic systems by means of an optical sensor (DE Mag.: "fluid", November 1991, pp. 24 to 26).
Finally, it is known to employ a light source and a light receiver for detecting gas (DE 29 05 079 A1).
Because of the separation of gasses dissolved in the liquid or because of leakage, gases can collect in some places in hydraulic systems, which possibly constitute an obstacle for operating the devices which are part of the system or for their way of functioning. Care is taken for this reason that no large air or gas volumes can form in certain locations, or respectively can increase to a size which interferes with the operation of the system. Bleeder valves can be installed at the locations in a system where such gases can collect which, when the gas volume has reached a defined size, open a conduit to a space into which the gas can escape. In most cases the bleeder valves open to the outside air. With a bleeder valve open, the hydraulic liquid displaces the gas. In this case it is necessary to prevent the hydraulic liquid, which is under pressure, from escaping through the open bleeder valve.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of developing a bleeder valve for hydraulic systems, which reacts to gas by opening an outlet conduit and to fluid by closing the outlet conduit, and only reacts to gas by opening the outlet conduit if it is in a functioning state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, this object is attained in connection with a bleeder valve for hydraulic systems in that an optical conductor, made of an optically denser material than gas, is arranged between a light transmitter and a photo-electric receiver, and is arranged with at least one exterior surface in the hollow chamber which can be charged with gas or liquid in such a way that, with gas at the exterior surface, light can reach the receiver, and with liquid at the exterior surface, no light can reach the receiver, and that the receiver generates an output signal when receiving light, which brings a magnetic valve, which is arranged in an outlet conduit between the hollow chamber, in which the fiber-optical wave guide is located, and an outer chamber, into the opening position. The bleeder valve in accordance with the invention opens the outlet conduit if all components operate correctly. If a component is faulty or has broken down, the bleeder valve does not open. For this reason it is not possible that liquid from the hydraulic system or the hydraulic device can penetrate to the outside in case of an interruption or an error in the bleeder valve.
In a preferred embodiment the optical conductor is a prism, wherein light from the light transmitter is fed into its base, and whose base the photo-electric receiver adjoins, while the top surfaces of the prism are facing the hollow chamber with the liquid, or respectively the gas. When gas surrounds the top surface of the prism, because of its total reflection in the prism the light of the light transmitter reaches the receiver, which thereupon brings the magnetic valve into the opening po
REFERENCES:
patent: 5211200 (1993-05-01), Cassidy
patent: 5278426 (1994-01-01), Barbier
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 7, No. 291, Dec. 1983.
Saubere Hydraulik, Nov. 1991, pp. 24-26, and English language Abstract.
ASG Luftfahrttechnik und Sensorik GmbH
Michalsky Gerald A.
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