Motor operated butterfly valve

Details Motor operated butterfly valve Motor operated butterfly valve

2001-03-01

2003-09-02

Mancene, Gene (Department: 3754)

Valves and valve actuation

Electrically actuated valve

Rotary electric actuator

C251S077000, C251S180000, C137S870000, C454S333000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06612542

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a motor operated butterfly valve arrangement for controlling the opening state of at least one pipe, comprising at least one valve element movably arranged within the pipe, a motor, and a coupling mechanism between the motor, and the valve element in order to vary the orientation of the valve element in relation to the pipe between different opening states with differing orientations of the valve element. At least one of the opening states is defined by mechanical contact between the valve element and a stopper of the pipe. The invention relates to a motor operated butterfly valve having a valve element arranged within a pipe. The valve element has an orientation thereof varied through operation of a motor to control an opening state of the pipe.
Motor operated butterfly valves can be used for controlling the opening/closing/switching, etc. of hot water piping in an automobile air-conditioner, for example. Generally the orientation of a least one disk-shaped valve element provided inside a pipe is varied by the driving force of a motor to control the opening state of the pipe.
In practice, motor operated butterfly valves are controlled such that the motor simply is stopped at, e.g. an extreme stop position of the valve element. This can be the fully closed position at which the pipe is fully closed. A satisfactory fully closed state often cannot be achieved due to unavoidable errors attributable to dimensional accuracy and mounting accuracy of the components. If the extreme stop position is the fully closed position, then water may still leak through. If the extreme stop position is the fully opened position, said valve element may cause an undesirable flow throttling effect.
In practice it is known to overcome said problems by locking the motor in a state when the valve element remains loaded in its closing direction even at the fully closed position in order to intentionally press said valve element into its fully closed position. This is however, not desirable in view to the durability of the motor.
There are butterfly valve arrangements comprising a plurality of valve elements collectively controlled in parallel with each other. Even if said valve elements are driven to carry out exactly the same opening and closing motions, the respectively achievable opening or closing states may slightly differ among the valve elements due to errors attributable to dimensional accuracy, mounting accuracy, differing slacks in the driving mechanism, etc. Accordingly, in such cases for safety sake for each valve element an own motor is to be provided. This is uneconomical since the cost of parts are high and the mounting space is excessively large.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor operated butterfly valve arrangement or butterfly valve, the valve element of which can be brought to a proper stop state at an extreme stop position such that no water leak or the like can occur, and without the need to improve the dimensional accuracy or mounting accuracy of individual components, and also without the need to lock the motor.
The object of the invention is achieved by a motor operated butterfly valve arrangement for controlling the opening state of at least one pipe, having at least one valve element movably arranged within the pipe, a motor, and a coupling mechanism between the motor and the valve element in order to vary the orientation of the valve element in relation to the pipe between different opening states with differing orientations of the valve element. At least one of the opening states is defined by mechanical contact between the valve element and a stopper of the pipe. The coupling mechanism includes an elastic coupling member for elastically taking up by deformation an extra driving motion increment of the motor in relation to the valve element as soon as the valve element is stopped at the stopper, the extra driving motion increment continuing the former motor driving motion.
The motor operated butterfly valve has a valve element arranged within a pipe. The valve element has an orientation thereof varied through operation of a motor to control an opening state of the pipe wherein a driving arm rotated by the motor and a driven arm coupled to the valve element are elastically coupled to each other by an elastic coupling member, the motor being controlled to bring the valve element to a stopped state in contact with a stopper at least one extreme stop position thereof. The motor is controlled further on to rotate the driving arm extra after the valve element comes into contact with the stopper and the motor first is stopped after having fulfilled the extra rotation.
According to the present invention in general the motor carries out an extra driving motion increment as soon as said valve element has reached its extreme position, and then the motor is stopped without being locked. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the driving arm transmitting the driving motion of said motor via said coupling mechanism containing said elastic coupling member is rotated an extra amount by the motor after the valve element has come into contact with the stopper at the predetermined extreme stop position thereof. After said extra rotation, said motor is stopped. The valve element and the driven arm coupled to said valve element remain stopped while the elastic coupling member elastically coupling the driving arm and the driven arm is elastically deformed by the driving force of the motor and the extra rotation thereof, with the result that the elasticity of the coupling member serves to press said valve element firmly against the stopper, and to keep it in a pressed condition. The reaction force of the deformed elastic coupling member can be set weak enough to avoid locking the motor. Accordingly, even if there is a dimensional error, mounting error or the like among the individual components, the valve element can be brought to a proper stop state such that water leakage or the like cannot occur and without the need to lock the motor.
Resulting from the elastic coupling member provided in said coupling mechanism, the coupling mechanism is designed with a restraint lost motion feature, allowing said elastic coupling member to generate a load pressing said valve element into its extreme position by an extra driving motion increment of said motor in continuation of the former driving motion and for a limited extent. Since there is no rigid connection between the motor and the valve element, the motor can be stopped normally after carrying out this extra driving motion increment, without the need to lock it. Said elastic coupling member takes up the extra driving motion increment and generates the desirable pressing force of the valve element. Due to said elastic pressing force, the valve element reaches its extreme position precisely and reliably irrespective of mounting or dimension tolerances, because it is dragged by said elastic coupling member into the correct extreme stopping position. Said extra driving motion increment caused by the motor is of a larger magnitude than needed. This establishes a broad safety margin within which the valve element reliably can be brought into the desired extreme position without the necessity to lock the motor, because the reaction force on the motor can be weak.
In a preferred embodiment, said valve element may have two different extreme positions each defined by a respective stopper. Said elastic coupling member is acting bi-directionally, i.e. generates its lost motion feature in both driving directions of the motor.
Expediently said elastic coupling member is storing the driving power by elastic deformation and is generating an increased contact pressure between the valve element and its stopper. Said contact pressure may be lower than the driving force or driving torque of the motor.
In another embodiment, a single motor is coupled with a plurality of valve elements via a number of elastic coupling members equal to the

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