CN114251481A - Squeeze valve for flowable media - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a squeeze valve (1) having a valve housing (2) in which a hose-shaped valve element (4) extends, wherein a plurality of squeeze elements (23, 24) are arranged in the region of a radial outer circumference (22) of the valve element, which elements can each execute a working movement (28) in order to compress the valve element (4) more or less strongly. The drive movement (28) can be caused by a drive mechanism (36) having a drive shaft (42) which can be driven into a rotary drive movement (55) by introducing a drive torque. A conversion mechanism (37) having a meshing gear (38) converts a rotary drive movement (55) of the drive shaft (42) into a linear working movement (28) of the pressure element (23, 24).

Description

Squeeze valve for flowable media

Technical Field

The invention relates to a squeeze valve (Quetschventil) for flowable media, having a valve housing, in which a hose-shaped valve element extends, which has a flexible peripheral wall and is passed through by a valve channel in the longitudinal direction thereof, a plurality of squeeze elements being arranged distributed around the radial outer periphery of the valve element, which squeeze elements can be moved towards and away from one another in a working plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the valve element, in order to compress the valve element more or less strongly, while performing a linear working movement, and having a drive mechanism for causing the working movement of the squeeze elements.

Background

A press valve of this type known from EP 1912001B 1 has two male-like (stempeartige) press elements which are arranged in a linearly displaceable manner in radial guide slits inside a valve housing, wherein the press elements bear against the outer periphery of a hose-shaped valve element at diametrically opposite regions. The pressure element can be driven by a drive into a working movement in the working plane, so that it compresses the valve element more or less strongly in order to influence the flow cross section of the valve channel through the valve element. The drive mechanism has a sleeve-shaped reversing element which surrounds the valve element and the pressure element and has a conical runner structure at the inner circumference, by means of which the reversing element is slidably displaceably attached to the pressure element. By means of a fluid-loadable drive piston, which is also part of the drive mechanism, the reversing element can be displaced back and forth against the force of the spring mechanism in order to adjust the desired working position of the pressing element. Other drive mechanisms, for example of the electromagnetic type and/or with a lever drive, can also be considered for the drive mechanism.

The squeeze valve known from EP 2663794B 1 has a hose-shaped valve ring which is laterally surrounded by two squeeze elements which are surrounded by a sleeve-shaped actuating ring which has, on its inner side, a plurality of grooves which are formed according to the type of multi-start thread and into which the squeeze elements engage. During the twisting of the actuating element, a screwing operation takes place, in which the multi-start thread moves past the pressing element. Since the grooves of the multiple-start thread have a varying depth, the screwing process causes the pressing element to be displaced radially with respect to the valve ring, wherein the valve ring is compressed more or less strongly.

DE 102013012158 a1 discloses a squeeze valve with two rod-shaped squeeze elements which are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of a hose-shaped valve element and which pass through a sleeve-shaped actuating element which is coaxial to the valve ring and which acts on the squeeze elements during a linear movement by means of a slotted guide so that the squeeze elements move transversely to the valve ring. The pressure element also passes through a sleeve-shaped valve housing of the pressure valve, wherein an end section of the pressure element projecting out of the valve housing is held fixed by a fixing body and secured against falling out. For driving the actuating element, a drive mechanism is provided, which can be designed for electrical or manual actuation. Here, a lever mechanism can be provided as the transmission mechanism.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a squeeze valve which can be easily and precisely actuated with a simple and compact design.

In order to solve this object, provision is made in the case of a squeeze valve which combines the features mentioned at the outset that the drive mechanism has a drive shaft which is mounted in a rotatable manner about a rotational axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft at the valve housing and which has an actuating section into which a drive torque which causes a rotational drive movement of the drive shaft can be introduced, wherein the drive mechanism furthermore has a conversion mechanism which converts the rotational drive movement of the drive shaft into a linear working movement of the squeeze element and which has a meshing transmission.

The squeeze valve according to the invention allows to control the flow of any flowable medium, such as for example a substance in liquid, gas or powder form. By means of the drive mechanism, the pressing element can be driven into a working movement transverse to the longitudinal axis of the valve ring segment in order to compress the valve ring segment with the flexible peripheral wall more or less strongly. In this way, the operating position of the pressing element can be adjusted, which either allows the passage of the medium through the valve passage or closes the valve passage in order to prevent the passage of the medium. In other words, the flow cross section provided by the valve channel can be varied and/or adjusted by the pressing element. The drive force necessary for the adjustment and positioning of the pressing element can be introduced very simply as a torque into a drive shaft rotatably mounted on the valve housing, which has an actuating section configured for introducing the torque. Smooth and also precise actuation of the pressure element is ensured by the fact that the conversion mechanism, which converts the rotary drive movement of the drive shaft into a linear working movement of the pressure element, is equipped with a meshing transmission. The meshing gear can be realized simply with the desired gear ratio and can nevertheless be accommodated in a small space, so that overall compact dimensions can be achieved for the pinch valve. The low wear of the gearing mechanism enables a high service life and thus corresponding customer advantages. The drive mechanism can optionally be configured for digitally actuated "on/off" or for stepless adjustment of the flow cross section provided by the valve channel between fully closed and maximally open. In this way, a stepless throughflow control can be carried out in particular. In particular, the valve housing can be realized cost-effectively from plastic or for demanding applications, for example, also from stainless steel.

Advantageous developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

It is particularly advantageous to implement the pinch valve in a manually operated design. The pinch valve can then be conveniently manually operated by energy autarkic means. The manually actuable squeeze valve has a handle arranged at the actuating section of the drive shaft, which handle is outside the valve housing and can be grasped easily in order to introduce an adjusted drive torque which causes a rotation of the drive shaft. A handle realized as a hand lever with at least one and preferably exactly one lever arm that can be grasped manually is considered particularly suitable. This enables the actuation with particularly low force consumption and also allows the current set operating state of the pinch valve to be inferred based on the current pivot position. Instead of a hand lever, for example, a compact handle or hand wheel can also be provided. A manually actuatable pinch valve can be manufactured and operated at very low cost.

Nevertheless, it is possible without any problem to provide a squeeze valve of the type of construction that can be actuated by a motor. Here, a drive motor is considered in particular as a drive source. The drive motor is in particular an electric motor, although fluid motors, for example fluid-operated rotary drives, are also conceivable. The electrically operated drive motor is realized in particular as a stepping motor or a servomotor, which facilitates a very precise rotational positioning of the drive shaft for the purpose of adjusting the desired flow cross section of the valve channel.

The drive motor is expediently arranged with a rotor at the valve housing and has an output shaft which can be driven in rotation and is connected in torque-transmitting fashion to the actuating section of the drive shaft. In the case of a particularly cost-effective design, the actuating section is formed directly from the output shaft of the drive motor, so that the shaft connection can be dispensed with.

In principle, the extrusion valve can be realized with any number of extrusion elements, wherein it is considered particularly expedient to equip the extrusion valve with only two extrusion elements which are assigned to diametrically opposed peripheral regions of the outer periphery of the valve element. The two pressure elements can be moved in order to carry out their respective working movements in the direction of a common axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the valve ring segment and lying in the working plane. When viewed in the longitudinal direction of the valve element, the working axis running through the two pressing elements in the middle is expediently spaced apart from the axis of rotation of the drive shaft in the longitudinal direction of the valve element and at the same time runs orthogonally to said axis of rotation.

For the drive shaft, an eccentric arrangement with respect to the valve ring segment is recommended, so that its axis of rotation is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the valve ring segment. The drive shaft is in particular placed in the region of the longitudinal side of the valve housing. The axis of rotation of the drive shaft suitably overlaps the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft.

The meshing gear of the conversion mechanism expediently has an input toothing which is connected to the drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner and thus performs its rotational drive movement together with it, and furthermore has an output toothing which is continuously in meshing engagement with the input toothing and is coupled in terms of movement to the pressure element in order to bring about a working movement of the pressure element.

A design of the pressure valve is possible in which the output toothing of the meshing gear is formed directly on the pressure element. In this case, each pressing element has a section of the output toothing. However, preferred is an embodiment of the pressure valve in which the output tooth is not formed directly on the pressure element, but on at least one further component of the conversion mechanism which is connected between the drive shaft and the pressure element. This allows a particularly cost-effective production of the extruded element.

Preferably, the switching mechanism comprises a reversing element arranged in the valve housing between the pressing element and the drive shaft. The reversing element can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the valve ring relative to the valve housing and also relative to the valve element by a drive movement of the drive shaft, while performing a linear movement, which is referred to as a linear reversing movement. The device has a runner structure, against which the pressing element is slidably displaceably attached, so that the pressing element slides along the runner structure during a linear reversing movement of the reversing element. The pressing element is thereby driven in its working movement at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the valve element during the linear switching movement of the switching element.

In particular, it is expedient for the output toothing to be arranged at the commutation segment. The reversing element is preferably a one-piece body into which the output toothing is directly integrated. Such a reversing element can be produced cost-effectively from plastic, for example by injection molding.

The switching element is preferably sleeve-shaped and is arranged in the valve housing in such a way that it coaxially surrounds the valve element. The runner structure is expediently configured at the inner circumference of the reversing element.

In the context of the reversing movement, the reversing element can be displaced between two axial end positions opposite one another. One of the two axial end positions represents a blocking position which causes the valve channel to be closed and thus prevents a medium flow through the valve channel, while the other end position represents a release position which is responsible for releasing the maximum flow cross section of the valve channel.

Preferably, the switching element can be positioned steplessly between the two axial end positions in order to adjust the free flow cross section of the valve passage between a maximum open position and a closed position.

A spring mechanism is expediently arranged in the valve housing, which continuously pretensions the switching element into one of its two axial end positions. The pretensioning is expediently carried out into the blocking position, so that the pinch valve is of the "normally closed" type. Alternatively, the spring mechanism can also be arranged such that the switching element is permanently biased into the release position. The spring mechanism is in particular a mechanical spring mechanism, which can nevertheless alternatively also be designed as an air spring.

The pressure valve can also be implemented completely without a spring mechanism, so that only externally introduced actuating forces act on the switching element and thus on the pressure element.

The output toothing of the meshing gear is expediently located at the outer periphery of the reversing element. In principle, it can extend in the circumferential direction of the valve ring segment around the reversing element, but preferably occupies only a limited circumferential section of the outer circumference of the reversing element in the circumferential direction of the valve ring segment.

The meshing gear is preferably designed as a rack gear, wherein the input toothing is designed as an arcuately curved toothed ring and the output toothing is designed as a rack with a linear extension. In this case, the output toothing has a plurality of teeth which are axially successive in the longitudinal direction of the valve element and are spaced apart from one another by tooth intermediate spaces, wherein the arcuately curved toothed ring of the input toothing can roll in the event of a rotational drive movement of the drive shaft. In the case of a sleeve-shaped reversing element, the toothed rack is preferably integrated into the reversing element in one piece via a corresponding contour of the reversing element.

Preferably, by simultaneously bringing about a torsional fixing of the reversing element equipped with the toothed rack in relation to the valve housing in the mutual engagement between the toothed ring and the toothed rack, the desired meshing engagement is reliably ensured even if the toothed rack extends in the peripheral direction of the valve element over only a portion of the outer periphery of the reversing element.

The arc length of the toothed ring of the input toothing is in principle arbitrary, however, it is preferably less than 360 degrees. The arc length of the toothed ring is selected in particular such that the meshing engagement extends to a rotational angle of the drive shaft which corresponds to the maximum travel of the commutation segment between its two axial end positions.

Advantageously, the pressure valve has a stop mechanism by means of which two mutually opposite end positions of the rotational drive movement of the drive shaft are mechanically preset. The two end positions according to the angle of rotation correspond in particular to the two axial end positions of the switching element, in which the pressure element assumes either a closed position closing the valve duct or an open position of maximum flow cross section of the relief valve duct.

The stop means expediently has two stop faces which are arranged on the drive shaft and are thus rotated together with a drive movement, and two counter stop faces which are arranged on the valve housing in the pivoting path of the stop faces, wherein the two stop faces are preferably formed by two tooth flanks of the teeth which close the toothed ring on mutually opposite sides. The latter has the advantage that the teeth can perform a dual function, namely on the one hand for transmitting the driving force and on the other hand for presetting the end position of the drive shaft according to the angle of rotation.

Preferably, a manually actuable locking mechanism is associated with the drive shaft for releasably locking different rotational positions of the drive shaft. In this way, there is the advantageous possibility of releasably fixing the released flow cross sections of the valve duct, including the completely closed valve duct, without the necessity of continuously introducing a torque into the drive shaft in order to keep the rotational position fixed. In this way, in particular, it is also possible to fix an intermediate position between the closed position of the valve duct and the open position which releases the maximum flow cross section. The detent action of the detent mechanism can also be used to counteract an actuating force of a spring mechanism acting on the reversing element.

In order to achieve an advantageous embodiment of the detent mechanism, the drive shaft is expediently able to move axially in a limited manner relative to the valve housing, wherein the drive shaft has an axially oriented annular surface in a coaxial arrangement, with which an annular counter-detent surface arranged on the valve housing is axially opposite. In addition, the locking mechanism in this case comprises a manually actuable tensioning element acting on the drive shaft, the actuation of which can bring about an axial adjustment of the drive shaft together with the locking surface in order to optionally position the locking surface in a locking position in which it is non-torsionally clamped to the counter locking surface and thus non-torsionally locked to the drive shaft or in a release position in which a torsion of the drive shaft is effected.

The tensioning element is in particular designed as a tensioning nut screwed onto the drive shaft, which upon a rotational actuation relative to the drive shaft can be supported at the outer face of the valve housing in order to exert an axial tensile force on the drive shaft, by means of which the latching face is clamped to the counter-latching face.

The detent surface and the counter detent surface can be designed for the co-action of a friction fit, which facilitates the stepless detent of the drive shaft in different rotational positions. In a further particularly advantageous embodiment, the latching surface and the counter-latching surface are designed in a toothed manner, so that they engage in one another in a form-fitting manner in the latching position of the latching surfaces. This type of latch provides particularly effective protection against inadvertent disengagement even in the event that the pinch valve is subjected to vibration during its use.

Drawings

The invention is subsequently explained in more detail on the basis of the attached drawings. Wherein:

figure 1 shows an isometric illustration of a preferred embodiment of a pinch valve according to the invention in an operating state in an open position for maximum throughflow through the valve element,

fig. 2 shows the pinch valve from fig. 1 in the operating state in the closed position for interrupted throughflow with a closed valve ring,

fig. 3 shows a cross section according to section line III-III from fig. 4 of the pinch valve occupying the open position according to fig. 1, wherein the section of the drive shaft which is illustrated with a dashed box column is also illustrated separately again without being cut,

figure 4 shows a longitudinal section according to section line IV-IV from figure 3,

figure 5 shows a cross section according to the section line V-V from figure 6 of the pinch valve in the operating state in the closed position,

figure 6 shows a longitudinal section of the pinch valve according to section line VI-VI from figure 5,

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the pinch valve without the valve housing present, in accordance with the direction of the line of sight from the arrows VII-VII of FIG. 3, an

Fig. 8 shows the assembly from fig. 7 in an isometric illustration.

Detailed Description

The pinch valve, which is designated as a whole by reference numeral 1, has a valve housing 2 and extends along an imaginary longitudinal axis 3. The axial direction of the longitudinal axis 3 is also referred to below as the longitudinal direction 3 of the pinch valve 1, using the same reference numerals.

In the housing interior 10 enclosed by the valve housing 2, a hose-shaped element functioning as the valve member 4 extends between the two medium connections 6, 7 formed at the valve housing 2, and is penetrated longitudinally by a hose channel, referred to as the valve channel 5, which communicates with the two medium connections 6, 7. When the valve duct 5 has a free flow cross section, as is illustrated in fig. 3 and 4, the flowable medium supplied at one of the medium connections 6 or 7 can flow through the valve duct 5 and can flow out of the pinch valve 1 again at the opposite connection 7 or 6.

The valve element 4 has a longitudinal axis 9 which overlaps the axial direction of the longitudinal axis 3 of the pinch valve 1. The two medium connections 6, 7 are expediently formed in two end- side closing walls 14a, 14b of the valve housing 2 which are opposite to one another in the longitudinal direction 3.

The flowable medium that can be controlled in terms of its flow through the pinch valve 1 relates in particular to a liquid or a gas. The liquid is, for example, water or a process fluid, and the gas is, for example, compressed air. However, the extrusion valve is also suitable for controlling media in powder form, granule form or paste form, for example, as long as it has flowable properties.

The hose-shaped valve collar 4 can be elastically deformed at least in the radial direction. The valve element has a flexible circumferential wall 8 surrounding the valve channel 5, which is deformable at least transversely and in particular rubber-elastically, in particular perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis 9. Preferably, the valve ring segments 4 are made of an elastic material. To increase the compressive strength, a reinforcing structure can be embedded in the peripheral wall 8.

Between the two end- side closing walls 14a, 14b, a tubular wall section 14c of the valve housing 2 extends, which radially surrounds the housing interior 10 on the outside. The wall section is exemplarily connected in one piece to one of the end-side closing walls 14b, so that the two components 14b, 14c form in particular a cup-shaped housing section of the valve housing 2. The other end-side closing wall 14a is fixed to the open end of the tubular wall section 14c, for example by an ultrasonic welding connection. The valve housing 2 as a whole is preferably made of a plastic material, however, it can also be realized, for example, from metal.

In an exemplary manner, the valve ring 4 has, at the two axial end faces, a flange portion 4a, 4b, which is pressed axially inwardly in the transition region to the respective one of the two medium connections 6, 7 against the adjacent end- face closing wall 14a, 14b in the sealed-off state.

Preferably, the valve collar 4 is surrounded in the region of its radial outer circumference 22 by a support structure 15 separate from the valve housing 2, which is arranged in the housing interior 10. In the maximally radially expanded state of the valve channel 5, in which the largest possible free flow cross section is provided for the medium flowing through, the flexible circumferential wall 8 of the valve ring segment 4 can be supported at a support surface 16 of the support structure 15 extending around the valve ring segment 4, so that it is prevented from being stretched too much.

The support structure 15 illustratively has two half-shell-shaped support elements 17a, 17b, respectively with a circular-arc-shaped cross section, which are placed radially from mutually opposite sides to the outer peripheral face of the flexible peripheral wall 8, forming a sleeve-shaped structure. Each support element 17a, 17b has a surface section of the support surface 16. In order to hold the two support elements 17a, 17b together, they are inserted together with the valve ring 4 enclosed by them into a support tube 18, which extends in the housing interior 10 between the two end- side closure walls 14a, 14b and is fastened with one of its two axial end sections 18a, 18b to the closure wall.

Preferably, a support structure 5 according to the type of a cannula (Patrone) is placed into the housing inner space 10.

Around the radially outer circumferential edge 22 of the valve element 4, a plurality of elements, referred to as pressure elements 23, 24 and preferably of male-like design, are arranged, which can be moved linearly back and forth in a working plane 25 at right angles to the longitudinal axis 9 of the valve element 4. Preferably, exactly two such pressing elements 23, 24 are involved, as this is the case in this embodiment. The two pressing elements 23, 24 are placed in diametrically opposite circumferential regions of the radially outer circumferential edge 22 of the valve collar 4 and lie on a common imaginary axis 26, which shall be referred to as the working axis 26, which overlaps the working plane 25. The working axis 26 extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis 9 of the valve element 4 and intersects said longitudinal axis 9.

Each pressing element 23, 24 has a pressing surface 27 at an end side facing forward of the flexible circumferential wall 8, wherein the pressing surfaces 27 of the two pressing elements 23, 24 face each other in the axial direction of the working axis 26.

Each pressing element 23, 24 can execute a linear working movement 28 which is oriented in the axial direction of the working axis 26 and is illustrated by a double arrow. The working movement 28 can be directed both inwardly (that is to say in the direction toward the flexible peripheral wall 8) and oppositely outwardly with respect thereto (that is to say away from the longitudinal axis 9 of the valve ring segment 4).

Preferably, each squeezing element 23, 24 has a plate-shaped basic shape with a main plane of extension at right angles to the longitudinal axis 3 of the squeezing valve 1.

The pressing elements 23, 24 can be moved toward and away from each other within the range of their linear working movement 28 in order to compress the valve element 4 more or less strongly in order to change the flow cross section currently provided by the valve channel 5. The pressing force is applied to the circumferential wall sections 8a, 8b of the flexible circumferential wall 8, which are opposite to each other in the axial direction of the working axis 26, by means of the pressing surfaces 27.

By means of the working movement 28, the pressing elements 23, 24 can be positioned in an open position, which can be seen in fig. 3 and 4, in which their mutual spacing has a maximum value and in which the flexible circumferential wall 8 is not or only slightly compressed, so that the valve channel 5 has a maximum flow cross section which allows a maximum throughflow for the medium to be controlled.

In the range of the working movement 28, the pressing elements 23, 24 can also be positioned in a closed position, which can be seen in fig. 5 and 6, in which they approach each other to such an extent that, upon compression of the flexible circumferential wall 8, the circumferential wall sections 8a, 8b of the flexible circumferential wall 8 lying opposite one another in the axial direction of the working axis 26 are pressed against one another with a sealing action, as a result of which the valve channel 5 is closed and no longer provides a free flow cross section for the medium to be controlled to pass through the valve element 4. In the axial direction of the transverse axis 32 (which runs at right angles both to the longitudinal axis 9 of the valve element 4 and to the working axis 26), the pressing elements 23, 24 have a length in the region of their pressing surfaces 27 which is sufficiently large to compress the flexible circumferential wall 28 over their entire diameter.

Preferably, the pressing elements 23, 24 can also be positioned in any intermediate position between the open position and the closed position in order to release the flow cross section of the valve channel 5 between the flow cross section of zero and the maximum flow cross section released in the open position.

It can be seen that the medium throughflow for the flowing medium, which is necessary for the present purpose of use of the pinch valve 1, can thus be set by the selected positioning of the pinch elements 23, 24.

In the region of the two pressure elements 23, 24, the support structure 15 has a preferably slot-shaped wall passage 33, which is passed through by the respectively associated pressure element 23, 24 in a manner such that it can be displaced in a sliding manner for carrying out the working movement 28. Preferably, the limiting surface of each wall perforation 33 forms a guide surface for the linear guidance of the associated press element 23, 24 during its working movement 28.

Each pressing element 23, 24 has a loading head 34 at its back side opposite the pressing surface 27 in the axial direction of the working axis 26. An adjusting force 35 can be introduced into the loading head 34 in order to displace the associated squeezing valve 23, 24 from the open position into the closed position. When the adjusting force 35 is removed, the pressing elements 23, 24 are pressed back in the direction of the open position by the circumferential wall 8 which expands again as a result of the internal pressure prevailing in the valve channel 5.

In order to generate the working movement 28 and in particular the actuating force 35, the pinch valve 1 is equipped with a drive mechanism 36. The drive mechanism 36 includes a conversion mechanism 37, which in turn has an engagement transmission mechanism 38.

The drive mechanism 36 has a drive shaft 42, which is mounted on the valve housing 2 in such a way that it can be rotated relative to the valve housing 2 about a rotational axis 43 extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft 42. The drive shaft 42 has a longitudinal axis 44, with which the axis of rotation 43 expediently overlaps.

The drive shaft 42 expediently runs in a drive space 45 enclosed by the valve housing 2, which is connected to the housing interior 10 on the longitudinal side and opens into the housing interior 10 via a window-like passage opening 46. To form the drive space 45, the housing wall of the valve housing 2 expediently has a local bulge 47.

The drive shaft 42 has a rear end section, which functions as an actuating section 48 and with which it protrudes from the drive space 45. In the region of the opening of the drive space 45 through which the drive shaft 42 passes, a support ring 52 surrounding the drive shaft 42 is fixed in the valve housing 2, the radial inner circumferential surface of which expediently forms a sliding bearing surface for the rotary bearing of the drive shaft 42. A sealing ring 53 is expediently held in the length section of the drive shaft 42 which passes through the support ring 52, rests against the support ring 52 and seals the drive space 45 against the surroundings.

Expediently, for the purpose of carrying out the rotational bearing measure, the drive shaft 42 has at its front end section opposite the actuating section 48 a bearing sleeve 54a which is coaxial to the longitudinal axis 44 and which engages into a complementary wall deepening 54b of the valve housing 2 and is supported radially in a torsionally movable manner therein.

The actuating section 48 is designed to be able to introduce a drive torque by means of which a rotational drive movement 55 of the drive shaft 42 about the rotational axis 43, which is illustrated by the double arrow, can be caused. The drive movement 55 can be carried out bidirectionally.

Advantageously, the pinch valve 1 is of the type that can be manually operated, corresponding to the illustrated embodiment. That is to say, the drive torque for the drive shaft 42 can be introduced into the actuating section 48 by hand. For this purpose, a handle 56 that is accessible outside the valve housing 2 is arranged in the actuating section 48 in a rotationally fixed manner. The handle 56 is exemplarily a hand lever 57 having a lever arm 57a radially protruding from the rotation axis 43. The handle 57 is fixed in a rotationally fixed manner at or on the actuating section 48 by a fixing section 57b, wherein the handle can be pressed or screwed on, for example.

In order to generate the rotational drive movement 55, the hand lever 57 can be gripped and pivoted by hand at the lever arm 57 a.

The pinch valve 1 can also be of a type that can be operated by a motor according to other embodiments. Instead of the handle 56, a drive motor 58, which is illustrated in fig. 3 by dashed lines, is present in this case, which has a stator 58a fixed to the valve housing 2 and an output shaft 58b that can be driven in rotation therewith, wherein the output shaft 58b is drivingly connected to the actuating section 48 or itself directly forms the actuating section 48. The drive motor 58 is preferably an electric motor, which is in particular a servomotor or a stepping motor.

The conversion mechanism 37 already mentioned is designed such that it converts the rotary drive movement 55 of the drive shaft 42 into the linear working movement 28 of the pressure elements 23, 24.

The coupling gear 38 and the reversing element 62, which directly cooperates with the pressure elements 23, 24 for applying the adjusting force 35, belong to the switching mechanism 37. The switching element 62 is of sleeve-shaped design and is arranged in the housing interior of the valve housing 2 so as to coaxially surround the valve element 4. The commutation segment is preferably located in an annular space section 63 of the housing interior 10, which is formed between the support structure 15 and the tubular wall section 14 c. The switching element 62 is linearly displaceable back and forth in the longitudinal direction 9 of the valve element 4 relative to the valve element 4 and relative to the valve housing 2, wherein the movement that can be carried out here is referred to for better differentiation as a linear switching movement 64 and is illustrated in the drawing by a double arrow.

Preferably, the deflection segments 62 are supported radially on the radially outer circumferential surface of the support tube 18 and/or on the radially inner circumferential surface of the tubular wall section 14c while ensuring axial displaceability, so that they are subjected to precise linear guidance for their deflection movement 64.

The sleeve-shaped deflection element 62 extends radially outward beyond the loading head 34 of the pressing elements 23, 24. The radial inner circumferential surface of which is provided with a slotted guide structure 65 which bears in a slidably displaceable manner against the loading head 34 of the pressing element 23, 24. The gate arrangement 65 is designed in such a way that the inner diameter of the sleeve-shaped deflection element 62 changes gradually in the axial direction between a section of the largest inner diameter 66a and a section 66b of the smallest inner diameter axially spaced apart therefrom.

In the region of the linear reversing movement 64, the reversing element 62 can be displaced within the valve housing 2 between two axial end positions opposite one another. The first axial end position, which can be seen in fig. 3 and 4, is to be referred to as the release position of the switching element 62 and the second axial end position, which can be seen in fig. 5 and 6, is referred to as the blocking position of the switching element 62, relative to the latter.

In the release position of the deflecting link 62, the section 66a of the largest inner diameter of the slotted link structure 65 is at the same height as the loading head 34 of the pressing elements 23, 24, which brings the pressing elements 23, 24 into the open position that can be seen in fig. 3 and 4. In the closed position of the switching element 62, the section 66b of the slot arrangement 65 with the smallest diameter is at an axial level with the loading head 34, as a result of which the pressing elements 23, 24 are moved into the closed position, as can be seen in fig. 5 and 6.

That is to say, it can be seen that the gate arrangement 65 exerts an adjusting force 35 for causing the working movement 28 on the two pressing elements 23, 24.

A gradual transition, that is to say a gradual change in the inner diameter of the deflection element 32, expediently takes place between the section 66a of the largest inner diameter and the section 66b of the smallest diameter, so that a gradual, in particular smooth change in the position of the pressure elements 23, 24 occurs in the deflection movement 64.

The geared transmission 38 has two teeth 67, 68 which engage one another continuously, one of which is arranged at the drive shaft 42 and is designated as input tooth 67, and the other of which is arranged at the reversing element 62 and is designated as output tooth 68. The input toothing 67 is fixedly arranged on the drive shaft 42, so that it performs a rotational drive movement of the drive shaft together. The output toothing 68 is arranged fixedly at the commutation segment 62, so that together they perform the linear commutation movement 64 of the commutation segment. Upon a rotational drive movement 55, the meshing engagement between the input toothing 67 and the output toothing 68 causes the rotational drive movement 55 to be converted into a linear reversing movement 64. At the same time, the linear reversing movement 64 of the reversing element 62, which is oriented in the longitudinal direction 3, 9, is converted into the likewise linear working movement 28 of the pressure elements 23, 24, which is however oriented at right angles to the reversing movement 64.

In an exemplary embodiment of the geared transmission 38, the drive shaft 42 is oriented such that its axis of rotation 43, which overlaps the longitudinal axis 44, extends parallel to the working plane 25. The drive shaft 42 is eccentrically positioned with respect to the valve element 4, wherein the axis of rotation 43 is spaced apart with respect to the valve element 4 in a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis 9 of the valve element 4. Preferably, the axis of rotation 43 is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the valve ring 4 relative to the working plane 25 and, correspondingly, also relative to the working axis 26. Exemplarily and preferably, the drive shaft 42 is arranged such that the axis of rotation 43 is oriented perpendicular to the working axis 26 when viewed in the longitudinal direction 3 according to fig. 3 and 5.

In other words, the axis of rotation 43 expediently runs parallel to the transverse axis 32 of the valve ring section 4 explained further above.

The toothing system 38 is expediently designed as a rack gear, as is the case in the exemplary embodiment illustrated. The input toothing 67 comprises here an arcuately curved toothed ring 72, the center of curvature of which lies on the axis of rotation 43, while the output toothing 68 is designed as a toothed rack 73, which has a linear extension and has a rack longitudinal axis 74 running parallel to the longitudinal axis 3.

The toothed rack 73 is arranged in the region of the radial outer circumference at the commutation segment 62 and is integrated in particular into the commutation segment 62. The reversing element 62 is in particular a one-piece body with a directly formed toothed rack 73.

The teeth 73a of the rack 73 are linearly arranged at each other in the axial direction of the rack longitudinal axis 74 with the tooth intermediate space being reserved. Each of the teeth 73a has a longitudinal extension with a tooth longitudinal axis 75, wherein the tooth longitudinal axis 75 runs transversely to the rack longitudinal axis 74 and, in the preferred embodiment, is arranged in relation thereto, in particular, at right angles. Correspondingly, the toothed rack 73 is preferably straight.

In this case, the toothed ring 72 arranged at the drive shaft 42 also has corresponding spur toothing. The teeth 72a of the toothed ring are arranged one after the other in the peripheral direction of the longitudinal axis 44 and each have a longitudinal extension with a tooth longitudinal axis 76 which extends parallel to the axis of rotation 43.

In contrast to the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the input toothing 67 and the output toothing 68 can also be embodied as helical toothing. In particular, it is thereby possible to orient the drive shaft 42 such that its axis of rotation 43 overlaps the longitudinal axis 3 of the pinch valve 1. This enables a particularly slim design of the pinch valve 1.

By means of the meshing engagement between the input toothing 67 and the output toothing 68, the commutation ring 62 is simultaneously subjected to a torsional fixing relative to the valve housing 2. This offers the possibility of an exemplary realization of limiting the circumferential extension of the output toothing 68 around the central longitudinal axis 9 of the valve element 4. The toothed rack 73 occupies only a part of the circumference of the deflection ring 62 and is only in the region of the outer circumference of the deflection ring 62 facing the drive space 45.

The input toothing 67 can project through the window-like passage 76 into the annular space section 63, in order to engage in the output toothing 68 there.

The rotation of the drive shaft 42 causes the switching element 62 to move linearly in the valve housing 2, while a linear switching movement 64 is carried out, wherein the direction of movement of the switching element 62 depends on the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 42.

Basically, the gear ring 72 can be a full ring that extends around the drive shaft 42. Preferably, however, the toothed ring is configured as a partial ring whose circumferential extension with respect to the longitudinal axis 44 is less than 360 degrees, wherein the arc length between the two teeth 72a, which are referred to as closure teeth 77, is selected correspondingly and is exemplary 90 degrees.

The design of the toothed ring 72 as a partial ring achieves an advantageous embodiment of the stop means 78 for mechanically presetting the two mutually opposite end positions of the rotational drive movement 55 of the drive shaft 42. In one of the end positions, the switching element 62 assumes the blocking position and in the other end position assumes the release position. As a result, the pressure element 23, 24 can be positioned in the open position or in the closed position very precisely and without additional monitoring measures by simple rotational angle limitation of the drive shaft 42.

Preferably, the stop means 78 has two stop faces 82, which are formed by the flanks of the two closing teeth 77 facing away from one another in the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 42. Furthermore, the stop means 78 has two counter stop surfaces 83 (geh ä usefiese) which are fastened to the housing and which are configured in the exemplary manner at one or more wall projections of the valve housing 2 and project into the drive space 45 in such a way that a counter stop surface 83 is present in each case in the path of movement of one of the stop surfaces 82. Depending on the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 42, either one or the other of the closure teeth 77 for the purpose of limiting the angle of rotation strikes against a counter-stop surface 83 in its path of movement, whereby the drive shaft 42 is positioned depending on the angle of rotation.

The pinch valve 1 can be designed such that the reversing movement 64 of the reversing element 62 can be caused only by an actuating force introduced by means of the geared drive 38. In this way, a stable axial end position of the commutation segment 62 can be achieved in a very simple manner.

Preferably, however, the pinch valve 1 is equipped with a spring mechanism 84 that induces or at least supports the reversing motion 64 in one of the two possible directions of motion. The illustrated pinch valve 1 is equipped accordingly, wherein it has a mechanical spring mechanism 84, by means of which the switching element 62 is permanently biased into the closed position, which is accompanied by the closed position of the pinch elements 23, 24. This provides a safety aspect, since the squeeze valve 3 automatically closes in the event of damage to the engagement gear 38. Furthermore, the spring mechanism 84 acting in the closing direction can ensure that the pressure elements 23, 24 are pressed against the valve collar 4 in the closed position with a predetermined pressure force, so that a reliable closure of the valve channel 5 is ensured without overloading the flexible and in particular rubber-elastic circumferential wall 8.

In a non-illustrated embodiment, the spring mechanism 84 is mounted in such a way that it continuously biases the switching element 62 into the release position.

Preferably, the spring mechanism 84 is a pressure spring mechanism. The spring mechanism is designed in particular as a helical spring, but can also comprise a disk spring stack, for example.

The spring means 84 is preferably located in the housing interior 10 and in this case, in particular, in the annular space section 63. The spring means is, for example, axially interposed between the reversing element 62 and the closing wall 14a on the one end side. The spring means comprise, for example, a conical spring which tapers in the direction of the reversing element 62.

The spring means 84 preferably has an annular cross section and is preferably arranged coaxially to the longitudinal axis 3.

The geared transmission 38 is expediently equipped with such backlash that, in the closed position of the pressure elements 23, 24, the optionally present spring mechanism 84 is responsible with its spring force for generating the pressure force acting on the valve element 4.

The pinch valve 1 is expediently equipped with a manually actuable latching mechanism 85, by means of which the drive shaft 42 can be latched in a rotationally fixed manner relative to the valve housing 2 in different rotational positions adjusted by the rotary drive movement 55. The intermediate position of the pressure elements 23, 24 between the open position and the closed position can thus also be adjusted fixedly for any desired period of time.

According to a preferred embodiment of the detent mechanism 85 (which can be realized in the exemplary embodiment illustrated), the drive shaft 42 can be moved axially in a limited manner relative to the valve housing 2 in the axial direction of its longitudinal axis 44. The drive shaft 42 has a radially projecting annular collar 86 in the interior of the drive space 45, which is arranged coaxially to the support ring 52 and which has an annular latching surface 87 at its end face facing axially toward the support ring 52. The annular flange 86 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive shaft 42 and is formed by an annular body which is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner onto the drive shaft 42. An annular counter detent surface 88, which is formed on the support ring 52, is axially opposite the detent surface 87.

The drive shaft 42 can be rotated but also slightly axially displaced relative to the valve housing 2, wherein the linear movement limitation is achieved in one direction by the interaction between the detent surface 87 and the counter detent surface 88 and in the other direction by the interaction between the bearing sleeve 54a and the base surface of the wall deepening 54 b.

The manually actuable tensioning element 92 of the detent mechanism 85 effects that a pulling force 93 is exerted on the drive shaft 42 and thus also on the detent face 87 supported with respect thereto, whereby the entire drive shaft 42, including the detent face 87, is adjusted axially in the direction of the support ring 52 and is pressed with its detent face 87 against the counter-detent face 88. By correspondingly tightening the tensioning element 92, the detent surface 87 and the counter detent surface 88 can be clamped fixedly to one another in such a way that the drive shaft 42 is locked in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the valve housing 2. The position occupied by the detent surface 87 in relation to the valve housing 7 is to be referred to as the detent position. In order to release the rotational mobility of the drive shaft 42 again, the tensioning element 92 can be disengaged manually, so that the detent face 87 can be removed from the counter-detent face 88 in order to assume the disengaged position. The drive shaft 42 can then twist unimpeded.

The tensioning element 92 is embodied as a tensioning nut 92a, which is screwed onto an external thread 94 of the end section of the drive shaft 42 that protrudes out of the valve housing 2. By manual rotary actuation according to the double arrow 95, the tensioning nut 92a can be screwed onto the external thread 94 in such a way that it bears against a bearing surface 96 of the support ring 92 facing it and thus exerts the above-described tensile force 93 on the drive shaft 42 which is not rotating together. As a result, the detent surface 87 moves into the detent position. By rotating the tensioning nut 92a in the opposite direction of rotation, the pulling force 93 can be eliminated, so that the latching surface 87 can be returned into the disengaged position.

In contrast to the exemplary embodiment in which the support surface 96 is realized on a separate support ring 52 inserted into the valve housing 2, the support surface 96 can also be formed directly on the valve housing 2.

Preferably, both the detent face 87 and the counter detent face 88 are of toothed design, so that in the detent position the detent face 87 engages in the counter detent face with a positive fit acting in the direction of rotation of the drive shaft 42. The detent mechanism 85 thus constructed provides high security against inadvertent twisting of the drive shaft 42. The positive engagement between the engaging detent face 87 and the engaging counter detent face 88 remains maintained and prevents twisting of the drive shaft 42 even when the tensioning nut 92a should be slightly disengaged. Even when a spring mechanism 84 is present, which applies a torque to the drive shaft 42 via the engagement gear 38.

Exemplarily, both the detent face 87 and the counter detent face 87 have annular toothed rings 87a, 88a coaxial to the axis of rotation 43 with teeth and tooth interspaces arranged one behind the other in each case. The toothed rings 87a, 88a are configured complementary to one another. The toothed rings have the same diameter as one another and are arranged opposite one another with the crowns facing one another in the axial direction of the axis of rotation 43. In the latched position, the teeth of the respective one toothed ring 87a engage axially into the tooth interspaces of the respective other toothed ring 88 a.

It is to be understood that, however, there is the alternative possibility that the detent face 87 and the counter detent face 88 are designed as pure friction faces which, in the detent position of the detent face 87, bear against one another in a pure friction fit.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the current operating state of the pinch valve 1 can be easily read out from the current pivot position of the lever 57. Nevertheless, there is the advantageous possibility that a readout scale is provided for ascertaining the current operating state. This makes it possible to simplify the adjustment of the throughflow intermediate position in particular.

Claims (19)

1. Squeeze valve for flowable media, having a valve housing (2) in which a hose-shaped valve element (4) with a flexible peripheral wall (8) extends and is penetrated in its longitudinal direction by a valve channel (4), a plurality of squeeze elements (23, 24) being arranged distributed around a radial outer periphery (22) of the valve element, which squeeze elements can be moved towards and away from one another in a working plane (25) at right angles to a longitudinal axis (9) of the valve element (4) in order to compress the valve element (4) more or less strongly, while performing a linear working movement (28), and having a drive mechanism (36) for causing the working movement (28) of the squeeze elements (23, 24), characterized in that the drive mechanism (36) has a drive shaft (42), the drive shaft is mounted rotatably about a rotational axis (43) extending in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft at the valve housing (2) and has a handling section (48) into which a drive torque of a rotary drive movement (55) of the drive shaft (42) can be introduced, wherein the drive mechanism (36) furthermore has a conversion mechanism (37) which converts the rotary drive movement (55) of the drive shaft (42) into a linear working movement (28) of the pressure element (23, 24) and has a meshing transmission mechanism (38).

2. Pinch valve according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to be manually operable, wherein at the operating section (48) of the drive shaft (42) a handle (56) is arranged, suitably a hand lever (57) provided with a lever arm (57 a), which is accessible outside the valve housing (2).

3. The pinch valve according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pinch valve is configured to be operable by a motor, wherein a drive motor (58) is arranged at the valve housing (2), the output shaft (58 b) of which is connected with an operating section (48) of the drive shaft (42) in a torque-transmitting manner.

4. The extrusion valve according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has only two extrusion elements (23, 24) which are placed in the diametrically opposite circumferential regions of the radially outer circumferential edge (22) of the valve ring (4) and which, for the purpose of carrying out their working movement (28), can be moved in a common axial direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (9) of the valve ring (4) and to a working axis (26) in the working plane (25), which is expediently spaced apart from the rotational axis (43) of the drive shaft (42) in the longitudinal direction of the valve ring (4) and runs orthogonally to the rotational axis (43) of the drive shaft (42).

5. Squeeze valve according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the drive shaft (42) is arranged eccentrically with respect to the valve ring (4), with its axis of rotation (43) spaced from the longitudinal axis (9) of the valve ring (4).

6. Squeeze valve according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the gearing (38) has an input toothing (67) which is connected rotationally fixed to the drive shaft (42) and which rotates the same together with a drive movement (55), and an output toothing (68) which is in meshing engagement with the input toothing (67) and which is kinematically coupled to the squeezing element (23, 24) for causing the working movement (28).

7. The squeeze valve according to claim 6, characterized in that the conversion mechanism (37) has a reversing element (62) which is arranged in the valve housing (2) and which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the valve element (4) by a rotational drive movement (55) of the drive shaft (42) when a linear reversing movement (64) is carried out and which has a slotted link structure (65) against which the pressing element (23, 24) bears in a slidably displaceable manner such that it is driven by its slotted link structure (65) into its working movement (28) during the linear reversing movement (64) of the reversing element (62).

8. The dummy valve according to claim 7, wherein the output toothing (68) is arranged at the commutation segment (62).

9. Squeeze valve according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the reversing ring element (62) is sleeve-shaped and coaxially surrounds the valve ring element (4), wherein the chute structure (65) is expediently configured at the inner periphery of the reversing ring element (62).

10. Squeeze valve according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the switching element (62) is displaceable by the linear switching movement (64) between two axial end positions opposite one another, wherein one of the two axial end positions represents a blocking position which causes the closing of the valve channel (5) and the other of the two axial end positions represents a release position which is responsible for the release of the maximum flow cross section of the valve channel (5).

11. The dummy valve according to claim 10, characterized in that a spring mechanism (84) is arranged in the valve housing (2), by means of which the switching element (62) is permanently biased into one of its two axial end positions, suitably into the latched position.

12. The dummy valve according to any of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the output toothing (68) is configured at a radial outer periphery of the commutation segment (62), wherein the output toothing extends in the circumferential direction of the longitudinal axis (9) of the valve segment (4), suitably only along a limited section of the outer periphery of the commutation segment (62).

13. The dummy valve according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that the meshing gear (38) is configured as a rack gear, wherein the input toothing (67) is configured as an arcuately curved toothed ring (72) and the output toothing is configured as a rack (73) with a linear extension.

14. Squeeze valve according to claim 13, characterized in that the toothed ring (72) extends over an arc length of less than 360 degrees, wherein the toothed ring suitably has an arc length of 90 degrees.

15. The dummy valve according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it has a stop mechanism (78) for presetting two mutually opposite end positions of the rotational drive movement (55) of the drive shaft (42), which has two stop faces (82) arranged at the drive shaft (42) and two counter stop faces (83) arranged positionally fixed in relation to the valve housing (2), wherein the two stop faces (82) are expediently formed by two tooth sides of the teeth (72 a, 77) closing the toothed ring (72) on mutually opposite sides.

16. Squeeze valve according to any of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that a manually operable latching mechanism (85) is assigned to the drive shaft (42) for releasably latching different rotational positions of the drive shaft (42).

17. Squeeze valve according to claim 16, characterized in that the drive shaft (42) is axially movable in a limited manner relative to the valve housing (2) and has, in a coaxial arrangement, an axially oriented annular latching surface (87) of the latching mechanism (85), an annular counter-latching surface (88) of the latching mechanism (85) which is arranged in a positionally fixed manner relative to the valve housing (2) being axially opposite the latching surface, wherein a manually operable tensioning element (92) of the latching mechanism (85) acts on the drive shaft (42), the actuation of which causes an axial adjustment of the drive shaft (42) together with the latching surface (87), whereby the latching surface (87) can optionally be positioned in a latching position which is non-torsionally clamped with the counter-latching surface (88) and thus is non-torsionally latched with the drive shaft (42), or in which the drive shaft (42) is effected The twisted release position of the moving shaft (42).

18. The dummy valve according to claim 17, characterized in that the tensioning element (92) is configured as a tensioning nut (92 a) screwed onto an external thread (94) of the drive shaft (42), which tensioning nut can be supported in a rotational actuation (95) at a support surface (96) fixed in position with respect to the valve housing (2) in order to exert an axial pulling force on the drive shaft (42) which urges the latching surface (87) into clamping with the counter-latching surface (88).

19. Squeeze valve according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the latching face (87) and the counter-latching face (88) are tooth-shaped configured such that they engage in one another in a form-fitting manner in the latching position of the latching face (87).

Images