EP1157232A1

EP1157232A1 - Thermostatic valve top part

Info

Publication number: EP1157232A1
Application number: EP00906183A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bjarne Frederiksen; Flemming Schubert; Niels Steen Nielsen; Bent Rasmussen; Kenneth Michelsen
Original assignee: Danfoss AS
Current assignee: Danfoss AS
Priority date: 1999-03-02
Filing date: 2000-02-29
Publication date: 2001-11-28
Also published as: PL350240A1; RU2211979C2; DE19909100C2; CN1222707C; UA60395C2; CZ295323B6; WO2000052373A1; AU2794600A; CZ20013135A3; CN1342251A; DE19909100A1; PL192901B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a thermostatic valve top part (1) with a housing (2), a thermostatic element (4), connected with an operating element (6) via a connecting element (5), and with an adjusting drive (7), changing the active connection between the operating element (6) and the thermostatic element (4). In this connection it is desired to obtain a self-acting behaviour with small space requirements. For this purpose, the adjusting device (7) has a control device (9), arranged laterally next to the housing (2) and detachably connected with the housing (2).

Description

Thermostatic valve top part

The invention concerns a thermostatic valve top part with a housing, a thermostatic element, connected with an operating element via a connecting element, and with an adjusting drive, changing the active connection between the operating element and the thermostatic element.

A thermostatic valve top part of this kind is known from DE 31 53 654 C2. In the known top part, the length of a spindle, serving as connecting element, between the thermostatic element and the tappet of a heating valve is changed in that an elliptic disc is inserted between the spindle and the tappet, either with its large diameter or with its small diameter. For this purpose, the disc is floatingly supported, and is driven by an electric motor via a gear, the motor being arranged laterally on the intermediary piece, which is required to arrange the elliptic disc between the spindle and the tappet. With this embodiment, it is required that the thermostatic top part is axially extended, that is, projects further into the room from the radiator. Due to the increased relationship of the levers, there is a risk of damaging.

Thermostatic top parts of this kind are used to enable local changes of the desired value of the thermostatic element. For example, it may be desired to be able to set a night-setback of the temperature in one room, reducing the desired value by, for example 1 to 5°C . In DE 31 53 654 C2 mentioned above, the spindle is then correspondingly reduced, so that with the same room temperature the radiator valve is closed or throttled earlier.

A different possibility of changing the room temperature is disclosed in DE 35 45 232 Al . Here, a control device is arranged on the front side of the thermostatic valve top part, the control device having a pressure transducer acting upon the thermostatic element. The pressure in the thermostatic element, which is produced by a higher tem- perature and passed on to the valve tappet, is replaced by a mechanical pressure. However, this embodiment is relatively expensive. It also increases the physical dimensions- and reduces the operator convenience of the thermostatic valve top part. Additionally, it puts a heavy strain on the thermostatic element.

The invention is based on the task of enabling a self- acting behaviour of the thermostatic valve top part though maintaining small physical dimensions.

With a thermostatic valve top part, this task is solved in that the adjusting device has a control device, arranged laterally next to the housing and detachably connected with the housing.

This embodiment involves several advantages. The use of a control device permits self-acting control of the thermostatic valve top part in a way specified by the control device. For this purpose, the control device can, for example, contain a time switch clock or a programme- controlled processor. Depending on the embodiment, the active connection between the thermostatic element and the operating element is then adjusted in dependence of the time or in dependence of other conditions. With a control device of this kind, it is, for example, also possible to receive signals from a central unit, which signals are then reprocessed by the control device. The arrangement next to the housing involves the advantage that the space requirement remains small. There is no need to have the thermostatic top part project further into the room.

"Laterally next to the housing" means that the control device is not arranged in continuation of, but in the radial direction (for example with reference to the middle axis of the housing) to the thermostatic top part. Finally, the detachable connection also involves a large number of possibilities. Firstly, it means that the control device can be dismounted and remounted on the thermostatic valve top part, or its housing, requiring only little effort and preferably without the use of tools, usually with one or two manipulations. A control device can be replaced by another one. The control device can be set in the dismounted state, which means a substantial increase of the comfort. Usually, the thermostatic valve top parts are arranged on the radiator in a height, which corresponds approximately to the hip height of a human being. Performing a setting, for example a programming, on site is normally only possible when assuming a relatively uncomfortable posture. When, however, it is possible to dismount the control device, the programming or setting can be comfortably performed, for example sitting at a table, and the completely set control device can then be remounted on the thermostatic top part.

Preferably, operating elements are arranged on the side of the control device facing the housing. This embodiment has two advantages. Firstly, it permits an eye-pleasing appearance of the control device. The remaining control device can namely be closed and have a smooth surface. This also facilitates the cleaning of the control device. Secondly, in the mounted state, the operating elements are covered, and thus protected, by the thermostatic valve top part. Thus, an unintentional change of the setting of the control device is to a high degree avoided.

Advantageously, the operating elements have a display, and a switch is provided, which turns off the display, when the control device and the housing are connected with each other, and turns it on when they are separated. The display permits the user to see the settings, he has made on the control device. Accordingly, the display must only be visible, when the user can actually see it. This is not the case, when the control device is fixed on the thermostatic valve top part. In that case, it is thus possible to turn off the display, which causes substantial current savings. Particularly when only batteries are available for the energy supply to the control device, the life of the battery can be substantially extended by this possibility. Turning off and on the display happens automatically in connection with the fitting of the control device on the thermostatic valve top part, so that the user can make no errors.

Preferably, the control device and the housing are connected with each other by way of a snap connection, which has at least one barb and one belonging engagement surface, which are mutually movable. To mount the control device on the thermostatic valve, it must merely be pushed in the direction of the housing of the top part, until the barbs engage behind the engagement surface. Usually, this is easily detected by means of the clicking sound. Such a mounting is very simple, and can also easily be performed by unskilled persons. To remove the control device from the housing, the engagement surface and the barb must be moved in relation to each other, to release the barb. However, this is also done without problems.

In this connection, it is preferred that the barb is arranged on a rigid lever, and that the engagement surface is movable. Such a connection can be relatively stable. When the barb is arranged on a rigid lever, it must no longer be resilient, meaning that the lever can have relatively large dimensions. The assembling is simplified, as the rigid lever is not so easily bent. For releasing, the engagement surface is simply moved, for example through pressing against the force of a return spring.

In this connection, it is particularly preferred that the barb is arranged on the housing and the engagement surface is arranged on the control device. This is particularly advantageous for the stability.

Preferably, the barb serves as operating element for the switch, which is loaded in the closing direction by spring force. Thus, no additional elements are required to operate the switch.

Preferably, the snap connection has two barbs, which are arranged substantially symmetrically to a level through the medium axis of the housing. This simplifies the mounting, without requiring skimming of the stability of the connection.

Advantageously, an additional barb connection is provided between the control device and the housing. This improves the optical impression. It is no longer necessary to arrange the barbs in the area of the centre of gravity of the control device. Also when arranged outside this area, the additional barb connection can provide a tight bearing of the control device on the housing of the thermostatic valve top part. The barb connection can also be a snap connection. However, it is also possible to hang up the barbs of the barb connection in the housing and then tilt the control device in the direction of the housing, until the barbs engage behind the engagement surface. The term "retaining connection" means that this connection only has to adopt pulling forces.

Preferably, the adjustment device has a toothed gearing with an inlet gear wheel, which is fixed in the housing and projects from the housing through a slot, the control device having a slot through which the inlet gear wheel enters. Thus, it is possible to select a relatively large diameter for the inlet gear wheel, so that with a rela- tively small number of gear wheels, it is possible to obtain a large gear ratio between the motor in the control device and the adjustment mechanism inside the housing. The bearing of the inlet gear wheel in the housing can be made with a relatively large stability. The connection from the motor of the control device to the proper adjustment mechanism is simply made in that the control device is attached on the housing.

In this connection, it is particularly preferred that the barbs are substantially arranged in the same level as the inlet gear wheel. When the motor of the control device is activated to turn the inlet gear wheel, this is where the only mechanical load actually occurs, which has to be adopted by the detachable connection. Arranging the barbs in the same level as the gear wheel helps preventing that large tilting moments occur between the control device and the housing.

The invention also concerns a control device as accessory for a thermostatic valve top part, as described. This involves the advantage, that several different sorts of control devices can be provided for a thermostatic valve top part, the control devices having the same mechanical embodiment, yet different control behaviours. This in- creases the flexibility of the thermostatic valve top parts .

In the following the invention is described on the basis of preferred embodiments on the basis of the drawings, showing: Fig. 1 a side view of a thermostatic valve to part with mounted control device Fig. 2. a top view of the thermostatic valve top part with dismounted control device Fig. 3 a schematic section view showing the snap connection Fig. 4 the view of Fig. 3 with engaged snap connection Fig. 5 a side view of the thermostatic valve top part with dismounted control device Fig. 6 a view of the side of the control device facing the thermostatic valve top part Fig. 7 a detailed view of a barb connection Fig. 8 the view of Fig. 7 in the closed state

Fig. 1 shows a thermostatic valve top part 1 with a housing 2, which can be fixed on a radiator valve (not shown in detail) by means of a union nut 3, or another suitable connection. The functional parts inside the thermostatic valve top part are only shown schematically with dotted lines. The thermostatic valve top part has a thermostatic element 4, which, when being heated, pushes a spindle 5 downwards ( in relation to the orientation in Fig. 1. The spindle 5 activates an operating element 6, which presses on the tappet (not shown in detail) of the radiator valve. The farther the tappet is pushed inwards, the more the radiator valve is throttled. Finally, a device 7 is provided, which changes the length of the spindle 5. The change of the spindle length changes the active connection between the thermostatic element 4 and the operating device 6. The longer the spindle 5 is, the earlier the radiator valve throttles at otherwise unchanged ambient temperatures. For example, a night setback can be set by means of this extension.

The desired value of the thermostatic valve top part can for example be preset by means of a twist handle 8. How- ever, it is also possible to change the desired value merely via the device 7.

Laterally on the housing 2, a control device 9 is connected detachably with the housing 2. In this connection, laterally means parallel to the spindle 5, that is, not in extension of the spindle 5, so that the mounting of the control device 9 does not cause a change of the axial length of the thermostatic valve top part.

The control device 9 is connected with the housing 2 by means of a snap connection. This snap connection is explained in detail by means of the Figs. 3 and 4. Due to the snap connection, it is possible to dismount the con- trol device by means of one manipulation, and later it is equally simple to mount it again.

The housing 2 has two barbs 10, each arranged on the tip of a rigid lever 11. The rigid levers 11 are so stable, that they can adopt the weight of the control device without being deformed. However, when being exposed to larger forces, a deformation is possible. The levers 11 can be plastic parts formed on the housing 2.

The control device 9 has a housing 12 with openings 13 (Fig. 6) for the adoption of the barbs 10. Behind each opening 13 there is a slide 14, which is pushed outwards by means of a pressure spring 15. On its outside, the slide 14 forms a button 16, which can be pushed into the housing 12 in the direction of the arrow 17.

On the side of the slide turning away from the housing 2, there is an engagement surface 18, behind which the barb can engage. When the housing 12 of the control device 9 must be connected with the housing 2 of the thermostatic valve top part 1, the control device 9 with its openings 13 is attached on the tips of the barbs 10. When the control device 9 is moved in the direction of the housing 2, the slides 14 are moved inwards against the force of the spring 15. As soon as the barb 10 has passed the slide, the slide 14 engages behind the barb 10, so that the barb 10 bears on the engagement surface. As the lever 11 has a very stable embodiment, this method provides a sufficiently stable fixing of the control device 9 on the housing 2.

In the control device 9 a switch 19 with a movable element 20 and a contact 21 is arranged. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the movable element 20 bears on the contact 21, when the control device 9 is lifted from the housing 2. However, when there is a connection (Fig. 4), the tip 19 of the barb 10 pushes the movable element 20 away from the contact 21, thus interrupting the electrical connection between these two parts.

The control device has a motor 22, shown only with dotted lines in Fig. 1. The motor 22 drives a gear pinion 23, which again acts upon an inlet gear wheel 24, which can be seen in Fig. 2. The inlet gear wheel 24 is supported in the housing 2 and is arranged in the same level as the levers 10. Thus, the levers 10 are arranged on both sides of the inlet gear wheel 24. When now the motor 22 acts upon the gear wheel 24 via the gear pinion 23, forces appear, which strain the snap connection between the control device 9 and the housing 2. However, these forces do not cause a torque, which rotates the control device 9 in relation to the housing 2. As is particularly seen in Fig. 6, the control device has a slot-like opening 25, through which the gear wheel 24 can enter on mounting. As soon as the connection between the control device 9 and the housing 2 has been estab- lished, there is also a connection between the motor 22 and the device 7. In the present case, this is done in that gear wheels are brought to engagement through a radial movement towards each other.

Fig. 6 shows schematically a view of the side of the control device 9, which in the mounted state bears on the housing 2. This side has operating elements 26, namely a display 27, a switch panel 28 and several buttons 29. The display can be turned off by means of the switch 19. This saves electrical energy, which is particularly advantageous, when the control device 9 is battery supplied. Thus, the display 27 is always turned off, when the control device 9 is mounted. In this case, it is not possible for the user anyway to read anything in the display. When the control device 9 is mounted, also the switches 28 and the buttons 29 are protected against unintentional touches .

In relation to the orientation in Figs. 1 and 5, the barbs 10 are arranged in a relatively high position on the control device 9. To prevent that in the mounted state a distance appears between the control device 9 and the housing 2 in the lower area, an additional barb connection is provided here, which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. These two figures show the section A-A according to Fig. 5 in different mounting stages.

In the housing 12 of the control device 9 additional openings 30 are provided, whose bottom can be limited by a slant 31, to simplify the mounting. On the housing 2 there is a barb 32, which can be led into the opening 30 to engage behind a wall section 33. The retaining forces to be adopted here are relatively small. They only have to large enough to prevent a separation of the control device

9 and the housing 2.

On the one hand, the thermostatic top part 1 can now be operated like a traditional thermostatic top part. By means of the twist handle 8 a desired temperature can be preset. For this purpose, it is not necessary that the control device 9 is mounted.

When, however, the control device 9 is mounted, the thermostatic top part becomes additional opportunities, for example, a local night setback for one radiator can be performed.

When the user wishes to postpone or change this night setback, he presses the button 16 and removes the control device from the housing 2, after which the programming can be changed accordingly by means of the operating elements 26, and the control device 9 can be mounted on and engage with the housing 2 again. This procedure is very comfortable for the user. It is also very little susceptible to faults .

Claims

Patent Claims

1. Thermostatic valve top part with a housing, a thermo- static element, connected with an operating element via a connecting element, and with an adjusting drive, changing the active connection between the operating element and the thermostatic element, characterised in that the adjusting device has a control device (9), arranged laterally next to the housing (2) and detachably connected with the housing (2) .

2. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 1, characterised in that operating elements are arranged on the side of the control device (9) facing the housing (2) .

3. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 2, characterised in that the operating elements (26) have a display (27), and a switch (19) is provided, which turns off the display (27, when the control device (9) and the housing (2) are connected with each other, and turns it on when they are separated.

4. Thermostatic valve top part according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the control device (9) and the housing (2) are connected with each other by way of a snap connection, which has at least one barb (10) and one belonging engagement surface (18), which are mutually movable.

5. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 4, characterised in that the barb (10) is arranged on a rigid lever (11), and that the engagement surface (18) is movable.

6. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the barb (10) is arranged on the housing (2) and the engagement surface (18) is arranged on the control device.

7. Thermostatic valve top part according to one of the claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the barb (10) serves as operating element for the switch (19), which is loaded in the closing direction by spring force.

8. Thermostatic valve top part according to one of the claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the snap connection has two barbs (19), which are arranged substantially symmetrically to a level (34) through the e- dium axis of the housing (2) .

9. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 8, characterised in that an additional barb connection 32, 33 is provided between the control device (9) and the housing (2) .

10. Thermostatic valve top part according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the adjustment device has a toothed gearing with an inlet gear wheel (24), which is fixed in the housing (2) and projects from the housing (2) through a slot, the control device (9) having a slot (25) through which the inlet gear wheel (24) enters.

11. Thermostatic valve top part according to claim 10, characterised in that the barbs (10) are substantially arranged in the same level as the inlet gear wheel (24) .

2. Control unit as spare part for a thermostatic valve top part according to one of the claims 1 to 11.