FR3056670A1 - TUBULAR VALVE WITH HYDRAULIC CONTROL - Google Patents

Abstract

The hydraulically operated tubular valve (130) includes a shutter tube (131) having an inner conduit (133) and sealingly housed in a valve housing (137) to define an outer tube volume (138) and an inner tube volume (139), said tube (131) being terminated first, by a tube sealing surface (135) which can rest on a tube seat (136), and secondly by a double acting piston (140) which defines on the one hand an equilibrium chamber (146) which communicates with the internal tube volume (139) via the inner conduit (133) and on the other hand an action chamber (148) which can be connected to either a high-pressure fluid source (149) or a low-pressure fluid source (151) through a three-way, two-position solenoid valve (154).

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number:

(only to be used for reproduction orders) © National registration number

056 670

59096

COURBEVOIE © IntCI ⁸ : F16 K 31/124 (2017.01)

PATENT INVENTION APPLICATION

A1

®) Date of filing: 27.09.16. (© Priority: © Applicant (s): RABHI VIANNEY - FR. @ Inventor (s): RABHI VIANNEY. ®) Date of public availability of the request: 03.30.18 Bulletin 18/13. ©) List of documents cited in the preliminary search report: See the end of this booklet (© References to other related national documents: ® Holder (s): RABHI VIANNEY. ©) Extension request (s): © Agent (s): COLBERT INNOVATION.

105 / TUBULAR VALVE WITH HYDRAULIC CONTROL.

FR 3 056 670 - A1 _ The tubular valve with hydraulic control (130) comprises a shutter tube (131) which has an internal duct (133) and which is sealed in a valve housing (137) to define a volume outer tube (138) and an inner volume of tube (139), said tube (131) being terminated first, by a tube sealing surface (135) which can rest on a tube seat (136), and second , by a double-acting piston (140) which defines on the one hand, an equilibrium chamber (146) which communicates with the internal volume of the tube (139) via the internal conduit (133) and on the other hand, a action chamber (148) which can be linked either to a source of high-pressure action fluid (149) or to a source of low-pressure action fluid (151) by a three-way and two-position solenoid valve (154).

HYDRAULICALLY CONTROLLED TUBULAR VALVE

The present invention relates to a tubular valve with hydraulic control specially designed for applications which require one or more compact and / or robust and / or reactive valves, said valves having moreover to allow a high flow rate to pass.

The valves and solenoid valves used to allow or prevent passage through a conduit or through an orifice of hydraulic or gaseous fluids generally cannot simultaneously offer very high reactivity, a large passage section, a small bulk, a small energy consumption and tight sealing. In addition, many of these valves and solenoid valves are sensitive to particulate pollution.

However, many applications such as hydraulic or hydrostatic transmissions or hydromechanical valve actuators for internal combustion engines would be very significantly improved if this set of characteristics could be found in a single valve device.

Some of these characteristics can however be combined by replacing with a tube the shutter devices ordinarily used in valves according to the state of the art for closing an orifice - said devices can for example consist of a plug, a valve , a ball or a drawer. Thus constituted by said tube, the shutter device has the particular advantage of reducing the section which it exposes to the pressure, so that the effort to be provided - for example by an electromagnetic actuator - is lowered to move said device.

Various patents disclose such a tube used as a shutter device. This is for example the case of the patent published under the number FR 1 348 291 which describes a stop valve based on this principle. This is also the case of the patents published under the numbers GB 2 190 461 A and GB 815 622, said patents respectively describing a damper and improvements applicable to fluid valves. Patent No. FR 1 257 145 describes an electromagnetic valve with a tubular piston.

Taking up the same principle, the patents N ° FR 2 969 705, FR 2 980 515 and FR 3 009 849 belonging to the applicant propose to implement said tube as a shutter device in the context of particular applications and this, via new configurations. which are intended respectively for the fields of a variable volumetric ratio engine, an electro-hydraulic valve actuator with reciprocating cam, and a reversible hydraulic pressure converter.

It is understood that the valves and solenoid valves described in the patents which have just been cited implement a tube actuated in a first direction by an actuator of any type, and in a second direction by a return spring.

As such, the actuator must produce a force greater than that of the spring to move the tube so that said tube receives a displacement force which is equivalent to the force produced by said actuator minus the force produced by said spring in a first direction, and to the force produced by said spring in a second direction.

If the tube is to be subjected to the same acceleration to open and close the valve, the force produced by the actuator must be approximately equal to twice the force produced by the spring. In addition, if it is for example a normally closed valve, to keep the valve open, the actuator must maintain a constant force to counter that of the spring even though the tube is not moving . The situation is exactly the opposite with a normally open valve.

It is also deduced from the study of the cited patents that the acceleration and the speed of movement to which the said tube is subjected is given by the moving parts of the actuator whose dimensioning and mass are all the more important as the acceleration to obtain is important. However, to increase the acceleration of the tube, it is necessary to increase the power of the actuator which implies increasing the mass of the moving parts. Heavier, said parts require to further increase the power of the actuator and so on. It's a vicious circle.

It is for these reasons that the tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the invention proposes on the one hand, to maximize the force applied to said tube both at the opening and at the closing of the valve while reducing as much as possible the mass of said tube and on the other hand, to cancel any need for maintaining force to be produced by any actuator whether said valve is maintained in opening, or in closing.

In addition and according to a particular embodiment, it results from the invention a tubular valve with hydraulic control:

• whose command to open or close consumes only a low electrical and / or hydraulic power;

• Whose maintenance in opening and closing does not consume energy;

• which offers a large fluid passage section;

• which can operate under very high pressures of up to two thousand bars or more;

• extremely fast and able to reach its full passage section in a few hundred microseconds;

• not very sensitive to particulate pollution;

• small footprint and easy to integrate into any device, in particular by means of an electrical control which can be separated from the hydraulic part to be offset at a certain distance from said tubular valve;

• the principle of which authorizes the same electrical control to be used to control several valves simultaneously;

• which allows the electrical control to be deported so as to preserve it from a potentially severe environment in thermal and / or vibration and / or chemical terms;

• whose displacement power is high for a low electrical control power, which makes it possible to use high pressure seals possibly resistant to displacement without having to resort to high power electrical means;

• very robust;

• at moderate cost price;

• highly durable, with a service life of up to several hundred million cycles or even over a billion cycles;

• which when closed leaves virtually no leakage flow between its inlet and its outlet.

It is understood that the tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the invention can be applied to any hydraulic or pneumatic device without restriction, insofar as the configuration and the functional need of said device makes it possible to advantageously use said valve.

The other features of the present invention have been described in the description and in the secondary claims dependent directly or indirectly on the main claim.

The hydraulically actuated tubular valve comprises a sealing tube housed in a sealed manner in a sealing tube bore arranged in a valve housing, said tube having an external cylindrical surface and an internal conduit the latter passing through said tube in the opposite direction. of its length, a first tube end of said tube ending in a tube sealing surface which can rest in a sealed manner on a tube seat arranged in a valve housing so as to form a sealed contact line of seat A which defines a seat sealing section SA while the external cylindrical face of said tube forms with the obturator tube bore a seal along a tube sealing circle B which defines a tube sealing section SB so that when the tube sealing surface is maintained in contact with the tube seat, an external volume of tube connected to at least one premie r valve input-output port presented by the valve casing does not communicate with an internal volume of tube connected to at least one second valve input-output port presented by said casing, while said volumes communicate between them so as to let a hydraulic fluid circulate between them and between the first and the second valve inlet-outlet port when said sealing surface is kept away from said seat, said tubular valve comprising according to the present invention:

• A double-acting piston secured to a second end of the tube which comprises - opposite the first end of the tube - the obturator tube, said piston having a piston skirt whose diameter is greater than that of the circle of sealing of tube B, said piston being further sealed in a piston cylinder which is arranged in the valve housing and which is closed by a balance cylinder head, said piston and said cylinder forming a sealed contact line of piston C which defines a piston sealing section SC;

• A circular equilibrium face presented by the double-acting piston at its end furthest from the tube seat, the internal conduit emerging from said face while the latter forms, with the piston cylinder and the equilibrium cylinder head, a chamber balance;

• An annular action face presented by the double-acting piston at its end closest to the tube seat, the outside diameter of said face being similar to that of the piston skirt as found at the level of the contact line piston C sealed while the inside diameter of said face is similar to that of the tube sealing circle B and / or the external cylindrical surface, said face forming with the external cylindrical surface, the piston cylinder and the housing. valve, an action chamber;

• A source of high-pressure action fluid which can be linked to the action chamber by hydraulic control means via an action conduit;

• A source of low-pressure action fluid which can be linked to the action chamber by the hydraulic control means via the action conduit or via any other conduit.

The tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the present invention comprises a valve casing which accommodates a displacement spring which bears on the one hand on said casing and on the other hand on the obturator tube, said spring producing a spring force FR which tends to move the tube sealing surface away from the tube seat.

The hydraulic control tubular valve according to the present invention comprises hydraulic control means which consist of a three-way and two-position solenoid valve.

The tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the present invention comprises a three-way and two-position solenoid valve which is constituted:

• A three-way valve tube housed in a sealed manner in a three-way tube bore arranged in a three-way valve casing, said tube being able to move longitudinally in said bore, said tube exposing an external cylindrical surface of three-way tube , and said tube being traversed in the direction of its length by an internal three-way tube conduit which opens first, axially via a closable orifice of three-way tube arranged in a first end of three-way tube which the valve tube presents. three ways, in a rest chamber fitted in the three-way valve casing, said chamber being connected by a pressure pipe either to the source of high-pressure action fluid or to the source of low-pressure action fluid, said internal conduit opening secondly, axially and / or radially via at least one three-way tube communication orifice arranged in a second extrem ity of three-way tube presented by said tube, in a valve piloting chamber arranged in the three-way valve casing, said pilot chamber being connected to the action chamber by the action conduit;

• A shutter flange which is integral with the three-way valve tube and which is arranged in the vicinity of the three-way tube communication orifice, said flange being able to cooperate with a flange seat arranged in the three-valve casing tracks so as to make a sealed contact between said flange and said seat when the three-way valve tube moves longitudinally relative to the three-way valve housing in the direction of the rest chamber;

• An annular collar chamber connected by a pressure conduit either to the source of high-pressure action fluid or to the source of low-pressure action fluid, said chamber being formed by a portion of diameter increased by the three-way tube bore whose diameter is large enough so that over the length of said portion, said bore no longer seals with the three-way valve tube and leaves a sufficient passage section for hydraulic fluid, said opening portion - at the flange seat - in the valve control chamber;

• At least one three-way tube return spring which bears directly or indirectly on the three-way valve housing on the one hand, and on the three-way valve tube on the other hand, and which tends to bring the sealing collar of the collar seat with which it cooperates;

• A three-way tube obturator plunger positioned in the extension of the three-way valve tube on the side of the first end of three-way tube, the end of said needle being provided with a needle shutter which can close the obturable orifice of three-way tube when said obturator is brought into contact with said orifice by a three-way valve actuator secured to the plunger for closing three-way tube.

The tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the present invention comprises at least one needle return spring which bears directly or indirectly on the three-way valve housing on the one hand, and on the three-way tube obturator plunger d on the other hand, said spring tending to move the needle shutter away from the closable orifice of three-way tube with which it cooperates.

The tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the present invention comprises a second end of three-way tube which is blind - that is to say axially closed - while on the one hand, the communication port of three-way tube opens radially into the valve piloting chamber and, on the other hand, the three-way tube bore extends beyond said chamber to receive said second end which extends in similar proportions, the three-way valve tube passing axially through said chamber while the part thus extended of said second end forms a seal with the three-way tube bore.

The description which follows with reference to the appended drawings and given by way of nonlimiting examples will make it possible to better understand the invention, the characteristics which it presents, and the advantages which it is capable of providing:

Figures 1 to 3 are schematic sectional views of the tubular valve hydraulically controlled according to the invention and according to a particular embodiment of said valve which provides a displacement spring producing a spring force which tends to distance the scope of tube tightness of said valve of the tube seat with which said bearing cooperates, each said view being connected to a hydraulic diagram taking up the symbols usually used to describe hydraulic circuits and members, said figures making it possible to explain - figure after figure - the sequencing of the operation of said tubular valve.

Figures 4 to 8 are schematic sectional views of the three-way solenoid valve and two positions as it can be provided, according to a particular embodiment, for controlling the tubular valve with hydraulic control according to the invention, each said view being connected to a hydraulic diagram showing the symbols usually used to describe hydraulic circuits and members while said figures make it possible to explain - figure after figure - the sequencing of the operation of said three-way solenoid valve and two positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:

The hydraulic controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention has been shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, various details of its components, its variants, and its accessories.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 to 3, the hydraulically operated tubular valve 130 comprises a shutter tube 131 housed in a sealed manner in a shutter tube bore 181 arranged in a valve housing 137, said tube 131 having an external cylindrical surface 132 and an internal conduit 133 the latter passing through said tube 131 right through in the direction of its length.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first end of the tube 134 of the obturator tube 131 ends in a tube sealing surface 135 which can rest in leaktight manner on a tube seat 136 arranged in a valve housing 137 so as to form a sealed seat contact line A which defines a seat sealing section SA while the external cylindrical face 132 of said tube 131 forms with the obturator tube bore 181 a seal along a sealing circle of tube B which defines a tube sealing section SB.

Thus, when the tube sealing surface 135 is maintained in contact with the tube seat 136, an external volume of tube 138 connected to at least one first valve inlet-outlet port 173 presented by the valve housing 137 does not not communicate with an internal volume of tube 139 connected to at least one second inlet-outlet port of valve 173 presented by said casing 137.

On the other hand, the external volume of tube 138 and the internal volume of tube 139 communicate with each other so as to let a hydraulic fluid 3 circulate between them and between the first and the second valve inlet-outlet port 173 when the range d the tube seal 135 is kept away from the tube seat 136.

It will be noted that the tube seat 136 can be arranged on an attached piece floatingly mounted in the valve housing 137 so that said seat 136 can naturally align with the tube sealing surface 135.

Still in FIGS. 1 to 3, it can be seen that the hydraulic-controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention comprises a double-acting piston 140 integral at least in the axial direction with a second end of the tube 141 which comprises - opposite from the first end of the tube 134 - the obturator tube 131.

It is also noted that the double-acting piston 140 has a piston skirt 142 whose diameter is greater than that of the tube sealing circle B, said piston 140 being further sealed in a piston cylinder 143 which is arranged in the valve housing 137 and which is closed by a balance cylinder head 144, said piston 140 and said cylinder 143 forming a sealed contact line of piston C which defines a piston sealing section SC.

FIGS. 1 to 3 also show that the hydraulically controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention comprises a circular equilibrium face 145 which has the double-acting piston 140 at its end furthest from the tube seat 136, the internal conduit 133 emerging from said face 145 while the latter forms, with the piston cylinder 143 and the balance cylinder head 144, a balance chamber 146.

The hydraulically operated tubular valve 130 according to the invention further comprises an annular action face 147 which has the double-acting piston 140 at its end closest to the tube seat 136, the outside diameter of said face 147 being similar. to that of the piston skirt 142 as found at the level of the sealed contact line of piston C while the inside diameter of said face 147 is similar to that of the tube sealing circle B and / or of the cylindrical surface external 132, said face 147 forming with the external cylindrical surface 132, the piston cylinder 143 and the valve housing 137, an action chamber 148.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention comprises a source of high-pressure action fluid 149 which can be brought into contact with the action chamber 148 by control means hydraulic 150 via an action pipe 170.

The tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention also comprises a source of low-pressure action fluid 151 which can be brought into contact with the action chamber 148 by the hydraulic control means 150 via the action conduit. 170 or via any other conduit, said source 151 also being shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

It will be noted that the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 and / or the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 may consist of a piston, membrane, mechanical or pneumatic spring pressure accumulator, or of any type known to those skilled in the art.

It is also noted that the tube sealing circle B and / or the sealed contact line of the piston C can take the form of a gasket 180 made of metal or elastomeric material, said gasket 180 being able to be of any geometry or of any material known to those skilled in the art, and consist of one or more parts.

Moreover, said seal 180 may advantageously consist of the piston sealing device whose patent belonging to the applicant has been published under the number FR 3 009 037, said device guaranteeing tight sealing and being compatible with high movement speeds and with a very large number of opening-closing cycles of the hydraulic-controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention.

It will also be noted that the obturator tube 131 can cooperate with a tube stop stop 153 which is directly or indirectly provided in the valve housing 137, said stop 153 determining the maximum distance at which the tube sealing surface 135 can move away from tube seat 136.

As will be noted in FIGS. 1 to 3, according to the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention, the valve casing 137 can accommodate a displacement spring 152 which bears on the one hand on said casing 137 and on the other leaves on the obturator tube 131, said spring 152 producing a spring force FR which tends to move the tube sealing surface 135 away from the tube seat 136.

It is noted that the displacement spring 152 is in particular necessary if the pressure prevailing in the action chamber 148 is less than or equal to the pressure prevailing in the balance chamber 146, which can occur in the context of various applications of the hydraulic controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention.

Indeed, in this particular context of implementation of said invention, once the contact between the tube sealing surface 135 and the tube seat 136 is broken, the pressure which prevails in the internal volume of tube 139 and that which prevails in the external volume of tube 138 become identical so that if the pressure prevailing in the action chamber 148 is also the same, only the displacement spring 152 continues to ensure the translation of the obturator tube 131 in the bore obturator tube 181 until said tube 131 comes into contact with the tube stop stop 153 with which it cooperates.

In FIGS. 4 to 8, it has been shown that, according to the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention, the hydraulic control means 150 may consist of a three-way solenoid valve and two positions 154 which connects the chamber d action 148 either with the source of high-pressure action fluid 149, or with the source of low-pressure action fluid 151.

In these same FIGS. 4 to 8, it can be seen that the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 can consist of a three-way valve tube 155 housed in a sealed manner in a three-way tube bore 156 arranged in a housing of three-way valve 157.

In this case, the three-way valve tube 155 can move longitudinally in said bore 156, said tube 155 exposing an external cylindrical surface of three-way tube 158, and said tube 155 being traversed lengthwise by an internal conduit. three-way tube 159.

According to this particular configuration of the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154, the internal three-way tube duct 159 opens first, axially via a closable orifice of three-way tube 160 arranged in a first end of three-way tube 161 that presents the three-way valve tube 155, in a rest chamber 172 arranged in the three-way valve housing 157 said chamber 172 being connected by a pressure conduit 171 either to the source of high-pressure working fluid 149 or to the low pressure action fluid source 151.

In addition and as can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 8, the internal three-way tube conduit 159 opens secondly, axially and / or radially via at least one three-way tube communication orifice 162 arranged in a second tube end. three-way 163 presented by the three-way valve tube 155, in a valve piloting chamber 168 arranged in the three-way valve casing 157, said pilot chamber 168 being connected to the action chamber 148 by the conduit action 170.

Still according to this same particular configuration of the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154, a shutter flange 164 is integral with the three-way valve tube 155 and is arranged in the vicinity of the three-way tube communication orifice 162, said collar 164 being able to cooperate with a collar seat 165 arranged in the three-way valve housing 157 so as to make a sealed contact between said collar 164 and said seat 165 when the three-way valve tube 155 moves longitudinally relative to the housing three-way valve 157 in the direction of the rest chamber 172.

Said configuration further provides an annular collar chamber 166 which is connected by a pressure conduit 171 either to the source of high pressure action fluid 149 or to the source of low pressure action fluid 151, said chamber 166 being formed by an increased diameter portion 167 of the three-way tube bore 156 whose diameter is large enough so that over the length of said portion 167, said bore 156 no longer seals with the three-way valve tube 155 and leaves a sufficient passage section for the hydraulic fluid 3, said portion 167 opening out - at the level of the flange seat 165 - into the valve piloting chamber 168.

It is thus noted that, according to this particular configuration of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention, when the shutter flange 164 is in contact with the flange seat 165 the annular flange chamber 166 does not communicate with the valve control 168, however, that the two said chambers 166, 168 communicate when the shutter flange 164 is kept away from the flange seat 165 so as to allow hydraulic fluid 3 to pass from one of said chamber 166, 168 to the other.

It will also be noted that if the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention is normally open, the rest chamber 172 is preferably connected to the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 however that the annular collar chamber 166 is connected to the source of low-pressure action fluid 151. The situation is preferably reversed if the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention is normally closed.

Still according to this same particular configuration of the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, at least one three-way tube return spring 169 directly or indirectly bears on the three-way valve housing 157 of on the one hand, and on the three-way valve tube 155 on the other hand, said return spring 169 tending to bring the closure collar 164 closer to the collar seat 165 with which it cooperates.

Finally, the particular configuration of the three-way and two-position solenoid valve

154 shown in FIGS. 4 to 8 provides a three-way tube obturator plunger 174 which is placed in the extension of the three-way valve tube

155 on the side of the first end of three-way tube 161, the end of said needle 174 being provided with a needle shutter 175 which can close the closable orifice of three-way tube 160 when said shutter 175 is brought into contact with said orifice 160 by a three-way valve actuator 176 secured to the three-way tube obturator plunger 174.

It should be noted that said actuator 176 can either be electric, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or any type known to those skilled in the art.

It is also noted that the needle shutter 175 may consist of a simple pointed shape or of any other geometry directly produced in the material of the three-way tube obturator plunger needle 174, or else be an object reported so more or less integral and more or less free at the end of said needle 174 like a ball or a valve head.

It is noted that the power and the stroke of the three-way valve actuator 176 are provided so that said actuator can first bring the needle shutter 175 into contact with the closable orifice of three-way tube 160, then can push on the three-way valve tube 155 for lifting the shutter flange 164 from the flange seat 165 to the point of leaving between said flange 164 and said seat 165 a cross section sufficient for the hydraulic fluid 3.

It will be noted that the three-way valve actuator 176 being at rest, the distance between the needle shutter 175 and the closable orifice of three-way tube 160 can be determined by means of a rest stop 178 while the three-way valve actuator 176 being active, the distance between the shutter flange 164 and the flange seat 165 can be determined by means of an action stop 179, said stops 178, 179 being adjustable or not.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, according to the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention, at least one needle return spring 177 can bear directly or indirectly on the three-way valve casing

157 on the one hand, and on the three-way tube shutter plunger 174 on the other hand, said spring 177 tending to move the needle shutter 175 away from the closable orifice of three-way tube 160 with which it cooperates .

FIGS. 4 to 8 also show that according to the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention, the second end of three-way tube 163 can be blind - that is to say axially closed - while on the one hand, the three-way tube communication orifice 162 opens radially into the valve piloting chamber 168 and that, on the other hand, the three-way tube bore 156 extends beyond said chamber 168 to receive said second end 163 which is extends in similar proportions.

In this case, the three-way valve tube 155 passes axially through said chamber 168 while the thus extended part of said second end 163 forms a seal with the three-way tube bore 156 so as to prevent as much as possible the hydraulic fluid 3 that the valve piloting chamber 168 contains to escape via the clearance left between the three-way valve tube 155 at the second end of the three-way tube 163 and the three-way tube bore 156.

FUNCTIONING OF THE INVENTION:

The operation of the hydraulically controlled tubular valve 130 according to the invention is easily understood in the light of Figures 1 to 3.

It will be noted beforehand that the schematic sections shown in the figures are only explanatory and do not reflect the details of construction to be entrusted to those skilled in the art which will in particular allow the various parts to be assembled.

To detail said operation, we will retain here an embodiment of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention according to which on the one hand, the hydraulic control means 150 advantageously consist of a three-way solenoid valve and two positions 154 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, said solenoid valve 154 itself being in particular made up of a three-way valve tube 155 and on the other hand, a displacement spring 152 is provided which tends to distance the sealing surface of tube 135 of tube seat 136 said spring 152 exerting for this a spring force FR on the obturator tube 131.

To detail said operation, we will assume that the valve outlet inlet 173 connected to the external volume of tube 138 maintains a pressure of five hundred bars in said volume 138, while as long as the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 is closed - i.e. when the tube sealing surface 135 is in contact with the tube seat 136 - the pressure maintained in the internal volume of tube 139 by the valve inlet-outlet port 173 to which it is connected is twenty bars.

We will also hypothesize that the pressure prevailing in the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 is five hundred bars while the pressure prevailing in the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 is twenty bars.

Figure 1 clearly shows the sealed seat contact line A formed by the contact made between the tube sealing surface 135 and the tube seat 136. It is this sealed seat contact line A which defines the section d SA seat seal. The same FIG. 1 also illustrates that the external cylindrical face 132 of the obturator tube 131 forms with the obturator tube bore 181 a seal along a tube seal circle B which defines the tube seal section SB. In addition, it will be noted - still in FIG. 1 - that the sealed contact line of piston C formed between the double-acting piston 140 and the piston cylinder 143 with which it cooperates defines the piston sealing section SC.

According to the nonlimiting example of embodiment of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention notably exposed in FIG. 1, the tube sealing section SB is smaller than the seat sealing section SA, the latter being smaller than the piston sealing section SC. Note that this relative order of size between said sections SA, SB, SC can vary from one application of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 to another.

However, according to the particular configuration as illustrated in FIG. 1 and taking into account the pressure values of five hundred bars and twenty bars previously taken for hypothesis, it can be seen that the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 being closed - this is to then say that the tube sealing scope

135 is held in contact with the tube seat 136 - and while the action duct 170 is put in contact with the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 by the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 as shown in FIG. 1, a plating force is applied by the tube sealing surface 135 to the tube seat 136, said force being equal to the section SA minus the section SB to which the differential pressure of four hundred and four applies - twenty bars corresponding to five hundred bars minus twenty bars.

At this stage, it is noted that the plating force is in no way increased by the section SC minus the section SB because the pressure which prevails in the internal volume of tube 139 is identical to that which prevails in the chamber. action 148, said volume 139 and said chamber 148 both being subjected to a pressure of twenty bars.

It is noted that the spring force FR exerted by the displacement spring 152 on the obturator tube 131 reduces the plating force applied by the tube sealing surface 135 on the tube seat 136, said resulting plating force of the differential section “SA minus SB” which has just been described.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 is thus closed and no flow of hydraulic fluid 3 can be established between the external volume of tube 138 and the internal volume of tube 139.

To open the hydraulically operated tubular valve 130, the three-way, two-position solenoid valve 154 must put the action line 170 no longer in contact with the source of low-pressure action fluid 151, but with the source of high-pressure action fluid 149. This action is illustrated in FIG. 2.

It follows from said action that the pressure in the action chamber 148 goes from twenty bars to five hundred bars. As at this stage, the pressure prevailing in the internal volume of tube 139 is still only twenty bars, a differential pressure of four hundred and eighty bars is applied to the differential section "SC minus SB". This last section being larger than the differential section “SA minus SB” also subjected to a differential pressure of four hundred and eighty bars, it follows a very rapid takeoff of the sealing surface of tube 135 which moves away instantly from the tube seat 136 aided in this by the spring force FR, and this until the travel of the obturator tube 131 is stopped by the tube stopper 153.

It will be noted that as soon as the pressure in the internal volume of tube 139 has reached five hundred bars, the differential sections "SA minus SB" and "SC minus SB" no longer produced any force on the obturator tube 131. A large part of the movement of the shutter tube 131 therefore had to take place on the inertia of said tube 131 to which was added the spring force FR.

Note also in FIG. 2 that as soon as the obturator tube 131 has reached the tube stop abutment 153, said tube 131 has only remained pressed against said abutment 153 by the spring force FR to which it is subjected. At this stage and as clearly shown in FIG. 2, the flow rate of hydraulic fluid 3 can be fully established between the external volume of tube 138 and the internal volume of tube 139.

To close the hydraulically controlled tubular valve 130, the three-way, two-position solenoid valve 154 must reset the action line 170 in relation to the sole source of low-pressure action fluid 151. This operation is illustrated. in figure 3.

It follows from said operation that the pressure in the action chamber 148 goes from five hundred bars to twenty bars. As at this stage the pressure prevailing in the internal volume of tube 139 is still five hundred bars, a differential pressure of four hundred and eighty bars applies to the differential section "SC minus SB" even though the differential section "SA minus SB" is not subject to any differential pressure.

The result of this situation is a rapid approximation of the tube sealing surface 135 of the tube seat 136, the obturator tube 131 moving just as quickly away from the tube stopper 153 only countered in this by the force. FR spring which remains much lower than the force produced by the differential section "SC minus SB" subjected to the differential pressure of four hundred and eighty bars.

The travel of the obturator tube 131 ends when the tube sealing surface 135 comes into contact with the tube seat 136, which has the effect of restoring the sealed contact line of seat A and re-establishing the seal between the surface d sealing of tube 135 and the tube seat 136. Because of said sealing and as shown in FIG. 3, no more flow of hydraulic fluid 3 is possible between the external volume of tube 138 and the internal volume of tube 139.

Reading what has just been explained, it will be understood that the design of the hydraulically controlled tubular valve 130 is notably determined by the diameter of the tight seat contact line A, the diameter of the tube sealing circle. B, the diameter of the sealed piston contact line C, and the spring force FR. These different values can be adjusted in particular as a function of the operating pressures envisaged, of the flow rate of hydraulic fluid 3 provided between the external volume of tube 138 and the internal volume of tube 139, and of the expected reactivity of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention.

It will also be noted that in certain cases of application of said tubular valve 130, the diameter of the sealed contact line for seat A can be provided for less than the diameter of the tube sealing circle B. It is further noted that nothing is not opposed to the hydraulic fluid 3 being wholly or partly replaced by a gas of any kind whatsoever.

As we said before, the hydraulic control means 150 here consist of a three-way solenoid valve and two positions 154 as shown in Figures 4 to 8.

Said solenoid valve 154 according to the invention makes it possible in particular to use only a single three-way valve actuator 176 which in this case and according to the nonlimiting exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 8 is a solenoid actuator 182 modest power and small footprint. Said solenoid valve 154 is responsible for controlling the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention via the action conduit 170 by putting the latter in relation either with the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 to maintain said valve 130 closed, or with the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 to keep said valve 130 open.

It should be noted that the particular arrangement of the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 according to the invention makes it possible to avoid any communication between the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 and the source of high-pressure action fluid. 149 during the changeover operation of said source 151, 149 linked to the action conduit 170.

FIG. 4 shows the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 according to the invention at rest, that is to say when the solenoid actuator 182 is not supplied with any electric current.

It can be seen in said FIG. 4 that the action conduit 170 which supplies the action chamber 148 is put in contact with the source of low pressure action fluid 151 via respectively the valve control chamber 168, the communication orifice of three-way tube 162, the internal conduit of three-way tube 159, the closable orifice of three-way tube 160, the rest chamber 172, and the pressure conduit 171 with which said chamber 172 cooperates.

In connection with FIGS. 1 to 3, it is understood that when the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 is in this state, the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 is kept closed.

Still in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the hydraulic fluid 3 which the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 contains and which is subjected to a pressure of five hundred bars does not communicate with the action conduit 170 because the spring of three-way tube return 169 exerts sufficient force on the shutter flange 164 to press the latter onto the flange seat 165. Indeed, said force is in particular sufficient to counteract the opposing force produced on said flange 164 by the pressure of five hundred bars which prevails in the annular collar chamber 166.

It will also be noted that the diameter of the portion of increased diameter 167 has been provided as small as possible so that the shutter flange 164 exposes the smallest possible section to the pressure of five hundred bars which prevails in the annular chamber flange 166 and this, to reduce the effort to be produced by the three-way tube return spring 169 on said flange 164 said effort ensuring that the hydraulic fluid 3 contained in the annular flange chamber 166 cannot pass undesirably in the valve control chamber 168.

It will be noted that in this case, the section exposed by the shutter flange 164 to the pressure of five hundred bars which prevails in the annular flange chamber 166 is approximately equal to the difference between the section defined by the contact line sealed that said flange 164 forms with the flange seat 165 on the one hand, and the section corresponding to the diameter of the three-way valve tube 155 at the height of the portion of increased diameter 167 on the other hand.

To open the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 in its variant presented in FIGS. 1 to 3, as illustrated in FIG. 5, it is necessary to apply an electrical voltage across the terminals of a coil 183 which comprises the solenoid actuator 182. The current which is established in said coil 183 generates a magnetomotor force known per se which sets in motion the three-way tube shutter plunger 174. The needle shutter 175 which said needle 174 then closes the orifice closable from three-way tube 160 and closes the latter in leaktight manner, thereby cutting off any communication between the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 and the action conduit 170 connected to the action chamber 148.

The three-way tube obturator plunger 174 continuing its stroke under the force it receives from the solenoid actuator 182, it displaces the three-way valve tube 155 in translation while compressing the tube return spring three-way 169. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 6.

In so doing, said needle 174 takes off the shutter flange 164 from the flange seat 165 and the hydraulic fluid 3 maintained under five hundred bars contained in the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 is instantly connected to the chamber d action 148 of the hydraulically controlled tubular valve 130 respectively via the pressure conduit 171 connected to the annular collar chamber 166, the annular collar chamber 166, 166, the annular gap left between the three-way valve tube 155 and the increased diameter portion 167, the annular space left between the shutter flange 164 and the flange seat 165, the valve control chamber 168, and the action conduit 170.

The action chamber 148 being subjected to a pressure of five hundred bars, as seen previously, the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 opens, and will remain open as long as a sufficient electric voltage is maintained across the coil 183 of the solenoid actuator 182.

To close the hydraulically operated tubular valve 130, it suffices to stop supplying said coil 183 with electric current, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The force exerted by the solenoid actuator 182 on the three-way valve tube 155 ceases, the three-way tube return spring 169 again presses the shutter flange 164 on the flange seat 165 so that the source of high-pressure action fluid 149 is found isolated from the action chamber 148. In doing so and as we always see in FIG. 7, said spring 169 also pushed back the three-way tube obturation plunger 174 remained in contact with the three-way valve tube 155 via the closable orifice of three-way tube 160 and the needle shutter 175.

As shown in FIG. 8, the shutter flange 164 having returned to contact with the flange seat 165, the three-way tube shutter plunger 174 continued to travel under the combined effect of its inertia, the return force exerted by the needle return spring 177, and the pressure of five hundred bars which was exerted for a short time on the section of the closable orifice of three-way tube 160.

Said race having continued, the contact between the closable orifice of three-way tube 160 and the needle shutter 175 was broken so that communication was reestablished between the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 and action chamber 148.

Thus, as clearly shown in FIG. 8, part of the hydraulic fluid 3 contained in the action chamber 148 is discharged in the direction of the source of low-pressure action fluid 151 so that the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 closes until a tight contact is again established between the tube sealing surface 135 and the tube seat 136 presented by said valve 130.

It will also be understood that the three-way and two-position solenoid valve 154 which has just been described and which cooperates with the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 constitutes in itself an invention which could be applied in other contexts and in cooperation with other devices, regardless of the type and destination.

This application being exposed only by way of nonlimiting example, the possibilities 5 of the tubular valve with hydraulic control 130 according to the invention are not limited to the applications which have just been described and it must d be understood that the whole of the above description has been given only by way of example and that it in no way limits the field of the said invention from which one would not depart by replacing the execution details described everywhere else equivalent.

Claims (6)

1. Hydraulically controlled tubular valve (130) comprising a plug tube (131) housed in a sealed manner in a plug tube bore (181) arranged in a valve housing (137), said tube (131) having an external cylindrical surface. (132) and an internal conduit (133) the latter passing through said tube (131) right through its length, a first tube end (134) of said tube (131) ending in a sealing surface tube (135) which can sealingly rest on a tube seat (136) arranged in a valve housing (137) so as to form a sealed seat contact line (A) which defines a sealing section of seat (SA) while the outer cylindrical face (132) of said tube (131) forms with the obturator tube bore (181) a seal along a tube seal circle (B) which defines a seal section of tube (SB) so that when the sealing range of tube (135) is held in contact with the tube seat (136), an external volume of tube (138) connected to at least a first valve input-output port (173) that the valve housing (137 ) does not communicate with an internal volume of tube (139) connected to at least one second valve input-output port (173) that said casing (137) has, while said volumes (138, 139) communicate with each other so as to let a hydraulic fluid (3) circulate between them and between the first and the second inlet-outlet port of valve (173) when said sealing surface (135) is kept away from said seat (136) characterized in what she understands: • A double-acting piston (140) integral with a second end of the tube (141) which comprises - opposite the first end of the tube (134) - the obturator tube (131), said piston (140) having a piston skirt (142) whose diameter is greater than that of the tube sealing circle (B), said piston (140) being further sealed in a piston cylinder (143) which is arranged in the valve housing (137) and which is closed by a balance cylinder head (144), said piston (140) and said cylinder (143) forming a sealed piston contact line (C) which defines a sealing section of piston (SC); • A circular equilibrium face (145) presented by the double-acting piston (140) at its end furthest from the tube seat (136), the internal conduit (133) emerging from said face (145) while this last form with the piston cylinder (143) and the balance cylinder head (144) a balance chamber (146); • An annular action face (147) presented by the double-acting piston (140) at its end closest to the tube seat (136), the outside diameter of said face (147) being similar to that of the skirt piston (142) as found at the sealed piston contact line (C) while the inside diameter of said face (147) is similar to that of the tube sealing circle (B) and / or the outer cylindrical surface (132), said face (147) forming with the outer cylindrical surface (132), the piston cylinder (143) and the valve housing (137), an action chamber (148); • A source of high-pressure action fluid (149) which can be linked to the action chamber (148) by hydraulic control means (150) via an action conduit (170); • A source of low-pressure action fluid (151) which can be connected to the action chamber (148) by the hydraulic control means (150) via the action conduit (170) or via any another conduit. 2. Hydraulically controlled tubular valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve housing (137) houses a displacement spring (152) which bears on the one hand on said housing (137) and on the other hand on the obturator tube (131), said spring (152) producing a spring force (FR) which tends to move the tube sealing surface (135) away from the tube seat (136). 3. Tubular hydraulic control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydraulic control means (150) consist of a three-way and two-position solenoid valve (154). 4. Tubular valve with hydraulic control according to claim 3, characterized in that the three-way and two-position solenoid valve (154) consists: • A three-way valve tube (155) housed in a sealed manner in a three-way tube bore (156) arranged in a three-way valve housing (157), said tube (155) being able to move longitudinally in said bore (156), said tube (155) exposing an external cylindrical surface of three-way tube (158), and said tube (155) being traversed in the direction of its length by an internal conduit of three-way tube (159) which opens out first part, axially via a closable orifice of three-way tube (160) arranged in a first end of three-way tube (161) presented by the three-way valve tube (155), in a rest chamber (172) arranged in the three-way valve housing (157) said chamber (172) being connected by a pressure conduit (171) either to the source of high-pressure working fluid (149) or to the source of low-pressure working fluid (151), said internal conduit (159) opening secondly, axially and / or radially via at least one three-way tube communication orifice (162) arranged in a second end of a three-way tube (163) that said tube (155) has, in a valve piloting chamber (168) arranged in the three-way valve housing (157), said pilot chamber (168) being connected to the action chamber (148) by the action conduit (170); • A sealing collar (164) which is integral with the three-way valve tube (155) and which is arranged in the vicinity of the three-way tube communication orifice (162), said collar (164) being able to cooperate with a flange seat (165) arranged in the three-way valve housing (157) so as to make a sealed contact between said flange (164) and said seat (165) when the three-way valve tube (155) moves longitudinally with respect to the three-way valve housing (157) in the direction of the rest chamber (172); • An annular collar chamber (166) connected by a pressure conduit (171) either to the source of high-pressure action fluid (149) or to the source of low-pressure action fluid (151) , said chamber (166) being formed by a portion of increased diameter (167) of the three-way tube bore (156) whose diameter is large enough so that over the length of said portion (167), said bore (156 ) no longer provides a seal with the three-way valve tube (155) and leaves a sufficient passage section for the hydraulic fluid (3), said portion (167) opening out - at the flange seat (165) - into the chamber valve control (168); • At least one three-way tube return spring (169) which bears directly or indirectly on the three-way valve housing (157) on the one hand, and on the three-way valve tube (155) of on the other hand, and which tends to bring the closure flange (164) closer to the flange seat (165) with which it cooperates; • A three-way tube obturator plunger (174) placed in the extension of the three-way valve tube (155) on the side of the first end of three-way tube (161), the end of said needle (174 ) being provided with a needle valve (175) which can close the closable orifice of three-way tube (160) when said obturator (175) is brought into contact with said orifice (160) by a three-way valve actuator (176 ) integral with the three-way tube obturator plunger (174). 5. Tubular valve with hydraulic control according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one needle return spring (177) bears directly or indirectly on the three-way valve housing (157) on the one hand, and on the three-way tube shutter plunger (174) on the other hand, said spring (177) tending to move the needle shutter (175) away from the closable orifice of three-way tube (160) with which it cooperates . 6. Hydraulically controlled tubular valve according to claim 4, characterized in that the second end of the three-way tube (163) is blind - that is to say axially closed - while on the one hand, the communication orifice of three-way tube (162) opens radially into the valve piloting chamber (168) and, on the other hand, the three-way tube bore (156) extends beyond said chamber (168) to receive said second end (163) which extends in similar proportions, the three-way valve tube (155) axially passing through said chamber (168) while the thus extended part of said second end (163) forms a seal with the tube bore three-way (156).