Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F15—FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL
  • F15B—SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F15B13/00—Details of servomotor systems ; Valves for servomotor systems
  • F15B13/02—Fluid distribution or supply devices characterised by their adaptation to the control of servomotors
  • F15B13/021—Valves for interconnecting the fluid chambers of an actuator

Definitions

• This invention relates to a system to inflate and then deflate an inflatable object.
• the invention relates to inflating and then deflate a device to put in a desired slanting position the foil like roof of the with a sheet covered loading space of a freight vehicle.
• a device is e.g. disclosed in WO2005065975A1 or SE468279B and comprises e.g. a pneumatic hose or bellows e.g. extending across the length of the loading space closely below the roof.
• Such a device needs relatively much pneumatic air, e.g. approximately 300 litres of 0.3 bar, which is supplied by e.g. the pneumatic brake system or the air suspension of the vehicle. With the present device it takes more than 1 minute, typically almost 3 minutes, to deflate.
• the object of the invention is a robust, weather insensitive and wear resistant system with a minimum number of parts, preferably manually operated and/or completely pneumatically operated.
• the system comprises a first and second pneumatic valve, both with at least two positions.
• a valve is preferably air return or spring return closed.
• the system comprises one or more or a regulator valve or different pneumatic pressure in the system lowering element; one or more non-return valves; a by pneumatic pressure influenced display device, preferably a manometer; connection points (entrance and exhaust ports) for connection to one or more of a source of pressurised air, the inflatable object and a pressurised air put or the environment; tubing mutually connecting the different parts of the system; a preferably pneumatic driven pump, preferably of venturi type (also known as ejector or vacuum ejector pump) , more preferably of multi stage type, e.g. 2 or 3 staged.
• venturi type also known as ejector or vacuum ejector pump
• a pump of venturi type is disclosed in WO9949216A1 and is supplied by PIAB AB (Sweden) under the trade mark COAX.
• the pump preferably has a capacity of at least 500 or 750 or 1000 litres per minute at 2 bar pressure head.
• the inflatable object can be completely evacuated empty within 10 or 20 seconds.
• the first valve is air return and the second valve is spring return closed.
• the first and/or second valve can be manually or electrically operated. If electrically operated, the control can be connected such that the valve is automatically operated when turning within the drivers cabin of the contact key of the control circuit of the primary combustion engine.
• the first valve is electrically operated and when the engine is started by turning the key the second valve is electrically operated.
• the inflatable object is connected to the source of pressurised air such that the object is inflated, while by manually or electrically operating of the second valve the inflated object is through the ejector connected to the pressurised air drain or environment to deflate the object.
• the system has preferably no timer and comprised in an embodiment exactly two valves, one of air return and one of spring return closing type; exactly one ejector; exactly one display device; one or more pressure reducing elements; connecting tubing; entrance and exhaust ports and non-return valves.
• the system comprises preferably a timer that determines how long the one and/or other valve will be operative.
• one or more, more preferably substantially all components are integrated within a pneumatic unit.
• the drawing shows in fig. 1 a manually operated embodiment.
• the reference signs show the following components: non-return valve 1, 7; regulator valve 2; first 2 positions valve, air return closed 3; manometer 5; ejector 6; inflatable object 8 ; second 2 positions valve, spring return closed 9; quick exhaust valve 4.
• the components 3 and 9 are press button operated, in an alternative electrically operated embodiment these components 3 and 9 are operated by a solenoid.
• the operation is as follows: One parked, the driver presses the button of the first valve 3 such that the at the non-return valve 1 connected source of pressurised air through the regulator valve 2 is connected to the component 8 which is inflated. Downstream from the regulator valve 2 and within component 8 the pressure is e.g. 0,3 bar. Valve 3 remains its by the button operated position such that the source of pressurised air and component 8 remain connected, e.g. during the whole night such that possible air leakage is compensated. Onto manometer 5 the pressure head of the system is shown.
• the button of the second valve 9 such that downstream of it the pressure of the source of pressurised air becomes available (e.g. 10 bar) by which a high air speed through the pump 6 is created by which the object 8 is evacuated, while by the same pressure the first valve 3 is reset.
• the air from the source of pressurised air and from the object 8 is discharged via component 4 into the environment .
• First and second valve 3, 9 both obstruct the connection between the source of pressurised air and the object 8 and the pump 6, respectively .
• the regulator valve 2 can be located downstream or upstream from the first valve 3.
• Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment for the manually operated version, wherein the de quick exhaust valve 4 is replaced by a controlled 3 way valve 10 which normally is open and closes when valve 9 is manually operated (pressing the operation button, against spring action) .
• the system offers more stability at lower system pressure when using component 10.
• component 2 is downstream from valve 3.
• an electrically operated version can be designed by replacing the manual operation by a solenoid. Component 4 or 10 could be removed when the regulator valve 2 is of a type that also can vent.
• Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment for the manually operated version, wherein deflation of the object 8 goes through component 2 (the regulator valve) .
• component 2 the regulator valve
• valve 3 is changed such that during inflating object 8 it keeps the tube from component 2 to pump 6 closed and opens during evacuating of object 8 the tube from component 2 to pump 6 and keeps the tube between the source of pressurised air and the valve closed.
• component 4 or 10 can now be removed.
• Component 7 could also be removed.
• Fig. 4 shows the switching circuit for an alternative based on the embodiment of fig. 3.
• Components 3 and 9 are now integrated in a single component, having three positions: a first position in which the source of pressurised air via the regulator valve 2 is connected to the object 8 to be inflated, which position is shown in fig. 4, and which is comparable to the switched-on position of component 3 of fig. 1-3; a second position in which the source of pressurised air is connected to the venturi of the pump 6 and simultaneously the object 8 via the regulator valve 2 is connected to the suction side of the pump 6 such that the object is evacuated by the pump 6 and which position can be compared with the switched-on position of component 9 of fig.
• a third position called rest position, in which the object 8, the pump 6 and the valve 2 are isolated from the source of pressurised air and which position is comparable with the situation that both component 3 and component 9 of fig. 1-3 are in the switched-off position.
• the operation of these three positions is adapted such that the first and third are hold positions, while from position two automatic return to position three takes place.
• the first position is held when the vehicle is parked to keep the object inflated
• the second position is taken just before dispatch of the vehicle to deflate the object
• the third position is held while the vehicle advances.
• Fig. 5 shows schematically the mutual arrangement of the required components of an embodiment based on fig. 4, on the basis of which the illustration of fig. 6 and 7 will be better understood.
• the double pointed arrow indicates the three positions of the operation button (of which two positions are imaginary shown) .
• Fig. 6 and 7 illustrate a top and side view of a unit based on fig. 4, into which the components 2 and 6 and the integrated component 3 + 9 are integrated.
• the in fig. 6 illustrated arrangement of these three components is similar to the illustration of fig. 5.
• the unit also has the in it integrated pneumatic tubes with which these three components are mutually connected.
• To the connection at the left hand side of the illustration of fig. 6 the source of pressurised air is connected; to the connection at the top in the illustration of fig. 6 the object to be inflated is connected.
• the numbering 11-18 is used everywhere in fig. 4-6 to indicate the same pneumatic connections.
• fig. 4-7 and to a lesser extent fig. 3 offer the possibility to integrate the system with a minimum number of components into a single unit.
• the manometer 5 of fig. 1-3 can obviously be applied to an embodiment base don fig. 4-7. Also an embodiment based on fig. 3-7 can be electrically operated. To all embodiments applies, that one or both components 1 and 7 can be removed or added.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Jet Pumps And Other Pumps (AREA)

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Citations (3)

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• 2010
  • 2010-01-03 NL NL2004044A patent/NL2004044C2/nl active
  • 2010-01-04 EP EP10707980A patent/EP2382394A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-01-04 WO PCT/NL2010/050001 patent/WO2010077143A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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