WO2018115020A1

WO2018115020A1 - Purging system with rotating connector

Info

Publication number: WO2018115020A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/083654
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Canale; Sandro Bonardo; Massimo CIMA
Original assignee: Valeo Embrayages
Priority date: 2016-12-20
Filing date: 2017-12-19
Publication date: 2018-06-28
Also published as: FR3060686A1; CN110249167A; CN110249167B; FR3060686B1

Abstract

Purging system (2) for hydraulic control, in particular for hydraulic control of a motor vehicle clutch, comprising at least one housing (4) and a valve (6), in which: the housing comprises a female part (8) receiving a male part (10) of the valve, the male part being movably mounted around a longitudinal axis (AB) of the valve between an open position in which the the passage of fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is allowed, and a closed position in which the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is not allowed, the male part of the valve and the female part of the housing being configured so that a rotation movement of the valve, for example through an angle between 60° and 120°, around said longitudinal axis of the valve drives a translation movement of the male part along the axis between the open and closed positions.

Description

Purge system with connector rotation

The present invention relates to a purge system for hydraulic control, in particular for a hydraulic clutch control of a motor vehicle and a hydraulic control pipe component.

Hydraulic control, especially the hydraulic clutch controls of a motor vehicle, is generally in the form of a hydraulic circuit in which a pressurized incompressible fluid flows between a transmitter and a receiver by means of a pipe connecting the transmitter to the receiver.

A hydraulic control generally includes a purge system to allow the elimination of air that may be present in the hydraulic circuit.

Indeed, during maintenance operations of the hydraulic control, air can be introduced into the hydraulic circuit. The air being a compressible fluid, it is necessary to eliminate the air from the hydraulic circuit to ensure proper operation of said hydraulic circuit. The purge system generally placed at the level of the pipe connecting the transmitter and the receiver is directly on the receiver, allows to evacuate any air bubbles that may be present in the hydraulic circuit.

Known purge systems generally include a housing which is connected to the pipeline of the pressurized fluid and wherein a plug is screwed axially most of the time by means of a threaded device.

This type of purge system is quite effective as long as the casing and the plug are made of metal-type material, but when the casing and / or the cap are made of plastic, the threaded device generally ages badly and with time does not allow plus to ensure the tightness of the hydraulic circuit.

There are purge systems in which the cap comprises an evacuation pipe for purging the hydraulic circuit. Typically, the plug is movable between a closed position in which the hydraulic circuit is sealed and an open position in which the hydraulic circuit is open for purging said hydraulic circuit.

Most hydraulic purge systems of the state of the art require two actions of the user to move from an open position to a closed position and vice versa. The first action is to unlock / lock the system, such as removing a locking pin. The second action is to open / close the system, such as by pulling the cap. He is arriving at the user to forget to lock the system after purging, resulting in a risk of leakage.

There is therefore a need for a reliable and simple purge device where the user has only one operation to perform to move from a purge position to a sealed position. The invention provides a purge system to meet this need.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a purge system for hydraulic control, in particular for a hydraulic clutch control of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one housing and a tap, in which:

the housing comprises a female part receiving a male part of the valve, the male part being mounted movable about a longitudinal axis of the valve between an open position in which the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is permitted and a closed position in which the passage of fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is not allowed,

the male part of the valve and the female part of the housing being configured so that a rotational movement of the valve, for example at an angle of between 60 ° and 180 °, about said longitudinal axis of the valve causes a translational movement of said male portion along said axis between the open and closed positions.

Advantageously, the transformation of a rotational movement of the valve into translational movement makes it possible to provide a reliable and simple purging system in which the user has only one operation to perform to change from a purge position to a waterproof position.

The system according to the invention may also comprise one or more of the following characteristics, considered individually or in any technically possible combination:

- The housing comprises a guide cam, the valve comprises a tooth, said tooth being in abutment against said guide cam and allowing during the rotation of the valve to drive the valve in translation, and / or

- the male part of the valve has at least one O-ring high and a low O-ring, the O-ring high ensuring the seal between the housing and the tap whatever the position of the tap around its longitudinal axis, not ensuring the sealing between the housing and the valve only when said valve is in the closed position, and / or

the low O-ring has a smaller diameter than the high O-ring; or

the low O-ring has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the high O-ring; and or the valve comprises a discharge channel having at least one part opening out at the male part of the valve, the said opening part being situated between the two O-rings, and / or

the male part of the valve and the female part of the housing at the level of the low O-ring have respectively a diameter smaller than the male part of the valve and the female part of the housing at the level of the high O-ring, so that in the open position alone the high O-ring is in contact with the female part of the box, thus allowing the passage of the fluid through the evacuation channel and its opening part, and / or

- The purge system has a pin holding the housing and the valve integral with each other, and / or

the male part of the tap has a guide slope at the level of the pin, said pin being in interaction with said guide slope so as to participate in the transformation of the rotational movement of the tap in translation movement, and / or

the tap has a second tooth making it possible to block the pin when said tap is in the open position and / or in the closed position, and / or

- the passage from the closed position to the open position causes a translation of 3mm to 10mm of the male part of the valve upwards along the longitudinal axis AB, and / or

the evacuation channel comprises an end emerging at the portion of the cock complementary to the male part of said cock, and / or

the valve and / or the housing consist at least in part of polymer, for example polyamide, and / or

the O-rings are made of elastomer.

The invention also relates to a hydraulic control piping component, especially for hydraulic clutch control, comprising a purge system according to the invention.

The present invention will be better understood in the light of the following description which is given for information only and which is not intended to limit said invention, accompanied by the following figures:

FIG. 1 represents a sectional view of the purge system for hydraulic control according to the invention in the closed position,

FIG. 2 represents a side view of the purge system for hydraulic control according to the invention in the open position,

FIGS. 3A and 3B show the tap,

- Figure 4 shows the valve according to a second embodiment; FIG. 5 represents a sectional view of the purge system for hydraulic control according to a third embodiment of the invention in the closed position, and

- Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the purge system for hydraulic control according to the third embodiment of the invention in the open position.

In the figures, similar elements are designated by identical references. In addition, the various elements are not necessarily represented on the scale in order to present a view making it easier to understand the invention.

As shown in the figures, a purge system 2 according to the invention comprises a housing 4 and a valve 6. The valve 6 has a substantially oblong shape.

The housing 4 and / or the valve 6 may consist at least in part of polymer such as polyamide.

In Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6 the housing 4 is shown only partially and may form part of a housing of a receiver or form an independent component, which can receive a pipe of a hydraulic control circuit.

The housing 4 comprises a female part 8 receiving a male part 10 of the tap 6.

The male part 10 of the valve is mounted to move about a longitudinal axis AB of the valve. The male part 10 can move from an open position to a closed position and vice versa.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, in the closed position the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is not allowed.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, in the open position the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the valve is allowed.

The male part of the valve and the female part of the housing are configured so that a rotational movement of the valve, for example at an angle greater than or equal to 60 ° and less than or equal to 180 °, preferably less than or equal to 120 °, for example less than or equal to 90 °, about said longitudinal axis AB of the valve causes a translational movement of said male portion along said axis between the open and closed positions.

The passage from the closed position to the open position can cause a translation of the male part along the longitudinal axis AB greater than or equal to 3 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the purge system may comprise a pin

24 to maintain the housing and the valve solidarity in translation from one another. The configuration of the system is such that the pin is in the clamping position when the valve is in the open or closed position. When the user of the system according to the invention applies a rotating force at the tap, the pin 24 loosens so as to allow the translational movement of the valve along the longitudinal axis AB.

The male part of the tap may comprise a guide slope 26. When the user applies a rotational movement to the tap around the longitudinal axis AB, the pin 24 abuts against the guide slope 26.

Said guide slope then acts as a cam and transforms the rotational movement of the valve in translation movement along the longitudinal axis AB.

According to an embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the guide slope is configured so that the passage from closed position to the open position is achieved by a translational movement along the longitudinal axis AB to the outside of the housing 4.

According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide slope is configured so that the transition from the closed position to the open position is achieved by a translational movement along the longitudinal axis AB towards the inside of the case 4.

According to one embodiment, the housing 6 comprises a guide cam 12 and the valve comprises a tooth 14. Preferably, the guide cam has substantially the same inclination as the guide slope 26.

During the rotation of the valve, said tooth 14 bears against said guide cam and thus makes it possible to drive the valve in translation along the longitudinal axis AB.

When the tooth 14 comes into abutment against the housing 4, the rotation of the valve ends. This stop indicates the end of the stroke of the valve to the user and thus facilitates the use of the purge system according to the invention.

As illustrated in the figures, the male portion of the valve comprises at least one high O-ring 16 and a low O-ring 18. The high O-ring 16 makes it possible to seal between the casing 4 and the tap 6 whatever the valve position along the longitudinal axis AB between an open position and a closed position.

According to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the low O-ring 18 has a smaller diameter than the high O-ring 16 and only ensures a seal between the housing and the tap when said tap is in position. closed.

Advantageously, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 makes it possible to have the bottom O-ring 18 having a diameter substantially equal to that of the high O-ring 16. The low O-ring ensures the seal between the housing and the tap only. when said valve is in the closed position.

O-rings 16 and 18 may be elastomeric. The valve comprises a discharge channel 20 having at least one opening portion 22 at the male portion of the valve, said opening portion 22 being located between the two O-rings 16 and 18.

Said evacuation channel also comprises a second portion opening at the end of the portion of the valve complementary to the male part of the valve. It is through this opening portion 30 that the user will recover the fluid evacuated during purging. Said evacuated fluid may be a liquid of the hydraulic circuit or air.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the male portion of the valve and the female portion of the housing have substantially complementary shapes.

According to the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the male portion of the valve at the low O-ring has a smaller outer diameter than the male portion of the valve at the top O-ring 16. In the same way, the female part of the housing at the bottom o-ring 18 has a smaller inner diameter than the female portion of the housing at the top o-ring 16. Thus, when the purge system is in the open position only the top o-ring is in contact with the housing portion. female of the limp. There is then a space between the low O-ring and the female part of the housing. This space allows the passage of the fluid through the evacuation channel 20 and its opening portion 22.

The hydraulic behavior of the purge system according to the invention is a radial holding. The force to be applied to said system to break its seal is a radial force, that is to say orthogonal to the longitudinal axis AB.

If the pressure increases in an axially held bleed system in the closed position, the male portion will tend to be pushed out of the system under the effect of pressure. This movement will move the system to the open position and cause the purge system to leak.

In the case of the purge system according to the invention, when the pressure increases in the system the male part of the valve is not rotated and therefore can not go into the open position. In addition, the male part is held integral in translation of the housing by the pin 24. Even if the pin has a clearance allowing the displacement of the male part of the valve along the longitudinal axis AB, the displacement of the part male remains low and the low o-ring 18 is always in contact with the female part 8 of the housing. Thus, the passage of the fluid through the opening portion 22 is impossible. The stroke of the valve required to move to the open position is too important to be induced by an overpressure within the purge system or by a simple game of the pin. The pressure resistance of the system according to the invention is therefore superior to traditional systems.

The pin 24 and the second guide slope 26 may complement the guide cam 12 but may also replace it. In this case, the pin 24 and the guide slope 26 are the only elements to transform the rotational movement of the valve in translation movement. The valve 6 may also have a second tooth 28 located at the guide slope 26. This tooth 28 makes it possible to make the pin 24 from a tight position to a loosened position.

When the user wishes to apply a rotational movement to the tap about the longitudinal axis AB, the pin 24 is blocked by the tooth 28. The user then applies a force in rotation about said axis and the pin 24 straddles the tooth 28. The pin is then in the released position and allows the translational movement of the male part during its passage from an open position to a closed position and vice versa.

According to this embodiment, the pin can move from a tight position to a loosened position only by the application by the user of a force in rotation about the longitudinal axis AB. The tooth 28 therefore also constitutes an additional safety to prevent the involuntary opening of the purge system according to the invention.

The transformation of the rotational movement of the valve into a translational movement, whatever the embodiment, allows to provide a reliable purge system, easy to use and having a good hydraulic resistance.

The invention has been described above with the aid of embodiments shown in the figures, without limitation of the general inventive concept.

Many other modifications and variations are suggested to those skilled in the art, after reflection on the various embodiments illustrated in this application. These embodiments are given by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is determined exclusively by the claims below.

In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that different features are enumerated in mutually dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these features can be advantageously used. Finally, any numerical reference used in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

A purge system (2) for hydraulic control, particularly for hydraulic clutch control of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one housing (4) and a valve (6), wherein:

the housing comprises a female part (8) receiving a male part (10) of the valve, the male part being mounted movable about a longitudinal axis (AB) of the valve between an open position in which the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and of the male part of the tap is allowed and a closed position in which the passage of the fluid through the female part of the housing and the male part of the tap is not allowed,

The hydraulic control bleed system of claim 1, including a pin (24) holding the housing and the valve integral with each other.

3. Purge system for hydraulic control according to the preceding claim, wherein the male portion of the valve has a guide slope (26) at the pin

(24), said pin being in interaction with said guide slope so as to participate in the transformation of the rotational movement of the valve (6) in translation movement.

4. purge system for hydraulic control according to the preceding claim, wherein the housing (4) comprises a guide cam (12) having the same inclination as the guide slope (26), the valve comprises a tooth (14), said tooth being in abutment against said guide slope and allowing during the rotation of the valve to drive the valve in translation.

A hydraulic control bleed system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the male portion of the valve comprises at least one high O-ring (16) and one low O-ring (18), the upper O-ring providing the sealing between the housing (4) and the valve (6) regardless of the position of the valve around its longitudinal axis (AB), the low o-ring (18) ensuring the seal between the housing and the tap only when said valve is in closed position.

The hydraulic control bleed system of claim 5 wherein the low o-ring (18) has a smaller diameter than the top o-ring (16).

The hydraulic control bleed system of claim 5, wherein the low o-ring (18) has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the top O-ring (16).

8. purge system for hydraulic control according to the preceding claim, wherein the valve (6) comprises a discharge channel (20) having at least one opening portion (22) at the male portion of the valve, said opening portion being located between the two O-rings (16) and (18).

The purge system for hydraulic control according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the male portion (10) of the valve and the female portion (8) of the housing at the bottom o-ring (18) respectively have a diameter. lower than the male part of the valve and the female part of the housing at the top o-ring (16), so that in the open position only the O-ring high is in contact with the female part of the limp, thus allowing the passage of the fluid through the evacuation channel (20) and its opening portion (22).

The purge system for hydraulic control according to claim 4 or one of claims 5 to 9 taken in combination with claim 4, wherein the valve (6) has a second tooth (28) for locking the pin ( 24) when said valve is in the open position and / or in the closed position.

The purge system for hydraulic control according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the passage from the closed position to the open position results in a translation of 3mm to 10mm of the male part of the valve along the longitudinal axis ( AB).

A purge system for hydraulic control according to claim 8 or one of claims 9 to 11 taken in combination with claim 8, wherein the evacuation channel comprises a second opening portion (30) at the portion of the complementary faucet to the male part of said faucet.

13. Pipe component for hydraulic control, especially for hydraulic clutch control, comprising a purge system (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.