BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is a flowrate stabilising monoblock cartridge intended to be inserted into the bodies of hydraulic valves.

PRIOR ART

In heating plants, using thermostatic valves for adjusting the fluid to the radiators is known. The thermostatic valve is connected to a thermostatic or electrothermal control and maintains constant, at the set value, the ambient temperature of the place in which it is installed. The thermostatic control moves a shutter of the valve according to the temperature so as to reduce or increase the fluid flowrate to the radiator. In this manner undesired temperature increases in the place are avoided and considerable energy savings are obtained.

Pressure reducing devices that reduce and stabilise the pressure entering the radiators can also be combined with the thermostatic valves. In fact, excessive temperature fluctuations can compromise the operation of the thermostatic valves and in general of the system, in addition to creating noise in the system.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to propose a monoblock cartridge for hydraulic valves that is able to adjust the flowrate independently of the pressure and be used with great pressure differences upstream and downstream of the cartridge. Another object of the invention is that this monoblock cartridge is compact and easily installable/replaceable in a body of a valve, also in replacement of a valve cartridge of another type. A further object of the invention is that this monoblock cartridge is very silent, regardless of the pressure variations in the system in which the valves with this cartridge are installed. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This object is achieved by a flowrate stabilising monoblock cartridge according to claim 1. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention better, a description is given below of an embodiment thereof by way of non-limiting example illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a flowrate stabilising monoblock cartridge according to the invention;

fig. 2 is a view in an axial section of the cartridge in fig. 1 ;

fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a portion of cartridge;

fig. 4 shows some coupled components of the portion of cartridge of fig. 3;

figs 5, 6, 7 show respectively in an elevation view three pre-adjusting positions of the maximum flowrate of the cartridge of fig. 1 ;

fig. 8 shows in an axial section the cartridge of fig. 1 installed in a possible valve body;

fig. 9 shows in an axial section the operation of the cartridge in fig.1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figs 1, 2, the illustrated cartridge, indicated generally by 10, provides a body with a fluid inlet section 11, an intermediate section 12, and a fluid outlet section 13.

The inlet section 11 provides first openings 14 for the entry of the fluid into the cartridge 10, which are arranged along an annular wall 15 of the inlet section 11 to enable fluid to enter in a radial direction that is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis A of the cartridge 10. The inlet section 11 is moreover hollow, such as to enable the fluid to enter in a radial direction, to flow therein along the axial direction. The inlet section 11 is so shaped as to be able to be housed in valve bodies containing already existing cartridges.

The intermediate section 12 is shaped to be housed inside the inlet section 11 and is hollow to enable the fluid to flow therein along the longitudinal axis A. In fact, in the intermediate section 12 there is a first shutter 16 that reduces the flow of fluid coming from the first openings 14, the first shutter 16 is mounted on a diaphragm 17 and a calibrated spring 18 acts to open the first shutter 16. The calibrated spring 18 is located outside the shutter 16 and in particular presses at an end on a fixing bush 19 of the diaphragm 17 and at the other end on a fixing ring 20 of a seal gasket.

The shutter 16 thus has an inner passage 21 that links the first openings 14 of the inlet section 11 to the passage openings 22 of the intermediate section 12 and to a first face 23 of the diaphragm 17, the fluid pressure acting on the first face 23 of the diaphragm 17 being reduced with respect to the pressure entering the cartridge 10 by the reducing action of the first shutter 16. The pressure difference between the first

23 and the second 24 face of the diaphragm 17 determines the movement of the shutter 16.

Second openings 25 are obtained on another annular wall 15A of the inlet section 11, to convey the fluid pressure signal downstream of the cartridge 10 to the second face

24 of the diaphragm 17.

The outlet section 13 provides a second shutter 26 controlled by a heat- sensitive actuating device that adjusts the fluid flowrate within a preset range.

For example, a thermostatic head of the actuating device controls opening and closing of the second shutter 26, such that it permits or does not permit the fluid to flow downstream, on the basis of a given temperature value read by a sensor to which it can be connected.

In the outlet section 13 third pre- adjustable openings 28 are provided for adjusting the fluid flowrate downstream.

The second shutter 26, which is arranged coaxially to a sealing seat 29, comprises a stop ring 30 on a side facing the seat 29, and a coupling disc 31 on an opposite side; the ring 30 and the disc 31 have coaxial holes through which a control rod 32 protrudes that is stiffly connected to the second shutter 26. The control rod 32 is sealingly mounted inside two bushes 33 and 34 of a fourth adjusting section 35, which bushes 33 and 34 are reciprocally coupled by threading so as to move along the axis A and to rotate in relation thereto.

With reference to figs 3, 4, the disc 31 is rotatingly coupled with an inner ring nut 36 provided with a series of notches 28A of progressively greater dimensions in an annular direction. The outer wall of the outlet section 13 is provided with a series of windows 28B arranged annularly in succession, of the same dimensions, arranged at the notches 28A. The ring nut 36 can be rotated between a plurality of angular positions such as to be able to take the notches 28A to the windows 28B and thus define a respective outlet flow passage area of a predefined value.

The control rod 32, at the end opposite the first shutter 16, extends beyond the bush 34 to be driven axially by the heat- sensitive actuator, which is not illustrated, which is removably connectable to the valve body and to be driven manually in an annular direction.

A plurality of reference marks, for example numbers, notched or marked in another manner on the outer surface of the bush 34 and one or more reference elements on the control rod 32 enable the angular positioning of the pre-adjusting ring nut 36 and consequently the maximum fluid flowrate that is suppliable to the single circuit connected to the valve body to be set precisely. A coil spring 27 for forcibly opening the second shutter 26 is arranged coaxially to the control rod 32 inside a housing cavity 38 defined between the bushes 33,34; in particular, the spring 27 is interposed between an annular shoulder 39 in the bush 33 and a Seeger ring 40 applied to the control rod 32.

Figures 5-7 show three different possible configurations of the cartridge 10, relating to third openings 28 increasing progressively from figure 5 to figure 7, corresponding to three different outlet flow values.

In figure 8 a cartridge 10 is shown that is located inside a containing valve body 50 of the already existing type of a hydraulic valve. In particular, in the figures, the cartridge 10 is in a vertical position but can also be used in different arrangements from what is shown. The cartridge 10 is inserted between a fluid inlet 51 upstream, or the source, and a fluid outlet 52 downstream, typically the application.

The contained cartridge 10 can be protected above by a lid 53.

In figure 9 the path of the fluid through the sections 11, 12, 13 and the action of the fluid on the diaphragm 17 are shown by arrows.

In particular, the fluid enters the cartridge 10 from below, through the first openings 14 of the inlet section 11. The flow of the fluid through the first openings 11 with reducing by the shutter 16, enables the pressure of the fluid to be reduced with respect to the value upstream of the cartridge 10, obtaining an intermediate pressure value. In this manner, inside the cartridge 10 the diaphragm 17 and the shutter 26 are subjected to lower pressures with advantages in terms of better structural resistance and a significant reduction in noise and vibrations. In fact, the fluid subsequently passes inside the intermediate section 12, more precisely inside the first shutter 16 through the inner passage 21 until the outlet section 13 is reached. At this point, through the second openings 25, the fluid can reach the zone downstream of the cartridge 10 to press on the second face 24 of the diaphragm 17. The pressure upstream is equal to that of the fluid source, less load losses along the path; passing through the first openings 14, the fluid, as said above, loses pressure and consequently stabilises at a lower pressure inside the intermediate section 12, acting with lighter loads on the diaphragm 17. The pressure is then reduced further and adjusted by the flow of fluid through the third openings 28.

The disclosed and illustrated cartridge enables a flowrate to be adjusted independently of the pressure and use with great pressure differences upstream and downstream of the cartridge.

This cartridge is compact and easily installable in a body of a valve, also in replacement of a valve cartridge of another type.

Lastly, such a cartridge is very silent, regardless of the pressure variations of the plant in which the valves with this cartridge are installed.

Obviously, variations on and/or additions to what has been disclosed and illustrated can be provided. For example, the geometry and in general the configuration of the openings and of the various elements that make up the cartridge can be different from what has been disclosed and illustrated.