IP Library Granted Patent US 12,259,065
Granted Patent B2
US 12,259,065 · App. 17/885,331 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Pinch valve system

Inventors: Peter Mayr (Baden, CH); Thomas Schneeberger (Bern, CH)
Assignee: Levitronix GmbH
F16K7/045F16K31/082
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,259,065
App. No.
17/885,331
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pinch valve system includes a closing element arranged in an axial direction and includes a closing piece, a permanent magnetic holding device to hold the closing element by a permanent magnetic force in an open or closed position, without energy being supplied to the permanent magnetic holding device, an electromagnetic actuating device to carrying out a switching process, with which the closing element is configured to be moved from the open position to the closed position or from the closed position to the open position, an energy storage device to store an electrical energy which is sufficient to carry out the switching process, and a controller programmed with a predetermined rest position, which is the open or closed position, and the controller configured to trigger the switching process with which the closing element is brought to the rest position by the energy stored in the energy storage device.

Claims (32)

1. A pinch valve system for clamping off a tube in a fluid system, comprising:

a closing element arranged movably in an axial direction and comprising a closing piece configured to clamp off the tube;

a permanent magnetic holding device comprising a permanent magnet configured to hold the closing element only by a permanent magnetic force in two different stable equilibrium positions, the two different stable equilibrium positions being an open position and a closed position, without energy being supplied to the permanent magnetic holding device for holding the closing element in the respective two different stable equilibrium positions;

an electromagnetic actuating device configured to carry out a switching process, with which the closing element is configured to be moved from the open position to the closed position or from the closed position to the open position;

an energy storage device configured to store an electrical energy which is at least sufficient to carry out the switching process; and

a controller programmed with a predetermined rest position, which is the open position or the closed position, and the controller configured to trigger the switching process with which the closing element is brought to the rest position by the energy stored in the energy storage device.

2. The pinch valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the closing element, the holding device, the actuating device, the energy storage device and the controller are arranged in a common housing, the housing having a connection configured to connect to an external energy source.

3. The pinch valve system according to claim 2 , further comprising a monitoring sensor disposed in the common housing, the monitoring sensor configured to detect an interruption of the energy supply by the external energy source.

4. The pinch valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnetic holding device comprises a permanent magnetic ring surrounding the closing element.

5. The pinch valve system according to claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is an intermediate circuit for the energy supply of the actuating device.

6. The pinch valve system according to claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor configured to determine a position of the closing element.

7. The pinch valve system according to claim 1 , further comprising a measuring sensor configured to determine an amount of the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device.

8. The pinch valve system according to anyone of the preceding claims , further comprising a current sensor configured to determine a switching current, the switching current being the current required for the switching process.

9. The pinch valve system according to claim 8 , wherein the pinch valve system enables a tube detection to be carried out on the basis of the switching current.

10. The pinch valve system according to claim 2 , wherein the common housing includes two lateral openings to receive a tube, a closing cover is connected to the common housing by an articulated joint and is configured to be moved back and forth between a first position and a second position, in the first position the tube is capable of being inserted into the lateral openings, and in the second position the tube is fixed relative to the common housing of the pinch valve system.

11. The pinch valve system according to claim 10 , wherein a tube pinch element is arranged in the closing cover to cooperate with the closing piece of the closing element such that the tube is capable of being clamped between the closing piece and the tube pinch element when the closing cover is in the second position.

12. The pinch valve system according to claim 11 , wherein the tube pinch element is designed and arranged to be replaceable.

13. The pinch valve system according to claim 12 , wherein the closing cover includes a recess into which the tube pinch element is capable of being inserted.

14. A pinch valve system for clamping off a tube in a fluid system, comprising:

a closing element arranged movably in an axial direction and comprising a closing piece configured to clamp off the tube;

a permanent magnetic holding device configured to hold the closing element by a permanent magnetic force in two different stable equilibrium positions, the two different stable equilibrium positions being an open position and a closed position, without energy being supplied to the permanent magnetic holding device for holding the closing element in the respective two different stable equilibrium positions;

an electromagnetic actuating device configured to carry out a switching process, with which the closing element is configured to be moved from the open position to the closed position or from the closed position to the open position;

an energy storage device configured to store an electrical energy which is at least sufficient to carry out the switching process;

a controller programmed with a predetermined rest position, which is the open position or the closed position, and the controller configured to trigger the switching process with which the closing element is brought to the rest position by the energy stored in the energy storage device; and

a protective element movable in the axial direction and configured to be loaded by a spring so that the protective element covers two lateral openings when the closing cover is in the first position or in the second position without the tube being inserted into the pinch valve system.

15. The pinch valve system according to claim 10 , further comprising a securing element on the housing, the securing element configured to fix the closing cover in the second position.

16. A pinch valve system for clamping off a tube in a fluid system, comprising:

a closing element arranged movably in an axial direction and comprising a closing piece configured to clamp off the tube:

a permanent magnetic holding device configured to hold the closing element by a permanent magnetic force in two different stable equilibrium positions independently without use of a spring, the two different stable equilibrium positions being an open position and a closed position, without energy being supplied to the permanent magnetic holding device for holding the closing element in the respective two different stable equilibrium positions;

an electromagnetic actuating device configured to carry out a switching process, with which the closing element is configured to be moved from the open position to the closed position or from the closed position to the open position;

an energy storage device configured to store an electrical energy which is at least sufficient to carry out the switching process; and

a controller programmed with a predetermined rest position, which is the open position or the closed position, and the controller configured to trigger the switching process with which the closing element is brought to the rest position by the energy stored in the energy storage device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2022
From: MAYR, PETER; SCHNEEBERGER, THOMAS
To: LEVITRONIX GMBH
Reel/Frame 060774/0625 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 21194899 · Sep 3, 2021 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230077009A1 · Mar 9, 2023
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