초록 ▼

A proportional pressure regulator assembly having a main body with a first inlet adapted for fluid communication with supply of positive pneumatic pressure, a second inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of negative pneumatic pressure, an outlet adapted for fluid communication with a p

A proportional pressure regulator assembly having a main body with a first inlet adapted for fluid communication with supply of positive pneumatic pressure, a second inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of negative pneumatic pressure, an outlet adapted for fluid communication with a pneumatically actuated device, and an exhaust port is provided. A fill regulator valve is included that is adapted to regulate the supply of positive pressure. A vacuum regulator valve is included that is adapted to regulate the supply of negative pressure. An exhaust valve is included that is operable to exhaust pressure from the outlet. A control circuit assembly is also provided that is adapted to receive a command signal and a feedback signal and to regulate the amount of positive pneumatic pressure through the fill regulator valve or the amount of negative pneumatic pressure through the vacuum regulator valve in response to the feedback signal.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly, said assembly comprising:a main body having a first inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of positive pneumatic pressure, a second inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of negative pneumatic pressure, at least one o

1. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly, said assembly comprising:a main body having a first inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of positive pneumatic pressure, a second inlet adapted for fluid communication with a supply of negative pneumatic pressure, at least one outlet adapted for fluid communication with at least one pneumatically actuated device, and an exhaust port;a fill regulator valve in fluid communication with said first inlet port and said outlet, said fill regulator valve adapted to regulate the supply of positive pressure to a predetermined value from said first inlet through said outlet to a pneumatically actuated device when said fill regulator valve is actuated;a vacuum regulator valve in fluid communication with said second inlet port and said outlet, said vacuum regulator valve adapted to regulate the supply of negative pressure to a predetermined value from said second inlet through said outlet to a pneumatically actuated device when said vacuum regulator valve is actuated;an exhaust valve in fluid communication with said outlet and operable to exhaust pressure from said outlet through said exhaust port when said exhaust valve is actuated;a control circuit assembly in electrical communication with said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, and said exhaust valve, said control assembly adapted to receive a command signal to actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exhaust valve in response to the command signal, said control circuit assembly further adapted to receive a feedback signal and to regulate the amount of positive pneumatic pressure through said fill regulator valve or the amount of negative pneumatic pressure through said vacuum regulator valve in response to the feedback signal. 2. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main body further includes a function plate disposed between said main body, and said fill regulator valve and said exhaust valve, said function plate having internal passages providing fluid communication between said first inlet and said fill regulator valve, and between said outlet and said exhaust valve, such that the orientation of said function plate within said main body predetermines whether said fill regulator valve and said exhaust valve are either normally open or normally closed. 3. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said main body further includes an internal feedback passage in fluid communication with said at least one outlet to provide a feedback pressure to said control circuit assembly. 4. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fill regulator valve includes an actuator having a solenoid and a return spring, said actuator operable to selectively move said fill regulator valve from a first position to a second position in response to said solenoid being energized by said control circuit assembly, said actuator being further operable to move said fill regulator valve back from the second position to the first position by action of said return spring in response to said solenoid being de-energized. 5. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said vacuum regulator valve includes an actuator, said actuator having a solenoid and a return spring, said actuator operable to selectively move said vacuum regulator valve from a first position to a second position in response to said solenoid being energized by said control circuit assembly, said actuator being further operable to move said vacuum regulator valve back from the second position to the first position by action of said return spring in response to said solenoid being de-energized. 6. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exhaust valve includes an actuator, said actuator having a solenoid and a return spring, said actuator operable to selectively move said exhaust valve from a first position to a second position in response to said solenoid being energized by said control circuit assembly, said actuator being further operable to move said exhaust valve back from the second position to the first position by action of said return spring in response to said solenoid being de-energized. 7. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control circuit assembly includes a circuit board and a pressure transducer, said circuit board further including a proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, regulator driver circuits, pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits, and command signal filtering circuits, said control circuit assembly adapted to receive control and feedback signals and operatively control the actuation of said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve and said exhaust valve. 8. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said transducer of said control circuit assembly is disposed in said feedback passage of said main body so as to translate the feedback pressure from said at least one outlet into a feedback signal. 9. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said transducer of said control circuit assembly is in electrical communication with said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit on said circuit board, said transducer adapted to provide the feedback signal to said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit adapted to produce a composite feedback signal that is provided to said regulator driver circuits. 10. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said regulator driver circuits include a fill regulator valve driver circuit, a vacuum regulator valve driver circuit, and an exhaust valve driver circuit, said driver circuits adapted to operatively develop the required operating voltage to produce a desired output pressure setpoint by controlling said fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator in response to said command input signal and also regulating said fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator about the desired output pressure setpoint in response to said composite feedback signal from said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, thus providing regulation of the output pressure about the desired output pressure setpoint. 11. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits include a fill regulator valve control circuit, a vacuum regulator valve control circuit, and an exhaust valve control circuit, said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits adapted to selectively provide hold-off voltages to either said fill regulator valve driver circuit, said vacuum regulator valve driver circuit, or said exhaust valve driver circuit in response to the received command signal to individually actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exhaust valve such that a non-selected valve is prevented from operating during the operation of a command selected valve as a safety precaution. 12. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly, said assembly comprising:a main body;a fill regulator valve supported upon said main body;a vacuum regulator valve supported upon said main body;an exhaust valve supported upon said main body; anda control circuit assembly in electrical communication with said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, and said exhaust valve, said control assembly adapted to receive a command signal and actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exha ust valve in response to the command signal, said control circuit assembly further adapted to receive a feedback signal and regulate the amount of positive pneumatic pressure through said fill regulator valve and the amount of negative pneumatic pressure through said vacuum regulator valve in response to the feedback signal. 13. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, and said exhaust valve each include a separate actuator, each of said separate actuators having a solenoid and a return spring and operable to selectively move their respective valve from a first position to a second position in response to said solenoid being energized by said control circuit assembly, each of said separate actuators being further operable to move their respective valve back from the second position to the first position by action of said return spring in response to said solenoid being de-energized. 14. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said control circuit assembly includes a circuit board and a pressure transducer, said transducer operative to provide a feedback pressure signal to said control circuit board, said circuit board further including regulator driver circuits, pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits, command signal filtering circuits, and a proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit adapted to receive and process the feedback pressure signal into a composite feedback signal. 15. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said regulator driver circuits include a fill regulator valve driver circuit, a vacuum regulator valve driver circuit, and an exhaust valve driver circuit, said driver circuits adapted to operatively develop the required operating voltage to produce a desired output pressure setpoint by controlling said fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator in response to said command input signal and also regulating said fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator about the desired output pressure setpoint in response to said composite feedback signal from said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, thus providing regulation of the output pressure about the desired output pressure setpoint. 16. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits include a fill regulator valve control circuit, a vacuum regulator valve control circuit, and an exhaust valve control circuit, said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits adapted to selectively provide hold-off voltages to either said fill regulator valve driver circuit, said vacuum regulator driver valve, or said exhaust valve driver circuit in response to the received command signal to individually actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exhaust valve thereby preventing a non-selected valve from operating during the operation of a command selected valve as a safety precaution. 17. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly comprising:a main body;a fill regulator valve supported upon said main body;a vacuum regulator valve supported upon said main body;an exhaust valve supported upon said main body; andan electronic control circuit, said electronic control circuit being in electrical communication with said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, and said exhaust valve, and adapted to receive a command signal and actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exhaust valve, and further adapted to receive a feedback signal and to proportionally regulate the output pressure as determined from the command signal. 18. An electronic control circuit of a proportional pneumatic pressure regulat or assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said electronic control circuit further includes a proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, regulator driver circuits, pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits, and command signal filtering circuits, said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit adapted to produce a composite feedback signal that is provided to said regulator driver circuits. 19. An electronic control circuit of a proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 18, wherein said regulator driver circuits include a fill regulator valve driver circuit, a vacuum regulator valve driver circuit, and an exhaust valve driver circuit, said driver circuits adapted to operatively develop the required operating voltage to produce a desired output pressure setpoint by controlling the fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator in response to said command input signal and also regulating said fill regulator valve actuator, said vacuum regulator valve actuator, or said exhaust valve actuator about the desired output pressure setpoint in response to said composite feedback signal from said proportional-integral-differential feedback circuit, thus providing regulation of the output pressure about the desired output pressure setpoint. 20. A proportional pneumatic pressure regulator assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits include a fill regulator valve control circuit, a vacuum regulator valve control circuit, and an exhaust valve control circuit, said pressure/vacuum/exhaust select circuits adapted to selectively provide hold-off voltages to either said fill regulator valve driver circuit, said vacuum regulator valve driver circuit, or said exhaust valve driver circuit in response to the received command signal to individually actuate either said fill regulator valve, said vacuum regulator valve, or said exhaust valve such that a non-selected valve is prevented from operating during the operation of a command selected valve as a safety precaution.