초록 ▼

The valve device consists, according to the invention, of (at least) two part valves which are symmetrical in circuit terms with respect to the existing connections and which are designed, in particular, as four-way, two position valves of any desired type of construction, but preferably are provide

The valve device consists, according to the invention, of (at least) two part valves which are symmetrical in circuit terms with respect to the existing connections and which are designed, in particular, as four-way, two position valves of any desired type of construction, but preferably are provided as slide valves. There is preferably a double slide valve with two cooperating slide valves. The valve device features internal seals and sealing surfaces which minimize wear and damage to the seals as they move across flow ports. The valve device is particularly adapted for use as a fuel control valve for an internal combustion powered motor vehicle having two separate fuel tanks. The valve device permits control over which tank supplies fuel to the engine, and allows controlled mixing of the fuels from each tank.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A multiway valve arrangement for use as a fuel tank changeover valve between at least two fuel tanks and an engine in a motor vehicle, comprising at least two pairs of tank connections, including at least two forward flow tank connections and at least two return flow ta

The invention claimed is: 1. A multiway valve arrangement for use as a fuel tank changeover valve between at least two fuel tanks and an engine in a motor vehicle, comprising at least two pairs of tank connections, including at least two forward flow tank connections and at least two return flow tank connections, and two engine connections including a forward flow engine connection and a return flow engine connection, the valve arrangement further comprising at least two cooperating multiway slide valves, symmetrical in circuit terms, such that the forward flow tank connections can be connected alternatively or jointly to the forward flow engine connection, and the return flow tank connections to be connected alternatively or jointly to the return flow engine connection. 2. A valve arrangement according to claim 1, wherein there are two slide valves, and wherein the forward flow engine connections of both the valves are connected to one another to form a common forward flow engine connection, and the return flow engine connections of both the valves are connected to one another to form a common return flow engine connection. 3. A valve arrangement according to claim 1, wherein all the connections are designed as coupling parts for the plug connection of lines, with each connection being designed as a socket-like reception orifice for plugging in a plug part, and locking means for the releasable locking of the plug part being provided. 4. A valve arrangement according to claim 1, wherein there are two slide valves, and wherein each of the slide valves has a valve housing and a slide longitudinally displaceable in a piston-like manner between at least two switching positions in a cylinder-like slide space within the valve housing in the direction of a slide axis, each of the slide spaces having, at axially offset points, four control ports which are connected in each case to one of the tank connections or to one of the engine connections. 5. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the slide valves are arranged directly adjacently to one another and, with respect to the slide axes, are parallel to one another. 6. A valve arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the valve housings are designed mirror-symmetrically with respect to a central plane of symmetry, the tank connections extending outward from the housings and away from the plane of symmetry, and further wherein the engine connections are arranged centrally in a direction of run corresponding to the plane of symmetry. 7. A valve arrangement according to claim 6, wherein each engine connection has a duct which intersects the slide spaces of the two slide valves in order to form associated control ports. 8. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the valve housings of the slide valves are combined to form a monolithically molded one-piece housing. 9. A valve arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the molding is produced as a plastic injection molding or as a metal diecasting. 10. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each of the slides has a plurality of circumferential seals which are spaced apart axially and which cooperate with inner sealing faces of the respective valve housing. 11. A valve arrangement according to claim 10, wherein each of the slides consists of a centric axial core and of a plurality of radial dish-like valve disks and an actuation end led outward on the valve housing on the one side, each of the valve disks, on their outer circumference, carrying one of the circumferential seals in an annular groove. 12. A valve arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the circumferential seals, with regard to their outside diameters, and the sealing faces, with regard to their inside diameters are dimensional to cooperate such that each circumferential seal, which, in the event of a switching action, moves axially over the region of one of the control ports, is unpressed radially in its range of movement extending axially over and beyond the control port and is pressed radially only in a sealing region lying in each case axially between two of the control ports. 13. A valve arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the slide space of each valve housing has, starting from an open end, a plurality of cylindrical or slightly conical sealing faces which merge one into the other axially via conical transitions and the inside diameters of which are reduced successively via the conical transitions. 14. A valve arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the valve housings or the housing molding has at least two fastening elements which are arranged outside the regions of the sealing faces, in such a way that distortion-related deformations in the region of the sealing faces are avoided during assembly of the valve arrangement. 15. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the valve housings have opened ends and can be closed at their open ends by means of a cover element, the cover element further serving for guiding an actuation end of the respective slide. 16. A valve arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the cover element has a guide orifice for a guide portion of the respective slide, said orifice defining a rotary position, and securing against rotation of the slides. 17. A valve arrangement according to claim 16 further comprising a plurality of positioning extensions in a connection region between the cover element and the valve housing said plurality of positioning extensions engaging with a plurality of matching orifices such that only correct assembly is possible. 18. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each slide is fixed in each of two switching positions with a frictional form fit, via latching means. 19. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising a concertina-like sheath being arranged, for sealing off against dirt, between an actuation end of each slide and the valve housing or a cover element connected to the valve housing. 20. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, further comprising an actuation device, assigned to an actuation end of the slide, for the manual or motive actuation of the slide, wherein said motive actuation is accomplished by pneumatic actuation, hydraulic actuation, or electromagnetic actuation. 21. A valve arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the valve housings are connectable on the side of actuation ends of the slide to a cylinder housing and the slide actuation ends are connectable to an actuation piston, and further wherein each of the cylinder houses has a control pressure connection communicating to a working space for the action of pressure upon the actuation piston. 22. A valve arrangement according to claim 21, wherein each cylinder housing has, on a side of the actuation piston which lies opposite the working space, at least one ventilation port equipped with a valve-like dirt seal. 23. A valve arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the valve housings or the one-piece molding and the slides are both comprised of a fiber-reinforced plastic. 24. A valve arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a valve housing and a slide for at least one of the multiway valves which is longitudinally displaceable in a piston-like manner between at least two switching positions in a cylinder-like slide space within a valve housing in the direction of a slide axis, and which has circumferential seals which are spaced apart axially and cooperate with inner sealing faces of the slide space, in order either to connect in pairs or to shut off relative to one another control ports communicating with the slide space, wherein the circumferential seals, with regard to their outside diameters, and the sealing faces, with regard to their inside diameters, are dimensional to cooperate such that each circumferential seal, in the event of a switching action, moves axially over and beyond one of the control ports, is unpressed radially in its range of movement extending over and beyond the control port, and is pressed radially only in a sealing region lying in each case axially between two of the control ports. 25. A valve arrangement according to claim 24, wherein the slide space of the valve housing is structured as a one-piece molding and has, starting from an open end, a plurality of cylindrical or slightly conical sealing faces which merge one into the other axially via conical transitions, the inside diameters of the sealing faces being reduced successively via the conical transitions. 26. A valve arrangement according to claim 24, wherein there are two slide valves arranged directly adjacent to one another and, with respect to their slide axes, parallel to one another. 27. A valve arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the two valve housings of the slide valves are combined to form a monolithically one-piece plastic injection molding or a metal diecasting. 28. A valve arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the valve housings are designed mirror-symmetrically with respect to a central plane of symmetry, further wherein the two separate sets of forward flow tank connections and return flow tank connections extend outward from the housings and away from the plane of symmetry, and further wherein the forward flow engine connection and the return flow engine connection are arranged centrally and extend coincident with the plane of symmetry.