Adjusting device for thermostatic expansion valves, maintenance system, measuring system and method

Abstract

An adjusting device for adjusting a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system, comprising a drive, a control element rotatable about an axis via the drive, a coupling device, and a control device. The coupling device is detachably coupled to an adjusting connection of the expansion valve so that a tool tip of the control element comes into operative connection with an adjusting element of the preload device and a torque generated by the drive or a rotation triggered by the drive can be transmitted via the control element to the adjusting element. The control device is configured to actuate the drive such that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation. A maintenance system is also provided for the maintenance and/or start-up of an HVAC system which can comprise the adjusting device. Provided also is a measuring system and a method for adjusting a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjusting device to adjust a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system, the adjusting device comprising:
 a drive;   a control element that is rotatable about an axis via the drive;   a coupler; and   a controller,   wherein the coupler is detachably coupled to an adjusting connection of the expansion valve so that a tool tip of the control element comes into operative connection with an adjusting element of the preload device and a torque generated by the drive or a rotation triggered by the drive is adapted to be transmitted via the control element to the adjusting element, and   wherein the controller is configured to actuate the drive such that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation.   
     
     
         2 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured to provide at least:
 one piece of measurement information and input information, and/or   angle information,   wherein the controller is configured to actuate the drive such that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation, which is determined in a direction and value by the angle information, and   wherein, if the interface does not provide any angle information, the adjusting device further comprises an internal determination device which is configured to determine and provide the angle information on the basis of the measurement information and input information via a defined determination rule.   
     
     
         3 . The adjusting device according to  claim 2 , wherein the interface comprises a communication device configured for wired or wireless communication with at least one external unit, in order at the least to:
 receive the measurement information from the external unit or from a sensor system or to send the measurement information to the external unit or to a determination device;   receive the input information from the external unit or from an operating device, or to send the input information to the external unit or to a determination device; and/or   receive the angle information from the external unit or from the determination device.   
     
     
         4 . The adjusting device according to  claim 2 , wherein the interface comprises an operating device configured to receive and provide at least:
 the measurement information;   the input information;   the angle information; and/or   an action command by an operator.   
     
     
         5 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises an actuator and a gear, wherein the control element comprises a bearing and a shaft that is rotatable about the axis via the bearing, wherein the drive is directly or indirectly rigidly mounted relative to the bearing, and wherein the coupler is directly or indirectly rigidly mounted relative to the bearing. 
     
     
         6 . The adjusting device according to  claim 5 , wherein a housing is configured to rigidly mount the drive, the bearing, and the coupler relative to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The adjusting device according to  claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises a tool housing part and a drive housing part, wherein the drive housing part is arranged relative to the tool housing part such that an imaginary connecting line, which runs through a center point or center of gravity of the drive housing part and a center point or center of gravity of the tool housing part, forms an angle between 45° and 90° with respect to the axis. 
     
     
         8 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is adapted to be coupled to different types of adjusting connections. 
     
     
         9 . The adjusting device according to  claim 8 , wherein the coupler comprises a chuck, or wherein the coupler comprises an arm and a locking clamp that is supported by the arm. 
     
     
         10 . The adjusting device according to  claim 8 , wherein the coupler comprises an attachment coupling that is adapted to be coupled to an exchangeable coupling attachment, wherein the coupling attachment is adapted to be replaced without tools, wherein the attachment coupling comprises a collar and a front contact surface, and wherein the exchangeable coupling attachment is designed as a union nut and has a lateral slot so that the coupling attachment is adapted to be pulled off and pushed onto the attachment coupling laterally. 
     
     
         11 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control element comprises a bit holder, and wherein the tool tip is formed by a bit that is exchangeably received in the bit holder. 
     
     
         12 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool tip is directly or indirectly displaceably mounted, and wherein the control element comprises a preload element that preloads the tool tip directly or indirectly into a distal end position. 
     
     
         13 . The adjusting device according to  claim 12 , further comprising a position measuring device that measures directly or indirectly and provides an axial position and/or an axial displacement of the tool tip. 
     
     
         14 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a torque measuring device that measures directly or indirectly and provides a torque transmitted to the control element. 
     
     
         15 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an angle measuring device that measures directly or indirectly and provides at least one absolute angular position or a relative angular position change of the control element. 
     
     
         16 . The adjusting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the input information comprises at least:
 a valve type of the expansion valve; 
 a refrigerant type; and 
 a target temperature, and/or 
   wherein the measurement information comprises at least:
 a saturated vapor temperature or a saturated vapor pressure within or at an outlet of an evaporator; and 
 an evaporator outlet temperature. 
   
     
     
         17 . A maintenance system to adjust a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system, the maintenance system comprising:
 a sensor system comprising at least one pressure sensor for measuring a pressure at an outlet of an evaporator of the HVAC system and a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature at the outlet of the evaporator;   an operating device;   the adjusting device according to  claim 1 ;   an angle measuring device to measure directly or indirectly and to provide at least one absolute angular position or a relative angular position change of the control element; and   an interface with a communication device,   wherein the maintenance system records and provides at least a pressure and temperature at an outlet of the evaporator as measurement information with the sensor system,   wherein the maintenance system is adapted to receive and provide at least one piece of input information by an operator via the operating device,   wherein, to determine angle information, either:
 the maintenance system comprises a determination device to determine angle information with the determination device based on the measurement information and the input information via a defined determination rule, and the adjusting device receives and provides the angle information from the determination device via the communication device; or 
 the adjusting device comprises an internal determination device and receives the measurement information from the sensor system via the communication device and receives and provides the input information from the operating device, and the adjusting device determines and provides the angle information via the internal determination device based on the measurement information and the input information via a defined determination rule, and 
   wherein the adjusting device actuates the drive via the controller and the angle measuring device such that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation that is determined in direction and value by the angle information.   
     
     
         18 . The maintenance system according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a display device configured to display a visualization of the angle information, the visualization comprising a display of an angle value and a direction of rotation determined by the angle information, and/or to display an animation comprising a display of an exemplary preload device and a tool engaging therein, and   wherein the animation shows a movement of the tool that is matched to the angle value and the direction of rotation, which are determined by the angle information.   
     
     
         19 . The maintenance system according to  claim 17 , wherein the sensor system comprises a digital manifold, wherein the pressure sensor is designed as an integrated pressure sensor of the digital manifold, wherein the digital manifold is connected by wire or wirelessly to the temperature sensor to record the temperature at the outlet of the evaporator, and wherein the determination device and/or the operating device and/or the display device are integrated into the digital manifold. 
     
     
         20 . A method for adjusting a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system via the adjusting device according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 (A) coupling the coupler of the adjusting device to the adjusting connection of the expansion valve so that a tool tip of the control element of the adjusting device comes into operative connection with the adjusting element of the preload device; and   (B) providing measurement information and input information and/or angle information by an interface of the adjusting device, and (B′) if no angle information is provided in step B, determining the angle information on the basis of the measurement information and the input information by an internal determination device of the adjusting device via a defined determination rule, and   (C) actuating, if the angle information contains an angle value not equal to zero, the drive of the adjusting device by the controller of the adjusting device so that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation, which is determined in direction and value by the angle information,   wherein step B is performed after, substantially simultaneously with, or before step A, and   wherein step C is carried out after steps A, B, and B′ have been completed.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the following substeps B1 or B2 is carried out in step B for providing the measurement information, input information, and/or angle information:
 (B1) receiving and providing the angle information and/or the measurement information and/or the input information from an external unit by a communication device of the interface, and/or   (B2) receiving and providing the angle information and/or the measurement information and/or the input information by an operator via an operating device of the interface.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the adjusting device further comprises:
 a torque measuring device to measure directly or indirectly and to provide a torque transmitted to the control element; and   an angle measuring device to measure directly or indirectly and to provide at least one absolute angular position or a relative angular position change of the control element,   wherein in step A, after the coupler has been coupled to the adjusting connection and the tool tip has come into operative connection with the adjusting element, the following additional substeps are carried out:   (A1) actuating the drive so that the control element rotates in a first direction of rotation until a first torque limit value is exceeded, and
 detecting and providing a first angular position, which the control element assumes at this moment, as an absolute angular position and/or as a zero position for a detection, following in step A2, of a relative angular position change, and then 
   (A2) actuating the drive so that the control element rotates opposite to a first direction of rotation until a first torque limit value is exceeded, and
 detecting and providing a second angular position, which the control element assumes at this moment, as an absolute angular position, and/or 
 detecting and providing a relative change in angular position between the zero position and the second angular position as an angular position change, 
   wherein the method is aborted if, in one of the steps A1 or A2, a rotation by an angle value of 360° is performed without the first torque limit value being reached, and   wherein, if the first torque limit value is reached in both steps A1 and A2, the following steps are carried out in each case before the rotation determined by the angle information is carried out in step C:   (A3) actuating the drive, if the angle information determines a rotation in the first direction of rotation, so that the control element assumes the first angular position, and   (A4) actuating the drive, if the angle information determines a rotation opposite to the first direction, so that the control element assumes the second angular position W 2 .   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the tool tip is directly or indirectly displaceably mounted, wherein the control element has a preload element that preloads the tool tip directly or indirectly into a distal end position, and the adjusting device further comprises:
 a torque measuring device to measure a torque transmitted to the control element directly or indirectly and to provide it to the controller; and   a position measuring device to measure directly or indirectly an axial position and/or a displacement of the tool tip and to provide it to the controller, and   wherein, in each case in step A, after the coupler is coupled to the adjusting connection and the tool tip has come into operative connection with the adjusting element, and before steps A1 and A2 are carried out, the following additional substeps are carried out:
 (A01) actuating the drive so that the control element rotates in a first direction of rotation until the first torque limit value is exceeded or the position measuring device detects a displacement of the tool tip or a rotation through a defined angle value is performed; and 
 (A02) actuating the drive, if no displacement of the tool tip is detected in step A01 and the first torque limit value is not exceeded, so that the control element rotates opposite to the first direction of rotation until the first torque limit value is exceeded or the position measuring device detects a displacement of the tool tip or a rotation through the defined angle value is performed. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the following steps are carried out after step C has been completed:
 (D) waiting for a period of time, and   (E) repeating the method steps starting from step B after completion of step D,   wherein the following substeps are carried out in step D:
 (D1) providing initial measurement information, and 
 (D2) waiting for a first period of time, and 
 (D3) providing second measurement information, and 
 (D4) continuing with step E if the second measurement information substantially agrees with the first measurement information, otherwise repeating the steps starting from step D2. 
   
     
     
         25 . A method for adjusting a preload device of an expansion valve in an HVAC system via the maintenance system according to  claim 17 , the method comprising:
 (A) coupling the coupler of the adjusting device of the maintenance system to the adjusting connection of the expansion valve so that the tool tip of the control element of the adjusting device comes into operative connection with the adjusting element of the preload device;   (B) receiving and providing input information by the operator via the operating device of the maintenance system, wherein the input information comprises at least one valve type of the expansion valve, a refrigerant type, and/or a target temperature, and wherein step B occurs after, simultaneously with, or before step A;   (C) connecting at least one pressure sensor of the sensor system of the maintenance system and the temperature sensor of the sensor system to an outlet of an evaporator of the HVAC system, wherein step C occurs after, substantially simultaneously with, or before step A and step B; and   D) measuring at least one saturation vapor pressure with the pressure sensor and an evaporator outlet temperature with the temperature sensor and providing at least these measured values as measurement information via the sensor system, wherein step D occurs after step C,   wherein the adjusting device has an internal determination device, and   wherein the following steps E1 to E3 are carried out successively after steps A to D:
 (E1) receiving and providing the measurement information and the input information via the communication device of the interface of the adjusting device; 
 (E2) determining angle information based on the measurement information and input information by the internal determination device via the defined determination rule; and 
 (E3) providing the angle information, or 
   wherein the maintenance system has a determination device and the following steps E4 to E6 are carried out successively after steps A to D:
 (E4) determining angle information based on the measurement information and input information by the determination device via the defined determination rule; 
 E5) providing the angle information; and 
 E6) receiving and providing the angle information via the communication device of the interface of the adjusting device, and 
 performing the following step after completion of steps A to D and steps E1 to E3 or E4 to E6: 
   (F) actuating the drive, if the angle information contains an angle value not equal to zero, via the controller of the adjusting device so that the control element rotates through a defined angle of rotation, which is determined in direction and value by the angle information.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the following steps are carried out after step F has been completed:
 (G) waiting for a period of time; and   (H) repeating the method steps starting from step D, wherein the following substeps are carried out in step G:
 (G1) providing initial measurement information by the sensor system; 
 (G2) waiting for a first period of time; 
 (G3) providing second measurement information by the sensor system; and 
 (G4) continuing with step H, if the second measurement information substantially agrees with the first measurement information, otherwise repeating the steps starting from step G2.