# US 2014/0150912 A1 · Valve Assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150912 A1 - Document ID: US20140150912A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/089,203 - Filed: 2013-11-25 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-01 - Assignees: Festo AG & Co. - Applicants: Festo AG & Co. KG - Inventors: Heiko Kuhbauch; Ralf Starzmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150912A1 ## CPC - F16K 11/24: with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines - F15B 13/0825: {the modular elements being mounted on a common member, e.g. on a rail} - F15B 13/0839: {Stacked plate type valves} - F15B 13/0846: {Electrical details} - F15B 13/0853: {Electric circuit boards} - F15B 13/0857: {Electrical connecting means, e.g. plugs, sockets} - F15B 13/0875: {Channels for electrical components, e.g. for cables or sensors} - F16K 27/003: {Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements} - Y10T 137/87885: Sectional block structure - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A valve assembly including a valve support and electrically actuated valves mounted thereon. A reception passage includes a control circuit board contacted to the valves extends in the valve support. In the interior of the valve support, there further extend several electric conduction rods which are responsible for power supply and which are electrically contacted to the control circuit board via takeoff contact means. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A valve assembly comprising a valve support and a plurality of electrically actuated valves arranged successively in a line-up direction on the outside of the valve support, wherein a reception passage is formed in the interior of the valve support for the reception of a control circuit board which is provided with at least one control electronics and extends in the line-up direction, and to which the installed valves are electrically contacted for receiving electric actuating signals required for their operation, and which is provided with control interfacing means for the reception of electric control signals responsible for the generation of the actuating signals, and wherein electric supply lines for the power supply of the valves independent of the supply of the control signals are accommodated in the interior of the valve support, wherein the electric supply lines are represented by electric conduction rods separate from the control circuit board and secured to the valve support independently of the control circuit board, wherein they extend next to the control circuit board in the line-up direction and are electrically contacted to the control circuit board by takeoff contact means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the electric conduction rods has a takeoff surface on the outside, which is in electrically conductive contact with one or more of the takeoff contact means. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the takeoff surface has a flat shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the electric conduction rods is arranged such that its takeoff surface is located in the reception passage and/or bounds the reception passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein the takeoff contact means bear against the associated takeoff surface under spring preload. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A valve assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the electric conduction rods has an electrically conductive core body made of metal and an insulation body which sheathes the core body, apart from the takeoff surface, at least in the contact region with the valve support. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A valve assembly according to claim 6, wherein the insulation body is represented by a sheathing element pushed onto the core body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the takeoff contact means are spring contact elements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the takeoff contact means are parts of the control circuit board. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A valve assembly according to claim 9, wherein the control circuit board comprises a circuit board body to which the takeoff contact means are secured. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the electric conduction rods is contacted by a plurality of takeoff contact means arranged at a distance from one another in the line-up direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electric conduction rods is at least partly accommodated and held in a mounting groove of the valve support, which mounting groove is open longitudinally towards the reception passage and extends in the line-up direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A valve assembly according to claim 12, wherein the electric conduction rod is non-rotatably secured in the valve support. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electric conduction rods has a non-circular external cross-sectional contour. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein the non-circular external cross-sectional contour is a polygonal contour. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A valve assembly according to claim 14, wherein the non-circular external cross-sectional contour is a hexagonal contour. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit board projects between two electric conduction rods arranged opposite one another at a lateral distance and is contacted to both electric conduction rods via independent takeoff contact means. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A valve assembly according to claim 17, wherein the control circuit board is clamped between the two electric conduction rods by a resilient force of the takeoff contact means. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit board is provided with a plurality of supporting posts by which it is supported against a wall surface of the reception passage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reception passage has in its long side a slot-like mounting opening for the control circuit board, which is bounded by the valve support. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A valve assembly according to claim 20, wherein the valve assembly is provided with a cover strip which can be or is releasably fitted to the valve support for closing the mounting opening. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit board comprises a plurality of circuit board elements, which are lined up in the line-up direction and can be or are electrically connected to one another, wherein at least one of the circuit board elements comprises the control interfacing means for the reception of control signals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A valve assembly according to claim 22, wherein each of the circuit board elements is provided with a control electronics.