# US 2017/0284980 A1 · High-pressure control valve for high-performance liquid chromatography > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0284980 A1 - Document ID: US20170284980A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/625,691 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-12 - Assignees: Dionex Softron GmbH - Applicants: Dionex Softron GmbH - Inventors: Hermann HOCHGRAEBER; Joachim WIECHERS; Adolf SATZINGER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284980A1 ## CPC - G01N 30/20: using a sampling valve - F16K 11/0743: {with both the supply and the discharge passages being on one side of the closure plates} - F16K 11/076: with sealing faces shaped as surfaces of solids of revolution - G01N 30/22: in high pressure liquid systems - G01N 2030/201: {multiport valves, i.e. having more than two ports} - G01N 2030/202: {rotary valves} - G01N 2030/204: {Linearly moving valves, e.g. sliding valves} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - 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)} ## Abstract A high-pressure switching valve includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a plurality of ports where each port is connected at one end to a port connection and having at another end a predetermined port opening cross section at a stator end face of the stator. The rotor includes a rotor end face and at least one or a plurality of grooves. The rotor can be configured to have a rotary position with respect to the stator where two predetermined port opening cross sections connect to one of the grooves in a pressure-tight manner. The rotor and the stator can be pressed together in a sealing manner at the rotor end face and the stator end face in regions away from the port opening cross sections and the at least one or a plurality of grooves. The rotor and the stator each include a hard material. The rotor can be configured to wobble or tilt with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-11. (canceled) ### Claim 12 A high-pressure switching valve for high-performance liquid chromatography, the high-pressure switching valve comprising: (a) a stator including a plurality of ports, wherein each port is connected at one end to a port connection and each port having at another end a predetermined port opening cross section at a stator end face of the stator, (b) a rotor including a rotor end face, in which the rotor end face presses against the stator end face and in which the rotor end face includes at least one or a plurality of grooves, the rotor configured to have a rotary position with respect to the stator where two predetermined port opening cross sections connect to one of the grooves in a pressure-tight manner, (c) wherein the rotor and the stator are pressed together in a sealing manner in a region of contact at the rotor end face and the stator end face, (d) the rotor and the stator each comprise a hard material, and (e) in that the rotor is configured to wobble or tilt with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor, in which the stator end face includes a planar region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, and the rotor end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the stator end face, or the rotor end face includes a planar region in the region of contact with the stator end face, and the stator end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, or the rotor end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the stator end face and the stator end face includes a domed region in the region of contact with the rotor end face, in which a peripheral region of the region of contact has a reduced surface pressure when applying pressure between the rotor and the stator compared to another high-pressure switching valve that does not have at least one domed region of a stator end face or a rotor end face. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which each port is a duct. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the hard material is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a glass, and a ceramic. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which a portion of the rotor at a region of the rotor end face is the hard material and a portion of the stator at a region of the stator end face is the hard material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12 further comprising: at least one cushion-like element coupled to the rotor that causes the rotor to wobble or tilt with respect to the rotational axis of the rotor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element is sufficiently soft and elastic to allow a wobbling movement and is also sufficiently rigid to generate the pressure force necessary for the sealing manner at the rotor end face and the stator end face. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element is a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer material, a polyimide, a polyamideimide, and a polyether ketone. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element comprises PEEK. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the at least one cushion-like element is disposed in a recessed portion of a rotationally driven part of a drive for the rotor, the rotationally driven part being arranged on a side remote from the rotor end face. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 16, in which the cushion-like element comprises a spring element. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 20, in which the rotationally driven part is coupled to the rotor for conjoint rotation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 20, in which the rotationally driven part includes a plurality of engagement elements configured to engage in corresponding recesses in the rotor and couple the rotor to the drive. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 23, in which the engagement elements and the recesses are configured to allow wobbling movements or tilting movements of the rotor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 23, in which the engagement elements comprise pins and the recesses comprise holes ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 25, in which the recesses have a smaller diameter in a foot region of the corresponding engagement element than in a head region of the corresponding engagement element axially adjoining the foot region. ### Claim 27 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the stator comprises: a metal body that forms the port connections and a glass or ceramic insert part that forms the stator end face. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 27, in which the stator further comprises: a plastic layer at least partially disposed in between the metal body and the insert part. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 28, in which the plastic layer is a material selected from the group consisting of a polyimide, a polyamideimide, and a polyether ketone. ### Claim 30 (depends on 12) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 12, in which the hard material of the rotor end face and the stator end face each comprise an amorphous carbon coating. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The high-pressure switching valve of claim 30, in which the amorphous carbon is applied by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.