Valve with improved piston balancing

Abstract

A valve (10) for regulating a fluid flow between a first and a second port (16, 18) of a valve housing (12) includes a piston (30) movably arranged within a valve cylinder (20). The piston (30) is axially movable within the valve cylinder (20) at least between an opened position in which the fluid can flow between the first and second ports (16, 18) and a closed position in which a front surface (32) of the piston (30) blocks a flow of the fluid. A balance chamber (34) is arranged behind the piston (30), opposite to the front surface (32). The front surface (32) of the piston (30) includes a first opening (36a) with a first channel (38a) connected to the balance chamber (34) and a second opening (36b) with a second channel (38b) connected to the balance chamber (34). Each of the first and second openings (36a, 36b) are arranged at a distance (r1, r2) from a center (c) of the front surface (32) of the piston (30). The first opening (36a) is arranged at a first radial distance (r1) from the center (c) of the front surface (32) of the piston (30), and the second opening (36b) is arranged at a second radial distance (r2) from the center (C) of the front surface (32) of the piston (30). In order to provide improved balancing, the first distance (r1) is greater than the second distance (r1).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.