Boiler fill valve with fast-fill and non-oscilatting dial features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247327-B2
Application number	US-201715401997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2017
Priority date	Jan 8, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A pressure regulator assembly including a regulator valve, a spring guide, a spring extending between the spring guide and regulator valve for setting operation of the regulator valve, a sleeve coupled to the spring guide, a spring cage coupled to the sleeve, an adjustment stem coupled to the sleeve, a dial assembly coupled to the spring cage, and an adjustment cap coupled to the adjustment stem, wherein when the cap is depressed, interaction between the spring cage, spring guide and sleeve causes the spring guide to selectively rotate between a normal mode and a fast-fill mode. In the normal mode, adjustment of the cap determines an output pressure. In the fast-fill mode, the spring is further compressed by movement of the spring guide to a predetermined setting to provide a predetermined output pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressure regulator assembly comprising:
a regulator valve;
a spring guide;
a spring extending between the spring guide and regulator valve for setting operation of the regulator valve;
a sleeve coupled to the spring guide;
a spring cage coupled to the sleeve;
an adjustment stem coupled to the sleeve;
a dial assembly coupled to the spring cage; and
an adjustment cap coupled to the adjustment stem,
wherein:
when the adjustment cap is depressed, interaction between the spring cage, spring guide and sleeve causes the spring guide to selectively rotate between a normal mode and a fast-fill mode;
in the normal mode, adjustment of the cap determines an output pressure; and
in the fast-fill mode, the spring is further compressed by movement of the spring guide to a predetermined setting to provide a predetermined output pressure.

2. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment cap has a set of inner teeth and the spring guide has outer teeth positioned so that when the adjustment cap is depressed, the set of inner teeth and the outer teeth interact to limit rotation of the adjustment cap.

3. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring cage defines at least one viewing window and the spring guide has at least one outer surface that selectively aligns with the at least one viewing window so that when aligned, visibility of the at least one outer surface through the at least one viewing window indicates the fast-fill mode of operation, and when the at least one outer surface does not align for viewing through the at least one window, the pressure regulator is in the normal mode.

4. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve couples to a lower end of the adjustment stem so that as the adjustment cap is rotated in normal mode, the adjustment stem moves the sleeve and, in turn, the spring guide moves to vary compression of the spring.

5. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 4 , wherein the spring cage slidably houses the spring guide and the sleeve in axial slots.

6. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring guide has shoulders with angled top banking surfaces and the spring cage forms inner lands that selectively interact with the shoulders of the spring guide.

7. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 6 , wherein a bottom of the inner lands forms two cam surfaces and a vertical banking surface that interact with the angled top banking surfaces of the shoulders.

8. A dial assembly for a valve having an adjustment stem along an axis, the dial assembly comprising:
a cap having a body with an open end, a closed end, inner teeth, and a socket depending from the closed end for coupling to the adjustment stem so that when the cap is turned, the adjustment stem turns to adjust an output of the valve, wherein the closed end defines a viewing window;
a dial rotor having a pin, a gear portion and defining a central opening through which the adjustment stem passes, wherein the dial rotor is rotatably mounted off-axis within the cap so that the gear portion engages the inner teeth so that when the cap is turned, the dial rotor spins albeit at a slower rate than the cap due to gear reduction between the inner teeth and gear portion; and
a setpoint dial adjacent the closed end and defining an opening coupled to the pin of the dial rotor, the setpoint dial having numbers selectively aligned with the viewing window to indicate the output of the valve, wherein the setpoint dial is sized and configured so that at least one of the socket and the body substantially center the setpoint dial at all times and the pin moves radially within the slot during rotation of the cap and, in turn, the dial rotor and setpoint dial.

9. A dial assembly as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a stem washer mounted on the adjustment stem to set a position of the dial rotor on the adjustment stem.

10. A pressure regulator assembly comprising:
a regulator valve;
a spring guide;
a spring extending between the spring guide and regulator valve for setting operation of the regulator valve;
a sleeve coupled to the spring guide;
a spring cage coupled to the sleeve;
an adjustment stem coupled to the sleeve;
an adjustment cap coupled to the adjustment stem; and
a dial assembly,
wherein:
when the adjustment cap is depressed, interaction between the spring cage, spring guide and sleeve causes the spring guide to selectively rotate between a normal mode and a fast-fill mode;
in the normal mode, adjustment of the cap determines an output pressure; and
in the fast-fill mode, the spring is further compressed by movement of the spring guide to a predetermined setting to provide a predetermined output pressure;
the adjustment cap having a body with an open end, a closed end, inner teeth, and a socket depending from the closed end for coupling to the adjustment stem so that when the adjustment cap is turned, the adjustment stem turns to adjust an output of the valve, wherein the closed end defines a viewing window;
the dial assembly including a dial rotor having a pin, a gear portion and defining a central opening through which the adjustment stem passes, wherein the dial rotor is rotatably mounted off-axis within the adjustment cap so that the gear portion engages the inner teeth so that when the adjustment cap is turned, the dial rotor spins albeit at a slower rate than the adjustment cap due to gear reduction between the inner teeth and gear portion;
a setpoint dial adjacent the closed end and defining an opening coupled to the pin of the dial rotor, the setpoint dial having numbers selectively aligned with the viewing window to indicate the output of the valve, wherein the setpoint dial is sized and configured so that at least one of the socket and the body substantially center the setpoint dial at all times and the pin moves radially within the slot during rotation of the adjustment cap and, in turn, the dial rotor and setpoint dial; and
a stem washer mounted on the adjustment stem to set a position of the dial rotor thereon.

11. The pressure regulator assembly of claim 10 , further comprising an anti-tamper cover that snap fits onto the adjustment cap.

Assignees

• Watts Regulator Co

Inventors

• Doughty Jason
• Fratantonio Matthew
• Lake Paul J

Classifications

• G05D16/00

  Control of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16K37/0008 Primary

  Mechanical means (F16K37/0075 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F22D5/00 Primary

  Controlling water feed or water level; Automatic water feeding or water-level regulators · CPC title

• F22D5/18 Primary

  for varying the speed or delivery pressure of feed pumps · CPC title

• G05G1/015

  Arrangements for indicating the position of a controlling member (means for continuously detecting pedal position G05G1/38; means for detecting position through tactile feedback G05G5/03) · CPC title