Pressure-balanced pull-type manual actuation mechanism for a valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10385990-B2
Application number	US-201715797177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

An example manual actuation mechanism includes (i) a piston having: (a) a first flanged portion with a first annular surface area, (b) a second flanged portion with a second annular surface area, (c) a longitudinal cavity bounded by an interior peripheral surface of the piston, and (d) a shoulder on the interior peripheral surface of the piston; and (ii) a pin disposed in the longitudinal cavity of the piston, where the pin has an area with an enlarged diameter configured to interface with and rest against the shoulder of the piston, such that a force applied on the pin in a given axial direction is transferred to the piston, and where a difference between the second annular surface area of the second flanged portion and the first annular surface of the first flanged portion is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pull-type manual actuation mechanism for a valve, the pull-type manual actuation mechanism comprising:
a piston having: (i) a first flanged portion with a first annular surface area, (ii) a second flanged portion with a second annular surface area, wherein the first flanged portion and the second flanged portion project from an exterior peripheral surface of the piston, (iii) a longitudinal cavity bounded by an interior peripheral surface of the piston, and (iv) a shoulder on the interior peripheral surface of the piston; and
a pin disposed in the longitudinal cavity of the piston, wherein the pin has an area with an enlarged diameter configured to interface with and rest against the shoulder of the piston, such that a force applied on the pin in a given axial direction is transferred to the piston, and wherein a difference between the second annular surface area of the second flanged portion and the first annular surface of the first flanged portion is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the pin.

2. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal cavity is a first longitudinal cavity, and wherein the pull-type manual actuation mechanism further comprises:
a knob having a second longitudinal cavity therein, wherein the piston is disposed in the second longitudinal cavity of the knob, and wherein the knob is coupled to the piston such that as the knob is pulled in the given axial direction, the piston moves in the given axial direction along with the knob.

3. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the knob defines a groove on an interior peripheral surface of the knob, wherein the piston defines a groove on the exterior peripheral surface of the piston, and wherein the pull-type manual actuation mechanism further comprises:
a roll pin disposed partially in the groove of the knob and partially in the groove of the piston to couple the piston to the knob.

4. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sleeve disposed in the second longitudinal cavity coaxial with the knob, wherein the sleeve has a third longitudinal cavity therein, wherein the piston is disposed, and is axially movable, within the third longitudinal cavity of the sleeve.

5. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the given axial direction is a first axial direction, and wherein the pull-type manual actuation mechanism further comprises:
a spring disposed about the exterior peripheral surface of the piston such that the spring applies a spring force on the piston in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.

6. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the spring is disposed between the first flanged portion and a respective shoulder defined on an interior peripheral surface of the sleeve.

7. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 4 , further comprising a detent mechanism, wherein the detent mechanism comprises:
a plurality of balls disposed in a radial array about the sleeve;
a spacer that is ring-shaped and interfacing with the plurality of balls; and
a spring disposed about an exterior peripheral surface of the sleeve between: (i) a respective shoulder projecting from the exterior peripheral surface of the sleeve, and (ii) the spacer, wherein the piston includes a groove defined on the exterior peripheral surface of the piston, such that as the piston moves in the given axial direction, the spring pushes the spacer in the given axial direction, and the spacer pushes the plurality of balls causing the plurality of balls to move partially in the groove so as to lock the piston in place relative to the sleeve.

8. A pull-type manual actuation mechanism for a valve, the pull-type manual actuation mechanism comprising:
a knob having a first longitudinal cavity therein;
a sleeve disposed in the first longitudinal cavity coaxial with the knob, wherein the sleeve has a second longitudinal cavity therein;
a piston disposed in the second longitudinal cavity coaxial with the sleeve, wherein the knob is coupled to the piston such that as the knob is pulled in a given axial direction, the piston moves in the given axial direction along with the knob, wherein the piston has: (i) a first flanged portion having a first annular surface area, (ii) a second flanged portion having a second annular surface area, wherein the first flanged portion and the second flanged portion project from an exterior peripheral surface of the piston, (iii) a third longitudinal cavity bounded by an interior peripheral surface of the piston, and (iv) a shoulder on the interior peripheral surface of the piston; and
a pin disposed and axially movable in the third longitudinal cavity of the piston, wherein an end of the pin is configured to be subjected to pressurized fluid from an inlet of the valve, wherein the pin has an area with an enlarged diameter configured to interface with and rest against the shoulder of the piston, such that a force applied on the end of the pin via the pressurized fluid in the given axial direction is transferred to the piston, and wherein a difference between the second annular surface area of the second flanged portion and the first annular surface of the first flanged portion is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area of the pin.

9. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the knob defines a groove on an interior peripheral surface of the knob, wherein the piston defines a groove on the exterior peripheral surface of the piston, and wherein the pull-type manual actuation mechanism further comprises:
a roll pin disposed partially in the groove of the knob and partially in the groove of the piston to couple the piston to the knob.

10. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the given axial direction is a first axial direction, and wherein the pull-type manual actuation mechanism further comprises:
a spring disposed about the exterior peripheral surface of the piston such that the spring applies a spring force on the piston in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction.

11. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the spring is disposed between (i) a third flanged portion projecting from the exterior peripheral surface of the piston, and (ii) an end of the sleeve.

12. The pull-type manual actuation mechanism of claim 8 , further comprising a detent mechanism, wherein the detent mechanism comprises:
a plurality of balls disposed in a radial array about the sleeve;
a spacer that is ring-shaped and interfacing with the plurality of balls;
a spring disposed about an exterior peripheral surface of the sleeve between: (i) a respective shoulder projecting from the exterior peripheral surface of the sleeve, and (ii) the spacer, wherein the piston includes a groove defined on the exterior peripheral surface of the piston, such that as the piston moves in the given axial direction, the spring pushes the spacer in the given axial direction, and the spacer pushes the plurality of balls causing the plurality of balls to move partially in the groove so as to lock the piston in place relative to the sleeve.

13. A valve comprising:
a main valve section comprising: (i) a housing, (ii) a sleeve disposed in the housing, wherein the sleeve defines a first port and a second port, and (iii) a movable element configured to move axially within the sleeve; and
a pull-type manual actuation mechanism comprising:
a knob having a first longitudinal cavity therein;
a piston disposed partially within the first longitudinal cavity, wherein

Assignees

• Sun Hydraulics Llc

Inventors

• Zähe Bernd

Classifications

• F16K31/0693 Primary

  Pressure equilibration of the armature · CPC title

• F16K31/143

  the fluid acting on a piston · CPC title

• F16K1/12

  with streamlined valve member around which the fluid flows when the valve is opened · CPC title

• F16K31/60

  Handles {(form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04)} · CPC title

• F16K31/3835

  the discharge being effected through the piston and being blockable by a mechanically-actuated member making contact with the piston · CPC title