Water heater gas valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428972-B2
Application number	US-201715717608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2017
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A gas valve assembly configured to operate without a pilot assembly is disclosed. In an illustrative embodiment, a servo valve actuates a diaphragm valve to selectively allow for fluid coupling of a gas inlet and gas outlet. The diaphragm valve may be a normally closed valve that opens in response to a pneumatic force resulting from the opening of the servo valve.

First claim

We claim:

1. A gas valve assembly, comprising:
a gas inlet;
a gas outlet;
a gas fluid path defined between the gas inlet and the gas outlet;
a first valve seat situated in the gas fluid path between the gas inlet and the gas outlet;
a second valve seat situated in the gas fluid path between the gas inlet and the gas outlet in series with the first valve seat;
a first diaphragm valve configured to be responsive to one or more pneumatic pressures to move between a closed position where the first diaphragm valve is sealed against the first valve seat and an open position wherein the first diaphragm valve is spaced away from the first valve seat, the first diaphragm valve being biased toward the closed position by a spring;
a second diaphragm valve positioned adjacent the second valve seat wherein the second diaphragm valve is spaced away from the second valve seat, wherein the second diaphragm valve is not biased toward the second valve seat by a spring; and
a servo valve that, when activated, controls one or more pneumatic paths to move the first diaphragm valve away from the first valve seat and to allow a flow of gas between the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

2. The gas valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first valve seat is upstream of the second valve seat.

3. The gas valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first valve seat is downstream of the second valve seat.

4. The gas valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flow path has a first flow chamber and a second flow chamber.

5. The gas valve assembly of claim 4 , wherein when in the closed configuration, the first diaphragm valve fluidly isolates the first flow chamber from the second flow chamber.

6. The gas valve assembly of claim 4 , wherein the one or more pneumatic paths comprises a channel extending between the first flow chamber and the second flow chamber, and wherein the servo valve, when activated, opens the channel.

7. The gas valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are fluidly isolated from one another except when the first diaphragm valve is in the open position.

8. The gas valve assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing material disposed over an outer surface of a body of the valve assembly.

9. A gas valve assembly, comprising:
a single piece housing defining:
a gas inlet;
a gas outlet;
a first valve seat between the gas inlet and the gas outlet;
a second valve seat between the gas inlet and the gas outlet in series with the first valve seat;

a first diaphragm valve configured to be responsive to one or more pneumatic pressures to move between a closed position where the first diaphragm valve is sealed against the first valve seat and an open position wherein the first diaphragm valve is moved away from the first valve seat; and
a servo valve that, when activated, controls one or more pneumatic paths to move the first diaphragm valve away from the first valve seat and to allow a flow of gas between the gas inlet and the gas outlet,
wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are fluidly isolated from one another except when the first diaphragm valve is in the open position.

10. The gas valve assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first valve seat is upstream of the second valve seat.

11. The gas valve assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first valve seat is downstream of the second valve seat.

12. The gas valve assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first diaphragm valve is biased toward the closed position by a spring.

13. The gas valve assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a sealing material disposed over an outer surface of a body of the valve assembly.

14. A gas valve assembly, comprising:
a gas inlet;
a gas outlet;
a gas fluid path defined between the gas inlet and the gas outlet, the gas fluid path having a first flow chamber and a second flow chamber;
a first valve seat situated in the gas fluid path between the gas inlet and the gas outlet;
a first diaphragm valve configured to be responsive to one or more pneumatic pressures to move between a normally closed position where the first diaphragm valve is sealed against the first valve seat and an open position wherein the first diaphragm valve is moved away from the first valve seat; and
a servo valve that, when activated, controls the one or more pneumatic paths to move the first diaphragm valve away from the first valve seat and to allow a flow of gas between the gas inlet and the gas outlet,
wherein the gas inlet and the gas outlet are fluidly isolated from one another at all times except when the first diaphragm valve is in the open position.

15. The gas valve assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first valve seat is upstream of the second flow chamber.

16. The gas valve assembly of claim 14 , wherein first diaphragm valve is configured to fluidly isolate the first flow chamber from the second flow chamber.

17. The gas valve assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second diaphragm valve positioned adjacent to a second valve seat and downstream of the first diaphragm valve, wherein the second diaphragm valve is spaced away from the second valve seat, wherein the second diaphragm valve is not biased toward the second valve seat by a spring.

18. The gas valve assembly of claim 14 , further comprising a second diaphragm valve positioned adjacent to a second valve seat and upstream of the first diaphragm valve, wherein the second diaphragm valve is spaced away from the second valve seat, wherein the second diaphragm valve is not biased toward the second valve seat by a spring.

Assignees

• Ademco Inc

Inventors

• Hazzard Frederick
• Heil David
• Khosla Ravindra

Classifications

• F16K7/17

  the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16K31/128 Primary

  servo actuated · CPC title

• F16K31/1268

  with a plurality of the diaphragms · CPC title

• Y10T137/87917

  Flow path with serial valves and/or closures · CPC title