Runaway valve system for a pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480494-B2
Application number	US-201615196007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A system includes a pump. The pump includes a piston configured to axially reciprocate within a body. The axial movement of the piston activates a first chamber valve and a second chamber valve. The system also includes a main valve configured to direct a flow to the pump to facilitate the axial movement which then transfers a fluid from a reservoir to a spray applicator. The system includes a runaway valve system fluidly coupled to the main valve and configured to detect a runaway state of the pump. The runaway valve system is configured to direct the main valve to stop operation of the pump in response to detection of the runaway state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pumping system, comprising:
a pump comprising a fluid section coupled to a motor section having a piston, wherein the piston is configured to axially reciprocate within a body, wherein an axial movement of the piston activates a first chamber valve at a first position and a second chamber valve at a second position, and the first and second position are axially offset from one another along a path of the axial movement of the piston;
a main valve configured to direct a flow to the motor section of the pump to facilitate the axial movement of the piston such that the fluid section transfers a fluid from a reservoir to a spray applicator; and
a runaway valve system fluidly coupled to the main valve and configured to detect a runaway state of the pump, wherein the runaway valve system comprises a signal valve configured to receive a first chamber signal from the first chamber valve and to receive a second chamber signal from the second chamber valve, and wherein the runaway valve system is configured to direct the main valve to control the flow to the motor section to hold a position of the piston to stop operation of the pump in response to detection of the runaway state.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a control valve fluidly coupled to the signal valve, wherein the control valve is configured to receive a runaway signal from the signal valve indicative of the runaway state.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control valve transmits a stop signal directing the main valve to stop operation of the pump after receiving the runaway signal from the signal valve.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the signal valve comprises:
a first opening;
a second opening; and
a slide positioned between the first and second openings, wherein the slide comprises a first end configured to substantially block the first opening and a second end, configured to substantially block the second opening, wherein the second end is opposite from the first end.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the signal valve is configured to direct the runaway signal to the control valve while the second chamber signal is acting on the first end of the slide and while the first chamber signal is acting on the second end of the slide.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the signal valve is configured to block flow to a signal valve outlet while only the second chamber signal is acting on the first end or only the first chamber signal is acting on the second end.

7. A runaway valve system, comprising:
a housing;
a signal valve positioned within the housing, wherein the signal valve is configured to receive a first signal from a pump comprising a piston, wherein the first signal is indicative of a first piston position of the piston of the pump, and wherein the signal valve is configured to receive a second signal from the pump indicative of a second piston position of the piston of the pump; and
a control valve configured to receive a third signal from the signal valve indicative of a runaway state, and to output a fourth signal to a main air valve while the control valve is in a runaway state.

8. The runaway valve system of claim 7 , wherein the control valve is an X/Y valve, wherein X is a number of ports, Y is a number of operating positions, and X is greater than or equal to 3, and Y is greater than or equal to 2.

9. The runaway valve system of claim 7 , wherein the control valve comprises a spool configured to move between a normal operating state in which the control valve does not receive the third signal from the signal valve and the runaway state in which the control valve receives the third signal from the signal valve.

10. The runaway valve system of claim 9 , wherein the control valve comprises:
at least one detent configured to hold the spool in the normal operating state until the control valve receives the third signal from the signal valve.

11. The runaway valve system of claim 7 , wherein the fourth signal is a volume of air directed toward the main air valve configured to block operation of the main air valve.

12. The runaway valve system of claim 7 , wherein the control valve comprises a reset switch configured to move the control valve from the runaway state to a normal operating state.

13. The runaway valve system of claim 12 , wherein the reset switch comprises an indicator that is substantially flush with the housing while the control valve is in the normal operating state, and the indicator extends away from the housing while the control valve is in the runaway state.

14. A pumping system, comprising:
a pneumatic pump configured to pump a fluid from a reservoir to a spray applicator;
an air supply configured to output a first volume of air;
a main valve configured to receive the first volume of air from the air supply and to distribute the first volume of air to the pneumatic pump to enable axial reciprocation within a body to control operation of the pneumatic pump; and
a runaway valve system configured to receive a first signal from the pneumatic pump indicative of a first axial position of the pneumatic pump and a second signal from the pneumatic pump indicative of a second axial position of the pneumatic pump, wherein the runaway valve system comprises a signal valve configured to receive the first signal from a first chamber valve and to receive the second signal from a second chamber valve, and wherein the runaway valve system determines if the pneumatic pump is operating in a runaway state, and stops operation of the pneumatic pump if the pneumatic pump is operating in the runaway state.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pneumatic pump comprises a pump housing, the main valve comprises a main valve housing, and the runaway valve system comprises a runaway valve system housing, and the pump housing, the main valve housing, and runaway valve system housing are configured to couple together, and the runaway valve system housing is positioned between the pump housing and the main valve housing.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the runaway valve system comprises:
a timer chamber configured to receive the second signal,
the signal valve positioned downstream of the timer chamber and configured to produce a third signal if the first and second signals indicate the pneumatic pump is operating in the runaway state; and
a control valve configured to receive the third signal from the signal valve and to output a fourth signal to the main air valve to stop operation of the pneumatic pump.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the air supply is configured to output a second volume of air and is configured to direct the second volume of air to the control valve, wherein the second volume of air is the fourth signal.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein a continuous volume of air is distributed to the pneumatic pump to block further movement of the pneumatic pump.

Assignees

• Carlisle Fluid Tech Inc

Inventors

• Strong Christopher Lee

Classifications

• F04B9/125 Primary

  reciprocating movement of the pumping member being obtained by a double-acting elastic-fluid motor · CPC title

• F04B2203/10

  of linear elastic fluid motors · CPC title

• F15B2211/8755

  Emergency shut-down · CPC title

• F04B49/103

  Responsive to speed · CPC title

• F04B2201/0201

  Position of the piston · CPC title