Valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060624-B2
Application number	US-201916560076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A valve includes a valve body having an inlet for fluid communication with a space or source containing pressurised gas, and at least one outlet. A membrane is arranged between the inlet and the at least one outlet. A membrane puncturing element is arranged for movement between a retracted, inoperative position and an extended position in which it punctures the membrane. An actuating piston is operatively coupled to the membrane puncturing element for moving the membrane puncturing element between its retracted and its extended positions, the actuating piston being received in a piston bore of the valve body. The valve body also includes a cartridge receiving chamber for receiving a sealed actuating gas cartridge. A cartridge puncturing device is provided for puncturing the actuating gas cartridge. An actuating gas flow passage communicates actuating gas released from the actuating gas cartridge to the actuating piston bore upon puncturing the actuating gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve comprising:
a valve body comprising an inlet for fluid communication with a space or source containing pressurised gas, and at least one outlet;
a membrane arranged between the inlet and the at least one outlet;
a membrane puncturing element arranged for movement between a retracted, inoperative position and an extended position in which it punctures the membrane;
an actuating piston operatively coupled to the membrane puncturing element for moving the membrane puncturing element between its retracted and its extended positions, the actuating piston being received in a piston bore of the valve body;
a cartridge receiving chamber for receiving a sealed actuating gas cartridge;
a cartridge puncturing device for puncturing the actuating gas cartridge; and
an actuating gas flow passage for communicating actuating gas released from the actuating gas cartridge to the actuating piston bore upon puncturing the actuating gas cartridge for moving the actuating piston and thus the membrane puncturing element from its retracted to its extended position;
wherein the actuating gas flow passage comprises an annular plenum extending around the actuating piston bore, and a plurality of feed passages extending from the annular plenum to the actuating piston bore and circumferentially spaced around an axis (B) of the actuating piston bore.

2. The valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of feed passages are circumferentially equi-spaced around the axis (B) of the actuating piston bore.

3. The valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating piston is biased into contact with an end of the actuating piston bore by a biasing spring.

4. The valve as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the end of the actuating piston bore is formed by a plug mounted within an opening of the valve body.

5. The valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the actuating gas flow passage enters the actuating piston bore adjacent one end thereof.

6. A The valve as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the end of the actuating piston bore is formed by a plug mounted within an opening of the valve body.

7. The valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the face of the actuating piston facing the end of the actuating piston bore is crowned so as to form an annular chamber between the actuating piston and the end of the actuating piston bore, the actuating gas flow passage being connected to the annular chamber.

8. The valve as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the end of the actuating piston bore is formed by a plug mounted within an opening of the valve body.

9. The valve as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the actuating piston is biased into contact with an end of the actuating piston bore by a biasing spring; and
the face of the actuating piston facing the end of the actuating piston bore is crowned so as to form an annular chamber between the actuating piston and the end of the actuating piston bore, the actuating gas flow passage being connected to the annular chamber.

10. The valve as claims in claim 1 , wherein the cartridge receiving chamber is arranged transversely to the axis (B) of the actuating piston.

11. The valve as claims in claim 1 , wherein the valve body is additively manufactured.

12. The valve as claims in claim 1 , wherein the actuating gas cartridge puncturing device comprises a spring loaded needle.

13. The valve as claims in claim 1 , further comprising an actuating gas cartridge arranged in the cartridge receiving chamber.

14. The valve as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the actuating gas is carbon dioxide.

15. An inflation device comprising:
a valve as claimed in claim 1 ; and
a source of inflating gas, for example a cylinder of inflating gas, coupled to the inlet of the valve.

16. A method of inflating an inflatable device using the inflation device of claim 15 , the method comprising:
arranging the outlet of the valve in fluid communication with the inflatable device;
puncturing the membrane,
wherein puncturing includes moving the membrane puncturing element from the retracted, inoperative position, to the extended, rupturing position,
wherein the movement of the membrane puncturing element to the extended position is caused by releasing actuating gas from the actuating gas cartridge into the actuation piston bore which receives the actuating piston to which the membrane puncturing element is operatively coupled.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Czechowski Kamil

Classifications

• F17C13/06

  Closures, e.g. cap, breakable member ({for autoclaves B01J3/03}; closures for {large} containers in general B65D {B65D90/54}; {for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00}) · CPC title

• F16K31/56

  without stable intermediate position, e.g. with snap action · CPC title

• B63C9/24

  Arrangements of inflating valves or of controls thereof (connecting inflating valves to elastic bodies B60C29/00) · CPC title

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F17C2270/0772

  Inflation devices, e.g. for rescue vests or tyres · CPC title