Fluid distributor valve and water purification and dispensing system using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060626-B2
Application number	US-201816485837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2018
Priority date	Feb 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A fluid distributor valve ( 1 ) for repartitioning an inlet fluid stream (Z) into two outlet fluid streams (X, Y), comprising an inlet port ( 10 ), two outlet ports ( 11, 12 ), a first and a second valve mechanism ( 13, 14 ), one arranged upstream each outlet port ( 11, 12 ), wherein each valve mechanism ( 13, 14 ) comprises a valve body ( 15, 16 ) slidable in a cylindrical valve bore ( 17 ) in reciprocating strokes through a valve shaft ( 18 ), wherein the valve body ( 15, 16 ) includes a first portion ( 15 a, 16 a ) that is formed with a progressively changing diameter so as to reduce a valve gap between the valve bore inner peripheral wall and the valve body outer peripheral wall at a plane (A, B) perpendicular to the stroke direction, in a regular operating range of the valve mechanism ( 13, 14 ), from a maximum valve gap to a minimum valve gap, to reduce or increase the flow rate through the gap towards the associated outlet port ( 11, 12 ) upon the relative movement, and wherein at least one of the valve bodies ( 15, 16 ) of the valve mechanisms ( 13, 14 ), preferably both, is/are formed such that the minimum valve gap is maintained at the end position of the stroke of the valve body ( 15, 16 ) in the regular operating range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid distributor valve for repartitioning an inlet fluid stream into two outlet fluid streams (X,Y), comprising:
an inlet port;
two outlet ports;
a first and a second valve mechanism, one arranged upstream each outlet port;
wherein each valve mechanism comprises a valve body slidable in a cylindrical valve bore in reciprocating strokes through a valve shaft, wherein the valve body includes a first portion that is formed with a progressively changing diameter so as to reduce a valve gap between the valve bore inner peripheral wall and the valve body outer peripheral wall at a plane (A,B) perpendicular to the stroke direction, in a regular operating range of the valve mechanism, from a maximum valve gap to a minimum valve gap, to reduce or increase the flow rate through the gap towards the associated outlet port upon the relative movement, and
wherein at least one said valve body of the valve mechanisms, is formed such that the minimum valve gap is maintained at the end position of the stroke of the valve body in the regular operating range.

2. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve body has a second portion adjacent to the first portion formed with the progressively changing diameter that retains the diameter of the first portion, which defines the minimum valve gap, over a defined length in the stroke direction before the end position of the stroke of the valve body in the regular operating range is reached.

3. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the second portion in the stroke direction is between 1 to 5 mm.

4. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 2 , wherein the diameter defining the minimum valve gap and the length in the stroke direction of the second portion of the valve body are dimensioned such that the flow rate through the gap at the end position of the stroke of the valve body in the regular operating range is smaller than 1% of the inlet flow rate, at an inflow pressure of 0.1 to 6 bar.

5. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein the first portions of the valve bodies of the two valve mechanisms are arranged such that their diameters change in opposite sense along the stroke direction.

6. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 5 , wherein the valve bodies are formed such that the sum of the valve gaps at the planes (A,B) perpendicular to the stroke direction of the first portions of the two valve mechanisms is substantially constant at each valve shaft position in the regular operating range.

7. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve bodies of the first and second valve mechanisms are arranged on a common valve shaft arranged to be linearly movable in the stroke direction.

8. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical valve bore is formed in a cartridge which is inserted and fixed in an external housing.

9. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 8 , wherein the cartridge and the housing are made from different materials.

10. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , further comprising a drive actuator associated to the valve shaft for sliding the valve bodies in the reciprocating strokes.

11. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 10 , wherein the drive actuator is a linear motor or a rotary motor, and in case of a rotary motor is coupled with a transmission converting the rotation to a linear stroke.

12. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 10 , wherein the valve shaft has a mechanical stop position, arranged with a spacing in the stroke direction from at least one of the end positions of the regular operating range.

13. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 12 , wherein the valve is configured such that the valve shaft can be moved to the mechanical stop position in a drive mode of the drive actuator that is distinct from the drive mode in which the valve is operated in the regular operating range.

14. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 12 , wherein the drive actuator has an encoder for determining the moving position of the drive actuator and the mechanical stop is arranged to be used for calibrating the drive actuator.

15. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein the valve shaft is arranged so as to allow it to be manually driven in the regular operating range.

16. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein an inlet into the cylindrical valve bore communicating with the inlet port of the valve is perpendicular to the stroke direction and outlets from the valve bore communicating with the outlet ports are parallel to the stroke direction.

17. A water purification and dispensing system comprising a (closed) water recirculation loop including
a water inlet for introducing water to be purified;
a pump for pumping water through said water recirculation loop in a flow direction;
a water purifier for purifying water downstream of said water inlet;
a dispensing portion of the water recirculation loop including one or more outlet(s) for purified water branched from said water recirculation loop downstream of said water purifier;
a first valve arranged between each outlet and said water recirculation loop, for controlled dispensing of the purified water from said recirculation loop through the respective outlet;
a second valve arranged in said dispensing portion of the water recirculation loop downstream of said first valve(s) and upstream of said pump;
a bypass passage branched from said water recirculation loop and bypassing said dispensing portion of the water recirculation loop including said first valve(s) and said second valve,
a third valve for controlling the flow rate through said bypass passage, and
a fourth valve for controlling the flow rate into said dispensing portion of the water recirculation loop including said first valve(s) and said second valve, wherein said third valve and said fourth valve are integrated in the form of a fluid distributor valve as defined in claim 1 .

18. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 10 , wherein the drive actuator is a step motor.

19. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 12 , wherein the mechanical stop position is outside the cylindrical valve bore.

20. The fluid distributor valve according to claim 1 , wherein each said valve body of said first and a second valve mechanisms is formed such that the minimum valve gap is maintained at the end position of the stroke of the valve body in the regular operating range.

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Moreau Laurent

Classifications

• C02F1/001

  Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00) · CPC title

• C02F1/32

  with ultraviolet light · CPC title

• C02F1/008 Primary

  Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F · CPC title

• C02F9/00

  Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage · CPC title

• C02F2001/427

  using mixed beds · CPC title