Inversion inhibitor for fluid control valve and methods of fluid control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11181202-B2
Application number	US-201716468488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A fluid control valve includes a cover portion and a body portion. Inner surfaces of the cover and the body portion define a chamber that includes an inlet and an outlet in communication with the chamber. The cover portion includes a central section and an inversion inhibitor circumscribing the central section. The inversion inhibitor projects into the chamber toward a central axis of the chamber. The fluid control valve also includes a diaphragm disposed between the cover portion and the body portion. The diaphragm has a flexible member that is disposed within the chamber for controlling communication between the inlet and the outlet. The inversion inhibitor prevents the flexible member from reaching its natural-inverted position and creates a force within the flexible member that urges the flexible member to a seated position. In the partially inverted position, the upper surface of the flexible member conforms to at least a portion of the inner surface of the cover portion to define a passageway that permits communication between the inlet and the outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid control valve comprising:
a cover portion with a first inner surface, the cover portion including a central section and an inversion inhibitor circumscribing the central section;
a body portion with a second inner surface, the first and second inner surfaces defining a chamber when the cover portion and the body portion are joined, the inversion inhibitor projecting into the chamber toward a central axis of the chamber, the body portion includes an elongated seat member aligned along a plane perpendicular to a flow axis of the fluid control valve, the chamber including an inlet and an outlet in communication with the chamber; and
a diaphragm disposed between the cover portion and the body portion, the diaphragm including a flexible member disposed in the chamber and having a first position in which the flexible member is inverted to define a passageway to permit communication between an inlet and an outlet and a second position to prevent fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, an upper surface of the flexible member conforms to at least a portion of the inner surface of the cover portion when the diaphragm is inverted, a lower surface of the flexible member and the elongated seat member have corresponding radius of curvatures such that the flexible member conforms to and seals against the elongated seat member when the flexible member is in the second position;
wherein, at the first position, the inversion inhibitor prevents the flexible member from fully inverting and creates a force within the flexible member that urges the flexible member from the first position to the second position.

2. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein the inversion inhibitor is a deviation from a surface curvature of the central section that is greatest at an edge of the cover portion adjacent to the diaphragm, and
wherein the deviation decreases to zero in a direction towards the central section.

3. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein a length of the inversion inhibitor is in a range of 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) to 4.50 inches (114.3 mm), and a maximum thickness of the inversion inhibitor is in a range of 0.10 inch (2.54 mm) to 0.70 inch (17.78 mm).

4. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein the inversion inhibitor has a cross-sectional profile that is at least one of a semi-tear drop shaped profile and rounded.

5. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm further biases the flexible member from the first position to the second position.

6. The fluid control valve of claim 1 ,
wherein the upper surface of the flexible member has a smooth wall portion.

7. The fluid control valve of claim 6 , wherein the elongated seat member is part of a bridge element that bisects the body portion along the plane to define a first side and a second side, and
wherein the body portion further includes one or more first support members disposed on the first side and one or more second support members disposed on the second, the first and second support members being disposed about and engaged with the bridge element.

8. The fluid control valve of claim 7 , wherein the first and second support members are disposed in the respective first and second sides in a direction parallel to the flow axis, and the first and second support members are integrally formed with the bridge element.

9. The fluid control valve of claim 8 , wherein each surface of the first and second support members and the bridge element define an arc that mirrors a convex surface of the lower surface of the flexible member such that a load from the lower surface of the flexible member is spread evenly on an area formed by the surfaces of the first and second support members and the bridge element.

10. The fluid control valve of claim 7 , wherein the bridge element includes a groove, a portion of the body portion further defining a port in communication with the groove, and
wherein the lower surface of the flexible member includes a pair of elongated members to aid in sealing the flexible member against the elongated seat member, the pair of elongated members being spaced apart to define a channel therebetween, the channel in communication with the groove to define an intermediate chamber in communication with the port when the flexible member is in the second position.

11. The fluid control valve of claim 7 , wherein the body portion includes an input opening and a fluid drain opening disposed about the bridge element, the input opening being in communication with the outlet and the fluid drain opening being in communication with the inlet.

12. The fluid control valve of claim 6 , wherein the lower surface of the flexible member includes at least one elongated member to aid in sealing the flexible member against the elongated seat member of the body portion.

13. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the central section of the cover portion has a concave profile.

14. The fluid control valve of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm includes a reinforced fabric embedded in a rubber matrix, and
wherein the force is a first force, and a second, tension force that urges the flexible member to the second position is concentrated in the reinforced fabric when the flexible member is in the first position.

15. A method of operating a fluid control valve having a cover portion with an inner surface and including a central section and an inversion inhibitor circumscribing the central section, a body portion having an elongated seat member substantially aligned along a plane perpendicular to a flow axis of the fluid control valve, and a diaphragm having a flexible member that has an upper surface and a lower surface, an upper surface of the flexible member conforms to at least a portion of the inner surface of the cover portion when the diaphragm is inverted, a lower surface of the flexible member and the elongated seat member have corresponding radius of curvatures, the method comprising:
inhibiting the flexible member to a partially inverted position using the inversion inhibitor when fluid pressure is removed from the upper surface of the flexible member, the partially inverted position permitting the flexible member to conform at least a portion of the upper surface of the flexible member to the inner surface of the cover portion to permit fluid communication between an inlet and an outlet of the fluid control valve;
tensioning the diaphragm in the partially inverted position to further bias the flexible member such that the flexible member moves to a non-inverted position when pressures on the upper surface and the lower surface of the flexible member are substantially equalized.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein, when the pressures on the upper surface and the lower surface of the flexible member are substantially equalized, the flexible member seals against the elongated seat member so as to prevent fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the inversion inhibitor has a cross-sectional profile that is substantially a semi-tear drop shaped profile.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the inversion inhibitor has a rounded cross-sectional profile.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tensioning includes creating a tension force in a reinforced fabric layer of the flexible member when the flexible member is in the partially inverted position.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the upper surface of the flexible member has a substantially smooth w

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Williams James O

Classifications

• F16K27/02

  of lift valves (for reducing the flow resistance of screw-spindle lift-valves F16K1/06) · CPC title

• F16K7/17

  the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16K7/12 Primary

  with flat, dished, or bowl-shaped diaphragm · CPC title

• A62C35/68

  Details, e.g. of pipes or valve systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title

• F16K31/145

  the fluid acting on a diaphragm · CPC title