Fluid management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808374-B2
Application number	US-202117561281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2021
Priority date	Dec 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A fluid management system includes a housing having a central manifold in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, a plurality of first ports in communication with the central manifold, a plurality of second ports in communication with the environment surrounding the housing, and a plurality of third ports each configured to be coupled to a vessel for containing the pressurized fluid. The fluid management system also includes a plurality of valves and a plurality of actuators, each actuator including a smart material and associated with one of the plurality of valves. In response to activation by an energy source, each actuator is configured to move the associated valve to one of a first position or a second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid management system comprising:
a housing including
a central manifold in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid,
a plurality of first ports in communication with the central manifold,
a plurality of second ports in communication with the environment surrounding the housing, and
a plurality of third ports each configured to be coupled to a vessel for containing the pressurized fluid;

a plurality of first valves each positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of first ports in a first position and to permit fluid flow through the associated first port in a second position;
a plurality of second valves each positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of second ports in a first position and to permit fluid flow through the associated second port in a second position;
a plurality of first actuators each including a smart material and each associated with one of the plurality of first valves;
a plurality of second actuators each including a smart material and each associated with one of the plurality of second valves;
an energy source operatively associated with each of the first actuators and each of the second actuators, wherein the energy source is configured to selectively operate each of the first actuators and each of the second actuators,
wherein in response to activation by the energy source, each first actuator is configured to move the associated first valve to one of the first position or the second position, and
wherein in response to activation by the energy source, each second actuator is configured to move the associated second valve to one of the first position or the second position.

2. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein in response to activation by the energy source, each first actuator moves the associated first valve from the first position to the second position to open the associated first port, and wherein in response to activation by the energy source, each second actuator moves the associated second valve from the first position to the second position to open the associated second port.

3. The fluid management system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of biasing elements each coupled to an associated one of the plurality of first valves, each biasing element configured to bias the associated first valve toward one of the first position or the second position.

4. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein each first valve is associated with one of the plurality of second valves, and wherein each of the associated first and second valves is movable independently of one another.

5. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein the smart material is a shape memory alloy material.

6. A fluid management system comprising:
a housing including
a manifold chamber in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid, wherein the manifold chamber is partially defined by a PCB, and
a plurality of ports in fluid communication with the manifold chamber, wherein each port is configured to receive pressurized fluid from the manifold chamber; and

a plurality of valves each positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of ports in a first position and to permit pressurized fluid flow through the associated port in a second position,
wherein the PCB is positioned between the manifold chamber and the plurality of ports,
wherein the PCB includes a plurality of apertures, and
wherein each aperture is in fluid communication with the manifold chamber and in fluid communication with an associated one of the plurality of ports.

7. The fluid management system of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of actuators each associated with one of the plurality valves, wherein each actuator includes a shape memory alloy material, and wherein in response to heating, each actuator is configured to move the associated valve to one of the first position or the second position.

8. The fluid management system of claim 6 , wherein the housing has a longitudinal axis extending centrally along a length of the housing, and wherein the manifold chamber extends along the longitudinal axis.

9. The fluid management system of claim 6 ,
wherein the plurality of ports is a plurality of first ports, the plurality of valves is a plurality of first valves, and the plurality of apertures is a plurality of first apertures,
wherein the housing further includes:
a vent chamber positioned between the manifold chamber and a first external wall of the housing, wherein the vent chamber is in fluid communication with an environment surrounding the housing and is partially defined by the PCB,
a plurality of second ports, each second port associated with one of the plurality of first ports and in fluid communication with the vent chamber, and
a plurality of third ports in fluid communication with a vessel for containing the pressurized fluid, each third port in fluid communication with an associated one of the plurality of first ports and in fluid communication with an associated one of the plurality of second ports,

wherein the fluid management system further comprises a plurality of second valves, each second valve positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of second ports in a first position and to permit fluid flow through the associated second port in a second position,
wherein the PCB is positioned between the vent chamber and the plurality of second ports, and
wherein the PCB includes a plurality of second apertures, each second aperture in fluid communication with the vent chamber and an associated one of the plurality of second ports.

10. The fluid management system of claim 9 ,
wherein the vent chamber is a first vent chamber,
wherein the first plurality of ports, the second plurality of ports, the third plurality of ports and the first vent chamber are positioned along a first side of the manifold chamber,
wherein the housing further includes:
a second vent chamber positioned along a second side of the manifold chamber opposite the first side, wherein the second vent chamber is in fluid communication with an environment surrounding the housing and is partially defined by the PCB,
a plurality of fourth ports in fluid communication with the manifold chamber and positioned along the second side of the manifold chamber, each fourth port configured to receive pressurized fluid from the manifold chamber,
a plurality of fifth ports positioned along the second side of the manifold chamber, each fifth port associated with one of the plurality of fourth ports and in fluid communication with the second vent chamber, and
a plurality of sixth ports each in fluid communication with a vessel for containing the pressurized fluid, each sixth port positioned along the second side of the manifold chamber and in fluid communication with an associated one of the plurality of fourth ports and in fluid communication with an associated one of the plurality of fifth ports, and

wherein the fluid management system further comprises:
a plurality of third valves, each third valve positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of fourth ports in a first position and to permit pressurized fluid flow through the associated fourth port in a second position, and
a plurality of fourth valves, each fourth valve positioned and configured to close an associated one of the plurality of fifth ports in a first position and to permit fluid flow through the associated fifth port in a second position,
wherein the PCB is positioned between the second manifold chamber and the plurality of fourth ports,
wherein the PCB includes a plur

Assignees

• Leggett & Platt Canada Co

Inventors

• Nicola Stefano
• Samain Maxime
• Schmitz Daniel
• Colja Renato
• Mcmillen Robert J

Classifications

• F16K31/025 Primary

  actuated by thermo-electric means · CPC title

• F16K11/085

  with cylindrical plug · CPC title

• F16K31/1264

  with means to allow the side on which the springs are positioned to be altered · CPC title

• F16K27/003

  Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements · CPC title

• F16K11/044

  with movable valve members positioned between valve seats · CPC title