Pneumatic valve control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873630-B2
Application number	US-202218083975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2022
Priority date	Dec 22, 2021
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A pneumatic valve control device includes an air cylinder. The air cylinder includes a first piston; an air outlet; and a locking and releasing mechanism configured to lock and release the first piston when the first piston is pushed up. The device also includes a hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder includes a second piston; an air vent disposed on a first side of the second piston; and a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet disposed on a second side of the second piston. The device also includes a partition disposed between the hydraulic cylinder and the air cylinder; a partition channel disposed on the partition; a piston rod connected to the second piston and configured to pass through the partition channel; and a tappet valve connected to the piston rod and configured to leave the partition channel in response to an upward movement of the piston rod.

First claim

I claim:

1. A pneumatic valve control device, comprising:
an air cylinder including a first piston, an air outlet, and a locking and releasing mechanism configured to lock and release the first piston when the first piston is pushed up;
a hydraulic cylinder including a second piston, an air vent disposed on a first side of the second piston, and a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet disposed on a second side of the second piston;
a partition disposed between the hydraulic cylinder and the air cylinder;
a partition channel disposed on the partition;
a piston rod connected to the second piston and configured to pass through the partition channel; and
a tappet valve connected to the piston rod, the tappet valve configured to open and close the partition channel and configured to leave the partition channel in response to an upward movement of the piston rod so as to push up the first piston,
wherein when the locking and releasing mechanism is released, the first piston falls down, the partition channel is in a closed state, and the air outlet is in an outward air exhaust state.

2. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a sealing gasket is disposed in the partition channel, and
wherein when the tappet valve closes the partition channel, the tappet valve is contacted with the sealing gasket.

3. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 2 ,
wherein a channel step surface is disposed in the partition channel and the sealing gasket is disposed on the channel step surface,
wherein the tappet valve comprises a tappet valve step surface,
wherein when the tappet valve closes the partition channel, the tappet valve step surface presses the sealing gasket.

4. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first elastic driving member configured to drive the first piston to move towards the partition, the first elastic driving member disposed in an air cylinder barrel of the air cylinder,
wherein when the locking and releasing mechanism releases the first piston, the first elastic driving member accelerate a downward movement of the first piston so as to increase a pressure of air in the air cylinder.

5. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a first sealing ring configured to seal the air cylinder barrel of the air cylinder, the first sealing ring disposed on the first piston.

6. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second elastic driving member configured to drive the second piston to move downwards, the second elastic driving member disposed in a hydraulic cylinder barrel of the hydraulic cylinder,
wherein when the liquid inlet stops supplying water, the second elastic driving member accelerate a downward movement of the tappet valve to close the partition channel so as to reduce an amount of the air discharged through the partition channel.

7. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a second sealing ring configured to seal the hydraulic cylinder barrel, the second sealing ring disposed on the second piston.

8. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the locking and releasing mechanism comprises:
a telescopic pin disposed on an air cylinder barrel of the air cylinder; and
a driving portion configured to drive the telescopic pin to extend and retract, the driving portion connected to the telescopic pin,

wherein the telescopic pin extends along a radial direction of the air cylinder barrel,
wherein when the telescopic pin passes through and extends into the air cylinder barrel, the first piston is locked,
wherein when the telescopic pin is retracted away from the first piston, the first piston is released to fall down.

9. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 8 ,
wherein when the locking and releasing mechanism is in an initial state, the telescopic pin is in an extended state.

10. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the driving portion comprises a trigger pivotally disposed on the air cylinder barrel,
wherein a first end of the trigger is connected to the telescopic pin, and
wherein a third elastic driving member is connected between a second end of the trigger and the air cylinder barrel.

11. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 9 ,
wherein a limiting convex portion is disposed on one side, oriented to the telescopic pin, of the first piston,
wherein a convex portion inclined plane configured to guide the telescopic pin to retract is disposed on the limiting convex portion, and
wherein the convex portion inclined plane gradually and obliquely extends upwardly and inwardly in a direction from the telescopic pin to the limiting convex portion.

12. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 11 ,
wherein a bottom surface of the limiting convex portion is a plane.

13. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the limiting convex portion is a limiting ring disposed on the first piston.

14. The pneumatic valve control device according to claim 11 ,
wherein an area of the liquid inlet is larger than an area of the liquid outlet.

15. A method for controlling a pneumatic valve to release water in a water tank of a toilet by using a pneumatic valve control device, the method comprising:
pushing up, by water supplied into a hydraulic cylinder, a second piston of the hydraulic cylinder to generate an upward movement of a piston rod connected to the second piston;
in response to the upward movement of the piston rod, opening an air communication between an air cylinder and an air vent to supply air into the air cylinder and pushing up a first piston disposed in the air cylinder;
stopping a liquid inlet to supply the water into the hydraulic cylinder to allow the second piston to return to an initial position;
releasing, by a locking and releasing mechanism, the first piston to generate a downward movement of the first piston so as to compress the air out of the air cylinder; and
opening, by the compressed air, the pneumatic valve so as to discharge the water from the water tank.

16. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein when the second piston is in the initial position, a tappet valve is disposed in a partition channel to close the air communication between the air cylinder and the air vent,
wherein the opening the air communication between the air cylinder and the air vent to supply the air into the air cylinder comprises: in response to the upward movement of the piston rod, moving up the tappet valve so as to leave the partition channel.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
retracting the locking and releasing mechanism in an extended state to allow the first piston to pass over the locking and releasing mechanism when the first piston is pushed up;
extending the retracted locking and releasing mechanism in a retracted state after the first piston passes over the locking and releasing mechanism so as to lock the first piston when the first piston is pushed up to a preset position.

18. The method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the releasing, by a locking and releasing mechanism, the first piston comprises: accelerating, by a first elastic driving member, the downward movement of the first piston so as to increase a pressure of the air in the air cylinder.

19. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
when the liquid inlet stops supply

Assignees

• Kohler China Invest Co Ltd

Inventors

• Guo Bin

Classifications

• E03D1/302 Primary

  with valves kept in open position by means of air or water pressure or by vacuum · CPC title

• F16K31/1221

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

• F16K31/1225 Primary

  with a plurality of pistons · CPC title

• F16K24/04

  for venting only (F16K24/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03D3/10

  Flushing devices with pressure-operated reservoir, e.g. air chamber · CPC title