Piston activated cartridge valves and the components thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12222045-B2
Application number	US-202217573675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2021
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

Valves, the components used to create valves and, more particularly, to piston-activated cartridge valves. The valves include cartridge valve assemblies having a housing and a slidable member. One end of the slidable member extends outward beyond the second end of the cartridge housing, and can be contacted by an actuator piston to open the valve. The interior surface of the cartridge housing and the sides of the slidable member are configured so that when the slidable member is in the open position, at least one fluid flow path is provided between the first and second openings of the cartridge housing so that fluid can flow either: (a) from the first opening to the second opening; or (b) from the second opening to the first opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge valve assembly comprising:
a cartridge housing having a longitudinal axis, a first end defining a first opening, a second end defining a second opening, a generally cylindrical exterior, an internal space extending between said first and second openings, and an interior surface defining said internal space, wherein the internal surface of the cartridge housing comprises a plurality of sections from the first end of the cartridge housing to the second end of the cartridge housing, said sections including an intermediate section that provides a tapered sealing surface;
a stop located within the internal space of said cartridge housing at a location that is closer to the first end of the housing than the second end of the housing, wherein said stop has a first end, a second end, and sides;
a movable slidable member located at least partially within the internal space of said cartridge housing, said slidable member having a first end, a second end, and sides, wherein said stop limits the motion of the slidable member toward the first end of the housing, wherein at least a portion of the sides of the slidable member comprises an intermediate portion that is configured to form a seal with the tapered sealing surface of said cartridge housing; and
a spring positioned between said stop and said slidable member, said spring having two ends comprising a first end and a second end, an uncompressed configuration, and a compressed configuration, wherein the second end of said spring is adjacent the first end of the slidable member and the first end of the spring is adjacent the second end of the stop,
wherein said slidable member is movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein when said spring is in its uncompressed configuration the slidable member is in its closed position and the second end of the slidable member extends outward beyond the second end of the cartridge housing, and wherein the second end of the slidable member is configured to be contacted by an actuator piston that moves in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge housing and which moves the slidable member toward the first end of the cartridge housing and compresses the spring, and when the spring is compressed the slidable member is in its open position and the interior surface of said cartridge housing and the sides of said slidable member are configured so that when said slidable member is in the open position, at least one fluid flow path is provided between the first and second openings of the cartridge housing, wherein fluid can alternatively flow in one of the following directions: (a) from the first opening to the second opening or (b) from the second opening to the first opening.

2. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the interior surface of the cartridge housing comprises a first section that has a circular cross-section, wherein the stop is located within the first section of the interior surface of the cartridge housing and portions of the sides of the stop are adjacent to the first section of the interior surface of the cartridge housing, and the sides of the stop have a least one recessed area therein extending longitudinally from said first end to said second end of said stop to form said fluid flow path between the sides of the stop and the first section of the interior surface of the cartridge housing.

3. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the interior surface of the cartridge housing comprises a first section that has a partially circular cross-section wherein longitudinal recesses are formed in the first section of the interior surface of the cartridge housing that extend beyond both the first end and said second end of said stop to form said fluid flow path between the sides of the stop and the first section of the interior surface of the cartridge housing.

4. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the second end of said stop has an opening therein for retaining the first end of said spring.

5. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said first end of said slidable member has an opening therein for retaining the second end of said spring.

6. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the spring has an uncompressed configuration and a compressed configuration, wherein there is a space between the second end of the stop and the first end of the slidable member when the spring is in its uncompressed configuration.

7. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the cartridge housing terminates at the second opening, and the slidable member comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion of the slidable member is positioned on one side of the intermediate portion so that the first portion of the slidable member is closer to the first end of the cartridge housing and the second portion of the slidable member is positioned on the other side of said intermediate portion so that the second end of the slidable member protrudes from the second opening of the cartridge housing, and wherein the second portion of the slidable member has a cross-section that is smaller than the cross-section of at least some part of the first portion of the slidable member, and a portion of the surface of the second portion of said slidable member has a plurality of longitudinally-oriented flow channels therein so that fluid may flow in said flow channels between the second portion of the slidable member and the interior surface of said cartridge housing.

8. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the interior surface of said cartridge housing has a partially circular cross-section wherein longitudinal recesses are formed in the interior surface of the cartridge housing that extend from a portion of the interior surface of the cartridge housing to the second end of the cartridge housing to form at least part of said fluid flow path between the sides of the second portion of the slidable member and the interior surface of the cartridge housing.

9. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the slidable member comprises separate components that are positioned adjacent to each other and are in contact with each other.

10. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end of the cartridge housing comprises a flange that projects outward from the generally cylindrical exterior of the cartridge housing.

11. The cartridge valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the second end of the slidable member has a rounded tip.

12. A combination of components for fitting into pipes to create a piston-activated cartridge valve, said combination comprising:
a cartridge valve assembly according to claim 1 ; and
an actuator piston assembly comprising a generally cylindrical piston housing having a first end defining a first piston housing opening, a second end defining a second piston housing opening, a generally cylindrical exterior, an internal space extending between said first and second openings, and an interior surface defining said internal space, wherein at least a portion of said interior surface of said piston housing has a circular cross-section wherein an actuator piston is inserted into the internal space in said piston housing, said actuator piston assembly being configured to be oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge housing of the cartridge valve assembly, and said actuator piston is configured to be movable to engage the second end of the slidable member of the cartridge valve assembly at a right angle in order to move the slidable member of the cartridge valve assembly toward the first end of the cartridge hous

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Mendez Edgar G

Classifications

• F16K31/163

  the fluid acting on a piston · CPC title

• F16K11/161

  only slides · CPC title

• F16K11/14

  operated by one actuating member, e.g. a handle (with one plug turning in another F16K11/12) · CPC title

• F16L41/021

  T- or cross-pieces (F16L41/025, F16L41/026, F16L41/028 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/52416 Primary

  comprising a multiple-way lift valve · CPC title