Control valve for a gas burner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016208933-A1
Application number	US-201514598263-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control valve for a gas burner includes a valve body that defines an inlet conduit. The inlet conduit has a non-circular shape. A plug is positioned within a valve chamber of the valve body. The plug defines a slot on an outer surface of the plug, and the plug also defines a flow chamber within the plug. The plug further defines an aperture that extends between the slot of the plug and the flow chamber of the plug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control valve for a gas burner, the control valve defining a transverse direction, the control valve comprising:
a valve body defining an inlet conduit and a valve chamber, the inlet conduit having a non-circular shape in a plane that is perpendicular to the transverse direction; and a plug positioned within the valve chamber of the valve body, the plug defining a slot on an outer surface of the plug, the plug also defining a flow chamber within the plug, the plug further defining an aperture that extends between the slot of the plug and the flow chamber of the plug, the plug configured to rotate within the valve chamber of the valve body in order adjust a position of the slot of the plug relative to the inlet conduit of the valve body.

2 . The control valve of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the inlet conduit is constant along the transverse direction.

3 . The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the slot extends between a first end portion and a second end portion on the outer surface of the plug, a height of the slot decreasing from the first end portion of the slot to the second end portion of the slot.

4 . The control valve of claim 3 , wherein the aperture is positioned at the first end portion of the slot.

5 . The control valve of claim 1 , further comprising a mounting bracket mounted to the valve body at an entrance of the inlet conduit.

6 . The control valve of claim 5 , wherein the mounting bracket defines a fastener hole above the entrance of the inlet conduit, the mounting bracket also defining a manifold opening sized and positioned for receiving a manifold of a gas supply, the manifold opening positioned between the fastener hole and the entrance of the inlet conduit along the transverse direction.

7 . The control valve of claim 5 , wherein the mounting bracket is integrally formed with the valve body.

8 . The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the aperture of the plug has a non-circular shape.

9 . The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the inlet conduit has a rectangular shape in a plane that is perpendicular to the transverse direction.

10 . The control valve of claim 9 , wherein the aperture of the plug has a rectangular shape.

11 . A method for forming a valve body and a plug of a control valve for a gas burner, comprising:
establishing three-dimensional information of the valve body and the plug of the control valve; converting the three-dimensional information of the valve body and the plug of the control valve from said step of establishing into a plurality of slices, each slice of the plurality of slices defining a respective cross-sectional layer of the valve body and the plug of the control valve; and successively forming each cross-sectional layer of the valve body and the plug of the control valve with an additive process; wherein, after said step of successively forming: (1) the valve body of the control valve defines an inlet conduit and a valve chamber; (2) the inlet conduit has a non-circular shape; (3) the plug is positioned within the valve chamber of the valve body; (4) the plug defines a slot on an outer surface of the plug; (5) the plug also defines a flow chamber within the plug; and (6) the plug further defines an aperture that extends between the slot of the plug and the flow chamber of the plug.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the additive process comprises at least one of fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering and direct metal laser sintering.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the inlet conduit is constant along a transverse direction after said step of successively forming.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the slot extends between a first end portion and a second end portion on the outer surface of the plug after said step of successively forming, a height of the slot decreasing from the first end portion of the slot to the second end portion of the slot.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the aperture is positioned at the first end portion of the slot after said step of successively forming.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a mounting bracket is mounted to the valve body at an entrance of the inlet conduit after said step of successively forming.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein, after said step of successively forming: (1) the mounting bracket defines a fastener hole above the entrance of the inlet conduit; (2) the mounting bracket also defines a manifold opening sized and positioned for receiving a manifold of a gas supply; and (3) the manifold opening is positioned between the fastener hole and the entrance of the inlet conduit along the transverse direction.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the mounting bracket and the valve body comprises a single continuous piece of material after said step of successively forming.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the aperture of the plug has a non-circular shape after said step of successively forming.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the inlet conduit and the aperture of the plug have common cross-sectional shapes after said step of successively forming.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Cadima Paul Bryan

Classifications

• F16K5/103

  specially adapted for gas valves · CPC title

• F24C3/12

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F16K5/0407 Primary

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title

• B23P15/001

  valves or valve housings (welding B23K; valve housings per se F16K) · CPC title

• F24C3/126

  on ranges · CPC title