Pressure regulator having single strut seat with strut coaxial to plunger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282884-A1
Application number	US-201615174584-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A pressure regulator including a housing including an inlet flow passage and an outlet flow passage; a plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing and including a plunger flow passage having an axis offset from an axis of the inlet flow passage, and a stationary valve seat fixed to the housing and positioned between the inlet flow passage and an inlet to the flow passage of the plunger, wherein the valve seat is configured to receive and abut the inlet to the flow passage of the plunger.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A pressure regulator comprising:
a housing assembly including an inlet flow passage and an outlet flow passage; a plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing assembly; a plunger flow passage extending through the plunger having an inlet open to the inlet flow passage and an outlet open to the outlet flow passage, wherein an axis of the plunger flow passage is offset from an axis of the inlet flow passage, and a stationary valve seat fixed to the housing assembly, wherein the stationary valve seat extends into a flow passage defined by the inlet flow passage and the inlet to the plunger flow passage, and the stationary valve seat is configured to receive and abut the inlet of the plunger.

2 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the housing assembly includes a first housing section that includes the inlet flow passage and a second housing section that includes the outlet flow passage, and the stationary valve seat and the first housing section are a single-piece component.

3 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 further comprising an annular diaphragm coupling the plunger to the housing assembly, wherein the diaphragm forms a deformable seal between the outlet flow passage and a chamber in the housing assembly.

4 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 further comprising a strut supporting the stationary valve seat and attached to an interior wall of the inlet flow passage, wherein the interior wall is within the housing assembly and the strut extends downstream from the interior wall to the stationary valve seat.

5 . The pressure regulator of claim 4 wherein the strut includes a region forming an upstream surface sloping in a downstream direction along the entire length of the upstream surface from the interior wall to a nose of the strut.

6 . The pressure regulator of claim 5 wherein the strut includes a downstream cylindrical section coaxial with the axis of the plunger.

7 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the housing assembly includes an inlet cap and an outlet cap, and the strut, valve seat and inlet cap are a single piece component.

8 . The pressure regulator of claim 7 wherein the strut, valve seat and inlet cap are a single plastic component.

9 . The pressure regulator of claim 4 further comprising a vane extending from the strut towards an interior surface of the housing assembly.

10 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the inlet flow path is devoid of radially extending support beams, ribs and spokes.

11 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the valve seat includes a valve seat surface facing the inlet of the plunger, and a center of the valve seat surface is offset from the axis of the inlet flow passage.

12 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 further comprising a chamber within the housing assembly and between the inlet flow passage and the plunger, wherein the valve seat is within the chamber, and a distance between a wall of the chamber and one edge of a downstream surface of the valve seat equals a distance between an opposite edge of the downstream surface of the valve seat and the wall of the chamber.

13 . The pressure regulator of claim 12 wherein the one edge of the downstream surface of the valve seat is at a nose of the valve seat.

14 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the axis of the plunger flow passage projects into the inlet flow passage.

15 . The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the valve seat includes a downstream valve seat surface and an upstream surface facing the inlet flow passage, wherein a projected surface area of the upstream surface as projected on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the inlet flow passage is less than an area within a perimeter of the valve seat surface.

16 . A pressure regulator comprising:
a housing assembly including an inlet cap having an inlet flow passage and an outlet cap having an outlet flow passage; a tubular plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing assembly and defining a plunger flow passage extending through the plunger; a flow passage including the inlet flow passage, a plunger flow passage, and the outlet flow passage; a stationary valve seat fixed to and immobile with respect to the inlet cap, wherein the stationary valve seat is configured to receive and abut the inlet to the plunger; and a strut supporting the stationary valve seat, wherein the strut and the inlet cap are a single piece component, wherein an axis of the tubular plunger is offset from an axis of the inlet flow passage.

17 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the inlet cap and strut are a pressure-injected molded plastic component.

18 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 further comprising an annular diaphragm coupling the plunger to the housing assembly, wherein the diaphragm forms a deformable seal between the outlet flow passage and a chamber in the housing assembly.

19 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the inlet cap includes an interior wall defining the inlet flow passage and the strut includes a region having an upstream surface sloping in a downstream direction along the entire length of the upstream surface from the interior wall to a nose of the strut.

20 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the strut includes a downstream cylindrical section coaxial with the axis of the plunger.

21 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 further comprising a vane extending from the strut towards an interior wall surface of the housing assembly.

22 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the inlet flow path is devoid of radially extending support beams, ribs and spokes.

23 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the valve seat includes a valve seat surface facing the inlet of the plunger, and a center of the valve seat surface is offset from the axis of the inlet flow passage.

24 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 further comprising a chamber within the housing assembly and between the inlet flow passage and the plunger, wherein the valve seat is within the chamber, and a distance between a wall of the chamber and one edge of a downstream surface of the valve seat equals a distance between an opposite edge of the downstream surface of the valve seat and the wall of the chamber.

25 . The pressure regulator of claim 24 wherein the one edge of the downstream surface of the valve seat is at a nose of the valve seat.

26 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the axis of the plunger flow passage projects into the inlet flow passage.

27 . The pressure regulator of claim 16 wherein the valve seat includes a downstream valve seat surface and an upstream surface facing the inlet flow passage, wherein a projected surface area of the upstream surface as projected on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the inlet flow passage is less than an area within a perimeter of the valve seat surface.

Assignees

• Nelson Irrigation Corp

Inventors

• Greenwood Riley D
• Nelson Craig B

Classifications

• G05D16/0608 Primary

  the controller being mounted within the flow path and having slidable elements · CPC title

• Y10T137/7793

  With opening bias [e.g., pressure regulator] · CPC title

• G05D16/0636

  characterised by the loading device of the membrane, e.g. spring · CPC title

• G05D16/103

  the sensing element placed between the inlet and outlet (multiple-way valve G05D16/101) · CPC title