Rebuildable micro-fluidic valve assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238281-B2
Application number	US-201314098062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2010
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A multi-position valve assembly including a valve housing, a stator element and a rotor element rotatably mounted about a rotational axis. The valve assembly further includes a pressure adjustment assembly movable between a release position and a stop position, hard stopped relative to the valve housing. The pressure adjustment assembly includes a pressure adjuster device configured to movably cooperate between the rotor element and the valve housing to adjustably generate an axial compression pressure at the rotor-stator interface at a calibrated operating pressure, P C . When the pressure adjustment assembly is oriented in the release position, the axial compression pressure is substantially removed from the rotor-stator interface. In contrast, when the pressure adjustment assembly is oriented in the stop position, the axial compression pressure is substantially reproduced at the calibrated operating pressure, P C .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of rebuilding a high pressure, multi-position shear valve assembly having a valve housing and a plurality of serviceable valve components including a stator element defining a stator face and a rotor element rotatably mounted about a rotational axis, said rotor element defining a rotor face disposed opposite said stator face, at a rotor-stator interface, said valve assembly further including a pressure adjuster assembly selectively generating an axial compression pressure between the stator face and the rotor face at a calibrated operating pressure, P C , to enable fluid-tight, selective relative rotation between the rotor face and the stator face between two or more rotor positions, said method comprising:
removing the axial compression pressure at the rotor-stator interface by moving said pressure adjuster assembly from a stop position, hard stopped relative to said valve housing, to a release position;
disassembling the stator element and the rotor element from opposed contact with one another;
replacing one or more serviceable valve components;
reassembling the rotor element and stator element back into opposed contact with one another;
reproducing said operating pressure, P C , between said rotor element and said stator element at said rotor-stator interface by moving the pressure adjuster assembly to a said stop position;
wherein prior to said removing the axial compression pressure, the selectively generating an axial compression pressure between the stator face and the rotor face at the calibrated operating pressure, P C , was performed by:
orienting a retainer member, disposed between said valve housing and a pressure adjuster device in said stop position, hard stopped relative to said valve housing;
selectively adjusting the pressure adjuster device, cooperatively disposed between the retainer member and the rotor device until the calibrated operating pressure, P C , is achieved at a set position, when said retainer member is oriented in the stop position; and
locking the pressure adjuster device, at the set position, to the retainer member such that said pressure adjuster device and said retainer member move together as a single unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
said locking the pressure adjuster device includes mechanically fastening the pressure adjuster device to the retainer member.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
said locking the pressure adjuster device includes applying a retaining compound configured to join the pressure adjuster device to the retainer member.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein
said retaining compound is selected from the group consisting of thread lockers, acrylics, epoxies, hot melts, solders and cold welds.

Assignees

• Idex Health & Science Llc

Inventors

• Tower Christopher R
• Green Mark J

Classifications

• Y10T137/0491

  Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing · CPC title

• Y10T137/5109

  Convertible · CPC title

• F16K3/10

  with special arrangements for separating the sealing faces or for pressing them together · CPC title

• Y10T29/49407

  Repairing, converting, servicing or salvaging · CPC title

• B23P15/001 Primary

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