Pressure regulator having single strut seat with strut coaxial to plunger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9367070-B2
Application number	US-201414252035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

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 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, wherein the axis of the inlet flow passage intersects the axis of the plunger flow passage downstream of a stationary valve seat; and
the stationary valve seat is fixed to the housing and is immobile with respect to the housing,
wherein the stationary valve seat is positioned between the inlet flow passage and an inlet to the plunger flow passage, and the valve seat is configured to receive and abut the inlet to the flow passage of the plunger.

2. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the offset is an angular offset between the axis of the plunger flow passage and the axis of the inlet flow passage, wherein the angular offset is in a range of three to twelve and one-half degrees.

3. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the stationary valve seat and an inlet cap of the housing are a single-piece component.

4. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the axis of the inlet flow passage is coaxial with an axis of the outlet flow passage, and the axis of the plunger flow passage intersects the axis of the inlet flow passage proximate to an outlet of plunger flow passage.

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

6. The pressure regulator of claim 1 further comprising a strut supporting the stationary valve seat and attached to an upstream interior wall of the housing, wherein the strut extends downstream from the interior wall to the stationary valve seat.

7. The pressure regulator of claim 6 wherein the strut includes 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.

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

9. The pressure regulator of claim 6 wherein the housing includes an inlet cap and an outlet cap, and the strut and inlet cap are a single piece.

10. The pressure regulator of claim 9 wherein the inlet cap and strut are a single plastic component.

11. The pressure regulator of claim 6 further comprising a vane between the strut and an interior surface of the housing.

12. The pressure regulator of claim 6 wherein the strut extends radially inward into the inlet flow passage less than a distance across a surface of the valve seat facing an inlet to the plunger flow passage.

13. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein a line of sight extends through the regulator that passes through the inlet flow passage to the outlet flow passage.

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

15. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the axis of the inlet flow passage intersects a surface of the valve seat facing an inlet to the plunger flow passage.

16. The pressure regulator of claim 15 wherein the valve seat includes a valve seat surface facing an end of the plunger, and a center of the valve seat surface is offset from the axis of the inlet flow passage.

17. The pressure regulator of claim 1 further comprising a chamber within the housing and between the inlet flow passage and the plunger flow passage, 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.

18. The pressure regulator of claim 17 wherein the one edge of the downstream surface of the valve seat is at a nose of the valve seat.

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

20. The pressure regulator of claim 1 wherein the valve seat includes a downstream valve seat surface and an upstream surface facing into the inlet 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.

21. A pressure regulator comprising:
a housing 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;
a flow passage including the inlet flow passage, the plunger 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 positioned between the inlet flow passage and an inlet to the plunger, and 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 the axis of the plunger is offset from an axis of the inlet flow passage and the axes of the inlet flow passage and the plunger intersect downstream of the stationary valve seat.

22. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein the offset is an angular offset, and the axis of the plunger intersects the axis of the inlet flow passage proximate to a downstream end of the flow passage.

23. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein the offset is an angular offset and the angle of the offset is in a range of three to eight degrees.

24. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein the inlet cap and strut are a pressure-injected molded plastic component.

25. The pressure regulator of claim 21 further comprising an annular diaphragm coupling the plunger to the housing, wherein the diaphragm forms a deformable seal between the outlet flow passage and a chamber in the housing at an ambient pressure.

26. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein the strut includes an upstream surface sloping in a downstream direction along the entire length of the upstream surface from the interior wall of the inlet to a distal circumferential edge.

27. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein the strut includes a downstream cylindrical section coaxial with the axis of the plunger.

28. The pressure regulator of claim 21 wherein said flow passage is devoid of radially extending support beams, ribs and spokes.

29. A pressure regulator comprising:
a housing 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;
a flow passage including the inlet flow passage, the plunger and the outlet flow passage;
a stationary valve seat connected to the housing and positioned between the inlet flow passage and an inlet to the plunger, wherein the valve seat is configured to receive and abut the inlet to the plunger;
a strut supporting the valve seat, wherein the strut is integral with the inlet cap, and
wherein an unobstructed flow path is visible as a lune through the inlet cap, plunger, and outlet cap when the plunger is in a fully open position.

30. A pressure regu

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

• G05D16/0636

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

• Y10T137/7793

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

• G05D16/103

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