Pressure control valve for reactive adhesives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377114-B2
Application number	US-201313776838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 25, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A pressure control valve for reactive adhesives includes a valve housing with a liquid recirculation passage communicating with a conduit leading to a dispensing apparatus and an adhesive pump, a valve element mounted within the valve housing, and a biasing member for biasing the valve element towards a valve seat in the liquid passage. The pressure control valve also includes a flexible seal with a first end fixedly coupled to the valve element and a second end fixedly coupled to the valve housing. The flexible seal also includes an intermediate portion that flexes or deforms as the first end of the flexible seal follows movements of the valve element, thereby preventing liquid adhesive in the liquid recirculation passage from contacting the biasing member. The flexible seal may include an arch-shaped compression seal or a thin flexible annular membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure control valve configured to control the pressure of a pressurized adhesive flowing in a conduit from an adhesive pump to a dispensing apparatus, the pressure control valve comprising:
a valve housing including a liquid inlet configured to communicate with the conduit, a liquid outlet configured to communicate with the adhesive pump, and a liquid recirculation passage extending between said liquid inlet and said liquid outlet;
a valve seat formed in said liquid recirculation passage;
a valve element mounted within said valve housing and configured to move with respect to said valve seat to control flow of pressurized adhesive through said valve seat, said valve element including a valve head selectively engaging said valve seat and defining a pressure surface configured to force said valve element away from said valve seat when pressurized adhesive flows toward said valve element such that the adhesive flowing through said valve seat and said liquid recirculation passage is recirculated to the adhesive pump from the conduit, said valve element also including a valve stem separately formed from and coupled to said valve head;
a biasing member coupled to said valve element at an opposite end of said valve stem from said valve head and configured to bias said valve element towards engagement with said valve seat; and
a flexible seal including a first end fixedly coupled to said valve element, a second end fixedly coupled to said valve housing, and an intermediate portion between said first and second ends, wherein said intermediate portion of said flexible seal is configured to flex or deform when the valve element is forced away from the valve seat when the pressurized adhesive flows toward the valve element as said first end of said flexible seal follows movements of said valve element such that said flexible seal prevents the pressurized adhesive from contacting said biasing member,
wherein said flexible seal includes a ring-shaped membrane including an inner periphery defining said first end, an outer periphery defining said second end, and said intermediate portion extending between said inner and outer peripheries and configured to flex as said flexible seal follows movements of said valve element, said inner periphery fixedly clamped between said valve head and said valve stem, and
wherein said ring-shaped membrane is defined by an elastomeric sheet of material that is configured to elastically deform in said intermediate portion, and wherein said intermediate portion of said elastomeric sheet is not engaged with any additional elements clamped between said valve head and said valve stem so that said intermediate portion is capable of flexing as the valve element moves and without damping valve element or membrane movement.

2. The pressure control valve of claim 1 , wherein said valve housing includes a spring chamber fluidically isolated from said liquid recirculation passage by said flexible seal, and said biasing member includes a spring located within said spring chamber and extending between said valve element and a stop surface within said spring chamber.

3. The pressure control valve of claim 2 , further comprising:
an adjustable stop member including said stop surface and moveably disposed within said spring chamber such that the bias applied by said spring to said valve element is adjustable by moving said adjustable stop member.

4. An adhesive supply component for supplying a pressurized adhesive to a dispensing apparatus, the adhesive supply component comprising:
an adhesive pump;
a supply component housing including a conduit extending between said adhesive pump and a liquid outlet leading to the dispensing apparatus, said supply component housing also including a liquid recirculation passage extending between said conduit and said adhesive pump; and
a pressure control valve coupled to said supply component housing and further comprising:
a valve housing defining at least a portion of said liquid recirculation passage;
a valve seat formed in said valve housing;
a valve element mounted within said valve housing and configured to move with respect to said valve seat to control flow of pressurized adhesive through said valve seat, said valve element including a valve head selectively engaging said valve seat and defining a pressure surface configured to force said valve element away from said valve seat when pressurized adhesive flows toward said valve element such that the adhesive flowing through said valve seat and said liquid recirculation passage is recirculated to the adhesive pump from the conduit, said valve element also including a valve stem separately formed from and coupled to said valve head;
a biasing member coupled to said valve element at an opposite end of said valve stem from said valve head and configured to bias said valve element towards engagement with said valve seat; and
a flexible seal including a first end fixedly coupled to said valve element, a second end fixedly coupled to said valve housing, and an intermediate portion between said first and second ends, wherein said intermediate portion of said flexible seal is configured to flex or deform when the valve element is forced away from the valve seat when the pressurized adhesive flows toward the valve element as said first end of said flexible seal follows movements of said valve element such that said flexible seal prevents the pressurized adhesive from contacting said biasing member,
wherein said flexible seal includes a ring-shaped membrane including an inner periphery defining said first end, an outer periphery defining said second end, and said intermediate portion extending between said inner and outer peripheries and configured to flex as said flexible seal follows movements of said valve element, said inner periphery fixedly clamped between said valve head and said valve stem, and
wherein said ring-shaped membrane is defined by an elastomeric sheet of material that is configured to elastically deform in said intermediate portion, and wherein said intermediate portion of said elastomeric sheet is not engaged with any additional elements clamped between said valve head and said valve stem so that said intermediate portion is capable of flexing as the valve element moves and without damping valve element or membrane movement.

5. The adhesive supply component of claim 4 , wherein said valve housing includes a spring chamber fluidically isolated from said liquid recirculation passage by said flexible seal, and said biasing member includes a spring located within said spring chamber and extending between said valve element and a stop surface within said spring chamber.

6. The adhesive supply component of claim 5 , further comprising:
an adjustable stop member including said stop surface and moveably disposed within said spring chamber such that the bias applied by said spring to said valve element is adjustable by moving said adjustable stop member.

7. The adhesive supply component of claim 4 , further comprising:
a heater within said supply component housing for heating the pressurized adhesive.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Reifenberger Mark G

Classifications

• Y10T137/86019

  Direct response valve · CPC title

• Y10T137/6416

  With heating or cooling of the system · CPC title

• B05C11/1013

  responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00) · CPC title

• F16K15/063

  the valve being loaded by a spring · CPC title

• F16K15/00 Primary

  Check valves (valves specially adapted for inflatable balls A63B41/00) · CPC title