Variable flow digital gas valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645585-B2
Application number	US-35454109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2009
Priority date	Jan 15, 2009
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A variable flow rate gas control valve for use in consumer and commercial appliances is presented. The valve utilizes two or more solenoids to control the operating position of two different valve members whose orifices are sized in an exponential relationship with one another. By opening one or more of the valving members in various combinations, a variable flow rate of gaseous fuel may be controlled in integer multiple steps from full off to full on. The solenoid configurations may be in line, opposing, or symmetrical about an axis of the valve. The number of unique flow rates (F) is related to the number of solenoids (N) as F=2 N . The relationship between the size (S) of the individual gas control orifices for each of the solenoids is related to N by the relationship S=2 n−1 for each individual gas control orifice (n) numbered 1 to N.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable flow digital gas valve, comprising:
a housing defining an inlet and an outlet;
at least two gas control orifices positioned in the housing between the inlet and the outlet to control fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, each of the at least two gas control orifices being sized differently to allow a different flow therethrough;
a solenoid coil assembly associated with each of the at least two gas control orifices, the solenoid coil assembly controlling a position of a valve seal to control fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet through its associated gas control orifice; and
wherein each solenoid coil assembly is independently controllable such that 2 N different flow rates are provided, where N is a total number of gas control orifices provided in the housing;
wherein the at least two solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in an opposing configuration; and
wherein at least one of the gas control orifices is formed as a stamped orifice cup, the stamped orifice cup being affixed in the housing.

Assignees

• Nguyen Tam
• Kimble James D
• Robertshaw Controls Co

Inventors

• Nguyen Tam
• Kimble James D

Classifications

• Y10T137/87265

  Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining · CPC title

• F16K27/0263

  multiple way valves · CPC title

• F16K31/0679

  with more than one energising coil · CPC title

• F16K11/24 Primary

  with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines · CPC title

• Y10T137/87298

  Having digital flow controller · CPC title