Dual-purpose fluid control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683668-B2
Application number	US-201013377816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2010
Priority date	Jun 18, 2009
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A dual-purpose fluid control valve for controlling the flow of fluid to separate systems supplied by the valve. The control valve includes a body having an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The valve further includes means for controlling a rate of fluid through one outlet based on a fluid demand at the outlet while controlling the rate of fluid flow through the other outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve, comprising:
a valve body having a valve body wall defining an interior chamber having a longitudinal axis, the valve body wall further defining a first port, a second port and a third port, each in communication with the interior chamber, the valve body wall defining a sealing surface disposed within the interior chamber along the longitudinal axis to separate the first and second ports; and
a flow controller moveably disposed within the interior chamber, the flow controller having a first component and a second component operatively coupled to the first component, the first component having a proximal end, a distal end and an operating position that defines a minimum distance from the sealing surface, the first component having an opening at the proximal end and an opening at the distal end, the second component of the flow controller having a varying distance relative to the sealing surface when the first component is in the operating position, the openings at the proximal and distal ends of the first component define a flow path through the first component from the first port to at least one of the second and third port.

2. The valve of claim 1 , the valve body wall comprising an outer wall and an insert disposed within the outer wall, the insert defining the sealing surface of the valve body wall.

3. The valve of claim 1 , the first component having a frustoconical outer surface disposed about the longitudinal axis and narrowing in a direction towards the second port.

4. The valve of claim 1 , the second component including a shaft member slidably disposed within a channel defined by the first component.

5. The valve of claim 1 , the flow controller having a standby position defining a minimum distance between the second component and the sealing surface, the standby position defining a sealed standby flow path aperture between the first and second ports and defining a maximum standby flow path aperture between the first and third ports, the operating position defining a variable operating flow path aperture between first and second ports and defining a minimum non-zero flow path aperture between the first and third ports.

6. The valve of claim 1 , the sealing surface disposed in a plane that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the flow controller including a seal surface for mating with the sealing surface, the seal surface being a single moving seal of the valve.

7. The valve of claim 6 , the flow controller defining an engagement surface disposed to face the sealing surface, the valve further comprising a seal disposed between the sealing surface and the mating surface.

8. The valve of claim 7 , the seal being a single moving seal of the valve.

9. The valve of claim 1 , the flow controller having a standby position defining a minimum distance between the second component and the sealing surface, the first component of the flow controller having a varying distance relative to the sealing surface when the second component is in the standby position.

10. The valve of claim 9 , the valve body defining an operating flow path between the first and second ports and defining a standby flow path between the first and third ports, the flow controller in the operating position being disposed to partially obstruct the operating and standby flow paths with a greater obstruction to the standby flow path than to the operating flow path.

11. The valve of claim 10 , the flow controller in the standby position being disposed to fully obstruct the operating flow path.

12. The valve of claim 9 , further including a spring disposed between the first and second components at an initial spring length when the flow controller is in the standby position with the first component at a maximum distance from the sealing surface, wherein further when the flow controller is in the operating position and the first component is at the minimum distance from the sealing surface such that the spring is at the initial spring length so as to define a tripped position of the flow controller, and wherein the second component is at a maximum distance from the sealing surface such that the spring is compressed to a fully compressed length.

13. The valve of claim 12 , wherein the first component comprises an occluder and the second component comprises a sealer having a head portion and a shaft portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the head portion being located at the proximal end of the shaft with the spring and the occluder being disposed about the shaft portion such that the fully compressed length of the spring locates the occluder at the distal end of the shaft portion.

14. The valve of claim 13 , wherein the interior chamber includes a first interior passageway and a second interior passageway, the first and second interior passageways being axially aligned and spaced along the longitudinal axis, each passageway having a proximal surface and a distal surface, the proximal surface of the first interior passageway defining the sealing surface and the distal surface of the second interior passageway defining a stop surface.

15. The valve of claim 14 , wherein the valve includes a first insert sleeve portion affixed to modify the first interior passageway for receiving the head portion and a second insert sleeve portion affixed to modify the second interior passageway for receiving the occluder, such that the first interior passageway has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the second interior passageway.

16. A valve for controlling the flow of water between a domestic supply and a fire protection system supply, the valve comprising:
a valve body having a proximal end and a distal end:
an inlet at the distal end of the body for connection to a water supply;
a first outlet at the proximal end of the body for connection to a fire sprinkler system;
a second outlet located between the inlet and the first outlet for connection to a domestic water system; and
an inner surface defining an interior chamber and central longitudinal axis of the valve body, the inlet being centrally aligned with the central longitudinal axis and in communication with the central chamber, the first outlet being centrally aligned along the central longitudinal axis and in communication with the interior chamber, the second outlet being disposed between the inlet and the first outlet centrally aligned along an axis perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis, the second outlet being in communication with the interior chamber, the inner surface further defining a sealing surface about the central longitudinal axis spaced at a fixed distance from the first outlet and a stop surface about the central longitudinal axis spaced at a fixed distance from the second outlet, the stop surface being spaced from the sealing surface so as to divide the chamber and separate the inlet and first and second outlets,

a flow controller disposed within the interior chamber centrally aligned to the central longitudinal axis, the flow controller having
a sealer including a head portion biased against the sealing surface and a shaft portion depending from the head portion, the shaft portion having a proximal and a distal end;
an occluder disposed about the shaft portion of the sealer such that the occluder can translate between an initial position at the proximal end of the shaft and a final position at the distal end of the shaft, the occluder having a member with a first end defining an opening, a second end defining an opening, the openings at the first end and the second end of the member defining a flow pa

Assignees

• Ringer Yoram
• Simonin George V
• Iasa Anthony
• Iasa Jr John R
• Yang Su
• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Ringer Yoram
• Simonin George V
• Iasa Anthony
• Yang Su

Classifications

• Y10T137/86694

  Piston valve · CPC title

• F16K11/105

  Three-way check or safety valves with two or more closure members · CPC title

• Y10T137/8778

  Spring biased · CPC title

• F16K11/048 Primary

  with valve seats positioned between movable valve members · CPC title

• A62C35/68

  Details, e.g. of pipes or valve systems (valves in general F16K) · CPC title