Flow control valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689149-B2
Application number	US-201313830896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A flow control valve includes a valve inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve outlet configured to output the fluid, and a valve member assembly for controlling the fluid flow through the flow control valve. The valve member assembly and the valve inlet are configured such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow control valve comprising:
a valve inlet configured to receive a fluid;
a valve outlet configured to output the fluid; and
a valve member assembly for controlling the fluid flow through the flow control valve, the valve member assembly comprising:
a first valve member having a first convex portion facing the valve outlet portion and including a first seal disposed thereon, wherein the first seal is made from a different material than the first valve member and is configured to engage with a first valve seat in a closed position of the flow control valve, wherein the first valve member is arranged to be urged closed by fluid entering through the valve inlet;
a second valve member having a second convex portion facing the first valve member and including a second seal disposed thereon, wherein the second seal is made from a different material than the second valve member and is configured to engage with a second, separate, valve seat in the closed position of the flow control valve, wherein the second valve member is arranged to be urged open by fluid entering through the valve inlet; and
a spool, wherein the spool, the first valve member, and the second valve member are formed of the same material and are integrally formed with each other;

wherein each of the first seal and the second seal is an O-ring made from an elastomeric material; and
wherein the valve member assembly and the valve inlet are configured such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly.

2. The flow control valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve includes a housing that houses the flow control valve and includes apertures that form the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

3. The flow control valve of claim 1 , wherein the spool is coupled directly to an electrically powered motor which controls the position of the first valve member and the second valve member relative to their respective valve seats.

4. The flow control valve of claim 3 , wherein the motor comprises a stepper motor.

5. The flow control valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve is connected to a supply of water and is configured to be controlled in response to water flow rate.

6. The flow control valve of claim 5 , further comprising a sensor device configured to monitor flow rate of the outlet water and the controller is configured to control the valve to achieve and maintain a user selected flow rate.

7. The flow control valve of claim 1 , wherein the valve inlet is located between the first valve member and the second valve member.

8. The flow control valve of claim 7 , wherein the valve inlet opens into a valve inlet chamber defined by a chamber wall having a first valve outlet and a second valve outlet formed therein.

9. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the first valve seat is associated with the first valve outlet and the second valve seat is associated with the second valve outlet.

10. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the first and second valve outlets are of similar size.

11. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the first and second valve outlets are axially aligned.

12. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the valve seats are located within the valve outlets.

13. The flow control valve of claim 12 , wherein the valve seats include a cylindrical bore portion of the valve outlets in which the valve members are slidably received in the closed position with the first seal contacting the cylindrical bore portion of the first valve seat and the second seal contacting the cylindrical bore portion of the second valve seat, and wherein each cylindrical bore portion is included between two end portions that are tapered outwardly away from the cylindrical bore portion and the valve member assembly.

14. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the valve seats are located at one end of the valve outlets.

15. The flow control valve of claim 14 , wherein the valve seats include an end face of the valve outlets against which the valve members seat in the closed position.

16. The flow control valve of claim 8 , wherein the flow control valve includes an outlet chamber that includes the fluid outlet and is arranged to receive fluid from the first and second valve outlets.

17. The flow control valve of claim 16 , wherein the first valve member is received in the valve inlet chamber in an open position of the flow control valve and the second valve member is received in the outlet chamber in the open position of the flow control valve.

18. A flow control valve for a plumbing fixture, the flow control valve comprising:
a housing having a valve inlet configured to receive water and a valve outlet configured to output water;
a valve member assembly in the housing for controlling water flow through the flow control valve, the valve member assembly comprising:
a first valve member including a first seal disposed thereon, wherein the first seal is made from a different material than the first valve member and is configured to engage with a first valve seat of the housing in a closed position of the flow control valve;
a second valve member including a second seal disposed thereon, wherein the second seal is made from a different material than the second valve member and is configured to engage with a second, separate, valve seat of the housing in the closed position of the flow control valve; and

an electrically powered heating device located in the housing for thermally disinfecting the flow control valve;
wherein the housing is made of a metal or an alloy and has a thermal mass such that the electrically powered heating device is able to heat the housing to disinfect the flow control valve with a power of not more than 10 watts.

19. The flow control valve of claim 18 , further comprising a controller configured to disable the valve to prevent discharge of water during a thermal disinfection cycle in which the electrically powered heating device is active.

20. The flow control valve of claim 19 , wherein the thermal disinfection cycle includes a heating cycle to heat the housing to a temperature of at least 65° C. to disinfect waterways within the housing and a cool down cycle to allow the housing and water contained in the valve to cool down after the heating cycle.

21. A flow control valve for a plumbing fixture, the flow control valve comprising:
a housing having a valve inlet configured to receive water and a valve outlet chamber having an outlet for outputting the water;
an electrically powered heating device located in the housing and configured to heat to an elevated temperature sufficient for thermally disinfecting the flow control valve; and
a valve member assembly in the housing and comprising:
a spool;
a first valve member mounted on the spool and including a recess having a first O-ring disposed therein, wherein the first O-ring is adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first valve outlet in a closed position of the flow control valve; and
a second valve member mounted on the spool and including a recess having a second O-ring disposed therein, wherein the second O-ring is adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second, separate, valve outlet in the closed position of the flow control valve;

wherein the housing is insulated so that exposed external surfaces of the housing are not heated to the elevated temperature.

22. The flow control v

Assignees

• Kohler Mira Ltd

Inventors

• Peel Kevin T

Classifications

• F16K49/002

  Electric heating means · CPC title

• F16K11/20

  operated by separate actuating members (with one plug turning in another F16K11/12) · CPC title

• E03C1/0409

  Shower handles · CPC title

• G05D23/1393

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• Y10T137/0424

  Liquid cleaning or flushing · CPC title