Automatic valve shutoff device and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702123-B2
Application number	US-201514850421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2015
Priority date	Jan 11, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Examples of automatic valve shutoff systems are described which may include an actuation device including an actuator and a valve attachment portion. The valve attachment portion may be configured for attachment with an existing valve in a fluid or compressible gas supply line. The system may further include a controller coupled to the actuation device, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a valve shutoff process in response to a wireless signal. Wake-up circuitry may be coupled to the controller and configured to monitor the supply line for vibrations and activate the controller in response to the vibrations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve actuation device comprising:
an actuator configured to be activated using an activation signal; and
a valve attachment portion configured for attaching the actuator to an existing valve, wherein the actuator, once activated, is operable to turn the existing valve via the valve attachment portion, and wherein the actuator is configured to be powered using pneumatic pressure from a pneumatic pressure source and wherein a barrier is positioned between the pneumatic pressure source and the actuator, the barrier configured to be removed by puncturing the barrier using a puncture device or melting the barrier using a chemical process.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the valve attachment portion is configured to engage with the existing valve without necessitating removal of the existing valve.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the valve attachment portion comprises a removable adapter configured for attachment with a select one of a plurality of valve types.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the valve attachment portion is configured to allow subsequent manual operation of the existing valve.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises one or more rotary actuators, the device further comprising a gearing mechanism coupling the one or more rotary actuators to the attachment portion.

6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising the source of pneumatic pressure, and wherein the source of pneumatic pressure comprises a container of pressurized gas coupled to the rotary actuator using the barrier.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a controller configured to remove the barrier in response to the activation signal.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is operable to turn the existing valve in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the activation signal is a wireless signal.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a button configured to generate the activation signal when the button is depressed by a user.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising the source of pneumatic pressure.

12. An automatic valve shutoff system for use with an existing valve in a fluid supply line, the system comprising:
an actuation device including a pneumatically-powered actuator configured to be retrofitted to an existing valve and a barrier positioned between the pneumatically-powered actuator and a pneumatic pressure source, wherein the barrier configured to be removed by puncturing the barrier using a puncture device or melting the barrier using a chemical process; and
a controller coupled to the actuation device and configured to generate an activation signal for removing the barrier to initiate a valve shutoff process in response to the activation signal.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the activation signal is a wireless signal, and wherein the controller is operable to receive wireless transmissions when fluid is flowing through the supply line.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a wake-up device coupled to the controller and configured to detect a flow through the supply line and activate the controller in response to said flow.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the wake-up device includes one or more of an accelerometer, a flow sensor, a vibration sensor, a ball switch, a reed switch, a hall effect sensor, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to remain in standby mode until activated by the wakeup device.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to remain in active mode while fluid is flowing through the supply line and for a predetermined period of time after the flow stops.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the actuator comprises a gas-powered rotary actuator and a compressed gas cartridge, wherein the barrier is disposed between the actuator and the cartridge, and wherein the cartridge is configured to drive the rotary actuator upon the removal of the barrier.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising one or more of a pressure regulator or a flow control valve for controlling a flow or pressure of the gas contained in the cartridge prior to providing said gas to the actuator.

Assignees

• Univ Washington Through Its Center For Commercialization

Inventors

• Patel Shwetak N
• Campbell Timothy B
• Larson Eric C
• Cohn Gabriel A

Classifications

• F15B2211/632

  representing a flow rate · CPC title

• F15B2211/21

  Systems with pressure sources other than pumps, e.g. with a pyrotechnical charge · CPC title

• E03B7/071 Primary

  Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off · CPC title

• F16K31/02

  electric {(F16K31/004 takes precedence)}; magnetic · CPC title

• F16K31/12 Primary

  actuated by fluid ({fluid-actuated lift valves F16K1/126} ; fluid-actuated check valves F16K15/00; fluid-actuated safety valves F16K17/00) · CPC title