Automated water delivery systems with feedback control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763393-B2
Application number	US-38187009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2009
Priority date	Jun 24, 2002
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A water delivery system includes a water input port, a control circuit, and a valve device. The water input port is constructed to be coupled to a water conduit receiving water from a remotely located water source. The valve device includes an actuator located near and connected to the water input port; wherein the valve device is constructed to receive control signals from the controller for providing water to a water delivery unit. The controller may be battery operated. The actuator may be a latching actuator, a non-latching actuator, or an isolated latching actuator. The controller may include a microcontroller coupled and to a sensor. The system may include a communication interface constructed and arranged to provide data to the microcontroller. The control circuit may include a power consumption controller. The control circuit includes a voltage regulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrically operated valve for a water delivery system, comprising:
a valve body having a water inlet and a water outlet separated by a valve closure surface,
a valve closure element located within said valve body and constructed to move within a cavity of said valve body between an open state enabling water flow from said inlet to said outlet and a closed state preventing said water flow from said inlet to said outlet, said valve closure element including
a fram member and a sliding seal freely sliding with respect to a surface of said cavity for providing two pressure zones isolated by said sliding seal acting on an inner surface of said valve body, entire said fram member and entire said sliding seal being slidably movable within said cavity, said fram member including a pliable member and a stiff member, said pliable member being constructed to come in contact with said valve closure surface to form said seal preventing water flow from said water inlet to said water outlet,
a pin fixedly arranged with respect to said valve body and including a groove extending over said two pressure zones to provide a water passage between said two zones, said groove providing hydraulic communication between said two pressure zones, and
a spring biased to assist movement of said valve closure element;

an electromagnetic actuator including an armature housing, an armature including ferromagnetic material, and a solenoid coil operable by application of a coil drive to linearly displace said armature coupled to a linearly movable plunger having a sealing member attached to its distal end and operating between retracted and extended positions;
a pilot mechanism constructed to control hydraulically said movement of said valve closure element between said open state and said closed state based on a position of said sealing member of said plunger of said electromagnetic actuator thereby changing pressure in one of said two pressure zones by releasing water from said one pressure zone;
a control circuit constructed to provide current to said electromagnetic actuator; and
a communication interface, including a wireless communication unit, constructed and arranged to provide data to and from a microcontroller coupled to said control circuit; said microcontroller being programmed to request and receive calibration data for controlling operation of said actuator to deliver a known amount of water from said inlet to said outlet at different water pressures at said water inlet, wherein said wireless communication unit sends and receives said calibration data and device specific data, said microcontroller being programmed for controlling different types of actuation by said electromagnetic actuator thereby delivering different amounts of water at different water pressures.

2. The electrically operated valve of claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication unit sends data to and receives said calibration data and said device specific data to and from a central communication unit communicating wirelessly with several valves controlling water flow, each valve being controlled by said microcontroller being programmed for controlling different types of actuation by said electromagnetic actuator thereby delivering different amounts of water at different water pressures.

3. A valve control system, comprising:
a valve body having a water inlet and a water outlet,
a valve closure element located within said valve body and constructed to move within a cavity of said valve body between an open state enabling water flow from said inlet to said outlet and a closed state preventing said water flow from said inlet to said outlet;
said valve closure element being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in a first zone of two water pressure zones; and being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone;
an electromagnetic actuator including an armature housing, an armature including ferromagnetic material, and a solenoid coil operable by application of a coil drive to linearly displace said armature coupled to a linearly movable sealing member attached to its distal end and operating between retracted and extended positions to control hydraulically operation of said valve closure element;
a control circuit constructed to provide current to said electromagnetic actuator;
a sensor;
a microcontroller coupled to said control circuit and to said sensor, said sensor providing periodically sensor data to said microcontroller; and
a communication interface, including a wireless communication unit, constructed and arranged to provide data to and from said microcontroller; said microcontroller being programmed to request and receive calibration data for controlling operation of said actuator to deliver a known amount of water from said inlet to said outlet at different water pressures at said water inlet, wherein said wireless communication unit sends and receives said calibration data and device specific data, said microcontroller being programmed for controlling different types of actuation by said electromagnetic actuator thereby delivering different amounts of water at different water pressures.

4. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said control circuit includes a power consumption controller.

5. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said control circuit includes a voltage regulator.

6. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said valve body includes a valve closure surface and said valve closure element includes a pliable member and a stiff member, said pliable member being constructed to come in contact with said valve closure surface to form said seal in said closed position.

7. The valve control system of claim 3 including a bias member constructed and arranged to assist movement of said valve closure element from said open position to said closed position.

8. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said valve closure element includes a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity for providing said two pressure zones and being slidably movable within said cavity with respect to a guiding member; said fram member being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in said first zone of said pressure zones; and being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone, wherein said sliding seal is constructed to isolate said first pressure zone from said second pressure zone; and said guiding member includes a pin including a groove extending between said two pressure zones and providing a water passage.

9. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said sensor includes a motion sensor and said microcontroller being programmed to transition from a low frequency sleep mode to an operation mode based on data from said motion sensor.

10. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said electromagnetic actuator, said control circuit and said microcontroller are connected in a feed-back arrangement including a feedback loop.

11. The valve control system of claim 3 , wherein said sensor includes an armature sensor.

12. The valve control system of claim 3 wherein said wireless communication unit sends data to and receives said calibration data and said device specific data to and from a central communication unit communicating wirelessly with several valves controlling water flow, each valve being controlled by said microcontroller being programmed for controlling d

Assignees

• Parsons Natan E
• Guler Fatih
• Herbert Kay
• Sloan Valve Co

Inventors

• Parsons Natan E
• Guler Fatih
• Herbert Kay

Classifications

• E03D3/02

  Self-closing flushing valves (self-closing valves in general F16K21/04) · CPC title

• A01G25/167

  Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors · CPC title

• E03C1/057

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• Y10T137/189

  Soil moisture sensing · CPC title

• F16K31/02

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