Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
  • G05D16/00—Control of fluid pressure
  • G05D16/04—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power
  • G05D16/06—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a flexible membrane, yielding to pressure, e.g. diaphragm, bellows, capsule
  • G05D16/063—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a flexible membrane, yielding to pressure, e.g. diaphragm, bellows, capsule the sensing element being a membrane
  • G05D16/0644—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a flexible membrane, yielding to pressure, e.g. diaphragm, bellows, capsule the sensing element being a membrane the membrane acting directly on the obturator
  • G05D16/0647—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a flexible membrane, yielding to pressure, e.g. diaphragm, bellows, capsule the sensing element being a membrane the membrane acting directly on the obturator using one membrane without spring
  • G05D16/065—Control of fluid pressure without auxiliary power the sensing element being a flexible membrane, yielding to pressure, e.g. diaphragm, bellows, capsule the sensing element being a membrane the membrane acting directly on the obturator using one membrane without spring characterised by the form of the obturator
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
  • G05D16/00—Control of fluid pressure
  • G05D16/02—Modifications to reduce the effects of instability, e.g. due to vibrations, friction, abnormal temperature, overloading or imbalance

Definitions

• This invention relates to a regulator valve for maintaining a designated gas pressure at an output thereof, and more particularly to a regulator valve that maintains a preset gas pressure and a set maximum flow rate in a device such as a transportable container for potable liquids.
• Diaphragm operated regulator valves have been utilized to regulate the flow of compressed gas applied to a gas layer on top of liquids in a storage container and to other low pressure applications.
• the gas is normally a non-flammable gas, such as carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen.
• One such regulator valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,021, dated Aug. 24, 1993. In this valve, pressure flow is regulated via a diaphragm actuator.
• the diaphragm actuator is 1 ) relatively large, 2) very costly to manufacture, and 3) unsuitable in some applications of portable storage container operations.
• regulator valves of this general type are no more than a poppet valve with a control spring, they cannot be changed to different flow rates without being re-manufactured. They also move open abruptly from a fully-closed position to a fully-open position and, therefore, cannot transition smoothly from a closed position to an open position and cannot achieve a flow rate therethrough that is proportional to the amount of valve opening.
• a diaphragm operated regulator valve for maintaining a preset gas pressure in a potable storage container is provided with a relatively small diameter diaphragm and provides particularly effective at gas flow regulation as well as pressure regulation.
• the use of the word "fluid” as used herein can encompass both liquids and gasses.
• the regulator valve is usable, e.g., as a potable fluid regulator valve rated at low fluid pressures.
• the valve includes a gas-balanced piston-tower diaphragm assembly that is freely supported, sealed, and operatively connected to a pressure-biasing adjustment.
• the diaphragm assembly permits axial movement relationships between valving channels or pathways, a valving-seal, and volume changes that take place in a low-pressure chamber.
• the valve 1) converts axial movement of the diaphragm into smooth transitional flow rates by varying the cross sectional areas of ingress and egress from an open valve position to a closed valve position and 2) has the ability to preset maximum flow rates.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical dispenser in which a regulator valve constructed in accordance with the present invention may be used
• FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating the gas regulator valve of FIG. 1 as a complete assembly
• FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating one of the three units that make up the regulator valve
• FIG. 4 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating another of the three units that make up the regulator valve
• FIG. 5 is a sectional side elevation view illustrating still another of the three units that make up the regulating valve
• FIG. 6 is a partially exploded sectional side elevation view of the three units that make up the regulating valve
• FIGS. 7 and 7A are a collection of sectional side elevation views of a portion of the regulator valve in its fully-closed position;
• FIGS. 8 and 8 A are sectional side elevation views of a portion of the regulator valve in its half-open position;
• FIGS. 9 and 9A are a collection of sectional side elevation views of a portion of the regulator valve in its full-open position;
• FIG. 10 is an exploded side elevation view of the regulator valve;
• FIGS. 1 1 and 12 are a pair of graphs comparing operation of a regulator valve constructed in accordance with the invention to that of a prior art regulator valve
• a dispensing storage container for liquids is shown generally at 1 and stores a potable liquid under a pressurized gas blanket or layer contained therein.
• a gas suitable for dispensing the liquid from the container may be carbon dioxide or some other non-flammable gas such as nitrogen.
• the gas is supplied by a source 3 that may, for instance, comprise a commercially available C0 2 cartridge.
• the pressure in the container 1 is controlled by a pressure regulator valve shown generally at 2.
• the valve 2 is placed between the dispensing container 1 and the source of pressurized gas.
• the container 1 may comprise, e.g., a keg configured to dispense a beverage. It should be understood that the same valve 2 and other valves constructed in accordance with the present invention can be used in a variety of other applications including the dispensing of medicinal products, the dispensing of non- potable liquids, and any other application requiring the dispensing of a liquid or gas at a designated rate and/or a designated pressure.
• the valve 2 is formed from first, second, and third main units that are attached to one another to form a completed assembly in which a high pressure chamber 15 and a balance control chamber 33 are disposed at opposite ends of the valve 2 with a low pressure chamber 22 formed therebetween.
• the high pressure chamber 15 is connected to the high pressure source 3 via a hose or line connected to a threaded inlet 13, and the low pressure chamber 22 is connected to dispensing container 1 either by direct communication or an intervening line or hose.
• All or nearly all valve components preferably are made of a plastic or another engineered polymer such as Polysulfone®.
• the first unit of the valve 2 includes a first housing 5 and a sub- assembly 9, 10 screwed into threads 18 formed on the inner diameter of a bore formed in a generally central portion of the housing 5.
• the sub-assembly 9, 10 includes 1) a seal holder 10 threaded into a bore 34 in the housing 5 and 2) a seal 9.
• the seal 9 has a plastic overlay and an elastomeric lip seal which is of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,645,192 and U.S. Patent No. 6,109,485.
• the seal 9 functions as a valve seat to seal-off high pressure chamber 15 and high pressure source 3 from low pressure chamber 22 and container 1.
• a replaceable flow-rate outlet orifice part 20 is screwed into low-pressure outlet threads formed in a radial bore 19 opening into the low pressure chamber 22.
• the replaceable flow-rate outlet orifice part 20 can house any of a variety of different orifices 21 that set the rate of flow out of the low-pressure chamber 22 at a desired value.
• the second unit of the valve 2 includes a second housing 4 having a sub-assembly 9, 10 mounted in a stepped bore 32 formed in the housing 4.
• the bore 32 has an upper portion 23 and a lower portion 37 separated by a flange 38.
• the sub-assembly 9, 10 is faced with a keeper disk part 8 screwed into threads 23 in the inner end of the upper portion 23, which forms the inner end of a balance control chamber 340 of the valve 2.
• the sub-assembly 9-10 is identical to the corresponding sub-assembly of the first unit, hence permitting the use of interchangeable parts in the first two units.
• Another sub-assembly 6-26 of the second valve unit faces a sub-assemble 7 - 27 screwed into threads in the outer end 37 of the balance control chamber 33.
• the sub-assembly 6 - 26 is formed from a cap seal 6 and an adjustment cap 26 threaded into the bottom end 37 of the bore 32
• sub-assembly 7-27 is formed from a bias spring cap 7 and bias pressure spring 27 which biases the second unit towards the valve-open position.
• the third unit comprises a sub-assembly 11-17 extending through the low pressure chamber 22 and into the high pressure chamber 15 and the balance control chamber 40.
• the sub-assembly 11 -17 comprises a diaphragm 1 1 and a rod tower 17 that together, form a gas-balanced piston-tower valve part.
• the diaphragm 1 1 is bonded to rod tower 17 and has 1) an O-ring 30 portion formed or otherwise provided therein.
• the rod tower 17 has an internal passage 16 formed therethrough end 2 a plurality of external graduated pathways 14 that selectively permit a controlled flow of high pressure fluid into the low pressure chamber 22 from the high pressure chamber 15 as detailed below.
• the pathways 14 are formed from a plurality of peripherally-spaced grooves formed in the exterior surface of the rod tower. The depth of the upper end of each pathway 14 is tapered to provide smooth opening and flow rate control as detailed below.
• the diaphragm 1 1 is clamped between the first and second housing 4 and 5 of the first and second units seal the low pressure chamber 22 from the balance control chamber 33. More specifically, referring to FIG. 6, the orientation of the third unit between the second unit and the first unit allows the capture and confinement of O-ring portion 30 of diaphragm 1 1 between sealing grooves 31 and 29, respectively, by screwing the female thread 24 on the first housing 5 to the male thread 25 on the second housing 4. This orientation of the third unit requires the upper end of rod tower 17 to pierce through the seal 9 of the first unit into the high pressure 15 and the lower end of the rod tower 17 to pierce through the seal of 9 of the second unit into the balance control chamber 33.
• FIGS. 7B-9C collectively show the volume change of the exposed areas of the pathways 14 from open to mid to close.
• Detail view 9B shows the valving-seat cross section of seal 9 at sealing-lip 12 and one quarter of whole valving pathway 14 of rod tower 17 when the valve 2 is in its rest or full open position.
• gas pressure in low pressure chamber 22 rises against confinement and forces diaphragm 1 1 to impart downward axial movement onto rod tower 17.
• This axial movement will begin to close off gas-flow from the source 3 by moving the rod tower 17 downwardly to a position in which only the upper tapered ends of the pathways 14 extend past the sealing lip 12.
• Detail view 8B shows the mid point of this closure, and detail view 7B shows full gas cut-off which occurs when the sealing lip 12 seals against the rod tower 17 above the pathways 14.
• the reduced gas flow rate by movement of the rod tower 17 and consequent reduction of pathway inlet area achieves balance of the preset pressure in container 1 and cuts off gas-flow from the pressurized source 3.
• the rate of gas flow into the low pressure chamber 22 is controlled by the shape of the pathways 14, and numerous rates of flow can therefore be defined with a gradual and progressive widening and deepening of this shape along the length of the rod tower as the rod tower 17 seals to lip 12 from full open to close.
• the gas flow rate variation with rod tower movement is very smooth and sensitive as compared to a standard pop open /pop-close valve.
• FIG. 1 1 and 12 show the relationship of gas-flow of the illustrated embodiment of the invention curve 50 in. (FIG. 1 1) as compared to a standard regulator employing a poppet valve curve 52 in. (FIG. 12).
• the operating curves are plotted using cross sectional square area (in ) of exposed gas pathway found at a given axial stroke of valve element movement in (thousands of an inch) as the valve opens and closes.
• the curve 50 of FIG. 1 1 illustrating operation of the embodiment of the invention described above, is smooth and gradual, showing that flow rates vary gradually with stroke.
• the curve 52 of FIG. 12, illustrating operation of a standard poppet valve seat, is very sharp because the valve is either fully open or fully closed.
• the data plotted by these cures is reproduced by the following tables:

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Lift Valve (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=22600912

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2000
  • 2000-11-10 WO PCT/US2000/030937 patent/WO2001035180A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-11-10 AU AU17609/01A patent/AU1760901A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-11-10 EP EP00980333A patent/EP1234220A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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