GB2486395A

GB2486395A - Mechanical shut-off valve

Info

Publication number: GB2486395A
Application number: GB1015823.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan John Faulkner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-09-21
Filing date: 2010-09-21
Publication date: 2012-06-20
Also published as: GB201015823D0

Abstract

A mechanical valve 10 allows a liquid system to operate as normal. However, if there is an abnormally high continuous flow of liquid, a limiter 300 stops the flow. The purpose of the valve is to prevent unwanted overflows of liquid from the system, but otherwise not to interfere. The amount of liquid that can flow continuously can be preset to a predetermined level by knob 400. Tripmeter mechanism 600 detects and tracks liquid flowing through path 140 and fluid energy is used to drive the mechanism 600. After a predetermined amount of liquid flow, the mechanism 600 causes limiter 300 to stop the flow. All the mechanisms of the valve are integrated into a single unit, so that all that is needed for installation is to connect it to an inlet pipe 100 and an outlet pipe 200.

Description

A Valve

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a valve, more particularly but not exclusively the invention relates to a valve for limiting uncontrolled or non-intended flow from pipes, tanks and liquid installations; and from systems for storing, collecting, and distributing liquids.

Background of the Invention

Valves for stopping unlimited water flow already exist to prevent damage, and expense caused by unintended flow or leakage of liquid. The simplest valves are a manual type. Better for the purpose of overflow prevention are valves which aid the filling of liquid reservoirs. For example, there are valves at the bottom of some cisterns which allow them to be emptied and refilled without overflowing with the object of reducing water usage. One such device is sold under the brand name Cisternmiser (Trade Mark).

There are similar valves in hot water tanks and washing machines. There are valve in livestock water troughs which maintain the level near full. A review of the prior art shows that methods of implementing overflow valves take several approaches.

Prior Art

An example of a water outage shutoff valve is described in Chinese Patent Application CN 201359127 and is designed to prevent an overflow that may occur after a water outage. In the event that a tap is inadvertently left open, during the outage when water was not flowing, when flow is re-started and water flows, a limiting mechanism shuts off the flow to the open tap.

I

The shutoff valve does not necessarily ensure against overflow prevention if the tap is inadvertently opened after the water outage is over. Chinese Patent Application CN 201281155 describes a valve designed to close as soon as the water supply is cut off. The valve remains closed even when the water supply is restored. The closed valve prevents unintended overflow when the water supply is restored. This device is less practical as an overflow prevention device for a system where the water supply remains operative.

In Canadian Patent Application CA-A-2 451 936, a valve is disclosed for shutting off the water supply when a leak has been detected. This valve stops the water supply almost immediately after a leak starts. The valve is useful, for example when a building is left unoccupied and an appliance or pipe starts leaking. The valve described in Canadian Patent Application CA-A-2 451 936 is less practical for everyday use when a continuous amount of water is needed regularly, but a leak or left open tap could go unnoticed for some time, allowing much more water to overflow than desired.

US Patent Application US-A-4 589 435 describes a valve connected to a timer.

After continuous flow for a predetermined amount of time the valve is closed automatically, thus preventing a large water overflow. However, this valve is less practical when the rate of flow may vary because a high rate of flow, even for a short time can result in an overflow that is higher than desired.

In African Regional publication 0A12449 there is disclosed an easy-to-install, mechanically-operated automatic/manual device for controlling a cutlet for any fluid. This device prevents the overflow of tanks and open containers by stopping flow when the hydrostatic pressure rises to a certain level. However it does not allow for a predetermined amount of continuous flow, nor is it sensitive to when flaw has stopped and so it is best for filling a single container to a predetermined level.

An intelligent flow control unit and water management system is disclosed in publication WO 2006042053 (A2). The intelligent unit measures and controls the flow of water to a water using fixture. Comprised in the unit is a programmable electronics unit that takes inputs from various sensors including pressure sensors.

When an abnormal flow condition occurs, the intelligent unit can stop the flow and send an alarm.

No specific method is described for the intelligent unit to control the flow of water using its input and output signal capabilities and microprocessor. This flow control unit must have electric power. If the electrical supply is a by battery, it may rundown before the moment of need. If powered by external electricity, it may be that a utility power failure event both stops this flow control unit from working, and releases open a valve in the downstream system resulting in uncontrolled overflow. As plumbing pipes are used as electrical grounds in the electrical code of some jurisdictions, a flow control unit powered by mains electricity may be barred.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple valve that is cheap and robust to manufacture, easy to install or retrofit into a wide variety of applications (including a domestic mains riser, domestic and commercial building plumbing systems, stationary tanks,, and other liquid systems) and prevents unwanted overflows.

It is a further object of the present invention to overcome limitations associated with prior systems and devices.

Summaryof the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention a valve has an inlet, an outlet, a limiter which is adapted to close off flow after a predetermined amount of liquid has flowed through the valve and a trip-meter state mechanism which is set to an initial condition and whose instantaneous condition, in use, corresponds to the amount of liquid that has continuously flowed through the valve, characterised in that, upon achieving a preset end condition, the trip-meter state mechanism triggers the limiter to stop all the flow of liquid and upon closure of the flow of liquid the trip-meter state mechanism is reset to its initial condition.

In use the initial condition of the trip meter state mechanism corresponds to the flow of a zero amount of liquid, and the end condition corresponds to the flow of the predetermined amount of liquid. There is interaction between the trip-meter and the limiter which stops the flow a moment after the trip-meter state mechanism achieves end condition.

An advantage of the present invention, over existing devices, is that when it is installed in a system, such as a residential plumbing system, the plumbing system can be used in the normal fashion by residents. The invention only stops the flow if there is continuous flow that exceeds the predetermined amount. This amount is more than occurs in normal use, but less than occurs if there is a leak or a tap is inadvertently left open.

It is advantageous for the invention to include a means to adjust the predetermined amount of liquid. In use the amount can thereby be adjusted to suit the application for which continuous flow through the valve is to be limited.

Therefore by way of example a small apartment may have a maximum amount of litres, the maximum for a large house including a garden irrigation system, or a sprinkler system, may be 500 litres, for a commercial building it may be 1000 litres or more.

The closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow.

In an alternative embodiment, the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow more quickly than a specified rate.

In an alternative embodiment, the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow, and the amount of flow that is stopped must be within a certain range, and the amount of time that it takes for the flow to stop must be in a certain range.

Advantageously upon closure of flow of liquid by a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow, the trip-meter state mechanism is reset to the initial condition and this allows more than the predetermined amount of liquid to flow through the valve in discontinuous increments. The reason for this is that upon the condition of the trip-meter state mechanism being changed to its initial condition, the limiter does not stop continuous flow until the predetermined amount of liquid has flowed continuously through the valve.

It is an advantage that there is no need to remember to switch the valve on or off.

It imparts peace of mind to homeowners, residents, and landlords by providing overflow protection. It is also an advantage to insurers, by reducing damage and costs from unintended liquid overflows.

In addition to protecting a building from unintended overflow, another advantage of the valve is that it protects the garden irrigation system from overflow. It is advantageous to install the valve between the utility liquid meter (5) and plumbing system inlet so that both the building and the irrigation (15) system are protected from unintended overflow.

It is advantageous for the invention to include a device that displays the value of the predetermined amount of liquid. In use this aids adjusting the predetermined amount.

The closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is detected either by a change in pressure of the liquid, or by a change in the sound from the liquid, or by a change in the vibration from the liquid, or by change in the speed of the liquid, or by another means to distinguish between flowing and stopped liquid.

In an embodiment where closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is detected by a pressure change, the amount of pressure change as well as the time it takes for the pressure change to occur may need to be within a certain range. Advantageously this allows the invention to be more specifically sensitive to pressure changes caused by a blockage downstream of the valve which stops all flow.

The pressure change caused by closure of the flow of liquid is due in part to the deceleration of the liquid and in part to the recovery of the pressure in the liquid supply upstream of the valve, and in part to Bernoulli's law as it applies to flowing and static liquids.

The change in sound is the difference between the lack of sound caused by stopped liquid and the noise caused by flowing liquid.

Speed of the liquid can be detected various methods, for example by vanes or wheels which move in the flow, or by the difference in the time it takes for sound to travel some distance in the direction of flow.

Ideally kinetic energy captured from the flowing liquid or potential energy from a pressure head, is used to operate the valve including the limiter and trip-meter state mechanism. Mechanisms which can be used to capture some of the energy in the liquid include, but are not limited to, a vane which is swung by the flow of the liquid, a wheel which is turned by the flowing liquid, or a surface pushed between the difference in pressure between the moving and stopped liquid.

The valve comprises its components in an integrated assembly, housing or unit.

An advantage of the valve being an integrated assembly is that for installation, only the entry needs to be connected to the incoming liquid supply and the outlet to be connected to a system receiving overflow protection. No complex of separate valves, pipes, sensors, flow meters, linkages, and so forth painstakingly connected together is necessary by the installer.

In a preferred embodiment the valve is fully mechanical. Advantageously there is no chance of failure due to an electrical failure or power outages.

The valve components are arranged in the integrated assembly for efficient use of energy. Advantageously the valve need only derive the energy required for its operation from the energy in the liquid that it controls and from manual inputs.

The valve provides for manual intervention. The valve includes a manual opening mechanism. Advantageously this provides a means to start flow under manual control. A situation where manual valve opening to start flow is desirable is after valve installation. Another situation where the manual valve opening mechanism is advantageous is after the limiter has stopped flow, since the flow can be restarted by use of the valve manual opening mechanism.

ideally the trip-meter state mechanism has a facility for permitting manual resetting. Advantageously this allows the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to its initial condition so that another increment of continued flow up to the predetermined amount is permitted if desired.

In another preferred embodiment there is incorporated into the fully automatic flood control valve a manual bypass valve of the automatic valve. When open and in use said manual bypass valve allows for free flow of fluid around the automatic valve. The advantage of this manual bypass valve is it can be held in the open position when an unlimited amount of water is required.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1 shows an installation of pipes and fixtures in a building with the invention in place; Figure 2 shows an installation of an embodiment of the invention between a liquid storage tank and a liquid outlet; Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the invention with components integrated into the valve; Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention with a bypass flow path; Figure 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment; and Figure 6 is a flow diagram illustrating key aspects of the valve.

Detailed Descri�tion of Preferred Embodiments of the Invenflon Figure 1 shows the valve (10) between the incoming liquid supply pipe to a building, and a single flat in the building. Preferably the valve (10) is installed downstream of the utility liquid meter (5) so that is between the building plumbing system and garden irrigation system (15) Figure 2 shows the valve between a liquid storage tank, and an outlet of the tank.

As Figure 3 illustrates, a valve (10) comprises an inlet (100), an outlet (200), and a limiter (300) which stops the flow of liquid after a predetermined amount of liquid has flowed continuously through the valve (10). The limiter (300) is located between the inlet and outlet in the flow path (160). Liquid may flow from inlet (100) to outlet (200), when the limiter (300) allows clear passage. When the limiter (300) blocks the flow path (160), liquid flow between inlet (100) and outlet (200) is stopped.

In a preferred embodiment the valve (10) has a means to adjust the predetermined amount of liquid. This may be a knob (400) as illustrated in Figure 3 which may be turned by hand or some other means that allows a person to set the amount.

Thereby a person can set the predetermined amount of liquid which may continuously flow through the valve to a level which is above the amount required in typical usage. Continuous flow is prevented above the predetermined amount of liquid set with the adjustment means (400).

In a preferred embodiment there is included display device (500) to show the value of the predetermined amount of liquid. The display device may be a separate dial as illustrated in Figure 3, or it may be a dial surrounding adjustment means knob (400). Advantages of the display device (500) are it allows a person to see upon inspection the amount of liquid that the valve (10) permits to flow continuously, and the display device (500) aids setting the predetermined amount of liquid with an adjustment means knob (400).

Linked to the limiter (300) is a trip-meter state mechanism (600); in use the condition of the trip-meter state mechanism changes to correspond to the amount of liquid that has continuously flowed through the valve, in particular the initial condition corresponds to a zero amount of liquid, and the end condition corresponds to the predetermined amount of liquid. The trip-meter state mechanism (600) is connected to the flow path (140). The trip-meter state mechanism (600) detects liquid flow through the flow path (140) and the mechanism causes the condition to track the amount of continuous flow.

In a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the trip-meter state mechanism (600) is connected to the flow path (140) so that its mechanism is driven by the flow of liquid. This embodiment is advantageous because it uses the energy in the fluid rather than energy from an external source to operate the trip-meter state mechanism. This does not exclude another embodiment where a separate device is included in the valve (10) to derive energy from the liquid for use by the trip-meter (600) and other means, devices, and mechanisms.

The limiter (300) stops the flow a moment after the trip-meter state mechanism (600) achieves end condition. The trip-meter state mechanism (600) causes the limiter (300) to stop the flow. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the energy required by the limiter (300) to stop the liquid flow comes through the link between the limiter (300) and the trip-meter (600).

In one embodiment there is a pressure activated mechanism (900). The mechanism (900) is sensitive to the pressure downstream of the valve (10). This pressure activated mechanism (900) resets the trip-meter state mechanism (600) when there is a pressure rise due to a closure downstream of the valve (10) which stops all flow. There are other possible embodiments which reset the trip-meter state mechanism when a closure of the flow of liquid occurs downstream of the valve (10).

In a preferred embodiment there is provided, as part of the valve (10), a manual opening mechanism (700). The manual opening mechanism (700) is connected to the limiter and provides a means to open the passage through the limiter.

Advantageously the manual opening mechanism (700) provides a means to achieve flow through the valve (10) upon need. Advantageously the flow of liquid can be restarted with the manual opening mechanism (700) after flow has been stopped by the limiter (300). Therefore the cause of the continuous flow of liquid to reach the predetermined amount liquid can be investigated, be it a leak or left open tap or other reason, and then advantageously flow can be restarted with the manual opening mechanism (700) once the cause of the overflow is resolved.

In one embodiment, the manual opening mechanism (700) resets the trip-meter (600) to its initial state at the same time that it unblocks the flow path through the limiter (300). In another embodiment a manual mechanism, such as a plunger knob (1000) as illustrated in Figure 3, is provided for resetting the trip-meter (600).

In a preferred embodiment there is provided a manual override mechanism (800) to provide for free flow through or around the valve. As illustrated by Figure 4, a preferred embodiment for the manual override valve comprises an alternative flow path (850) around the limiter (300). Advantageously the manual override mechanism (800) provides a manually controlled flow path between the inlet (100) and outlet (200).

Protection of buildings from liquid overflows is one of the advantages imparted by the valve. The invention has other applications as well. Examples are water supplies for agricultural irrigation and livestock watering systems, farm or small industry petrol refuelling tanks, outdoor plumbing systems that can freeze, burst, and cause damage upon thawing, and numerous other systems where it is desirable to be able to use a predetermined amount of liquid in regular use, but if the predetermined amount is exceed that the liquid supply should be stopped.

The invention allows the liquid supply to be restarted manually. Thus the cause of the overflow can be determined before the liquid supply is restarted.

An advantage of the valve is it can operate without reliance on external electrical power or internal batteries.

The invention has been described by way of embodiments and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to these embodiments, and their applications, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For example the valve may be filled to vats or storage tanks; ships and vessels or road vehicles carrying bulk liquids.

Claims

Claims 1. A valve has an inlet, an outlet, a limiter which is adapted to close off flow after a predetermined amount of liquid has flowed through the valve and a trip-meter state mechanism which is set to an initial condition and whose instantaneous condition, in use, corresponds to the amount of liquid that has continuously flowed through the valve, characterised in that, upon achieving a preset end condition, the trip-meter state mechanism triggers the limiter to stop all the flow of liquid and upon closure of the flow of liquid the trip-meter state mechanism is reset to its initial condition.
2. A valve as in claim 1 also has a means to adjust the predetermined amount of liquid.
3. A valve as in claims I and 2, which includes a device to display the value of the predetermined amount of liquid.
4. A valve as in claim 1, which includes a facility for manual resetting the trip-meter state mechanism to its initial condition.
5. A valve as in claim 1, which includes a facility for an external device to reset the trip-meter state mechanism to its initial condition.
6. A valve as in claim I in which in use the initial condition of the trip meter state mechanism corresponds to the flow of a zero amount of liquid, and the end condition corresponds to the flow of the predetermined amount of liquid.
7. A valve as in claim 1, in which the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow.
8. A valve as in claim I in which the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow more quickly than a specified rate.
9. A valve as in claim I in which the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is a blockage downstream of the valve that stops all flow, and the amount of flow that is stopped must be within a certain range, and the amount of time that it takes for the flow to stop must be in a certain range.
10. A valve as in claim I where the closure of the flow of liquid which causes the trip-meter state mechanism to be reset to the initial condition is detected either by a change in pressure of the liquid, or by a change in the sound from the liquid, or by a change in the vibration from the liquid, or by change in the speed of the liquid, or by another means to distinguish between flowing and stopped liquid.
11. A valve as in claim 1, which includes a manual opening mechanism.
12. A valve as in claim 1, with a manual override mechanism to provide for free flow through or around the valve.
13. A valve as in all preceding claims that comprises all its means, mechanisms, and devices into a single integrated assembly and operates mechanically.
14. A valve as in all preceding claims which derives all the energy required for its operation from the energy in the liquid that it controls and from manual inputs.
15. A building plumbing system including the valve in claims Ito 14.
16.. A valve substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.