US3537678A - Thermal motor actuated valves - Google Patents

Thermal motor actuated valves Download PDF

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Publication number
US3537678A
US3537678A US753359A US3537678DA US3537678A US 3537678 A US3537678 A US 3537678A US 753359 A US753359 A US 753359A US 3537678D A US3537678D A US 3537678DA US 3537678 A US3537678 A US 3537678A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
valve
cylinder member
thermal motor
cylinder
piston
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US753359A
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English (en)
Inventor
Kalman Shmueli
Robert T Scott
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INTERN CONTROLS CORP
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INTERN CONTROLS CORP
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Publication date
Application filed by INTERN CONTROLS CORP filed Critical INTERN CONTROLS CORP
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/275—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means with sensing element expanding, contracting, or fusing in response to changes of temperature
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
    • G05D23/00—Control of temperature
    • G05D23/19—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means
    • G05D23/1919—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means characterised by the type of controller
    • G05D23/1921—Control of temperature characterised by the use of electric means characterised by the type of controller using a thermal motor

Definitions

  • the valve assembly includes a valve housing which carries a thermal motor means.
  • the thermal motor means includes an outer cylinder member and a piston member axially slidable through the outer cylinder member.
  • the piston member has elongated portions of diiferent diameters respectively extending fluid-tightly through end walls of the cylinder member and defining between themselves in the interior of this cylinder member an annular working surface to be acted upon by the pressure of an expandable material within the cylinder member, the expandable ma terial expanding when heated.
  • the valve housing carries an annular valve seat defining an opening through which the fluid flows when the valve assembly is open, and a valve closure coacts with the valve seat to engage the latter for closing the valve assembly and for opening the valve assembly when displaced from the valve seat.
  • One of the above members of the thermal motor means coacts with the valve closure for displacing the latter from the valve seat when the temperature of the material within the thermal motor means increases.
  • the present invention relates to valves.
  • the present invention relates to valves which are actuated by thermal motors.
  • thermal motors herein employed constitute the subject matter of our copending application Ser. No. 702,920 filed on Feb. 5, 1968.
  • the known structures suffer from several drawbacks.
  • the thermal motors do not operate in a precise manner and are incapable of providing an adequate opening of a valve in response to a relatively small increase in the temperature of the expandable medium within the thermal motor.
  • the piston and cylindner of conventional thermal motors used in such assemblies tend to wobble one with respect to the other so that a precise axial movement of structure which displaces a valve closure from its closed to its open position cannot be achieved with the known structures.
  • valve assembly of a type of construction which makes it possible to achieve an adequate opening of the valve assembly in response to a relatively small increase in the temperature of the expandable medium of the thermal motor.
  • thermo motor structure which can be used interchangeably with diiferent types of valves, so that only one type of thermal motor construction will suffice for a number of different types of valves.
  • the valve assembly has a housing within which the thermal motor means is located, this thermal motor means including a cylinder member and a piston member axially slidable one with respect to the other.
  • the piston member has elongated portions of different diameters respectively extending fluidtightly through end walls of the cylinder member, and within the latter there is an expandable medium which responds to an increase in temperature in order to displace one of these members with respect to the other.
  • a heating means also forms part of the thermal motor means for heating the medium therein so as to displace one of the members of the motor with respect to the other.
  • the housing of the valve assembly is provided with an annular valve seat through which the fiuid flows when the valve assembly is in an open position, and a valve closure is moveable toward and away from the valve seat to engage the latter for closing the valve assembly and to open the valve assembly when the valve closure is displaced from the valve seat.
  • One of the above members of the thermal motor means coacts with the valve closure for displacing the latter from its closed to its open position when the temperature of the expandable medium within the cylinder member increases, so that in this way opening and closing the valve assembly is controlled according to the temperature of the expandable medium within the cylinder member.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the thermal motor means
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation of one embodiment of the valve assembly of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of a valve assembly of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a plan view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a third embodiment of a valve assembly of the invention.
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional elevation of another embodiment of a valve assembly of the invention.
  • a heating means 22 is situated within the cylinder member 12, as schematically shown in FIG. 1.
  • the particular heating means 22 illustrated herein by way of example is energized by means of leads 24 which extend fluid-tightly through an end wall of the cylinder member 12 to the exterior thereof where the leads 24 are connected into a circuit Which includes a source of power 26 and a thermostat, timer or other suitable control T which closes the circuit automatically, as when a certain temperature is reached or when a certain time is reached.
  • the heating means 22 will be energized so as to expand the medium within the cylinder member 12, and the pressure medium acts on the working surface 20 so as to displace the cylinder member 12 and the piston member 14 axially one with respect to the other.
  • any other heating means may be employed, such as one in the form of means circulating a heated fluid or induction heating means. Because the working surface 20 is formed by the annular shoulder between the pair of portions 16 and 18 of different diameters, a relatively small increase in the temperature within the cylinder member will result in a relatively large axial displacement. Because the piston member 14 is guided by both of the opposed end walls of the cylinder member 12, a very precise, wobble-free guiding of the displaceable member of the thermal motor means is achieved.
  • valve assembly 30 illustrated therein includes the valve housing 32 which is provided in its interior with a valve seat 34.
  • a valve closure 36 is urged toward the valve seat by a spring 38 so as to tend to maintain the valve assembly 30 in its closed position.
  • a ring 40 is fixed to the top of the housing 32, by way of bolts 42, and a suitable sealing ring 44 is situated between the housing and the ring 40.
  • an elongated tubular sleeve 46 which is threaded into ring 40, as shown in FIG. 2, and which also has a sealed engagement with the sealing ring 44.
  • This sleeve 46 accommodates the cylinder member 12 in its interior, while the larger diameter portion 16 of the piston member 14 is directed toward and situated adjacent to valve closure 36.
  • Adjacent its top end the cylinder member 12 is formed with a groove which receives a sealing ring 48 which engages the inner surface of the sleeve 46.
  • the top threaded end of the sleeve 46 has a cap 50 mounted thereon, and this cap 50 threadedly carries a tubular member 52 through which the leads 24 extend.
  • the piston 14 will be displaced downwardly to engage the closure 36 and displace it in opposition to the spring 38 to its open position opening the valve so that the fluid can flow therethrough from the inlet chamber 54 to the outlet chamber 56, these chambers being connected to any suitable inlet and outlet conduits.
  • the entire ring 50 can be turned so as to adjust the angular position of the sleeve 46, and this sleeve 46 carries at its right lower end, as viewed in 4 FIG. 2, a throttling control 58, so that by adjusting the angular position of the sleeve 46 the position of the throttling control 58 can be regulated at the downstream side of the valve seat 34.
  • the interior of the tubular enclosure 70 receives the top end of the cylinder member 12 which in this case also is formed near its top end with an annular groove accommodating the sealing ring 76 which engages the inner surface of the tubular enclosure 70.
  • a spring 78 is situated within the enclosure 70 and urges the cylinder member 12 downwardly.
  • the bottom end of the cylinder member 12 itself forms the closure member of this valve assembly, and for this purpose the bottom end may be provided with an outwardly directed flange or may fixedly carry an additional valve-closing plate 80 which forms the valve closure, the plate or flange 80 fixedly carrying a sealing ring 88.
  • the valve seat assembly 68 includes a cylindrical member 82 having at its top end an outwardly directed flange 84 fixedly carrying a sealing ring 86 at its lower surface and engaging the sealing ring '88 at its upper surface.
  • the cylindrical member 82 is open at both of its ends and at its lower end it fixedly carries a transverse supporting bar 90 formed with a central opening 17 which receives a projection 93 at the bottom end of the larger diameter portion 16 of the piston member 14.
  • the cylinder member 82 is formed with a pair of large diametrically opposed notches 92 as illustrated or other suitable openings for the passage of fluid.
  • the force will act to displace the cylinder member 12 upwardly, in opposition to the spring 78, with respect to the piston member 14 which remains stationary at its connection with the valve assembly 68, so that in this way the closure 80 will be displaced away from the valve seat to open the valve, and of course, when the temperature of the medium within the cylinder member 12 decreases, the spring 78 will expand to return the valve to its closed position.
  • the piston member 14 is provided with an axial bore 14a extending entirely therethrough. The bore 14a serves as pressure balancing means.
  • a quantity of the fluid being controlled by the valve flows through the bore in the direction away from the valve seat as the valve is closed and in the direction toward the valve seat as the valve is opened.
  • the bore 14a may be employed as a conduit for heating or cooling fluid.
  • FIG. shows a thermal motor means similar to that of FIG. 3 forming part of a valve assembly where the fluid flows through the assembly without changing its direction, as was the case with the embodiment of FIG. 2.
  • the valve seat assembly fiS' is the same as that of FIGS. 3 and 4, the flange 84' engaging the sealing ring 88 carried by the flange or plate 80'.
  • an adapter 110 provided with an annular groove retaining a sealing ring 111, is fitted onto the cylinder member 12, the sealing ring 111 thus providing a sliding seal as was provided by the sealing ring 76 and the sealing ring 76 now providing a static seal.
  • FIG. 6 in a valve housing 62 having a lower inlet 64 and an upper outlet 66, as in FIG. 3, there is provided another valve assembly according to the invention.
  • the bottom end of the cylinder member 12 itself forms the closure member of the valve assembly and for this purpose the bottom end is formed with an annular shoulder accommodating a sealing ring 110.
  • the valve housing 62 is provided with a tubular enclosure 170 threaded into the top end thereof with a sealing ring 72 situated between the enclosure 170 and the housing 62.
  • the top end of the enclosure 170 is sealed by means of a plug 171 which is supported by an annular shoulder 172 on the internal wall of the enclosure 17 0.
  • the upper edge 173 of the enclosure 170 is bent over against the plug 171.
  • annular groove is provided in the plug 171 in which groove is retained a sealing ring 174.
  • An opening through the plug 171 is provided for passage therethrough of leads 24.
  • Elongated portion 18 of the piston is retained in a bore 175 in the plug 171 and restrained against significant axial movement by a bushing 176 fixed on the elongated portion 18 and a snap ring 177 retained in an annular groove in the bore 175.
  • a spring 78 is situated within the enclosure 170, the upper end of the spring 78 being biased against the plug 171 and the lower end of the spring 78 urging the cylinder member 12 downwardly.
  • the piston member 14 is provided with an axial bore 14a extending entlrely therethrough for pressure balancing.
  • the cylinder member 12 has an outer smooth cylindrical surface which need not be provided with any cooling fins or the like because the desired stroke is achieved with a relatively small increase in temperature of the expandable medium with this construction, so that the structure of the invention is not unnecessarily complicated by the requirements of cooling the thermal motor means. While there is no necessity for fins on the cylinder member 12, if for a particular application the desirability of a greater cooling rate or other engineering considerations would dictate in favor of the use of fins, they could, of course, be employed. Moreover, the piston member 14 may also or alternatively be provided with fins for improving heat transfer.
  • the upper end of the piston member 14 may be operatively connected to an electrical slide wire or other suitable electrical or mechanical position sensing means and this sensing can be utilized for servo control of the valve.
  • a valve assembly of the type including a thermal motor having a cylindrical member enclosing a thermally expandable material, and a piston extending axially from one end of said cylinder whereby the relative displacement of said cylindrical member and piston is a function of the temperature of said material; the improvement wherein said assembly further comprises a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a fiuid passage means including a valve seat between said inlet and outlet, and wherein said valve body further comprises an inner cylinder axially aligned with said valve seat, said cylindrical member being slidably positioned within said cylinder and having a valve closing member on one end thereof adapted to engage said valve seat, means for fixedly holding said piston within said valve body, and sealing means for slidably sealing said cylindrical member within said cylinder.
  • valve assembly of claim 1 further comprising spring means in said cylinder positioned to urge said valve closing member against said valve seat, and said thermal motor is arranged to urge said valve closing member away from said valve seat upon heating of said thermally expandable material.
  • valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said inlet and outlet extend through said valve body on a common axis transverse of the axis of said valve seat and cylinder, and said valve body comprises a first chamber on one side of said valve seat connected to one of said inlet and outlet, and a second chamber on the other side of said valve seat into which the other of said inlet and outlet extend, and into which said cylinder and said cylindrical member extend.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
  • Temperature-Responsive Valves (AREA)
US753359A 1968-08-19 1968-08-19 Thermal motor actuated valves Expired - Lifetime US3537678A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US75335968A 1968-08-19 1968-08-19

Publications (1)

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US3537678A true US3537678A (en) 1970-11-03

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US753359A Expired - Lifetime US3537678A (en) 1968-08-19 1968-08-19 Thermal motor actuated valves

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US (1) US3537678A (cs)
BE (1) BE727895A (cs)
DE (1) DE1905265B2 (cs)
FR (1) FR2015864A1 (cs)
GB (1) GB1227114A (cs)
IL (1) IL31546A0 (cs)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0798617A1 (en) * 1996-03-19 1997-10-01 Microtecnica S.p.A. Two-way variable-section control valve for a refrigeration circuit
US5866882A (en) * 1994-12-15 1999-02-02 Behr-Thomson-Dehnstoffregler Gmbh & Co. Thermostatic working element having an electric resistance heating element and method of making same

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1720792A (en) * 1925-03-30 1929-07-16 Emil T Johnsson Thermostatic temperature regulator
US2932454A (en) * 1957-03-18 1960-04-12 American Radiator & Standard Remote control means for thermally sensitive element and mixing valve employing such means
US3173245A (en) * 1963-03-04 1965-03-16 Standard Thomson Corp Control apparatus
US3335997A (en) * 1965-10-18 1967-08-15 Thermal Hydraulics Inc Valve controlled by a thermal motor
US3397859A (en) * 1965-06-14 1968-08-20 Febco Inc Electromechanical transducer and valve operated thereby

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1720792A (en) * 1925-03-30 1929-07-16 Emil T Johnsson Thermostatic temperature regulator
US2932454A (en) * 1957-03-18 1960-04-12 American Radiator & Standard Remote control means for thermally sensitive element and mixing valve employing such means
US3173245A (en) * 1963-03-04 1965-03-16 Standard Thomson Corp Control apparatus
US3397859A (en) * 1965-06-14 1968-08-20 Febco Inc Electromechanical transducer and valve operated thereby
US3335997A (en) * 1965-10-18 1967-08-15 Thermal Hydraulics Inc Valve controlled by a thermal motor

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5866882A (en) * 1994-12-15 1999-02-02 Behr-Thomson-Dehnstoffregler Gmbh & Co. Thermostatic working element having an electric resistance heating element and method of making same
EP0798617A1 (en) * 1996-03-19 1997-10-01 Microtecnica S.p.A. Two-way variable-section control valve for a refrigeration circuit
US6109588A (en) * 1996-03-19 2000-08-29 Microtecnica S.P.A. Two-way variable-section control valve for a refrigeration circuit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2015864A1 (cs) 1970-04-30
BE727895A (cs) 1969-08-04
DE1905265B2 (de) 1971-03-11
GB1227114A (cs) 1971-04-07
DE1905265A1 (de) 1970-04-16
IL31546A0 (en) 1969-04-30

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