Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K31/00—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices
  • F16K31/02—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic
  • F16K31/06—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a magnet, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid
  • F16K31/08—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a magnet, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid using a permanent magnet
  • F16K31/084—Actuating devices; Operating means; Releasing devices electric; magnetic using a magnet, e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid using a permanent magnet the magnet being used only as a holding element to maintain the valve in a specific position, e.g. check valves
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K15/00—Check valves
  • F16K15/02—Check valves with guided rigid valve members
  • F16K15/021—Check valves with guided rigid valve members the valve member being a movable body around which the medium flows when the valve is open
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K15/00—Check valves
  • F16K15/02—Check valves with guided rigid valve members
  • F16K15/04—Check valves with guided rigid valve members shaped as balls
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K15/00—Check valves
  • F16K15/02—Check valves with guided rigid valve members
  • F16K15/04—Check valves with guided rigid valve members shaped as balls
  • F16K15/044—Check valves with guided rigid valve members shaped as balls spring-loaded

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a valve mechanism. More particularly, the invention provides a pressure-opened magnetically-closed mechanism which can be used as part of a pressure control valve, as part of a safety valve or of a flowmeter.
• valve mechanisms are operated by hand, foot, mechanically by contact with a machine element, by spring, solenoid, and hydraulic or pneumatic pressure either full line pressure or pilot pressure.
• Many known valves are arranged to open and close using two different actuating sources.
• a common example is the solenoid open, spring close valve.
• Pressure operated valves are usually opened by fluid pressure acting against a sealing body and overcoming the resistance of a strong coil compression spring.
• Such valves may be of the directional control type, typically 4 way valves, or more simply 2-way on-off valves such as the safety relief valve.
• the latter type can be used for crude pressure control, but for more satisfactory pressure control, more complex valves, often using pilot fluid pressure are used - these can be of the counterbalance, diverting, sequence, or unloading types. All such valves use coil compression springs as their central control element.
• Pressure opening valves having a compression spring as their central component are usually provided with adjustment means to allow changes in the valve break point.
• the provision of such adjustment is advantageous or even essential.
• adjustment after installation may be carried out by unauthorized or unskilled persons, and the results of a pressure release valve not opening as intended can be disastrous.
• One example of such an application is in a flowmeter having multiple internal flow paths which come into use in response to changes in flow volume or pressure. Valves having a fixed value for valve opening not only avoid the possibility of maladjustment, intentional or not, but are also more compact and cheaper to manufacture.
• the present invention provides a valve mechanism of this type.
• U.S. Patent 5,576,486, and in Israel Patent 107 848 the present inventor has disclosed an electronic flowmeter.
• the flowmeter includes among its various components a permanent magnet which at low fluid pressure locks a valve ball on a lower seal, to hold the ball, so that the valve is in its closed position ( Figure 2, and claim 3).
• the valve ball contacts the lower seal at about half the ball diameter. For example, using a 32 mm diameter ball, seal contact is made on a ring of approximately 16 mm diameter.
• said flowmeter When installed, said flowmeter is always oriented in a manner where the steel ball is vertically above said magnet, thus ensuring that when fluid pressure drops below a threshold level, the sealing body will be within range of the magnet.
• a pressure- opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism for fluids comprising: a) a housing provided with at least one inlet, at least one outlet and at least one chamber connecting therebetween, said chamber being provided with an elastically deformable sealing ring defining an opening for the passage of fluid therethrough; b) a sealing body positioned within said chamber and moveable between a first, sealing position and a second position, said body having at least one circular cross-sectional area sized to be wedged in said opening to effect the sealing thereof and to prevent the passage of fluid through said chamber, wherein in said first position said body exerts a lateral force against said ring greater than the force exerted by said body against said ring in the direction facing said inlet, and wherein in said second position said sealing body is sufficiently distanced from said seal ring to allow free fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet; and c) a permanent magnet component and a ferromagnetic body component, one of said components being rigidly mounted in said chamber between said inlet
• a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism for fluids wherein the great- circle arc on said at least semi-spherical sealing body, defined by two diametrically opposite points of contact of said body and said ring subtends an angle of at least 150 degrees.
• a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism for fluids wherein the great- circle arc on said at least semi-spherical body, defined by two diametrically opposite points of contact of said body and said ring subtends an angle of about 180 degrees.
• a flowmeter wherein flow through at least one of its internal passages is controlled by a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism of the type described above.
• the novel mechanism of the present invention serves to provide fixed valve opening pressure which will not change substantially over the life of the device.
• the mechanism is reliable, low in manufacturing cost, and the only conceivable servicing required will be to replace the seal element when needed.
• the force exerted on said sealing element is predominantly lateral and predetermined by designed, thereby limiting wear on said seal element.
• Said sealing ring can be of different configurations, having round, half- round, oval or even square cross-section.
• break pressure is not adjustable by the user, such setting can be set at a required value by the manufacturer by installing an appropriate magnet type and size, and by choosing a suitable size area of the sealing body for exposure to line pressure.
• Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a preferred embodiment of the valve mechanism according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment having a 180 degree sealing ring contact arc
• Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a mechanism where the magnet is a part of the sealing body
• Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment including a sealing body return spring ;
• Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment having improved flow characteristics
• Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment including stop means
• Figure 7 is a sectioned detail of a flowmeter utilizing a mechanism similar to that described with reference to Figurel ;
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of the magnetic and a ferromagnetic component which are used in the embodiment described with reference to Figure 1 ;
• FIG 9 is a cross-sectional elevation of a valve, shown in its closed position, made according to the present invention.
• a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism 10 for fluids is seen in Figure 1 .
• a housing 12 is provided with an inlet 14, an outlet 16 and a chamber 18 connecting therebetween.
• the chamber 18 is provided with an elastically deformable sealing ring 20 defining an opening 22 for the passage of fluid 24 therethrough.
• a sealing body 26 is positioned within chamber 18 and is moveable between a first, closed, sealing position as shown and a second, open position, broken lines.
• the body 26 is a steel sphere.
• One of its circular cross-sectional areas is sized to be wedged in opening 22 and when in the first position effects the sealing thereof, and prevents the passage of fluid 24 through the chamber 18.
• body 26 exerts a lateral force aga'nst sealing ring 20 greater than the force exerted against ring 20 in the direction facing inlet 14.
• the sealing body 26 is sufficiently distanced from the sealing ring 20 to allow free fluid flow from inlet 14 to outlet 16.
• the sealing body 26 in chamber 18 is drawn towards the first position from second position under the force of gravity. This eliminates the need for a return device, and also utilizes the weight of the sealing body 26 to add to sealing force.
• the sealing body 26 is a sphere
• the sealing body is provided with an at least semi-spherical section 28 facing the inlet 14.
• the sphere has the advantage of eliminating possible orientation problems.
• sealing body 26 defined by two diametrically opposite points of contact A,B, of body 26 and sealing ring 20 subtends an angle of about 150 degrees.
• the sealing body 26 shown comprises a ferromagnetic component. It is attracted to a permanent magnet component 29 which is rigidly mounted in the chamber between inlet 14 and sealing ring 20.
• the permanent magnet component 29 comprising a magnetic body 30 flanked by a pair of ferromagnetic plates 31 (as will be described in greater detail with reference to Figure 8 and with different reference numbers) attracts to, and retains the sealing body 26 in the first position.
• the application of a predetermined break pressure by fluid 24 against sealing body 26 overcomes the magnetic attraction and displace the sealing body 26 to its second position to allow free fluid flow. Even at full flow rates, in a typical application the pressure drop across the mechanism is only 0.03 to 0.20 bar. Pressure drop can be further reduced by changing the shape of the sealing body, as will be shown in Figure 5.
• the great-circle arc C,D on the sealing body 34 defined by two diametrically opposite points of contact E,F of sealing body 34 and sealing ring 36 subtends an angle of about 180 degrees.
• the sealing ring 36 is an O-ring which expands diametrically on entry therein of the sealing body 34. Entrance of the sealing body 34 into the sealing ring 36 requires only a small force which is easily provided by the magnetic component 30.
• Figure 3 illustrates a further embodiment of a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism 38.
• the permanent magnet component 30, described in detail with reference to Figure 8, is mounted within the sealing body 40.
• the sealing body 40 can be made of a plastic or any other non-ferromagnetic material and is slidably suspended in chamber 44.
• a ferromagnetic body component 42 is rigidly mounted between inlet 46 and a washer-like sealing ring 48.
• the ferromagnetic body component 42 is suspended in the inlet flow path on spider legs 50 to allow free fluid passage when the sealing body 40 is in the second, open position.
• the sealing body 40 is advantageously provided with a piston-like guide means 50 delimiting the displacement of body 40 between the first and second position, in order to ensure that the sealing body 40 is correctly aligned when in the first position.
• the aligning stem 52 is a loose fit in its guideway 54 to prevent jamming and to allow a degree of self-alignment at the first, closed position.
• Seen in Figure 4 is an embodiment of a pressure-opened magnetically- closed valve mechanism 56 for fluids further provided with weak spring means; the present embodiment can be used installed in any orientation.
• a light compression spring 58 urges the sealing body 60 towards the first position.
• the spring 58 moves the sealing body 60 closer towards the sealing ring 62.
• the attractive force generated by the magnetic circuit increases sharply, and the sealing body 60 is pulled tightly against the sealing ring 62 to close the valve.
• fluid pressure rises and exerts an increased force on the sealing body 60, the sealing body 60 moves to compress the spring 58 and to reach its second, open position.
• the relatively light spring 58 functions merely to move the sealing body 60 against light fluid pressure, and seals in conjunction with the force of the magnetic circuit. This is in contradistinction to prior art valves where a heavy compression spring is intended to alone resist high fluid pressure.
• FIG. 5 there is depicted a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism 64 having improved flow characteristics in the open position.
• the sealing body 66 is provided with surfaces configured to enhance streamlined hydrodynamic flow.
• the sphere used as a sealing body 26 described with reference to Figure 1 when subjected to fluid flow causes boundary layer separation, whether the wake is wide, as with laminar flow, or is narrow as when flow is turbulent.
• the sealing body 60 has guide means 50 similar to that seen previously in Figure 3.
• Figure 6 shows a valve mechanism 67 installed in a horizontal orientation yet does not require a return spring as does the embodiment described with reference to Figure 4.
• the mechanism 67 is shown in its open position.
• Stop means 68 are mounted in the chamber 18 which prevent the sealing body 69 from completely moving out of the range of attraction of the permanent magnet component 30.
• the magnetic circuit XY exerts sufficient force to move the sealing body 69 towards, and then into the first sealing position.
• valve opening is sufficient to allow fluid flow at moderate flow resistance.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a detail of a flowmeter 70, similar to that described in U.S. Patent 5,576,486.
• the flow through an internal passage 71 which acts as a bypass to the main flow passage 72, is controlled by a pressure-opened magnetically-closed valve mechanism 74 for fluids, similar to that described with reference to Figure 1 in the present application.
• the flowmeter shown here is provided with improved sealing in the main-flow passage.
• the opposite points of contact of the sealing body 78 and the sealing ring 76 have a curvature displacement of 160 degrees from each other.
• the force acting to compress the sealing ring 76 is about twice the axial force applied to the sealing body 78, which is a steel ball.
• an air gap 80 near the magnet center prevents any solid foreign body from disturbing effective sealing.
• Seen in Figure 8 is a permanent magnet component 30 comprising a magnetic body 82 flanked by a pair of ferromagnetic plates 84.
• the ends 86 of each plate 84 extend beyond an end of the magnetic body 82 to create an air space therebetween.
• a magnetic flux 88 flows through magnetic body 82 and through the ends 86 of ferromagnetic plates 84 to securely hold a ferromagnetic body component 90.
• Attracted body 25 dia steel ball Steel plates flanking the magnet: 2.7 thick, 13.1 long Air gap, ball to magnet: Attraction force: zero 3.4 kg
• the ends of the ferromagnetic plates 84 define and delimit a concave space complementary to the curvature of the surface of that part of the sealing body which on assembly faces the valve inlet.
• Figure 9 shows a valve 92 in its second, closed position.
• the first part 96 of a sealing body forms part of a streamlined form when the valve 92 is in its first, open position and fluid flows through the valve outlet 98.
• the first part 96 also contains a permanent magnet 100.
• the second part 102 of the streamlined form is rigidly mounted on fins 104 in the valve chamber 106.
• the two parts 96, 102 are connected by a piston-like stem 108 and a loose-fitting guideway 110.
• a light compression spring 112 urges the first part 102 into magnetic range of the ferromagnetic body 114, rigidly mounted in the valve inlet 116.
• An elastically deformable sealing ring 118 contacts the first part 96 when the first part 96 is in the closed position shown.
• valve 92 can be made in various sizes with little change in configuration.

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11070251

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (22)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (15)

• 1997
  • 1997-06-12 IL IL12106197A patent/IL121061A0/xx unknown
• 1998
  • 1998-06-12 WO PCT/IL1998/000272 patent/WO1998057082A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-06-12 BR BR9805990-4A patent/BR9805990A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-06-12 AU AU76728/98A patent/AU7672898A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-06-12 TR TR1999/00587T patent/TR199900587T1/xx unknown
  • 1998-06-12 EP EP98924550A patent/EP0925465A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-06-12 CA CA002263174A patent/CA2263174A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (15)

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