Fluid handling – Line condition change responsive valves – With separate connected fluid reactor surface
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-04
2004-10-19
Hepperle, Stephen M. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Line condition change responsive valves
With separate connected fluid reactor surface
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805156
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a constant flow valve and a constant flow mixing method for mixing a plurality of fluids using the constant flow valves.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, as a constant flow valve used for supply of a fluid at a constant flow, broad use has been made of ones which lead part of a secondary pressure side fluid into a control chamber having a valve member and use this as pilot pressure for making the flow of supply constant. In this constant flow valve, however, the fluid remains stagnant in the pipe laid for the pilot pressure (pilot pipe) and becomes so-called “dead water”. This breeds bacteria which sometimes flows into the main flow. To solve this problem, for example, a constant flow valve of a full flow replacement type not using a pilot pipe has been proposed as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-123371.
The constant flow valve
90
shown in
FIG. 6
relates to the structure disclosed in the above publication. A chamber
100
is divided by a pressure receiving member
120
biased by a spring member
121
into a primary side (lower half) chamber
101
and a secondary side (upper half) chamber
102
. A controlled fluid flows in from an inlet port
103
of the primary side chamber
101
and flows out from an outlet port
104
of the primary side chamber
101
, passes through a connecting pipe
130
provided with a flow regulating valve
131
, flows from an inlet port
105
of the secondary side chamber
102
into the secondary side chamber
102
, and flows out from an outlet port
106
. In the primary side chamber
101
, a valve chamber
110
is provided. A valve member
112
biased by a spring member
113
adjusts the opening degree of a valve seat
111
in accordance with the amount of action of the pressure receiving member
120
. Reference numeral
115
is a through hole formed in the valve member
112
.
According to this constant flow valve
90
, as will be understood from the different states of the left and right in the figure, when the pressure of the primary side or secondary side changes, the pressure receiving member
120
actuates due to the differential pressure of the primary side fluid and secondary side fluid as a whole. In accordance with that amount of action, the valve member
112
of the valve chamber
110
of the primary side fluid moves, whereby the flow rate of the primary fluid is adjusted to a predetermined rate by the adjustment of the opening degree of the valve seat
111
. Since no pilot pipe is used, fluid does not remain stagnant and no dead water is produced as explained above.
In this constant flow valve
90
, as illustrated, spring members
121
and
113
are provided for biasing the pressure receiving member
120
and valve member
112
. The fluid contacts the spring members
121
and
113
, so when the fluid has metal corrosiveness or is an organic solvent, electrolyte, gas, etc., the springs
121
and
113
are liable to be corroded or contaminated by impurities. The valve cannot be used in lines not permitting chemicals and other impurities.
Further, in this constant flow valve
90
, since the spring members
121
and
113
are built into the portion contacting the fluid inside the device, there is the structural problem that the differential pressure cannot be changed from the outside. Further, this configuration does not consider the pressure receiving member
120
or the pressure receiving area of the valve member
113
, so complete maintenance of a constant differential pressure is difficult. The problem has been pointed out that when the resistance due to the restrictor is large, the flow rate is controlled relatively accurately, but when the resistance is small and the differential pressure is low, the valve cannot function effectively for fluctuations in pressure at the primary side and secondary side.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2867268 (1959-01-01), Brown
patent: 3172254 (1965-03-01), Wright
patent: 3621866 (1971-11-01), Thorsheim
patent: 4776367 (1988-10-01), Hilmersson et al.
patent: 5329966 (1994-07-01), Fenimore et al.
patent: 5983926 (1999-11-01), Mastuzawa
patent: 1 014 244 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 06-123371 (1994-05-01), None
European Search Report dated Mar. 25, 2003.
Advance Denki Kougyou Kabushiki Kaisha
Hepperle Stephen M.
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