Fluid handling – Systems – With flow control means for branched passages
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-02
2001-09-18
Fox, John (Department: 3754)
Fluid handling
Systems
With flow control means for branched passages
C251S331000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289933
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to diaphragm valves for use with containers for and conduits of liquids. In particular, the diaphragm valve of the present invention relates to a valve providing substantially no hold up of liquid, the valve being freely draining under force of gravity, and where the valve provides for easy cleaning of the valve interior. The invention also provides a diaphragm valve of unitary construction that has two fluid connectors in fluid communication with the inlet side of the valve seat, so that the valve may be conveniently used for sampling from piping lines or for draining piping lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Diaphragm valves are known in the art to have various shapes and configurations. Some of these valves are designed for use in interrupting a fluid stream in a fluid conduit, such as tubing or a pipe. Other diaphragm valves are designed specifically for use as drain valves for draining a fluid from a fluid conduit or from a vessel used for containing a fluid. The valve of the present invention is of a new design, and is suited for use either for interrupting fluid flow in a fluid conduit such as a pipe, or for draining a fluid conduit or a fluid-containing vessel. The valve disclosed here is particularly well suited for draining a fluid conduit or a fluid-containing vessel in situations where substantially complete draining of the fluid conduit or vessel is desired, into a second vessel or into a drain.
Diaphragm valves of various types are known. Some of these diaphragm valves are better suited for easy cleaning of the valves than are others. The diaphragm valves known are not designed to be freely draining. Freely draining valves are known in the art, such as the valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,104 to Kehoe. The valve that is disclosed in that patent is not a diaphragm valve however, and the valve of Kehoe works in a different manner than that of the valve disclosed here.
To overcome such shortcomings, a diaphragm valve is disclosed here that provides a construction that is particularly well suited for applications that require complete draining of a valve.
To overcome the shortcomings of known diaphragm valves above, and to satisfy the outstanding needs outlined above I have now discovered a new diaphragm valve construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention is a diaphragm valve that is completely draining, when used in a loop piping system. The new diaphragm valve comprises a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; a passageway for passing a fluid between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; a fluid drainway, disposed below the passageway, and below the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and a valve seat, the valve seat being intermediate the passageway and the drainway and in fluid communication with both. The passageway and the drainway of the valve are contoured without a depression below grade, for allowing a droplet of the fluid along any surface point either in the passageway or in the drainway, to flow to a succession of lower surface points under the force of gravity, leaving the valve at the fluid drainway.
The new diaphragm valve also comprises an interior surface, the surface formed without a pocket, a crevice, or a depression below grade. A fluid droplet along any interior surface point of the valve flows to a plurality of successively lower surface points under the force of gravity. That is, a fluid droplet, lying along any interior surface point of the valve, will be able to flow under gravity to successively lower points along the interior of the valve until the droplet flows from the valve. There is an absence of depressions in the interior surface wherein a fluid droplet can flow, but from which the droplet cannot continue further downward to drain from the valve.
Fluid flows from the inventive valve to allow the valve to freely drain. That is, a droplet of the fluid along any interior surface point of the valve, flows to a succession of successively lower surface points under the force of gravity, leaving the valve at the fluid drainway, with substantially no hold up of fluid in the valve. By interior surface is meant the interior of the valve body, such as the passageway intermediate the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and the fluid drainway and any fluid communication opening between the drainway and the valve seat.
It is accordingly an aspect of the invention to provide a diaphragm valve where the valve is completely draining under force of gravity.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a diaphragm valve that is readily cleaned, and that is completely draining under force of gravity as well.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a diaphragm valve with a unitary construction that is substantially completely draining.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new diaphragm valve for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where there are regulatory requirements, such as for ease of cleaning and lack of hold-up in process equipment used in such manufacturing.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new diaphragm valve that has on its interior surfaces no depressions that can hold a fluid from draining freely from the valve under force of gravity.
It is still another aspect of the invention to provide a diaphragm valve that can be used for interruption of flow of a fluid in a fluid conduit, or that can be used as the user selects, for draining a fluid from a fluid holding vessel into a second vessel.
It is still another aspect of the invention to provide a diaphragm valve has a low dead-leg volume, sometimes referred to in the art as crossover volume.
These aspects, and others set forth more fully below are achieved by the present invention. In particular, a new diaphragm valve is disclosed that substantially eliminates hold up of a fluid within the valve, when the valve is drained, by having the valve be self draining.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 394700 (1998-05-01), Emmins
patent: 3976104 (1976-08-01), Kehoe
patent: 5222523 (1993-06-01), Trimble
patent: 5246204 (1993-09-01), Ottung
patent: 5277401 (1994-01-01), Butler et al.
Fox John
Garitech Systems Inc.
Koons, Jr. Robert A.
McWilliams Matthew P.
Pepper Hamilton LLP
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