Gas separation: apparatus – With control means responsive to sensed condition for... – Regulation of separated constituent discharge
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2001-09-11
Michalsky, Gerald A. (Department: 3753)
Gas separation: apparatus
With control means responsive to sensed condition for...
Regulation of separated constituent discharge
C137S181000, C137S192000, C137S193000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287370
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drain discharge apparatus capable of smoothly discharging the drain accumulated in a fluid pressure circuit to the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
A drain discharge apparatus has been hitherto used, for example, in order that the drain, which is accumulated in a fluid pressure circuit, is discharged to the outside. As shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
, the drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning such a conventional technique comprises a bowel
3
which is surrounded by a cover member
2
. A drain cock
5
, which has a drain discharge port
4
, is installed to a bottom surface portion of the bowel
3
.
Those arranged in the bowel
3
include a float
6
which is floated by the drain stored in the bowel
3
, and a first valve member
9
which is operated such that a plate-shaped valve plug
7
is separated from a seat section
8
to give the valve-open state when the float
6
is floated. A support member
10
is arranged in the internal space of the float
6
. An annular screen
12
, through which the drain is allowed to pass, is provided on a lower end side of the support member
10
.
Those arranged in the bowel
3
further include a piston
14
which is urged downwardly in accordance with the action of the resilient force of a spring member
13
and which is displaceable along the inner wall surface of the support member
10
, and a second valve member
16
which is constructed by a piston packing
15
for seating the piston
14
thereon.
A filter
17
is installed to a central portion of the piston
14
. A bleed passage
18
, which makes penetration in the axial direction, is formed at the inside of the piston
14
.
In the ordinary state shown in
FIG. 9
, the air having a predetermined pressure is charged in the bowel
3
, giving a situation in which the piston
14
overcomes the resilient force of the spring member
13
owing to the pressure of the air, and the piston
14
is displaced upwardly.
The operation of the drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning the conventional technique will be briefly explained. Starting from the initial position shown in
FIG. 9
, when the float
6
is floated in accordance with the action of the drain stored in the bowel
3
, then the valve plug
7
is displaced integrally with the float
6
, and thus it is separated from the seat section
8
. Accordingly, the first valve member
9
is in the valve-open state. Therefore, the air, which is introduced through the opening of the seat section
8
, flows to the side over the piston
14
, i.e., to the internal space of the support member
10
, and it presses the piston
14
downwardly. The piston
14
is pushed and moved downwardly in accordance with the pressing force of the air and the resilient force of the spring member
13
. Accordingly, the piston
14
is separated from the piston packing
15
, and the second valve member
16
is in the valve-open state. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 10
, the drain, which has passed through the screen
12
, passes through the gap between the piston packing
15
and the piston
14
, and it is discharged to the outside from the drain discharge port
4
.
The float
6
is moved downwardly as the drain is discharged. The valve member
7
is seated on the seat section
8
, and thus the first valve member
9
is in the valve-closed state. In this arrangement, the air, which remains on the side over the piston
14
, is exhausted to the outside via the bleed passage
18
. The piston
14
is pushed and moved upwardly by the air in the bowel
3
, and it is restored to the initial position shown in FIG.
9
.
When the air in the bowel
3
is exhausted, the air pressure to push and move the piston
14
upwardly disappears. Therefore, the piston
14
is displaced downwardly in accordance with the resilient force of the spring member
13
, and the second valve member
16
is in the valve-closed state. As a result, the drain, which has passed through the screen
12
, passes through the gap between the piston packing
15
and the piston
14
, and it is discharged to the outside from the drain discharge port
4
.
However, the drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning the conventional technique described above involves such an inconvenience that the structure of the entire apparatus is complicated, a large number of parts are required, and the production cost is expensive.
The drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning the conventional technique adopts the following arrangement. That is, when the drain is discharged, the air is always exhausted to the outside via the orifice of the seat section
8
, the filter
17
, the bleed passage
18
, and the drain discharge port
4
. Therefore, an inconvenience arises in that the air is wasted.
Further, in the case of the drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning the conventional technique, when the air is newly supplied to the inside of the bowel
3
after the air in the bowel
3
is exhausted to the outside, then the piston
14
is located at the downward position due to the resilient force of the spring member
13
, and the second valve member
16
is in the valve-open state. For this reason, the air in the bowel
3
passes through the screen
12
and the gap between the piston packing
15
and the piston
14
respectively, and it is discharged to the outside from the drain discharge port
4
, until the air arrives at an air pressure which is required to displace the piston
14
upwardly against the resilient force of the spring member
13
. Therefore, the drain discharge apparatus
1
concerning the conventional technique involves an inconvenience that the air is wasted, also from this viewpoint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to provide a drain discharge apparatus which makes it possible to simplify the structure, reduce the number of parts, and reduce the production cost by operating a valve plug for opening and closing a drain discharge port by using a lever which is linked to the displacement of a float.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a drain discharge apparatus which makes it possible to avoid any waste of air by disusing the bleed of air remaining in a casing to the outside.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1701343 (1929-02-01), Steenstrup
patent: 2510049 (1950-05-01), Neeson
patent: 2760596 (1956-08-01), Kellie
patent: 3199526 (1965-08-01), Pall
patent: 3330292 (1967-07-01), Lansky
patent: 3378993 (1968-04-01), Veres et al.
patent: 3642201 (1972-02-01), Potchen
patent: 4082107 (1978-04-01), Hoffman et al.
patent: 5626163 (1997-05-01), Kushiya
patent: 5636655 (1997-06-01), Kawamura et al.
Michalsky Gerald A.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
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