Fluid handling – Line condition change responsive valves – With separate connected fluid reactor surface
Patent
1994-02-28
1995-04-25
Hepperle, Stephen M.
Fluid handling
Line condition change responsive valves
With separate connected fluid reactor surface
192 215, 192 58A, 251 59, 414219, 13762532, G05D 706
Patent
active
054090342
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an electrically actuated valve for a pressurized fluid, particularly a sanitary valve, comprising
a) a housing including an inlet passageway and an outlet passageway for the fluid;
b) a closure member arranged in the housing between the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway;
c) electrical operating means for positioning the closure member in an opening position or a closing position in accordance with a control voltage supplied thereto.
Known electrically actuated valves generally are electrically operated solenoid valves. This means that they comprise a current energized coil, which in the simplest case directly controls the closure member magnetically. However, the electric currents are that important that this simple structure cannot be used for many applications. Thus normally pilot-controlled electromagnetic valves are used, wherein the current energized coil controls a pilot valve, only, the fluidically active cross section of which is comparatively small. The control member is formed by a flexible diaphragm, which in accordance with the opened or closed state of the pilot valve arranged therein will perform an opening or closing movement under control of the pressure of the fluid to be controlled. However, even such valves have a comparatively large power requirement so that there are restrictions for battery-energized applications. Furthermore, the comparatively small cross sections of the pilot valves, in particular the pilot openings in the flexible diaphragms can easily get clogged. This is especially true, if the controlled fluid is hot water, calcareous deposits risking being formed in such water. Furthermore, the magnet coil is a costly and voluminous component. Diaphragms are prone to ageing and getting brittle.
The object of the present invention is to provide an electrically operated valve of the kind referred to above, which can be built from low-cost components, which is compact and consumes little energy, only.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention this object is solved by the additional features that the closure member is formed as a rotor sealingly cooperating with the housing and arranged in the fluid path between the inlet passageway and the outlet passageway, said rotor being rotatable under the pressure of the fluid and upon rotation transports portions of said fluid from the inlet passageway to the outlet passageway; the electrical actuating means is formed as a brake coupled to the rotor and controlling its ability to rotate, the brake having an electrically controlled medium formed by an electro-viscous liquid arranged between two electrodes.
Electro-viscous liquids are know per se. Examples of such liquids are described in EP-A-0 191 585, DE-A-35 36 934 or EP-A-0 319 201. Electro-viscous liquids are materials, the viscosity of which can be continously varied by applying electric fields between a "liquid" state and a "solid" state. The main application of such liquids has mainly been variable hydraulic damping of movements of various components in automotive constructions, e.g. hydraulic engine bearings disclosed in DE-C-33 36 965 or hydraulic vibrations dampers as taught by DE-C-37 09 447.
In accordance with the first aspect of the invention the electro-viscous liquid is used in a brake controlled by a control voltage supplied thereto, which brake controls the moveability of a rotor defining the flow rate of the fluid: if the viscosity is low, the rotor is practically free to rotate under the influence of the fluid flowing through the valve, so that a maximum fluid rate is established. If the control voltage is increased and the viscosity of the electro-viscous liquid is thus increased, the brake starts to become active. Rotation of the rotor will be reduced, which will result in corresponding reduction of the flow of fluid through the valve. The control voltage may be increased until such value, where the electro-viscous liquid of the brake is essentially rigid. The rotor is then completely blocked against rotation. Considering ideal
REFERENCES:
patent: 1311202 (1919-07-01), Anderson
patent: 1482547 (1924-02-01), Dell
patent: 3068891 (1962-12-01), Panning et al.
patent: 3101853 (1963-08-01), Long et al.
patent: 3279496 (1966-10-01), Klass et al.
patent: 4180188 (1979-12-01), Aonuma et al.
patent: 4896754 (1990-01-01), Carlson et al.
patent: 5241991 (1993-09-01), Iorio et al.
Ostertag Reinhard
Ostertag Ulrich
Hansa Metallwerke AG
Hepperle Stephen M.
LandOfFree
Electrically actuated valve for a pressurized fluid does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrically actuated valve for a pressurized fluid, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrically actuated valve for a pressurized fluid will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1562096