Manifold valve

Details Manifold valve Manifold valve

1998-04-08

2001-02-27

Hepperle, Stephen M. (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

Systems

Multiple inlet with single outlet

C251S063500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192932

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manifold valve for properly supplying secondary fluids into a primary fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some factories, a primary fluid such as pure water is supplied to a work site, and depending on the work or products at the work site, secondary fluids, in prescribed quantities, are selected and added to the primary fluid.
FIG. 4
shows a manifold valve
30
used for this purpose and arranged in the middle of piping for supplying the primary fluid to the work site.
FIG. 5
is a sectional view taken along a line
5
—
5
of FIG.
4
. For the sake of clear understanding, the sectional view of
FIG. 5
cuts across air ports
43
and
44
for vertically driving a valve element
41
of a valve unit
40
, and therefore, does not correctly follow the line
5
—
5
of FIG.
4
.
The manifold valve
30
consists of a base block
31
of a rectangular parallelepiped shape and sub-blocks
36
each having the valve unit
40
.
The base block
31
has passages
32
formed at given intervals along the length of the base block
31
. Each of the passages
32
extends from the top of the base block
31
toward the bottom thereof. A horizontal main channel
33
is formed along the length of the base block
31
under bottom ends of the passages
32
. The passages
32
communicate with the main channel
33
through openings
34
formed on the top wall of the main channel
33
. Each end of the main channel
33
has a connection port
35
.
The sub-blocks
36
are arranged on the base block
31
. A lower part of each sub-block
36
has a vertical passage
37
connected to the top of the passage
32
of the base block
31
. A side face of the sub-block
36
has a horizontal intake
38
for receiving a secondary fluid. The intake
38
communicates with the passage
37
through a lower part of the valve unit
40
. The valve unit
40
is a known one having the valve element
41
that is moved upward by air and downward by a spring
45
. The valve element
41
opens and closes the top of the passage
37
. The valve unit
40
has a diaphragm
42
. In
FIG. 4
, the base block
31
has five sub-blocks
36
.
The manifold valve
30
is inserted into piping for passing a primary fluid, by connecting the opposite ends of the main channel
33
to the piping. Each of the intakes
38
is connected to a unit for supplying a secondary fluid of chemicals. In the left sub-block
36
of
FIG. 6
, the valve unit
40
is operated to open the top
37
a
of the passage
37
so that a secondary fluid containing chemicals of a given quantity is supplied down into the main channel
33
through the passages
37
and
32
. Secondary fluids containing chemicals of the sub-blocks
36
may be switched from one to another and be supplied into the primary fluid by selectively opening the tops of the passages
37
with the valve units
40
.
In
FIG. 6
, the length of the base block
31
is cut to have only three sub-blocks
36
so that it corresponds to a manifold valve
10
of
FIG. 1
to be explained later. The valve units
40
of
FIG. 6
are in different states of supplying secondary fluids. In practice, the valve units
40
operate independently of one another, and therefore, may sometimes operate simultaneously and differently depending on the quantities and supplying timing of secondary fluids.
After supplying the secondary fluid into the main channel
33
, the valve unit
40
closes the top
37
a
of the passage
37
to stop the secondary fluid as in the center sub-block
36
of FIG.
6
. In this case, a recess
39
is formed to hold the secondary fluid between the top
37
a
of the passage
37
and the opening
34
. Since the top
37
a
is closed with the valve element
41
, the secondary fluid in the recess
39
stays there due to surface tension and gradually drops into the primary fluid in the main channel
33
. As a result, the main channel
33
will provide a fluid with unwanted components for a certain time, even though the user wants the primary fluid pure or having specified composition. In this way, the recess
39
deteriorates the efficacy of supply of a required fluid.
When changing a given primary fluid to another, the latter must be supplied to the main channel
33
for a proper time to wash the inside of the valve units
40
. Any fluid in the recesses
39
is hardly removed therefrom because the recesses
39
are deeper than the inner surface of the main channel
33
. It takes much time, labor, and fluid to completely wash the remaining fluid out of the recesses
39
. This is not economical. In addition, chemicals in the recesses
39
may react and solidify to cause trouble.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a manifold valve capable of efficiently preventing a secondary fluid from mixing with a primary fluid as soon as the supply of the secondary fluid to the primary fluid is stopped, to thereby correctly maintain the composition and concentration of the primary fluid, and capable of being easily washed when the primary fluid is changed to another.
In order to accomplish the object, the present invention provides a manifold valve having an intake for receiving a secondary fluid, a passage upwardly extending from the intake, a valve unit for opening and closing a top end of the passage, and a main channel having an opening on a bottom wall thereof, the opening facing the top end of the passage. The secondary fluid is upwardly supplied into the main channel through the intake, passage, and opening when the valve unit opens the top end of the passage and is stopped when the valve unit closes the same.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3572366 (1971-03-01), Wiggins
patent: 3797524 (1974-03-01), Sanelli
patent: 3811279 (1974-05-01), Vogeli
patent: 3838707 (1974-10-01), Wachowitz
patent: 4290442 (1981-09-01), Shaffer
patent: 4306587 (1981-12-01), Tchebinyayeff
patent: 4335744 (1982-06-01), Bey
patent: 4819691 (1989-04-01), Lofgren et al.
patent: 5035262 (1991-07-01), Schweikert

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