Fluid handling – Systems – Supply and exhaust
Patent
1992-10-15
1993-08-24
Rivell, John
Fluid handling
Systems
Supply and exhaust
251 14, 25112903, 25112911, 251901, F16K 718
Patent
active
052380238
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a valve apparatus, comprising at least one valve device having a valve housing, which forms a chamber with a wall, an inlet to the chamber, and an outlet from the chamber, an elongated flexible membrane with two ends, one end of the membrane being attached to the valve housing, and a movable member situated in the chamber, the other end of the membrane being attached to said movable member. The movable member is arranged to displace the other end of the membrane back and fourth in the chamber, so that the membrane is rolled against the wall of the chamber between a closing position, at which the membrane covers the opening of the outlet in the chamber, and an opening position, at which the opening of the outlet in the chamber is uncovered. A flow passage is formed between the wall of the chamber and the movable member, for a fluid to flow from the inlet to the outlet, when the opening of the outlet is uncovered.
A valve apparatus of this kind is known from for instance WO 82/01924. In the known valve apparatus the movable member has to be activated by means of a driving device of some kind for providing the movement of the membrane by the movable member between said closing and opening positions. Such a driving device consumes a certain amount of energy, which for each adjustment of the membrane has to be supplied to the driving device from a separate source of energy.
The object of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus of the kind discussed above, which for its operation only requires a relatively small energy supply from a separate source of energy.
This object is obtained by means of a valve apparatus of the kind initially described, which mainly is characterized in that the movable member is provided with an entrainment member arranged to extend into and be displaced in said flow passage during at least a substantial part of the displacement of said other end of the membrane between said closing and opening positions.
This results in the advantage that for the uncovering of the opening of the outlet in the chamber of the valve device, energy from a separate source of energy only needs to be supplied to the valve apparatus until the entrainment member is influenced by a fluid which starts streaming in said flow passage from the inlet to the outlet, as the membrane is displaced from said closing position, so that the opening of the outlet is partly uncovered. Under the influence of said fluid the entrainment member then entrains the movable member, so that the membrane is completely displaced to said opening position.
Preferably, the entrainment member is arranged to be in said flow passage when the membrane just starts uncover the opening of the outlet during the displacement of said other end of the membrane, whereby the influence of the entrainment member on the movable member for entrainment of the latter can be utilized as soon as said fluid starts streaming through the flow passage.
According to an embodiment of the valve apparatus according to the invention an electro-magnetic stepping motor is connected to the movable member for the displacement of said other end of the membrane. Further, a current source is connected to the electro-magnetic stepping motor and adapted to activate the latter to displace the membrane from said closing position, such that the membrane at least is displaced to the extent that it starts uncover the opening of the outlet in the chamber.
Said current source advantageously comprises an electric accumulator, for instance a capacitor. In consequence the electro-magnetic stepping motor can be operated as a generator for charging the electric accumulator during the entrainment by the entrainment member. As a result, the energy for the operation of the valve apparatus substantially can be taken from the flow energy of said fluid, when this flows through said flow passage in the chamber, provided that before the membrane is displaced back from the opening position to the closing position, the flow has ceased in the flow passage
REFERENCES:
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patent: 3771563 (1973-11-01), Hayner
patent: 4350320 (1982-09-01), Stahle
patent: 4520516 (1985-06-01), Parsons
patent: 4546338 (1985-10-01), Idogaki et al.
patent: 4559971 (1985-12-01), Bradshaw
patent: 4770201 (1988-09-01), Zakai
patent: 4957274 (1990-09-01), Hood et al.
Alfa-Laval Agri International AB
Rivell John
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