Pipes and tubular conduits – With flow regulators and/or baffles – Restrictors
Patent
1983-10-31
1984-08-21
Bryant, III, James E.
Pipes and tubular conduits
With flow regulators and/or baffles
Restrictors
138 40, F15D 104
Patent
active
044664621
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a flow restrictor, and more particularly to a circuitous path flow restrictor of simple construction.
BACKGROUND ART
Flow restrictors having no moving parts are known for incorporation in the conduits or passageways of transmission control systems. These flow restrictors provide an accurately metered and substantially constant fluid flow rate under given pressure conditions and are particularly useful for controlling the rate of pressure rise to the annular pistons associated with the clutches and/or brakes of present day transmissions.
The Lee Company of Westbrook, Connecticut offers a series of cascade restrictors of generally cylindrical disc-like shape having single ingress and egress passages and a tortuous internal path for the fluid. The minimum passage size in the fluid path of such restrictors is relatively large, for example about the equivalent of a cylindrical opening having a diameter of 1.52 mm (0.060"), and yet the restrictor acts as if it had a fluid flow resistance level equivalent to a simple orifice of much smaller diameter, for example about 0.51 mm (0.020"). The major advantage is that a simple orifice of very small diameter might be plugged by a single grain of sand, so that it is undesirable to use very small diameter orifices in the transmissions of vehicles. These cascade restrictors are modularized so that one, two, three or even more individual units can be placed together in a cylindrical stack to provide the equivalent resistance to progressively smaller simple orifices.
The major problem with presently available flow restrictors is that they are constructed and manufactured in such a way that they are too expensive. Specifically, at least some cascade restrictors are currently constructed by initially removing material from thin steel sheet material or shim stock. The individual layers are then stacked up forming a series of small cylindrical discs with the material removed from the sheet material forming the internal tortuous path. End plates with ingress and egress passages are added to the stack to form a single modular unit or stage and the individual sheet material layers are collectively secured together such as by welding or the like. This is wasteful and time consuming.
Another fluid flow restrictor assigned to The Lee Company is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,550 issued to L. Lee II on June 6, 1967. However, relatively expensive machining methods are again utilized in that construction.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention a flow restrictor is provided having fluid director means defining a core, a plurality of longitudinally oriented fins extending from the core and defining alternately axially offset notches, and a longitudinally oriented blocking fin extending from the core. Body means is also provided which encircles the fluid director means and defines an ingress passage, an egress passage, and a serpentine flow path so that fluid can enter the ingress passage adjacent the blocking fin, travel peripherally about the core in the serpentine flow path via the notches, and exit the egress passage adjacent the opposite side of the blocking fin in a single fluid flow path.
Preferably, I contemplate making a fluid director member with a plurality of notched fins by an investment casting process in such a way that it has two or more serially arranged serpentine fluid flow paths. Selective stages of the fluid director member may be cut off or separated from the remainder to provide a fluid flow resistance level equivalent to a cylindrical orifice of a preselected smaller diameter. Thus, the fluid director member is simple to produce and can be slipped or press-fitted into a cylindrical bore to make a circuitous path flow restrictor of particularly economical and adaptable construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic and enlarged elevational vi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3323550 (1967-06-01), Lee
patent: 3397794 (1968-08-01), Toth et al.
patent: 3987809 (1976-10-01), Baumann
patent: 4004613 (1977-01-01), Purton et al.
Lee Company of Westbrook, Connecticut, Flow Restrictor Booklet, pp. 1 & 143, Circa 1981, and Sketch Identified as "Exhibit A".
Bryant III James E.
Caterpillar Tractor Co.
Lanchantin, Jr. Charles E.
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