# US 10,480,663 B2 · Continuously concentric valve with movable flow guides

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- Number: US 10,480,663 B2
- Document ID: US10480663B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/744,648
- Filed: 2016-07-13
- Published: 2018-07-19
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-13
- Applicants: True Blue Motorsport
- Inventors: Jesse L. Freeman, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480663B2

## CPC

- F16K 3/03: with a closure member in the form of an iris-diaphragm
- F02D 9/02: concerning induction conduits (throttle valves, or arrangements thereof in conduits F02D9/08)
- F02D 9/14: the members being slidable transversely of conduit
- F02M 19/08: Venturis
- F02M 29/06: generating whirling motion of mixture
- F02M 35/10262: {Flow guides, obstructions, deflectors or the like (for generating a charge motion in the cylinder F02B31/00; for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00)}
- F15D 1/001: {Flow of fluid from conduits such as pipes, sleeves, tubes, with equal distribution of fluid flow over the evacuation surface}
- F15D 1/025: {by means of orifice or throttle elements}
- F16K 31/528: with pin and slot
- Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)
- F02M: SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
- F15D: FLUID DYNAMICS, i.e. METHODS OR MEANS FOR INFLUENCING THE FLOW OF GASES OR LIQUIDS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a valve for controlling the volume and flow characteristics of a fluid in a predictable controllable manner. Specifically, the invention relates to an air valve design for an internal combustion engine throttle body that proportionately manages air flow, pressure, and velocities through all stages of opening with consistent and measurable parameters through a concentric or near-concentric opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flow-guiding, concentric valve for controlling volume and flow characteristics of a fluid in a predictable manner, the valve comprising:
a funnel-shaped flow-guiding portion with a wider opening and a narrower exit, said flow-guiding portion comprising a cylindrical wall with a plurality of flow-guides recessed therein, wherein said flow-guides are configured to lift away from the cylindrical wall, overlap, and converge towards a central axis upon being deployed, thereby creating a vortex effect inside the valve;
a concentric valve portion comprising an iris mechanism for opening or closing the valve and deploying the flow-guides,
wherein the concentric valve portion is attached to the exit of the funnel shaped flow-guiding portion,
wherein the iris mechanism comprises:
a base ring, and
a rotatable cam ring;
a plurality of arced plates having a front face and a back face, wherein each arced plate has a rotating stud protruding from the front face at one end thereof, and a sliding stud protruding from a back face at an opposite end thereof,
wherein the rotating studs extend into corresponding pivot holes in the base ring, and the sliding studs extend into corresponding radial slits in the rotatable cam ring,
wherein the arced plates are sandwiched between the base ring and the cam ring and in the fully open position the arced plates are aligned with the base ring and cam ring so they do not obstruct a valve opening defined by inner radii of the cam ring and base ring,
wherein rotation of the cam ring moves the sliding stud on each arced plate in an arc across one side of the valve opening, causing the arced plates to pivot on the rotating stud and swivel toward the center of the valve opening, thereby obstructing the valve opening,
wherein one or more of the rotating studs connects to one or more corresponding flow-guides such that, when the iris mechanism is closing, the rotating studs transfer movement of the arced plates to the flow-guides, increasingly turning the flow-guides toward the center of the iris mechanism as the iris mechanism closes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the arced plates are made of a thin resilient material selected from the group comprising metal, plastic, fiberglass, synthetic fiber, para-aramid synthetic fiber, carbon fiber, cellulose nanocrystals, resin or any combination of these materials.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the arced plates are shaped in a semicircle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the base ring is a flat annular plate with a number of pivot holes that pass through it.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the arced plates are oriented about an inner circumference of the concentric valve portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the base ring abuts the exit of the flow-guiding portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1 wherein the rotating studs are rigidly connected to the flow-guides so that they do not rotate relative to each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The valve of claim 1, wherein the flow-guides move in concert with the arced plates so that as the valve opening gets smaller, the flow-guides converge causing more aggressive air flow towards the central axis of the valve.

### Claim 9

An iris mechanism coupled to a valve housing having an opening and an exit, the iris mechanism comprising:
a plurality of arced plates, and a rotatable cam ring with a plurality of radial slits,
wherein each arced plate has a rotating stud on a bottom surface that passes into one of a plurality of pass-through holes in the housing and a sliding stud on a top surface that protrudes into one of the radial slits;
wherein one or more of the rotating studs extends and connects to one or more corresponding flow-guides such that, when the iris mechanism is closing due to rotation of the cam ring causing the sliding stud on each arced plate to move in an are across one side of the valve opening, the rotating studs transfer the movement of the arced plates to the flow-guides, increasingly turning the flow-guides toward a center of the iris mechanism as the iris mechanism closes.