Integrated transducer
AssigneeFisher Controls International LLC
InventorCurt Galbreath
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transducer for a connection to a fluid pressure source having a mechanism for setting a pneumatic output by way of an electrical input signal. The transducer provides a lower housing assembly and an upper housing assembly. The lower housing assembly comprises lower housing configured to receive a supply nozzle. The supply nozzle fluidly communicates with a supply port and intermittently fluidly communicates with an output port of the lower housing through an internal fluid passageway. The upper housing assembly comprises an upper housing configured to receive a coil and an armature such that the upper housing, coil and armature define a latching electromagnetic circuit that provides alternating contact of the armature with the supply nozzle of the lower housing assembly.
Claims20
An electropneumatic transducer comprising:
- a lower block assembly, the lower block assembly comprising a lower housing and a supply nozzle, the supply nozzle having a supply seat and an exhaust seat, and being in fluid communication with a supply port and in intermittent fluid communication with an output port of the lower housing through an internal fluid passageway, the lower housing further comprising an exhaust bore in fluid communication with an exhaust port and in intermittent fluid communication with the output port of the lower housing through the internal fluid passageway;
- and
- an upper block assembly, the upper block assembly comprising an upper housing, a coil and an armature, the upper housing, coil and armature defining a latching electromagnetic circuit that provides alternating contact force of the armature to act upon a plug tip of a valve plug disposed with the supply nozzle of the lower housing assembly, the valve plug further including an exhaust surface configured to engage with the exhaust seat, and the coil being arranged to receive an electrical input signal to activate and de-activate the electromagnetic circuit to latch the output port at a high output state and a low output state and the armature including a plurality of hinges, the hinges providing a spring force moment opposing a magnetic force moment to alternatively latch the armature immediately adjacent to and nonadjacent to the upper housing.
A latching electropneumatic transducer, comprising:
- a pneumatic circuit, the pneumatic circuit comprising a lower housing having a supply port, an exhaust port and an output port in fluid communication through an internal fluid passageway and a pressure chamber, the supply port operatively coupled to a supply nozzle having a valve plug disposed within the supply nozzle, the valve plug including a frusto-conical exhaust surface, a conical supply surface, and a plug tip;
- and
- an electromagnetic circuit, the electromagnetic circuit comprising an upper housing, a coil and an armature, the armature including a plurality of hinges, the hinges providing a spring force moment and the armature being movable in response to an electrical input signal, the electromagnetic circuit defining a magnetic force moment, the spring force moment and the magnetic force moment act jointly to alternatively latch the armature immediately adjacent to and nonadjacent to the upper housing, the latching electropneumatic transducer is alternatively configurable for direct-acting operation or reverse-acting operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.