Directional flow control device

A directional flow control device comprising:

• a housing extending along a longitudinal axis between an inlet end and a discharge end, the housing having a front housing at the inlet end and a rear housing at the discharge end, the front housing having an inlet bore along the longitudinal axis, the rear housing having a first outlet bore and a second outlet bore, the first outlet bore extending along a first outlet bore axis and the second outlet bore extending along a second outlet bore axis non-parallel to the first outlet bore axis;
• and
• a flow deflector received in the housing and positioned between the front housing and the rear housing, the flow deflector having a flow channel therethrough, the flow channel having an intake bore at a front end of the flow deflector and a discharge bore at a rear end of the flow deflector, the intake bore extending along an intake bore axis, the discharge bore extending along a discharge bore axis angled relative to the intake bore axis by a fluid path change angle of between 10° and 45°, wherein fluid flows into the flow deflector through the intake bore along the intake bore axis and fluid flows from the flow deflector through the discharge bore along the discharge bore axis;
• and
• a shell, the shell including a cavity receiving the housing, the rear housing being fixedly coupled to the shell, the front housing being axially movable in the cavity relative to the rear housing and the shell, the flow deflector being positioned between the front housing and the rear housing.

A method of assembling a directional flow control device comprising:

• providing a shell having a cavity between a front end and a rear end;
• positioning a front housing in the cavity by movably coupling the front housing relative to the front end of the shell, the front housing having a front pocket and an inlet bore open to the front pocket;
• positioning a rear housing in the cavity, the rear housing having a rear pocket, a first outlet bore open to the rear pocket and a second outlet bore open to the rear pocket, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are aligned in the cavity along a longitudinal axis extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the directional flow control device, wherein the first outlet bore is at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis and the second outlet bore is at a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis;
• providing a flow deflector having a hub with a front end and a rear end, the front end being positioned in the front pocket, the rear end being positioned in the rear pocket, the flow deflector having a flow channel therethrough, the flow channel having an intake bore at a front end of the flow deflector, the flow channel having a discharge bore at a rear end of the flow deflector, the flow channel at the discharge bore being angled nonparallel to the flow channel at the intake bore;
• and
• positioning the flow deflector between the front housing and the rear housing such that the intake bore is in flow communication with the inlet bore, the hub being rotatable relative to the front housing and the rear housing about a rotation axis coaxial with the intake bore and the rotation axis being parallel to the longitudinal axis, the hub being rotated about the rotation axis between a first discharge position and a second discharge position wherein the discharge bore is configured to be in fluid communication with the first outlet bore when the hub is at the first discharge position and wherein the discharge bore is configured to be in fluid communication with the second outlet bore when the hub is at the second discharge position wherein said positioning of the front housing in the cavity further comprises positioning the front housing between the front end of the shell and the flow deflector.