Valve assembly
AssigneeWeir Minerals Australia Ltd.
InventorJohn James Fulford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve assembly may be used with a container for holding a fluid including a liquid and a gas. The valve assembly may have a chamber, inlet, and outlet. The chamber may provide an exhaust route for fluid from the container to the outlet. A check valve including a sealing member with a through hole may move between an open and closed position. In the open position, check valve may provide a main flow route for fluid leaving the internal chamber. The through hole may provide a limited return flow route for gas returning to the internal chamber when the check valve is closed. The valve assembly may include a breather check valve movable between a closed and open position in which it provides fluid communication between the exhaust route and externally of the housing. A filter may communicate with the breather check valve.
Claims19
A valve assembly for use with a container for holding a fluid comprising a liquid and a gas, the valve assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal chamber therein and an inlet and an outlet to and from the internal chamber, the internal chamber in use being in fluid communication with the container and providing for an exhaust route for fluid from the container to the outlet;
- (ii) a check valve including a sealing member movable between a check valve open position, and a check valve closed position, the sealing member having one or more through holes therein, the check valve when in the check valve open position providing for a main flow route for fluid leaving the internal chamber via the outlet, the one or more through holes in the sealing member providing for a limited return flow route for gas returning to the internal chamber via the outlet when the check valve is in the check valve closed position for continuous equalization of pressure in the internal chamber, wherein the through holes are continuously fluidically conductive for continuous equalization of pressure in the internal chamber when the check valve is in the check valve open position and also when the check valve is in the check valve closed position;
- and,
- (iii) a breather check valve movable between a breather valve open position in which it provides fluid communication between the exhaust route and externally of the housing, and a breather valve closed position, and a filter which is in gas communication with the breather check valve for filtering gas before the gas enters the internal chamber and container.
A system for use in the control of fluid flow to and from a container, the system comprising:
- a valve apparatus comprising:
- a valve assembly comprising:
- a housing having an internal chamber therein and an inlet and an outlet to and from the internal chamber, the internal chamber in use being in fluid communication with the container and providing for an exhaust route for fluid from the container to the outlet;
- (ii) a check valve including a sealing member movable between a check valve open position, and a check valve closed position, the sealing member having one or more through holes therein, the check valve when in the check valve open position providing for a main flow route for fluid leaving the internal chamber via the outlet, the one or more through holes in the sealing member providing for a limited return flow route for gas returning to the internal chamber via the outlet when the check valve is in the check valve closed position for continuous equalization of pressure in the internal chamber, wherein the through holes are continuously fluidically conductive for continuous equalization of pressure in the internal chamber when the check valve is in the check valve open position and also when the check valve is in the check valve closed position;
- and,
- (iii) a breather check valve movable between a breather valve open position in which it provides fluid communication between the exhaust route and externally of the housing, and a breather valve closed position, and a filter which is in gas communication with the breather check valve for filtering gas before the gas enters the internal chamber and container;
- an inlet float valve which includes an inlet float valve housing having a passageway therein which is in fluid communication with the exhaust route in the valve assembly housing,
- the inlet float valve further including an inlet float movable between an open position and a closed position in which position the passageway is closed;
- a control valve;
- and
- a bleed line, the inlet float valve being operatively connected to the control valve via the bleed line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.