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US 11,281,239 B2Granted
Airflow balancing valve for HVAC systems
AssigneeMetal Industries, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Ashton, Scott D. Madden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic airflow balancing valve, including: a housing having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path therethrough; a valve disc operatively connected to the housing and disposed within the flow path; and an airflow volume calibrating assembly disposed in the flow path and operatively connected to the valve disc and the housing to pivot the valve disc to a home position associated with a desired constant airflow volume. The airflow volume calibrating assembly may include an adjustment element that extends toward at least one of the inlet or the outlet.
Claims24
An automatic airflow balancing valve, comprising:
- a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path within the housing from the inlet to the outlet;
- a valve disc operatively connected to the housing and disposed within the flow path, wherein the valve disc is configured to rotate, about a valve disc axis, within the flow path;
- an airflow volume calibrating assembly disposed in the flow path and operatively connected to the valve disc and the housing to pivot the valve disc to a home position associated with a desired constant airflow volume, the airflow volume calibrating assembly comprising an adjustment element disposed within the flow path and that extends toward at least one of the inlet or the outlet, the airflow volume calibrating assembly further comprising an adjustment plate disposed within the flow path and configured to rotate, about an adjustment plate axis, within the flow path;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the adjustment plate;
- wherein the adjustment plate axis is laterally offset from the valve disc axis.
3 more elements
An automatic airflow balancing valve, comprising:
- a housing defining a flow path through an internal region of the housing, the housing comprising interlock apertures positioned proximate at least one of an inlet or an outlet of the flow path;
- an adjustment plate disposed in the internal region and in the flow path, wherein the adjustment plate is pivotal within a range of adjustment plate positions;
- an adjustment element secured to the adjustment plate and extending toward at least one of the inlet of the flow path or the outlet of the flow path, wherein the adjustment element and the adjustment plate are configured so that lateral movement of the adjustment element pivots the adjustment plate;
- a valve disc disposed in the internal region and in the flow path and operatively associated with the adjustment plate such that the lateral movement of the adjustment element causes the valve disc to pivot;
- an actuator coupled to the adjustment plate;
- and an interlocking adapter flange configured to engage the interlock apertures and adapt the automatic airflow balancing valve to a non-circular opening.
3 more elements
An automatic airflow balancing valve comprising:
- a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path from the inlet to the outlet;
- an adjustment plate located in the flow path and configured to rotate about an adjustment plate axis, wherein the adjustment plate extends from the adjustment plate axis toward the outlet;
- a valve disc located in the flow path and configured to rotate, separately from the adjustment plate, about a valve disc axis, wherein the valve disc comprises a first portion extending from the valve disc axis toward the inlet and a second portion extending from the valve disc axis toward the outlet;
- a spring biasing the valve disc into a home position against the adjustment plate;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the adjustment plate,
- wherein the valve disc, the adjustment plate, and the spring are configured so that, when the adjustment plate is set in a rotational position corresponding to a desired airflow level, an increased pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet creates a force on the valve disc to overcome a biasing force of the spring and to rotate the valve disc to a position reducing flow area in the flow path.
4 more elements
An automatic airflow balancing valve comprising:
- a housing comprising an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path from the inlet to the outlet;
- an adjustment plate located in the flow path and configured to rotate about an adjustment plate axis, wherein the adjustment plate extends from the adjustment plate axis toward the outlet;
- a valve disc located in the flow path and configured to rotate, separately from the adjustment plate, about a valve disc axis, wherein the valve disc comprises a first portion extending from the valve disc axis toward the inlet and a second portion extending from the valve disc axis toward the outlet;
- a spring biasing the valve disc into a home position against the adjustment plate;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the adjustment plate,
- wherein the spring comprises a fixed end secured to the adjustment plate and a free end that contacts the first portion of the valve disc, and wherein the spring extends across the adjustment plate axis and the valve disc axis.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.