Shuttle valve poppet mechanism
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsVinay Kumar Tumkur Chandrashekar, Elias Eliot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for directing fluid flow is disclosed, including a valve structure having a chamber, a main port, a first port, and a second port, each of the ports being connected to the chamber. A poppet structure in the chamber is moveable between a first position blocking the first port and a second position blocking the second port. A first compliant member connecting the poppet structure to an inner wall of the chamber, is configured to alternate application of forces to the poppet structure, in opposite directions, between the first and second positions.
Claims20
An apparatus for directing fluid flow, comprising:
- a valve structure having a chamber, a main port, a first port, and a second port, each of the ports being connected to the chamber,
- a poppet structure in the chamber moveable between a first position blocking the first port and a second position blocking the second port, and
- a first compliant member connecting a first portion of the poppet structure between the first and second ports, to an inner wall of the chamber, and configured to alternate application of forces to the poppet structure, in opposite directions, between the first position and the second position, wherein the first compliant member includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a first compliant link connecting the inner ring to the outer ring, the inner ring being fixed to the first portion of the poppet structure, and the outer ring being fixed to the inner wall of the chamber, the first compliant link alternating between forcing the poppet structure into the first position, and forcing the poppet structure into the second position.
An apparatus for directing fluid flow, comprising:
- a valve structure having a chamber, a main port, a first port, and a second port, each of the ports being connected to the chamber,
- a poppet structure in the chamber moveable between a first position blocking the first port and a second position blocking the second port,
- a first over-center spring mechanism connecting the poppet structure to an inner wall of the chamber, and configured to alternate application of forces to the poppet structure, in opposite directions, between the first position and the second position, and
- a second over-center spring mechanism connecting the poppet structure to the inner wall of the chamber, and configured to alternate application of forces to the poppet structure, in opposite directions, between the first position and the second position, wherein the first over-center spring mechanism is spaced from the second over-center spring mechanism along a length of the poppet structure.
A method of controlling fluid flow through a main port of a valve device, comprising:
- exerting a first force on a poppet structure, maintaining the poppet structure in a first position blocking fluid flow through a first port in a chamber of a valve device, the first force being exerted by a compliant member connecting a first portion of the poppet structure between the first port and a second port, to an inner wall of the chamber, wherein the compliant member includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a first compliant link connecting the inner ring to the outer ring, the inner ring being fixed to the first portion of the poppet structure, and the outer ring being fixed to the inner wall of the chamber, the first compliant link alternating between forcing the poppet structure into the first position, and forcing the poppet structure into the second position,
- moving the poppet structure away from the first position toward a second position blocking fluid flow through a second port, by overcoming the first force by a counter force exerted on the poppet structure by a threshold level of fluid pressure generated by fluid flow from the first port.
The method of 17, further comprising the step of:
- additively manufacturing the compliant member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.