# US 12,215,790 B2 · Control plate for a high conductance valve > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,790 B2 - Document ID: US12215790B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/403,669 - Filed: 2024-01-03 - Published: 2024-12-12 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-05 - Assignees: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Applicants: Illinois Tool Works Inc - Inventors: Kim Ngoc Vu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215790B2 ## CPC - F16K 1/42: Valve seats (for double-seat valves F16K1/44) - F16K 1/36: Valve members (for double-seat valves F16K1/44 {; for butterfly valves F16K1/222, F16K1/223}) - F16K 1/44: Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} ## Abstract A high purity control valve for use in high conductance, proportional control applications includes a moveable control plate having a flow-through passage to enhance fluid sweep of the internal valve volume. Nested orifice ridges are used to achieve high conductance with small actuator movement. Enhanced leak tightness can be provided by incorporating into the control plate materials softer than the material comprising the orifice ridge. The control plate comprises a control plate body having a counterbore in fluid communication with a conduit, radial fluid flow paths and axial fluid flow paths. A flat side of the control plate includes a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to shut-off fluid flow in the valve. The radial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication from the counterbore to a circumferential perimeter of the control plate and the axial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication with the fluid conduit through an intermediate valve chamber portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control plate for a high-conductance valve comprising: a control plate body formed as a disk having a flat side and an opposed side opposite the flat side, the control plate configured to be moved within a valve by an actuator, the flat side having a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to shut-off fluid flow in the valve; a counterbore in the control plate body, the counterbore in fluid communication with a fluid conduit; a plurality of radial fluid flow paths in the control plate body extending from the counterbore to a circumferential perimeter of the control plate body; and a plurality of axial fluid flow paths in the control plate body; wherein the axial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication with an intermediate valve chamber portion, the intermediate valve chamber portion in fluid communication with the fluid conduit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control plate of claim 1, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the intermediate valve chamber portion and an upper valve chamber portion of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control plate of claim 1, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend from a radial fluid flow path through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the radial fluid flow path to the intermediate valve chamber portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control plate of claim 1, wherein the intermediate valve chamber portion is a second intermediate valve chamber of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control plate of claim 1, further comprising a polymer insert disk, the polymer insert disk comprising: a plurality of pillars, each pillar extending through the control plate body; and a plurality of plugs, each plug extending radially from a pillar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The control plate of claim 5, wherein an axial flow path extends through at least one pillar creating a fluid communication path between the intermediate valve chamber portion and an upper valve chamber portion of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The control plate of claim 5, wherein at least one axial fluid flow path extend from the radial fluid flow paths through the polymer insert disk creating a fluid communication path between the radial fluid flow path and the intermediate valve chamber portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The control plate of claim 1, wherein the control plate is mounted on a stub suspended beneath a diaphragm, wherein the distance between the control plate and the diaphragm is minimized to reduce sweep volume. ### Claim 9 A valve assembly comprising: a valve body having a valve chamber and at least one pair of adjacent orifice ridge segments defining an intermediate valve chamber portion between the at least one pair of adjacent orifice ridge segments; a control plate body formed as a disk having a flat side and an opposed side opposite the flat side, the control plate configured to be moved within a valve by an actuator, the flat side having a flat portion to shut-off fluid flow in the valve; a counterbore in the control plate body, the counterbore in fluid communication with a fluid conduit; a plurality of radial fluid flow paths in the control plate body extending from the counterbore to a circumferential perimeter of the control plate body; and a plurality of axial fluid flow paths in the control plate body; wherein the axial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication with the intermediate valve chamber portion, the intermediate valve chamber portion in fluid communication with the fluid conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the intermediate valve chamber portion and an upper valve chamber portion of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend from a radial fluid flow path through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the radial fluid flow path to the intermediate valve chamber portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the intermediate valve chamber portion is a second intermediate valve chamber of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The valve assembly of claim 9, further comprising a polymer insert disk, the polymer insert disk comprising: a plurality of pillars, each pillar extending through the control plate body; and a plurality of plugs, each plug extending radially from a pillar. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The valve assembly of claim 13, wherein an axial flow path extends through at least one pillar creating a fluid communication path between the intermediate valve chamber portion and an upper valve chamber portion of the high-conductance valve and at least one plug. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The valve assembly of claim 13, wherein at least one axial fluid flow path extend from the radial fluid flow paths through the polymer insert disk creating a fluid communication path between the radial fluid flow path and the intermediate valve chamber portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the control plate is mounted on a stub suspended beneath a diaphragm, wherein the distance between the control plate and the diaphragm is minimized to reduce total and swept volume. ### Claim 17 A method of conducting fluid through a high-conductance valve using a control plate, the method comprising: pumping fluid through a valve body, the valve body having a valve chamber and at least one pair of adjacent orifice ridge segments defining an intermediate valve chamber portion between the at least one pair of adjacent orifice ridge segments; moving a control plate body in the valve body using an valve actuator, the control plate body formed as a circular disk having a flat side and an opposed side opposite the flat side, the flat side having a continuous uninterrupted flat portion to shut-off fluid flow in the valve; channeling the fluid through a plurality of radial fluid flow paths, the radial flow paths formed in the control plate body and extending from a counterbore of the control plate body to a circumferential perimeter of the control plate body; and channeling the fluid through a plurality of axial fluid flow paths, the axial fluid flow paths formed in the control plate body; wherein the axial fluid flow paths provide fluid communication with the intermediate valve chamber portion, the intermediate valve chamber portion in fluid communication with the fluid conduit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the intermediate valve chamber portion and an upper valve chamber portion of the high-conductance valve. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the axial fluid flow paths extend from a radial fluid flow path through the control plate body creating a fluid communication path between the radial fluid flow path to the intermediate valve chamber portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the intermediate valve chamber portion is a second intermediate valve chamber of the high-conductance valve.