Bidirectional excess flow valve
AssigneeWatts Regulator Co.
InventorsMark E. Felgar, Matthew W. Riggle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bidirectional excess flow valve for automatically stopping delivery of a fluid from a supply in a fluid network. The valve has a housing defining an interior forming a fluid passageway along a flow axis between a first opening and a second opening. The valve also has a valve seat in the interior, the fluid passageway extending through the valve seat, and a first and second shutoff element disposed on opposite sides of the valve seat. The shutoff elements are set apart from the valve seat assembly in an open position to allow flow through the fluid passageway. In a closed position, the first or second shutoff element is configured to move against the valve element assembly to close the fluid passageway when flow through the fluid passageway exceeds a predetermined level.
Claims9
A bidirectional excess flow valve for automatically stopping delivery of a fluid from a supply in a fluid network comprising:
- a housing defining an interior forming a fluid passageway along a flow axis between a first opening and a second opening;
- a valve seat in the interior, the fluid passageway extending through the valve seat;
- and
- a valve element assembly including a first shutoff element and a second shutoff element disposed on opposite sides of the valve seat, wherein the first and second shutoff elements are normally biased set apart from the valve seat assembly in an open position to allow flow through the fluid passageway,
- wherein:
- in a first closed position, the first shutoff element is configured to move against the valve element assembly to close the fluid passageway when flow through the fluid passageway from the first opening to the second opening exceeds a first predetermined level;
- and
- in a second closed position, the second shutoff element is configured to move against the valve element assembly to close the fluid passageway when flow through the fluid passageway from the second opening to the first opening exceeds a second predetermined level.
An excess flow valve for automatically stopping delivery of a fluid from a supply in a fluid network comprising:
- a housing defining an interior forming a fluid passageway along a flow axis;
- a valve seat fixed in the interior and forming a central opening, wherein the fluid passageway extends through the central opening;
- a first and second shutoff element for selectively sealing against the valve seat to block the fluid passageway, the first and second shutoff elements connected together by a clasping mechanism and retained in the central opening, the first and second shutoff elements sized and configured to guide axial motion of the valve element;
- and
- two springs extending between the valve seat and each shutoff element for normally biasing the shutoff elements away from the valve seat in an open position to allow flow through the fluid passageway,
- wherein in a closed position, the first or second shutoff element is configured to move against the valve element assembly to close the fluid passageway when flow through the fluid passageway exceeds a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.