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US 12,680,621 B2Granted
Peizoelectric valve assembly
AssigneeHumphrey Products Company
InventorsScott Davis, Marc Larson, Todd Bordewyk
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Abstract
A valve assembly comprising a housing having a cavity and including a port forming an opening in the cavity, and a piezoelectric assembly disposed at least partially in the cavity. The piezoelectric assembly comprises an elongated piezoelectric layer, a sealing pad, and an electrical contact. The electrical contact is configured to receive a voltage signal, and when the piezoelectric assembly receives the voltage signal at the electrical contact the piezoelectric layer deforms to cause the sealing pad to selectively seal or unseal the port.
Claims20
A valve assembly, said valve assembly comprising:
- a housing comprising a cavity and including a port forming an opening in said cavity;
- a manifold at said housing;
- a piezoelectric assembly disposed at least partially in said cavity;
- wherein said piezoelectric assembly comprises an elongated piezoelectric layer and comprises a sealing pad and an electrical contact, wherein said electrical contact is disposed outside of said cavity and is configured to receive a voltage signal, and wherein when said piezoelectric assembly receives a voltage signal at said electrical contact said piezoelectric layer deforms to cause said sealing pad to selectively seal or unseal said port;
- wherein said housing includes a first housing passage extending between said cavity and an outer surface of said housing, and wherein flow through said first housing passage is selectively enabled via said sealing pad selectively sealing or unsealing said port;
- wherein said manifold includes a first manifold passage aligned with a first manifold port, and wherein flow through said first manifold passage and said first manifold port is selectively enabled via said sealing pad selectively sealing or unsealing said port;
- wherein said manifold is disposed on said outer surface of said housing at said first housing passage and is selectively moveable relative to said housing, with said manifold being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said outer surface to selectively orient said first manifold port relative to said housing.
4 more elements
A valve assembly, said valve assembly comprising:
- a housing comprising an outer surface and a cavity and including a port forming an opening in said cavity;
- a manifold disposed at said outer surface of said housing, and wherein said manifold is selectively moveable relative to said housing, with said manifold being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said outer surface to selectively orient said manifold relative to said housing;
- a piezoelectric assembly disposed at least partially in said cavity;
- wherein said piezoelectric assembly comprises an elongated piezoelectric layer and comprises a sealing pad and an electrical contact, wherein said electrical contact is disposed outside of said cavity and is configured to receive a voltage signal, and wherein when said piezoelectric assembly receives a voltage signal at said electrical contact said piezoelectric layer deforms to cause said sealing pad to selectively seal or unseal said port;
- wherein said housing includes a first housing passage aligned with said port and extending between said cavity and said outer surface of said housing, and wherein said housing includes a second housing passage extending between said cavity and said outer surface of said housing;
- wherein said manifold includes a first manifold passage in fluid communication with a first manifold port, and wherein said manifold includes a second manifold passage in fluid communication with a second manifold port;
- wherein said first housing passage is aligned with and in fluid communication with said first manifold passage and said second housing passage is aligned with and in fluid communication with said second manifold passage;
- wherein flow through said first manifold port and said second manifold port is selectively enabled via said sealing pad selectively sealing or unsealing said port;
- and
- wherein said manifold is selectively moveable relative to said housing to selectively orient said first manifold port and said second manifold port relative to said housing.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.