Self draining valve
OwnerW.T. David Abbottinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-draining, valve for fluid flow control. Upon removal of fluid supply pressure from the valve, the valve automatically reverts to a partially open state allowing fluid in the valve to drain. The disclosed valve is particularly useful in applications where draining of fluids with bio-matter or other contaminants is desired after removal of supply pressure in order to reduce contamination buildup and/or permit thorough cleaning.
Claims15
A self draining fluid flow control diaphram valve, comprising:
- an inlet manifold;
- an outlet tube;
- a diaphram mounted adjacent said inlet manifold, wherein said diaphram includes a control opening and a rim hole and wherein said diaphram is positioned relative to said inlet manifold so as to allow movement of said diaphram in registry with an outlet tube seat and is further positioned so as to provide a gap between said outlet tube opening in an absence of fluid supply pressure within said inlet manifold and wherein said control opening is located in a portion of said diaphram that is in registry with said outlet tube opening;
- and
- a solenoid armature positioned so as to engage said control hole upon either deactivation or activation of a corresponding solenoid electromagnet.
A self draining fluid flow control valve, comprising:
- a fluid inlet;
- a fluid discharge with an inlet seat on one end, said inlet seat lying in a plane;
- a flow control member mounted so as to allow movement thereof in registry with said seat and disposed so as to provide a gap between said seat and said flow control in the absence of a fluid supply pressure in said fluid inlet;
A method of operating a self-draining fluid control valve, comprising the steps of:
- providing a valve body within an inlet manifold, an outlet conduit defining a seat, and a sealing diaphram positioned for movement between a first position in contact with said seat and a second position spaced from said seat, wherein said diaphram defines a rim hole configured so as to cause said diaphram to press against said seat upon application of fluid supply pressure in said inlet manifold and wherein said diaphram is positioned so as to create a gap between said diaphram in the absence of supply fluid pressure;
- applying fluid under pressure through said inlet manifold;
- and
- releasing said supply pressure.
A method of forming a self draining diaphram valve from an existing diaphram valve, comprising the steps of:
- placing a replacement diaphram into said diaphram valve, wherein said replacement diaphram has a natural position removed from an outlet tube opening within said valve;
- and
- replacing an existing diaphram chamber cover with a new diaphram chamber cover
A self-draining fluid flow control valve, comprising:
- a. an inlet manifold fluidly communicated with an outlet manifold;
- b. a resilient diaphram adapted to selectively seal the inlet manifold from the outlet manifold upon the introduction of a working fluid into the inlet manifold;
- c. wherein the inlet manifold is fluidly communicated with the outlet manifold upon the removal of pressurized working fluid from the inlet manifold.
A self-draining fluid flow control valve, comprising:
- an inlet manifold;
- an outlet tube;
- a solenoid armature;
- a valve member positionable for sealing engagement between the inlet manifold and the outlet tube movable between a first, open flow, position and second, flow interrupting, position;
- said valve member moving to the first, open flow, position when pressure within operating fluid present in the inlet manifold is reduced to substantially zero;
- said valve member being positioned in the second, flow interrupted, position when pressure within the operating fluid present in the inlet manifold is raised above substantially zero and the solenoid armature is disengaged;
- and
- said valve member being positioned in the first, open flow, position when pressure within operating fluid present in the inlet manifold is raised to above substantially zero and the solenoid armature is engaged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.