Fluid regulating pinch valve
AssigneeGraham Packaging Company, L.P.
InventorsRussell Varone, Michael Deitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a fluid through a flexible wall tube including a body having a tubing receptacle that directs a flexible wall tube longitudinally through the body; a compression shoe; and an actuator to drive the compression shoe, such as a piston connected with a connecting pin. the apparatus can be pneumatically driven. The compression shoe has an arcuate contact surface that is curved in a longitudinal direction and substantially linear in a transverse direction. The apparatus can further include a housing, for example a cushion tube, to envelope the flexible wall tubing. A system for controlling one or more flow rates through one or mote tubes can include the valve.
Claims25
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a fluid through a flexible wall tube comprising:
- a body comprising a tubing receptacle for directing the flexible wall tube longitudinally through said body;
- a compression shoe comprising an arcuate contact surface, said surface being curved in a longitudinal direction of said compression shoe and substantially linear in a transverse direction of said compression shoe;
- and
- an actuator movably connecting said compression shoe to said body,
- wherein activating said actuator moves said compression shoe for compressing the tube to control the flow of fluid through the tube.
An apparatus for controlling the flow of a fluid through a flexible wall tube comprising:
- a body comprising a first body part and a tubing saddle, said first body part and said tubing saddle cooperating to define a tubing receptacle for directing the flexible wall tube longitudinally thorough said body, and said tubing saddle comprising a tubing guide, wherein said tubing guide is open on a side in a direction toward a compression shoe;
- and
- a compression shoe comprising a contact saddle having an arcuate contact surface, said surface being curved in a longitudinal direction of said compression shoe and substantially linear in a transverse direction of said compression tube,
- an actuator comprising an actuator piston connected to said compression shoe and a drive mechanism connected to said piston and said body, wherein activating said drive mechanism moves said piston;
- a guide rod connected to said compression shoe and slidably connected to said body;
- a spring connected to said first body part and said compression shoe around said guide rod;
- and
- said piston and said spring cooperate to move said compression shoe for compressing the tube to control the flow of fluid through the tube.
A system for controlling flow of a fluid through a flexible wall tube, said system comprising
- a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of the fluid through the flexible wall tube;
- a valve, said valve comprising a body comprising
- a tubing receptacle for directing the flexible wall tube longitudinally thorough said body;
- a compression shoe comprising an arcuate contact surface, said surface being curved in a longitudinal direction of said compression shoe and substantially linear in a transverse direction of said compression shoe;
- and
- an actuator movably connecting said compression shoe to said body,
- wherein activating said actuator moves said compression shoe for compressing the tube to control the flow of fluid through the tube;
- and
- a controller, wherein said controller adjusts flow rates through the tubing to a predetermined valve by variably actuating said actuator in response to a measurement of flow rate by the flow meter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.