Valve
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsThierry BLIN, Gilles SIMON, Christophe BRAEM
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve has a movable valve element extending across a passageway within a housing and a central aperture, either through the valve element itself or in an adjacent part of the housing, which is opened by movement of the valve element to allow fluid flow between an inlet and an outlet.
Claims12
A valve, comprising:
- a housing;
- an inlet of the housing;
- an one outlet of the housing,
- a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet;
- walls of the housing;
- and
- a moveable valve element that extends inwardly from the walls across the passageway;
- a valve element comprising a first portion defining an aperture surrounded by the passageway and a second portion adapted to close the aperture,
- wherein the valve element is movable between a first disposition in which said aperture is closed by said second portion to substantially prevent fluid flow, and a second disposition in which said aperture is spaced from said second portion to allow fluid flow.
A method of operating a valve comprising a housing having an inlet, at least one outlet, and a passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet and having walls, and a moveable valve element extending inwardly from the walls across the passageway, the valve having a first portion defining an aperture which is surrounded by the passageway and a second portion for closing the aperture, the method comprising:
- raising a pressure applied to said inlet from a low valve to a relatively higher value to move the moveable valve element from a first disposition, in which said aperture is closed by said second portion to substantially prevent fluid flow, to a second disposition in which said aperture is spaced from said second portion to allow fluid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.