Continuously Adjustable, Multi-Port Selection, Constant Flow Capability, Externally-Actuated Rotary Flow Valve Apparatus, System and Method

A central valve assembly apparatus for use in a rotary flow valve, said central valve assembly comprising:

• a front plate comprising a plurality of fluid entry ports running therethrough;
• a rear plate comprising one central fluid exit port running through a substantial center thereof and P peripheral fluid exit ports running through a substantially circumferential periphery thereof, where P is greater than or equal to 1;
• P flow selector bars integrally connecting said front plate with said rear plate and fixing said front plate relative to said rear plate, each of said P flow selector bars corresponding on a one-to-one basis with one of said P peripheral fluid exit ports and angularly positioned relative to said central fluid exit port at substantially the same angle as its corresponding peripheral fluid exit port;
• and
• P inter-bar flow channels defined between rotationally-adjacent pairs of said flow selector bars.

A selector cylinder apparatus for use in a rotary flow valve, said selector cylinder comprising:

• a solid cylinder body;
• a central flow channel running therethrough;
• a peripheral flow channel running therethrough;
• and
• a flow channel neck running therethrough, said flow channel neck provided unimpeded fluidic communication between said peripheral flow channel and said central flow channel.

A method for assembling a rotary flow valve, said method comprising:

• providing a front plate comprising a plurality of fluid entry ports running therethrough;
• providing a rear plate comprising one central fluid exit port running through a substantial center thereof and P peripheral fluid exit ports running through a substantially circumferential periphery thereof, where P is greater than or equal to 1;
• providing a selector cylinder comprising a solid cylinder body, a central flow channel running therethrough, a peripheral flow channel running therethrough, and a flow channel neck running therethrough, said flow channel neck providing unimpeded fluidic communication between said peripheral flow channel and said central flow channel;
• providing P flow selector bars, each of said P flow selector bars corresponding on a one-to-one basis with one of said P peripheral fluid exit ports;
• seating said selector cylinder over and around said flow selector bars;
• angularly positioning each of said P flow selector bars relative to said central fluid exit port at substantially the same angle as its corresponding peripheral fluid exit port;
• and
• integrally connecting said P flow selector bars with said front plate and with said rear plate, thereby fixing said front plate relative to said rear plate and defining P inter-bar flow channels between rotationally-adjacent pairs of said flow selector bars, such that said selector cylinder is seated over and freely and continuously rotatable around said flow selector bars and relative to said front and rear plates.

A method for routing the emission of fluid using a rotary flow valve, said method comprising:

• introducing fluid into said rotary flow valve via a plurality of fluid entry ports of said rotary flow valve;
• emitting the fluid through a central fluid exit port of said rotary flow valve by rotating a selector cylinder of said rotary flow valve to a central exit configuration such that a peripheral flow channel of said selector cylinder is substantially aligned with one of P inter-bar flow channels defined between rotationally-adjacent pairs of P flow selector bars of said rotary flow valve and consequently is in fluidic communication with a central fluid exit port of said rotary flow valve, where P is greater than or equal to 1;
• emitting the fluid through a given one of P peripheral fluid exit ports of said rotary flow valve by rotating said selector cylinder to a peripheral exit configuration such that said peripheral flow channel is substantially aligned with said given one of said peripheral fluid exit ports and is blocked from fluidic communication with said central fluid exit port by the corresponding flow selector bar;
• and
• emitting the fluid partially through said central fluid exit port and in remaining part through said given one of said peripheral fluid exit ports by rotating said selector cylinder to a mixed, two-port exit configuration such that said peripheral flow channel is partially aligned with said one of said inter-bar flow channels and in remaining part aligned with a given one of said peripheral fluid exit ports.