Diaphragm valve
AssigneeBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsDenis Saint-Paul, Philippe Vernot, Lilian Portier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Novel features enhancing the operation of a diaphragm valve include a specialized diaphragm profile for enhanced securement of the diaphragm in the valve body, and a quick-connect feature joining the diaphragm to its actuator, in which the forward end of the actuator contains a sloping surface, an expanded tip, and a shoulder, while the diaphragm contains a truncated bore with a complementary profile. The valve can be modular in construction to permit mounting of the valve to an instrument panel in close proximity to other valves or components to provide the ability to select among interconnected fluid flow paths.
Claims24
A diaphragm valve comprising:
- (a) a flexible diaphragm having a peripheral rim and a section of expanded thickness on said rim;
- and
- (b) a housing comprising:
- (i) a valve body with a closure port therein,
- (ii) a bonnet configured for securement to said valve body in a position encircling said closure port, such that said valve body and said bonnet when so secured meet at contact surfaces,
- (iii) a depression in at least one of said contact surfaces to receive said section of expanded thickness of said peripheral rim of said diaphragm and to thereby fix said diaphragm in said housing over said closure port.
A diaphragm valve comprising:
- (a) a flexible diaphragm having first and second sides and a peripheral rim, with a truncated bore in said first side, said truncated bore having a side wall with an inverted shoulder formed therein;
- (b) a housing comprising:
- (i) a valve body with a closure port therein, and
- (ii) a bonnet configured for securement to said valve body in a position encircling said closure port, such that said valve body and said bonnet when so secured meet at contact surfaces and secure said diaphragm therebetween;
- and
- (c) an actuator shaft movably mounted to said housing and terminating in an expanded tip sized for insertion in said bore, said expanded tip having a forward end and a rear end, said forward end having a sloping surface to cause elastic expansion of said bore when said tip is pressed against said bore and a shoulder on said rear end to engage said inverted shoulder of said bore when said tip is fully inserted, thereby fixing said actuator shaft to said diaphragm.
A method for controlling the flow of a liquid, said method comprising:
- (a) passing said liquid through a diaphragm valve in said system, said diaphragm valve comprising:
- (a) a flexible diaphragm having a peripheral rim and a section of expanded thickness on said rim;
- and
- (b) a housing comprising:
- (i) a valve body with a closure port therein,
- (ii) a bonnet configured for securement to said valve body in a position encircling said closure port, such that said valve body and said bonnet when so secured meet at contact surfaces,
- (iii) a depression in at least one of said contact surfaces to receive said section of expanded thickness of said peripheral rim of said diaphragm and to thereby fix said diaphragm in said housing over said closure port;
- and
- (b) moving said diaphragm away from and towards said closure port and thereby to open and close said valve.
A method for controlling the flow of a liquid, said method comprising:
- (a) passing said liquid through a diaphragm valve in said system, said diaphragm valve comprising:
- (i) a flexible diaphragm having first and second sides and a peripheral rim, with a truncated bore in said first side, said truncated bore having a side wall with an inverted shoulder formed therein;
- (ii) a housing comprising:
- a valve body with a closure port therein, and
- a bonnet secured to said valve body in a position encircling said closure port, with said valve body and said bonnet being joined at contact surfaces and securing said diaphragm therebetween;
- and
- (iii) an actuator shaft movably mounted to said housing and terminating in an expanded tip sized for insertion in said bore, said expanded tip having a forward end and a rear end, said forward end having a sloping surface to cause elastic expansion of said bore when said tip is pressed against said bore and a shoulder on said rear end to engage said inverted shoulder of said bore when said tip is fully inserted, thereby fixing said actuator shaft to said diaphragm;
- and
- (b) moving said actuator shaft relative to said housing to move said diaphragm away from and towards said closure port and thereby to open and close said valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.