Pinch Valve
AssigneePrince Castle LLC
InventorsLoren Veltrop, Christopher Lyons, Mark Kurth, Tim Payne, Kyle Koning, Jim Stango
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pinch valve has a pinch bar constructed and arranged to translate between two different positions when the pinch bar lies in any orientation. The pinch bar is comprised of two orthogonal legs, one of which extends through and rotates inside a hole formed into a body for the valve. Having the pinch bar rotatable enables the pinch bar to be rotated away from where it would open and close a flexible tube.
Claims25
A pinch valve comprising:
- a pinch bar having first and second legs, the first leg having an axis of rotation, the second leg extending laterally across a first side of a valve surface;
- and
- wherein the pinch bar is translatable relative the valve body such that when the first leg moves between first and second locations along the axis, the second leg translates between third and fourth positions relative to the first side of the valve surface, translation between the third and fourth positions opening and closing a tube.
A pinch valve comprising:
- a valve surface;
- a substantially L-shaped pinch bar comprised of first and second legs, the first and second legs having first and second lengths respectively, at least part of the second leg being in front of the valve surface, the first and second legs being configured such that displacement of the first leg between first and second positions causes the second leg to translate between third and fourth positions respectively, the third and fourth positions being relative to the valve surface;
- and
- a solenoid coupled to the first leg of the pinch bar and configured to translate the first leg between the first and second positions responsive to an electrical signal applied to the solenoid.
A method of operating a pinch valve comprised of a valve surface and a substantially L-shaped pinch bar having first and second, at least part of the first leg being inside the valve surface and extending through a hole formed therein, at least part of the second leg being in front of the first side of the valve surface and configured to extend laterally away from the hole and at least part way across the first side, the first and second legs being configured such that displacement of the first leg between first and second positions causes the second leg to translate between third and fourth positions respectively, the third and fourth positions being relative to the first side, the pinch valve being additionally comprised of a solenoid coupled to the first leg of the pinch bar and configured to selectively translate the first leg between the first and second positions responsive to an electrical signal applied to the solenoid, the method comprising the steps of:
- manually drawing the pinch bar away from the first side of the valve surface;
- and
- rotating the pinch bar through a first angle, which is centered substantially on the first leg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.