# US 2012/0073668 A1 · Bladder type accumulator

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- Number: US 2012/0073668 A1
- Document ID: US20120073668A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/321,358
- Filed: 2010-05-17
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2009-05-18
- Assignees: Fawcett Christie Hydraulics Limited
- Inventors: Roger Bold
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120073668A1

## CPC

- F15B 1/22: Liquid port constructions
- F15B 1/165: {in the form of a bladder}
- F15B 2201/205: using gas
- F15B 2201/3152: the flexible separating means being bladders
- F15B 2201/411: having valve means
- Y10T 137/0318: Processes
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A bladder accumulator comprises a fluid port assembly, for communicating between a main housing of the accumulator and a connection arrangement of the accumulator. An isolation valve arrangement is located within the fluid port assembly and is moveable between an open position for normal operation of the bladder accumulator and a closed position for isolating the bladder accumulator from a hydraulic system, to which is it mounted, wherein, the valve arrangement is fixable in the open position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bladder accumulator comprising a fluid port assembly, for communicating between a main housing of the accumulator and a connection arrangement of the accumulator, wherein an isolation valve arrangement is located within the fluid port assembly and is moveable between an open position for normal operation of the bladder accumulator and a closed position for isolating the bladder accumulator from a hydraulic system to which it is mounted, wherein the valve arrangement is fixable in the open position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the valve arrangement comprises a valve element located within a portion of the channel within the fluid port assembly which communicates between the housing and the connection arrangement.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 2, wherein the valve element comprises a ball valve element, rotatably mounted within the portion of the channel within the fluid port assembly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 2, wherein the connection arrangement comprises a flange, and the portion of the channel is defined by a stepped face of the channel and an upstanding collar formed on the flange and slideable within the channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 4, wherein the valve element abuts the stepped face and abuts the upstanding collar.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 2, wherein the valve arrangement is operable via a knob arrangement and the knob arrangement is fixable to the fluid port assembly so as to fix the valve arrangement in the open position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 6, wherein a spindle passes through a wall of the fluid port assembly and is fixed in a predetermined rotational orientation to a knob of the knob arrangement at a first end and to the valve element at a second end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 6, wherein the knob arrangement is rotatable to move the valve arrangement between the open and the closed position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 8, wherein at least one hole is formed in the knob arrangement which communicates with at least one corresponding hole in the fluid port assembly when the valve arrangement is in the open position, wherein the knob arrangement additionally comprises a fixing element for the at least one hole fixable through the at least one communicating hole to fix the valve arrangement in the open position.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 1, additionally comprising a poppet valve assembly at an end of the fluid port assembly which communicates with the housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A bladder accumulator according to claim 10, wherein the isolation valve arrangement is located between the poppet valve and the connection arrangement.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A bladder accumulator according claim 1, wherein the connection arrangement comprises a flange.

### Claim 13

A method of using a bladder accumulator comprising:
fixing the bladder accumulator to a hydraulic system via the connection arrangement;
isolating the bladder accumulator from the hydraulic system for high pressure testing of the hydraulic system by moving the isolation valve arrangement to the closed position; and
fixing the valve arrangement in the open position during normal operation of the hydraulic system.