Check valve
AssigneeLontra Limited
InventorStephen Francis LINDSEY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A check valve (1) which comprises an obturator (2) and a biasing mechanism, the biasing mechanism arranged to urge the obturator towards a closed condition, and the check valve further comprising an actuator assembly (5, 7a, 7b) which is arranged to be selectively activated to cause the obturator to be in an open condition, and the check valve comprising a controller which has a control signal input to cause the controller to selectively activate the actuator assembly.
Claims26
A check valve which comprises an obturator and a biasing mechanism, the biasing mechanism arranged to urge the obturator towards a closed condition, and the check valve further comprising an actuator assembly which is arranged to be selectively activated to cause the obturator to be in an open condition, and the check valve comprising a controller which has a control signal input to cause the controller to selectively activate the actuator assembly.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the actuator assembly arranged, when activated, to open the obturator to a greater extent from a partially open condition.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the controller comprises a terminal or a port, which is arranged to receive an electrical signal, pneumatic or mechanical signal.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the actuator assembly comprises a pressure-activated actuator.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the controller is arranged to cause one of two fluid pressure sources to act at least in part on the actuator assembly.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the actuator assembly comprises a motive component of which opposing sides or ends are arranged to be acted on by a respective pressure source, and the fluid pressure to which at least one of the sides/ends of the components is subjected to is controlled by the controller.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the controller comprises a switching valve.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the actuator assembly comprises a piston which is moveable within a piston chamber, and the piston defines two sub-chambers, a first sub-chamber which is selectively connectable to a first pressure and to a second pressure, and a second sub-chamber which is connected to the first pressure.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the actuator assembly comprises a first conduit which connects the controller to the first pressure and a second conduit which connects the controller to the second fluid pressure.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which, where reference is made to a first fluid pressure and a second fluid pressure, the first fluid pressure is lower than the second fluid pressure.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim which comprises a linkage which connects actuator assembly to the obturator.
A check valve as claimed in any preceding claim in which the controller is arranged to de-activate the actuator assembly in response to an absence of a signal input to the controller indicative of the operation of a fluid displacement device, a fluid port of which the check valve is connected to.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.