Flow regulator
AssigneeGould Inc.
InventorFrank Iwatsuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow regulator for controlling fluid flow in regulating the operation of a fluid controlled device, such as a fork truck lift mechanism. The regulator provides a damping effect similar to that provided by a fixed orifice while concurrently providing such effect at constant speed so as to maintain the flow rate notwithstanding changes in load conditions. The flow regulator includes an improved flow stabilizing device in association with a sensing orifice structure for improved sensitivity in the response of the flow regulator to changes in pressure. The flow regulator further includes dashpot structure for damping the flow regulator piston movement both inwardly and outwardly in the flow regulating operation of the device.
Claims15
In a flow regulator having a cylinder defining an inlet and an outlet, and means for regulating fluid flow through the cylinder from said inlet to said outlet including a biased piston having an end portion adjacent said inlet movably received in the cylinder and variable flow passage means controlled by said piston for controlling flow of said fluid to said outlet, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a sensing orifice in said piston end portion for causing positioning of the piston in the cylinder as a function of a fluid pressure drop across said sensing orifice;
- a first dashpot in said cylinder for damping the movement of the piston caused by a change in fluid pressure across said sensing orifice, steady state flow of fluid through said flow passage means being controlled by said flow passage means independently of said dashpot;
- and a second dashpot in said cylinder for controlling movement of said piston.
In a flow regulator having a cylinder defining an inlet and an outlet, and means for regulating fluid flow through the cylinder from said inlet to said outlet including a biased piston having an end portion adjacent said inlet movably received in the cylinder and variable flow passage means controlled by said piston for controlling flow of said fluid to said outlet, the improvement comprising:
- means defining a sensing orifice in said piston end portion for causing positioning of the piston in the cylinder as a function of a fluid pressure drop across said sensing orifice;
- and first and second dashpot means in said cylinder having different movement retarding characteristics for controlling movement of said piston, said first dashpot means functioning alone to control movement of the piston from an outermost position to a preselected inward position with a first movement retarding effect, and said first and second dashpot means cooperatively functioning to control movement of the piston inwardly from said inward position to an innermost position with a second, greater movement retarding effect.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.