US 4,108,419 AGranted

Pilot operated valve

AssigneeClifton J. Burwell

InventorsOded E. Sturman, Benjamin Grill

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Abstract

An improved pilot operated valve which may be used in fluid control systems which may have one or more latching unit for controlling the valves. The valves utilizing a concentric arrangement of the major components thereof, each being coaxially located with respect to a single housing member. These major components include the valve closure member, the pilot valve, the diaphragm separating the high and low pressure areas, and the latching actuator controlling the pilot valve. A mounting flange member is provided for threading into a valve body, and is in turn threaded to the valve body member so that the entire valve assembly may be rotated much like a conventional valve handle to provide a flow control, and a manual shutoff if desired. The control electronics may be battery operated and may locate with respect to one valve to provide drive signals to control one or more valves in sequence. Other controls and actuators may be used.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A valve comprising:

a housing means having a lower housing for coupling to a valve body, and an upper housing,
a valve actuating means slideably extending into said lower portion of said valve body for motion between upper and lower positions and for defining a flow passage from said upper housing downward between said lower housing and said valve actuating means;
a valve closure means coupled to the lower portions of said valve actuating means for engaging a valve seat on a valve body when said valve actuating means in in said lower position;
a diaphragm within said upper housing coupled to said valve actuating means;
a diaphragm support member in said upper housing and supporting the outer periphery of said diaphragm, said diaphragm support member and said upper housing cooperating so as to allow fluid flow therebetween;
a pilot valve seat member above said diaphragm and mating with the diaphragm adjacent its periphery to define a fluid chamber therebetween, said pilot valve seat member having a pilot valve seat surrounding an opening therethrough;
a separator member above said pilot valve seat member, including means for sealing said pilot valve seat member with respect to said upper housing, said separator member having an opening therethrough concentric with said pilot valve seat;
a flexible member under said separator member to seal said opening therethrough, said flexible member being deflectable between a position against said pilot valve seat and a position spaced away from said pilot valve seat, said separator member and said pilot valve seat member having facingly disposed cooperative surfaces to define a flow passage therebetween;
and
a pilot valve actuating member extending through said opening in said separator member to control the position of said flexible member.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.