High volume poppet valve with orifice opening speed control
AssigneeMTS Systems Corporation
InventorMartin M. Gram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high volume valve for controlling flow of fluid from a source of fluid under pressure, such as in an accumulator, to an actuator used for testing specimens under high rates of loading. The valve includes a poppet type valve piston that is normally held in a closed position by hydraulic pressure behind the poppet, and when the pressure holding the poppet closed is released, the main supply of fluid under pressure acts on the poppet to open it very quickly. A second accumulator open to the opposite side of the poppet from the main source of pressure is utilized for controlling speed of opening of the valve. The amount the poppet opens also can be adjusted for controlling the rate of flow of fluid from the main source of pressure to the actuator.
Claims8
In combination with a first source of fluid under pressure and a hydraulic motor, the improvement comprising a control valve having a valve body having an inlet port coupled to the first source of fluid under pressure and an outlet port coupled to the hydraulic motor, a bore in said valve body, a poppet valve member mounted in said bore, means forming a valve seat surrounding said bore, said poppet valve member having a first portion engaging said seat to seal off flow from said inlet port to said outlet port when the poppet valve member is in a closed position, and said poppet valve member having a second portion of minimal cross sectional area open to the inlet port when the poppet valve is in closed position, means forming a control chamber on an opposite end of said poppet valve member from said valve seat, an accumulator providing a second fluid pressure separate from said first source of fluid under pressure to said control chamber to hold said poppet valve member against said seat, valve means having a valve opening operable to release the fluid pressure in said control chamber to permit said poppet valve member to move away from the seat, pressure at the inlet port thereafter acting to move the poppet valve member away from said seat across substantially the entire cross sectional area of the poppet valve member, said poppet valve member being moved to an open position to permit said inlet port to communicate with the outlet port across said valve seat, means other than the valve means to release forming an orifice substantially larger than the opening of the valve means to release leading from the control chamber to said accumulator to control the flow of fluid from said control chamber, and to regulate the speed of the poppet valve member as it is opened after it has moved away from said seat.
A control valve comprising a valve body having an inlet port connected to a first source of substantially incompressible fluid under pressure and an outlet port adapted to be connected to a hydraulic motor, a bore in said valve body between said inlet port and outlet port, a poppet valve member slidably mounted in said bore and comprising a poppet piston having a first end portion, an intermediate portion and a second end portion, shoulder means forming a valve seat surrounding said bore, said poppet valve member having a surface adjacent the first end portion thereof engaging said valve seat to seal off flow from said inlet port to said outlet port when the poppet valve member is in a closed position, said inlet port opening to said intermediate portion of said poppet valve member, means forming a control chamber in said bore open to an opposite end of said poppet valve member from said valve seat and filled with substantially incompressible fluid, sliding seal means between the second end portion of said poppet valve member and surfaces forming said bore to seal said control chamber from said inlet port while permitting said poppet valve member to move to open position, fluid pressure actuated means separate from said first source connected to the inlet port and open to said control chamber to urge said poppet valve member against said valve seat when a desired fluid pressure is present in said control chamber, means having a valve opening to selectively release fluid pressure in said control chamber to permit said poppet valve member to move under pressure present at the inlet port, said poppet valve member moving along said bore to an open position under force generated from fluid pressure at said inlet when it is connected to said first source to permit said inlet port to communicate with the outlet port across said valve seat, accumulator means open only to said control chamber and maintaining the fluid pressure on the substantially incompressible fluid in the control chamber at a desired level, and means forming an orifice substantially larger than the valve opening of the means having a valve opening leading from the control chamber to said accumulator means to control the flow of the substantially incompressible fluid from said control chamber, said orifice thereby controlling the speed of movement of the poppet valve member away from said seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.