Modular air shut-off valve
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsJohn J. Buckley, William T. Scott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular air shut-off valve, particularly useful within the air conditioning environmental control system of an aircraft, is provided, which comprises a housing sized for insertion into a duct of the air conditioning system, a vane pivotally mounted within the housing for pivotal movement between open and closed positions and having flexible portions along its edges contacting the housing in the closed position for providing a resilient seal and to allow pressure relief in the event of overpressure within the duct.
Claims8
A modular air shut-off valve configured for insertion into an air conditioning duct, comprising:
- a. a housing, including first and second pairs of confronting sidewalls, said housing sized for insertion into said air conditioning duct, said walls defining an inlet and an outlet at respective ends of said housing and a passageway of substantially rectangular cross section for passage of air through said housing;
- b. a vane mounted between said first confronting sidewall pair for pivotal movement, about an axis intersecting each said first sidewall pair at corresponding points between a first sidewall of said second sidewall pair and a center line extending between said inlet and outlet and defined along said passageway, between a closed position at which said passageway is substantially blocked and an open position at which said passageway is substantially open, said vane having a first portion mounted generally between said axis and said first sidewall of said second sidewall pair for rotation toward said inlet in said open position, and a second portion of area larger than said first portion mounted generally between said axis and the second sidewall of said second sidewall pair for rotation toward said outlet in said open position, each of said portions having flexible margins along corresponding edges of said vane for resiliently contacting said second sidewall pair in said closed position;
- and
- c. pressure actuating means connected to said vane for selectively pivoting said vane between said open and closed positions.
A modular air shut-off valve configured for insertion into an air conditioning duct, comprising:
- a. a housing, including first and second pairs of confronting sidewalls, said housing sized for insertion into said air conditioning duct, said walls defining an inlet and an outlet at respective ends of said housing and a passageway of substantially rectangular cross section for passage of air through said housing;
- b. a shaft journaled at its respective ends in said first confronting sidewall pair for rotation about an axis intersecting said first sidewall pair between a first sidewall of said second sidewall pair and a center line defined along said passageway between said inlet and outlet;
- c. a vane attached to said shaft for rotation therewith, between an open position at which said passageway is substantially open and a closed position at which said passageway is substantially closed, said vane having a first portion mounted generally between said shaft and said first sidewall of said second sidewall pair and a second portion of size larger than said first portion mounted generally between said shaft and the second sidewall of said second sidewall pair and having flexible marginal portions along corresponding edges thereof for resiliently contacting said second sidewall pair in said closed position, said vane mounted for rotation of said second portion toward said outlet in said open position:
- d. a crank attached to one end of said shaft:
- and
- e. pressure actuating means operatively connected to said crank for selectively pivoting said vane between said open and closed positions by rotation of said shaft about said axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.