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US 4,749,004 AGranted
Airflow control valve having single inlet and multiple outlets
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorDouglas E. Peash
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve apparatus interconnects a single inlet duct with a plurality of outlet ducts. The apparatus has a manifold body that provides a passageway between the inlet and the outlets. Operatively positioned in each outlet is a butterfly valve. A single drive motor is used to operate all the valves, wherein each valve is operated independently of the other.
Claims15
An apparatus for use in controlling airflow communication from an air inlet duct to a plurality of air outlet ducts, said apparatus comprising:
- a manifold body connected to said air inlet duct in a manner so as to receive an airflow therefrom, and connected to said outlet ducts, said manifold body including air passageway means for communicating said received airflow into said outlet ducts, and including
- a separate outlet valve operatively positioned relative to each outlet duct for controlling the amount of said airflow communicated into each duct, and further including
- a single drive motor, and still further including
- clutch means for drivingly engaging and disengaging each outlet valve with said drive motor, in a manner so as to operate each valve so that said valve adjustably controls outlet airflow through said valve's respective outlet duct in a desired manner, and wherein said clutch means is operative to operate each outlet valve independently from the other, so that one valve may be operated to adjust airflow while another is not, and vice versa, said clutch means further including
- a first pair of circular drive gears positioned in parallel and concentric relationship with respect to each other, said gears being drivingly connected to said motor in a manner so that said gears rotate in opposing directions when said motor is operating,
- rotatable shaft means, connected to each outlet valve, wherein rotation of said shaft means causes said valve to adjust outlet airflow through said valve's respective outlet duct, and
- drive means for engaging said rotatable shaft means with one of said gears, in a manner so that rotation of said gear when said motor is operating causes said shaft means to rotate, and wherein said drive means is operable to selectively engage said shaft means with either gear at any one time, to cause said shaft means to rotate in one direction or another depending on which gear is in engagement with said shaft means.
4 more elements
An airflow control apparatus, comprising:
- a manifold body having a central cylindrical chamber, and an inlet duct portion for delivering an airflow into said chamber positioned adjacent one axial end of said chamber, and further having a plurality of outlet duct portions projecting outwardly from the side of said chamber, for communicating said airflow outwardly from said chamber,
- a drive motor mounted to said manifold body adjacent the other axial end of said chamber,
- a separate butterfly valve positioned in each outlet duct portion, each butterfly valve being independently rotatably operative to adjustably control the amount of said airflow communicated from said chamber out through each respective outlet duct portion,
- clutch means for drivingly engaging and disengaging each butterfly valve with said drive motor, in a manner to cause rotation of said butterfly valve, wherein said clutch means is operative to operate each butterfly valve independently from the other, said clutch means including a pair of circular drive gears positioned in parallel and concentric relationship with respect to each other, said gears being drivingly connected to said motor in a manner so that said gears rotate in opposing directions when said motor is operating, and said clutch means still further including drive means for drivingly engaging said butterfly valve with one of said gears when said motor is operating, to rotate said butterfly valve in one direction or another depending upon which gear is in engagement with said butterfly valve.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.