Microstructure gas valve control

A fluid regulating device including:

• a fluid valve housing having an inlet port, and exit port, a main fluid passage between the inlet port and the exit port, and a servo passage between the inlet port and the exit port;
• a control chamber within the housing and in fluid communication with the servo passage;
• a main valve means including a valve seat in the main fluid passage, and a main valve closure member mounted near the valve seat and movable against the valve seat to close the main valve responsive to an increase in fluid pressure in the control chamber, said closure member movable away from the valve seat to open the main valve responsive to a decrease in fluid pressure in the control chamber;
• a monolithic semiconductor chip mounted in the housing;
• a fixed orifice formed through the semiconductor chip and disposed within the servo passage, for allowing fluid flow between the control chamber and a selected one of said inlet and outlet ports;
• and
• a servo valve means including a servo valve orifice formed through said semiconductor chip and disposed in the control passage for allowing fluid flow between the control chamber and the other of said inlet and outlet ports, said servo valve means further including a servo valve closure mounted proximate the servo valve orifice for movement between a closed position against the servo orifice to prevent fluid flow therethrough, and an open position for allowing fluid flow through the servo orifice.

A fluid regulating device including:

• a valve housing having an inlet port, an exit port, a main passage between the inlet port and the exit port, and a servo passage between the inlet port and the exit port;
• a control chamber within the housing and in fluid communication with the servo passage;
• a main valve means including a valve seat in the main passage, and a main valve closure mounted proximate the valve seat and movable against the valve seat to close the main valve means responsive to an increase in fluid pressure within the control chamber, said main valve closure further being movable away from the valve seat to open the main valve means responsive to a decrease in fluid pressure within the control chamber;
• a fixed orifice in the servo passage for allowing fluid to flow from the control chamber to the exit port, and having a profile of a selected size for restricting the flow of fluid through the fixed orifice, under an expected maximum pressure differential across the orifice, to a predetermined maximum amount;
• and
• a servo valve means in the servo passage including a servo valve orifice for allowing fluid to flow from the inlet port into the control chamber, and an elastically deformable tab mounted proximate the valve orifice form movement between a closed position against the servo valve orifice to prevent the flow of fluid therethrough, and an open position for allowing fluid to flow into the control chamber, said tab normally disposed in the open position, and movable into the closed position when subject to an external force.

A fluid regulating device including:

• a valve housing having an inlet port, an exit port, a main passage between the inlet port and the exit port, and a servo passage between the inlet port and the exit port;
• a control chamber within the housing and in fluid communication with the servo passage;
• a main valve means including a valve seat in the main passage, and a main valve closure mounted proximate the valve seat and movable against the valve seat to close the main valve means responsive to an increase in fluid pressure within the control chamber, said main valve closure further being movable away from the valve seat to open the main valve means responsive to a decrease in fluid pressure within the control chamber;
• a fixed orifice formed in a monolithic semi-conductor chip and disposed in the servo passage for allowing fluid to flow from the control chamber to the exit port, and having a profile of a selected size for restricting the flow of fluid through the fixed orifice, under an unexpected maximum pressure differential across the orifice, to a predetermined maximum amount;
• and
• a servo valve means in the servo passage including a servo valve orifice formed in said monolithic semi-conductor chip for allowing fluid to flow from the inlet port into the control chamber, and a servo closure mounted proximate the valve orifice for movement between a closed position against the servo valve orifice to prevent the flow of fluid therethrough, and an open position for allowing fluid to flow into the control chamber, wherein the servo closure is maintained normally open to keep the main valve closure against the valve seat, while allowing a continuous and acceptable leakage flow of the fluid, of at most said predetermined amount, from the inlet port to the exit port.