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US 5,249,773 AGranted
Fluid flow regulating valve
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorTodd R. Feld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The stem of a needle valve for regulating fluid flow is threaded into the valve housing. A reversible electric motor, whose shaft engages the stem coaxially, rotates the stem and causes it to move the plug on the end of the stem into and out of a fluid flow port. A helical spring slidably located in a longitudinal bore in the stem is compressed by the shaft to urge the stem toward the housing in order to maintain a working threadable connection between the stem and the housing even when the stem is almost completely withdrawn.
Claims2
A fluid flow valve comprising:
- (a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet for flowing fluid and a threaded aperture disposed opposite the outlet along a longitudinal axis;
- (b) an externally threaded stem threadably mounted in the threaded aperture and having an inboard end and a longitudinal bore extending from its outboard end through a portion of its length;
- (c) a tapered plug formed on the inboard end of the stem and pointing toward the outlet such that it opens and closes the outlet as the stem moves along the longitudinal axis;
- (d) a longitudinally oriented compression spring having an inner end slidably within the longitudinal bore of the stem and an outer end;
- (e) a platform having a fixed longitudinal position in respect to the housing and abutting the outer end of the spring;
- (f) reversible means independent of the spring for rotating the stem in relation to the aperture, whereby the plug advances toward or retreats from the outlet.
3 more elements
A fluid flow valve comprising:
- (a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet for flowing liquid and a threaded aperture disposed opposite the outlet along a longitudinal axis;
- (b) an externally threaded stem threadably mounted in the threaded aperture and having an inboard end and a longitudinal bore extending from its outboard end through a portion of its length;
- (c) a tapered plug formed on the inboard end of the stem and pointing toward the outlet such that it opens and closes the outlet as the stem moves along the longitudinal axis;
- (d) a longitudinally oriented compression spring having an inner end slidably within the longitudinal bore of the stem and an outer end;
- (e) a platform having a fixed longitudinal position in respect to the housing and abutting the outer end of the spring;
- (f) reversible means for rotating the stem in relation to the aperture, whereby the plug advances toward or retreats from the outlet, the rotating means comprising
- (1) a longitudinally through-bored coupling formed co-axially on the outboard end of the stem and having a longitudinal slot in the wall surrounding the bore and
- (2) a reversible motor having a longitudinally oriented shaft having an end, which constitutes the platform, extending into the bore of the coupling and a transverse crankarm which engages the slot of the coupling.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.