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US 6,155,282 AGranted
Two out of three voting solenoid arrangement
AssigneeTriconex Corporation
InventorsBryan A. Zachary, Angela E. Summers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A binary voting solenoid arrangement 10 is provided which operates in a "2 out of 3" manner to provide relatively high safety, low spurious tripping and a relatively low installation cost, while also enabling on-line testing of each solenoid individually without process interruption. Solenoid arrangement 10 is preferably manifolded (not shown), to facilitate maintenance on any detected failure, and to simplify installation and replacement.
Claims26
A method for selectively coupling a fluid supply with a fluid receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing first, second, and third solenoid valves each having a plurality of ports and each being alternately actuatable between open and closed positions;
- and
- providing a plurality of inlet and outlet pathways each extending from a respective port of one of said solenoid valves to a port of another of said solenoid valves, wherein said solenoid valves are disposed in serial fluid communication with one another, a single port of one of the solenoid valves being the fluid receiver;
- wherein actuation of any two of said first, second, and third solenoid valves alternately couples and decouples the fluid supply with the fluid receiver.
1 more element
A binary voting solenoid arrangement adapted to selectively couple a fluid supply with a fluid receiver, said voting solenoid arrangement comprising:
- first, second, and third solenoid valves each having a plurality of ports;
- a plurality of inlet and outlet pathways each extending from a respective port of one of said solenoid valves to a port of another of said solenoid valves, wherein said solenoid valves are disposed in serial fluid communication with one another;
- a single port of one of said solenoid valves being the fluid receiver;
- each of said first, second, and third solenoid valves being alternately actuatable between open and closed positions;
- wherein actuation of any two of said first, second, and third solenoid valves alternately couples and decouples the fluid supply with said fluid receiver.
2 more elements
A binary voting solenoid arrangement adapted to selectively couple a fluid supply with a fluid receiver, said voting solenoid arrangement comprising:
- first, second, and third solenoid valves each having a plurality of ports;
- a plurality of inlet and outlet pathways each extending from a respective port of one of said solenoid valves to a port of another of said solenoid valves, wherein said solenoid valves are disposed in fluid communication with one another;
- each of said first, second, and third solenoid valves having a pair of common ports and three other ports, a single port of one of said solenoid valves being the fluid receiver;
- each of said first, second, and third solenoid valves being alternately actuatable between open and closed positions wherein said pair of common ports is alternately coupled with a distinct two of said three other ports;
- wherein actuation of any two of said first, second, and third solenoid valves alternately couples and de-couples the fluid supply with said fluid receiver.
2 more elements
A voting solenoid valve arrangement comprising:
- first, second and third solenoid actuated valves each having at least two common ports and three other ports;
- said at least two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to a distinct two of said three other ports;
- one of said other ports of each of said first and second solenoid valves being a fluid supply port;
- each of said at least two common ports of said second solenoid valve being respectively coupled along discrete pathways to discrete ones of said three other ports of said third solenoid valve;
- and
- one of said common ports of said third solenoid valve being a fluid receiver port;
- each of said first, second, and third solenoid valves being alternately actuatable between open and closed positions;
- wherein actuation of any two of said first, second and third solenoid valves alternately couples and decouples one of the fluid supply ports with said fluid receiver port.
5 more elements
A voting solenoid valve arrangement comprising:
- first, second and third solenoid actuated valves each having at least two common ports and three other ports;
- said at least two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to a distinct two of said three other ports;
- one of said other ports of each of said first and second solenoid valves being a fluid supply port;
- each of said at least two common ports of said second solenoid valve being respectively coupled along discrete pathways to discrete ones of said common ports of said third solenoid valve;
- and
- one of said other ports of said third solenoid valve being a fluid receiver port;
- each of said first, second and third solenoid valves being alternately actuatable between open and closed positions;
- wherein actuation of any two of said first, second, and third solenoid valves alternately couples and decouples one of the fluid supply ports with said fluid receiver port.
5 more elements
A voting solenoid valve arrangement comprising:
- first, second and third solenoid actuated valves each having at least two common ports, a junction port and first and second other ports;
- one of said two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to said junction port and said first other port;
- an other of said two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to said second other port and said junction port;
- one of said first and second common ports of said second solenoid valve being coupled by a fluid pathway to said junction port of said third solenoid valve;
- the other of said first and second common ports of said second solenoid valve being coupled by a fluid pathway to one of said other ports of said third solenoid valve;
- said junction port of said first solenoid valve and one of said other ports of said second solenoid valve being fluid supply ports;
- and
- the one of said common ports of said third solenoid valve which is coupled to said other of said first and second common ports of said second solenoid valve being a fluid receiver port.
5 more elements
A voting solenoid valve arrangement comprising:
- first, second and third solenoid actuated valves each having two common ports, a junction port and first and second other ports;
- one of said two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to said junction port and said first other port;
- an other of said two common ports coupled by a normally open (NO) and a normally closed (NC) fluid passageway, respectively, to said second other port and said junction port;
- each of said common ports of said second solenoid valve being respectively coupled along discrete pathways to discrete ones of said common ports of said third solenoid valve;
- said junction port of said first solenoid valve and one of said other ports of said second solenoid valve being fluid supply ports;
- and
- said junction port of said third solenoid being a fluid receiver port.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.