US 6,182,911 B2Granted

Injection spray system with adjustable metering valve

AssigneeBridgewater, Inc.

InventorsGordon K. Hanks, William D. Edwards

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Abstract

An injection spraying system includes a container having a compartment configured to hold a first fluid. A valve body is removably coupled with the container and includes a mixing chamber, an inlet passageway configured to deliver a second fluid to the mixing chamber, a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber, a stem compartment communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice, and a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment. Movably disposed within the stem compartment is a metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice. An adjustment knob is mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube. A siphoning tube has one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A metering valve configured to mix a first fluid with a second fluid, the metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having:
(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid the mixing chamber under pressure;
(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iii) a stem compartment in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;
(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment, the transition passageway being configured to deliver the second fluid to the mixing chamber through the control orifice;
and
(v) a stationary alignment mark located on an exterior surface thereof;
(b) a metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem being configured to selectively control the flow of the second fluid from the transition passageway to the mixing chamber by selectively advancing and retracting within the stem compartment;
and
(c) an adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid, the adjustment knob being coupled with the metering stem such that alignment of a select indicia chosen from the plurality of indicia with the stationary alignment mark displaces the metering stem relative to the control orifice so that the first fluid and the second fluid feed into the mixing chamber at the ratio identified by the select indicia, the adjustment knob having a substantially cylindrical configuration with the side face encircling the adjustment knob and longitudinally extending between a first end to an opposing second end, the indica being disposed on the side face adjacent to the first end so as to at least partially encircle the adjustment knob at spaced apart locations, the adjustment knob further including
(i) a first metering mark disposed on the side face of the adjustment knob between a first select one of the indicia and the first end of the adjustment knob;
and
(ii) a second metering mark disposed on the side face of the adjustment knob between a second select one of the indicia and the second end of the adjustment knob, the second alignment mark identifying a ratio of the first fluid and the second fluid after at least one full rotation of the adjustment knob.

10 more elements

A metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having:
(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber;
(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iii) a stem compartment having an interior surface and communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;
and
(iv) a transition passageway communicating with the stem compartment;
(b) an elongated metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem having a first end with a tapered nose formed thereat, an opposing second end having threads formed thereat, and at least two adjacently disposed annular slots radially encircling the metering stem between the tapered nose and the threads;
(c) an O-ring disposed within each of the annular slots on the metering stem, each O-ring being configured to bias in sealed engagement against the interior surface of the stem compartment when the metering stem is moved within the stem compartment;
and
(d) an adjustment knob coupled to the metering stem such that upon movement of the adjustment knob the metering stem selectively advances and retracts within the stem compartment so as to selectively control fluid communication between the transition passageway and the mixing chamber.

7 more elements

A valve system configured to mix a first fluid with a second fluid, the valve system comprising:

(a) a valve body bounding a mixing chamber and having:
(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under a plurality of different pressures;
(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iii) a stem compartment in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;
(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the stem compartment, the transition passageway being configured to deliver the second fluid to the mixing chamber through the control orifice;
and
(v) a stationary alignment mark located on an exterior surface thereof;
(b) a first control assembly including a first adjustment knob having an elongated metering stem projecting therefrom, the first control assembly being configured to selectively couple with the valve body such that rotation of the first adjustment knob selectively moves the metering stem within the stem compartment so as to selectively control the flow of the second fluid to the mixing chamber, the first adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid for a first select pressure of the first fluid, the first select pressure being chosen from the plurality of different pressures;
and
(c) a second control assembly including a second adjustment knob having an elongated metering stem projecting therefrom, the second control assembly being configured to selectively couple with the valve body such that rotation of the second adjustment knob selectively moves the metering stem within the stem compartment so as to selectively control the flow of the second fluid to the mixing chamber, the second adjustment knob having a side face with a plurality of spaced apart indicia identifying discrete ratios of the first fluid to the second fluid for a second select pressure of the first fluid, the second select pressure being chosen from the plurality of different pressures, the first control assembly and second control assembly being selectively interchangeable for independent use with the valve body.

7 more elements

An injection spraying system configured to mix and spray a first fluid with a second fluid, the system comprising:

(a) a container having a compartment configured to hold the second fluid;
(b) a valve housing removably coupled with the container, the valve housing having:
(i) a mixing chamber;
(ii) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under pressure;
(iii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iv) an enlarged control recess in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a constricted control orifice;
and
(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the control recess;
(c) a meter tube coupled to the control recess, the meter tube having an interior surface bounding a chamber passing therethrough, the chamber being in fluid communication with the control orifice, the meter tube having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface extending from a first end to an opposing second end, the first end being coupled with the valve housing, the second end having an annular lip radially outwardly projecting therefrom;
(d) a metering stem movably disposed within the chamber of the meter tube, the metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice;
(e) an adjustment knob mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube;
and
(f) a siphoning tube having one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway cooperating with the container and the valve body to thereby allow the second fluid to be drawn therefrom.

10 more elements

A metering valve comprising:

(a) a valve body founding a mixing chamber and having:
(i) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber;
(ii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iii) a stem compartment having an interior surface and communicating with the mixing chamber through a control orifice;
(iv) a meter tube having a chamber extending therethrough, the meter tube having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end being coupled with the valve body such that the chamber is in fluid communication with the control orifice, the chamber of the meter tube forming at least a portion of the stem compartment, an annular lip encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the second end of the meter tube;
and
(v) a transition passageway communicating with the stem compartment;
(b) an elongated metering stem movably disposed within the stem compartment, the metering stem having a annular first slot radially encircling the metering stem;
(c) a fist O-ring disposed within the annular first slot on the metering stem, the first O-ring being configured to bias in sealed engagement against the interior surface of the stem compartment when the metering stem is moved within the stem compartment;
and
(d) an adjustment knob coupled to the metering stem such that upon movement of the adjustment knob the metering stem selectively advances and retracts within the stem compartment so as to selectively control fluid communication between the transition passageway and the mixing chamber.

8 more elements

An injection spraying system configured to mix and spray a first fluid with a second fluid, the system comprising:

(a) a container having a compartment configured to hold the second fluid;
(b) a valve housing removably coupled with the container, the valve housing having:
(i) a mixing chamber;
(ii) an inlet passageway extending from the exterior to the mixing chamber, the inlet passageway being configured to deliver the first fluid to the mixing chamber under pressure;
(iii) a discharge passageway extending from the mixing chamber to the exterior;
(iv) an enlarged control recess in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through a constricted control orifice;
and
(iv) a transition passageway in fluid communication with the control recess;
(c) a meter tube coupled to the control recess, the meter tube having an interior surface bounding a chamber passing therethrough, the chamber being in fluid communication with the control orifice;
(d) a metering stem movably disposed within the chamber of the meter tube, the metering stem having a tapered nose configured to selectively engage the control orifice;
(e) an adjustment knob mounted to the metering stem such that rotation of the adjustment knob selectively advances and retracts the metering stem within the chamber of the meter tube;
and
(f) a siphoning tube having one end disposed within the compartment of the container and an opposing end in fluid communication with the transition passageway cooperating with the container and the valve body to thereby allow the second fluid to be drawn therefrom;
and
(g) a dispensing hose in fluid communication with the discharge passageway of the valve housing.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/345,931Filed 1 Jul 1999 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Jul 1998
Granted: 6 Feb 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B01F 25/105
Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles: mixing heads, i.e. compact mixing units or modules, using mixing valves for…
B01F 25/1051
Mixing heads, i.e. compact mixing units or modules, using mixing valves for feeding and mixing at least two components: of the mixing valve type
B01F 25/316
In conduits or tubes through which the main component flows: with containers for additional components fixed to the conduit
B05B 7/2443
Using carrying liquid for feeding, e.g. by suction, pressure or dissolution, a carried liquid from the container to the nozzle: the carried liquid…