Fluidic valve assemblies having improved fluidic valve mechanisms, and devices operable therewith

A valve assembly comprising:

• a valve housing having a valve chamber therein, said chamber having first, second and third inlet/outlets and a side wall,
• a fluidic valve mechanism including a valve member and valve member positioning means, at least said valve member being in said valve chamber,
• said valve mechanism being sensitive to fluid flow a fluid flow signal from said first inlet/outlet into said valve chamber to close said third inlet/outlet and permit fluid flow from said first inlet/outlet to take place through said valve chamber only into said second inlet/outlet,
• said valve mechanism also being sensitive to a fluid flow signal from said second inlet/outlet into said valve chamber to open said third inlet/outlet and permit fluid flow from said second inlet/outlet to take place through said valve chamber into said first and third inlet/outlets,
• said valve mechanism valve member positioning means acting in response to a first signal to at least assist in positioning said valve member in position where said third inlet/outlet is closed by said valve member, and acting in response to a second signal to at least assist in positioning said valve member in position where said third inlet/outlet is opened by movement of said valve member;
• said valve mechanism valve member positioning means including a valve member movement blocker blocking said valve member from closing said third inlet/outlet while said third inlet/outlet is open and said valve member positioning means acting in response to said first signal to remove said valve member movement blocker from blocking said valve member and thereafter acting with said valve member in responding to said first signal to close said third inlet/outlet.

A fluid flow sensitive valve assembly (18) comprising:

• a housing (22) having a valve mechanism (20) received in a valve chamber (28) formed in said housing;
• said valve chamber having a cylindrical side wall (66), axially spaced first (700) and second (702) end walls, first (30) and second (32) ports respectively opening through said first and second valve chamber end walls, and a third port (34) opening through a valve seat (36) formed in said cylindrical side wall at a point axially intermediate said end walls, said axially spaced first end wall including an annular section (704) through which said first port is axially formed, said annular section extending axially toward said second end wall of said valve chamber;
• said valve mechanism including a valve member (24) juxtaposed to said valve seat and movable relative thereto into seated and unseated positions to respectively close and open said third port, said valve member having a substantially planar body base section (38) defined by upper (708) and lower (710) base sides and first (712) and second (46) base ends, said valve member also having a valve main body section (40) extending outwardly from said planar body base section upper side intermediate said first and second ends of said planar body base section, said valve main body section including a surface portion (42) selectively engageable in seated relation with said valve seat and disengageable from said valve seat in unseated relation therewith;
• and valve member positioning means (26) mounted on said valve member and movable with said valve member as said valve member moves between its seated and unseated positions relative to said valve seat;
• said valve member positioning means having a maximum width less than the diameter of said valve chamber between said end walls and having one end (62) thereof positioned near said second port and including a valve mechanism position location point (64) thereon engageable with said valve chamber side wall intermediate said second and third ports;
• said valve member having first (716, 718, 720) and second position location points (722, 724),
• said first position points being only on said planar body section first end and said second valve position location points being a pair of such points laterally opposite each other and formed on a portion (726) of said planar body section defined as that part of said planar body section from and including said planar body section second end to that intermediate part of said planar body section intersected by a lateral plane extending through the axis (29) of said main valve body section,
• said first valve position location points being engageable with at least one part of said valve chamber first end wall and the surface (730) of said axially extending annular section,
• said second valve position location points being engageable with said valve chamber side wall intermediate said valve chamber end walls for locating said valve mechanism in said valve chamber so that said valve member is unseated from said valve seat when there is no fluid flow through said valve chamber and also when there is fluid flow from said second port to said first port through said valve chamber and said valve member is seated on said valve seat to close said valve seat and said third port when there is fluid flow from said first port to said second port through said valve chamber;
• and fluid flow-impingeable surfaces (732, 734, 736, 738, 740, 742) on said valve mechanism acting when fluid flow impinges thereon from said first port to said second port to move said valve mechanism from the valve member unseated position to the valve member seated position relative to said valve seat and acting when fluid flow impinges thereon as fluid flows toward said first port in said valve chamber from at least one of said second and third ports to move said valve mechanism from the valve member seated position to the valve member unseated position relative to said valve seat;
• the improved valve member positioning means comprising:
• a first fluid flow-impingeable surface (736) acted on by fluid flow from said first port into said valve chamber to initiate movement of said valve mechanism toward valve member seating on said valve seat, such valve mechanism movement causing said valve member positioning means one end (62) to move said one end location point (64) into engagement with said valve chamber cylindrical side wall (66);
• said valve member planar body section lower side being a second fluid flow-impingeable surface (732) subject to the fluid flow from said first port into said valve chamber, that fluid flow then continuing to act on said first and second fluid flow-impingeable surfaces to cause pivotal movement of said valve mechanism about said valve member positioning means one end (716) to seat said valve member on said valve seat and close said third port;
• said valve member positioning means having a third fluid flow-impingeable surface (740) which when acted on by fluid flow from said first port into said valve chamber initiates pivotal movement of said valve mechanism about said valve member positioning means end (62) to unseat said valve member from said valve seat;
• said valve member positioning means further having a fourth fluid flow-impingeable surface (742) which is also acted on by fluid flow from said second port into said valve chamber to hold said positioning means one end location point into continued pivot point contact with said valve chamber cylindrical side wall and prevent closing of said valve seat by said valve member so long as there is fluid flow from said second port into said valve chamber.