Thermally actuated fluid shuttle valve
OwnerMichael A. Goeddeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermally actuated fluid shuttle valve that is a three-way direction control valve that shifts when fluid passing through said valve reaches a preset temperature. The control valve, including three ports, an internal shiftable spool, and a thermal element, wherein fluid entering a first port from a source of heated fluid passes around a thermal element and out of a second port, until the fluid is warm enough to cause the thermal element to expand, thereby shifting said spool so that the first port is closed, and the second and third ports are in fluid communication with each other.
Claims19
A three-way direction control valve that shifts when a fluid passing through said valve reaches a preset temperature, said control valve comprising:
- a first port, a second port, and a third port,
- an internal shiftable spool,
- a thermal actuator, and
- a spring biasing the internal shiftable spool against the thermal actuator,
- wherein fluid entering the first port from a first fluid source passes through the thermal actuator and out of the second port until the fluid is warm enough to cause the thermal actuator to expand, shifting said spool so that both the fluid flow from the first source is stopped at the first port, and the second port is now in communication with the third port, so that a second fluid source may flow through the second and third ports,
- wherein the second and third ports are in fluid communication with a portion of a fluid circuit accepting fluid from the second source, and
- wherein when the warm fluid cools, the spring keeps the valve spool biased against the thermal actuator so the valve spool moves back toward its original position, permitting fluid to again flow from the first port to the second port.
A valve that automatically shifts when a fluid passing through said valve reaches a preset temperature, said valve comprising:
- a first port, a second port, and a third port,
- an internal shiftable spool,
- a thermal actuator, and
- said internal shiftable spool having a first position wherein fluid entering the first port from a first fluid source passes through the thermal actuator and out of the second port and said internal shiftable spool having a second position wherein fluid flows from the third port to said second port, the internal shiftable spool having the second position when the fluid is warm enough to cause the thermal actuator to shift wherein when the fluid cools, the internal shiftable spool moves back to said first position.
A valve that automatically shifts when a fluid passing through said valve reaches a preset temperature, said valve comprising:
- a first port, an internal shiftable spool,
- a thermal actuator, and
- said internal shiftable spool having a first position wherein fluid entering the first port from a first fluid source passes through the thermal actuator and out, and said internal shiftable spool having a second position wherein fluid flow from the first port is blocked, the internal shiftable spool having the second position wherein the fluid is warm enough to cause the thermal actuator to shift, wherein when the fluid cools the internal shiftable spool moves back to said first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.