Devices and methods for controlling the release of a substance
AssigneeKidde IP Holdings Limited
InventorJean-Marie Bocquart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Valves for controlling the release of a substance, include a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet, and a passage extending therebetween. The passage is enclosed by a ceramic disc and means are provided to apply an electrical pulse to the disc to break the disc and so connect the inlet to the outlet. The methods include containing the substance in a container, connecting the container to a valve; and applying an electrical pulse to the disc to break the disc and connect the inlet to the outlet. The valves and methods are particularly suited, but not limited, to the control of substances such as pressurised fire extinguishing media.
Claims32
A device for controlling the release of a substance comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member and means being provided to apply an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet, and wherein the ceramic member comprises a ceramic material containing a metal oxide and having a dielectric strength equal to or lower than 105Vm−1.
A device for controlling a release of a substance comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member and means being provided to apply an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet, wherein the ceramic member comprises two ceramic materials arranged to form two distinct layers, the first ceramic material comprising the first layer of the member and having a relatively high thermal expansion coefficient and the second ceramic material comprising the second layer of the member and having a relatively low thermal expansion coefficient.
A device for controlling a release of a substance comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member and means being provided to apply an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet, wherein the ceramic member is a composite of a ceramic material and carbon.
A method of controlling a release of a substance, comprising:
- containing the substance in a container;
- connecting the container to a device comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to the source of the substance, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member;
- and applying an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet, wherein the ceramic member comprises a ceramic material containing a metal oxide and having a dielectric strength equal to or lower than 105Vm−1.
A method of controlling a release of a substance, the method comprising:
- containing the substance in a container;
- connecting the container to a device comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet, and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member;
- applying an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet;
- and
- forming the ceramic member to comprise two distinct layers of two different ceramic materials, the first ceramic material comprising the first layer of the ceramic member and having a relatively high expansion coefficient and the second ceramic material comprising the second layer of the ceramic member and having a relatively low expansion coefficient.
A method of controlling a release of a substance, the method comprising:
- containing the substance in a container;
- connecting the container to a device comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet, and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member;
- applying an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member to connect the inlet to the outlet;
- and
- forming the ceramic member from a composite of a ceramic material and carbon.
A device for controlling a release of a substance comprising:
- a housing having an inlet for connection to a source of the substance, an outlet, and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member;
- and
- means being provided to apply an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member to connect the inlet to the outlet,
- wherein the ceramic member comprises a single ceramic material consisting of an oxide, the ceramic material having a dielectric strength which is sufficiently low such that the electrical pulse causes the ceramic member to break by causing voltage over-stress or current over-stress leading to oxide breakdown.
A method of controlling a release of a substance, comprising:
- containing the substance in a container;
- connecting the container to a device comprising a housing having an inlet for connection to the source of the substance, an outlet and a passage extending therebetween, the passage being closed by a ceramic member;
- and
- applying an electrical pulse to the ceramic member to break the ceramic member and so connect the inlet to the outlet, wherein the ceramic member comprises a single ceramic material consisting of an oxide, the ceramic material having a dielectric strength which is sufficiently low such that the electrical pulse causes the ceramic member to break by causing voltage over-stress or current over-stress leading to oxide breakdown.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.