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US 7,926,746 B2Granted
Pressure regulating valve gasket
AssigneeRain Bird Corporation
InventorMichael Thomas Melton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An irrigation sprinkler is provided with a housing configured for a fluid flow therethrough. A pressure regulating device having a gasket configured to variably move between a first position to a second position is disposed within the housing. The pressure regulating device includes an outlet with a variable opening formed from the cooperation of fluid passages in the gasket with a portion of the valve bore.
Claims8
An irrigation sprinkler pressure regulating valve comprising:
- a valve body defining a bore with an inner surface and an edge portion of the bore defining a valve seat;
- a biasing member for controlling the pressure regulating valve;
- a valve piston coupled to the biasing member and configured to move between at least a first position and a second position, the valve piston including:
- a seating surface mounted for movement with the valve piston and arranged to engage the valve seat when the valve piston is in the first position and to be spaced from the valve seat when the valve piston is in the second position;
- a flow-control portion having an outer surface and extending from the seating surface and arranged for movement therewith, the flow-control portion received in the valve bore upstream of the valve seat;
- at least one gap extending generally radially through the flow control portion and generally transverse to the movement of the valve piston, the at least one gap defined by walls of the flow-control portion that are inclined toward each other in a radial direction generally transverse to and generally parallel to the movement of the valve piston so that the at least one gap narrows as the gap extends radially outward;
- at least a portion of the outer surface of the flow-control portion contacting the inner surface of the bore upstream of the valve seat in both the first and second positions of the valve piston during normal operation thereof;
- and
- a valve outlet defined by a portion of the valve bore and a portion of the at least one gap, the valve outlet having a variable flow area based on the movement of the valve piston between the first and second positions.
6 more elements
An irrigation sprinkler comprising:
- a housing configured for a fluid flow therethrough;
- a pressure regulating valve defining a valve seat, a bore extending upstream of the valve seat and having an inner surface;
- a valve piston movable relative to the valve seat and having a gasket mounted thereon, the gasket defining a base and a flow-control portion;
- the gasket flow-control portion having a plurality of fingers depending from the base, each of the plurality of fingers having at least in part an outer surface bounded by side edges;
- at least one V-shaped gap extending through the flow-control portion of the gasket and bounded by opposing side edges on adjacent fingers and extending between the opposing side edges of the adjacent fingers;
- the fingers of the flow control portion mounted for movement with the valve piston during normal operation thereof and at least a portion of the fingers outer surface engaging the bore inner surface with the valve piston in an open condition such that the fluid flows through a valve outlet defined by cooperation of the at least one V-shaped gap with a portion of the valve seat;
- and
- the valve outlet having a variable area based on movement of the gasket relative to the valve seat, the at least one V-shaped gap providing an increasing larger area of the valve outlet as the valve piston moves away from the valve seat;
- wherein the gasket base defines a seating surface to engage the valve seat when the valve is in a closed condition;
- and
- wherein the gasket base is an annular washer and the seating surface includes an annular rib arranged to engage the valve seat.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.