Cinch valve
AssigneeAcrison, Inc.
InventorMarc S. Landry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cinch valve includes an upper plate having a first aperture; an orbital plate rotatable relative to the upper plate and having a second aperture substantially aligned with the first aperture; an actuator coupled to the orbital plate arranged to rotate the orbital plate between a first position and a second position; and a plurality of cables each having a flexible portion and each having a first end and a second end, wherein each first end is coupled to the upper plate and each second end is coupled to the orbital plate. Rotation of the orbital plate from the first position to the second position causes the plurality of cables to converge and form a woven closure in approximately the center of the second aperture.
Claims18
A cinch valve comprising:
- an upper plate comprising a first aperture;
- an orbital plate rotatable relative to an upper plate and comprising a second aperture substantially aligned with the first aperture;
- an actuator coupled to the orbital plate arranged to rotate the orbital plate between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a plurality of cables each comprising a flexible portion, each cable having a first end and a second end, wherein each first end is coupled to an upper plate and each second end is coupled to the orbital plate;
- wherein rotation of the orbital plate from the first position to the second position will cause the plurality of cables to converge and form a woven closure in approximately the center of the second aperture, and
- wherein the plurality of cables are configured such that, when the cables converge and form the woven closure, each one of the cables:
- passes over a first other cable and a second other cable, passes under a third other cable, and passes under the first other cable.
A bulk bag unloading apparatus comprising:
- a frame arranged to support a bulk bag;
- a cinch valve coupled to the frame and disposed proximate to a spout end of the frame, the cinch valve comprising:
- an upper plate comprising a first aperture;
- an orbital plate, rotatable relative to an upper plate, and comprising a second aperture substantially aligned with the first aperture;
- an actuator coupled to the orbital plate arranged to rotate the orbital plate between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a plurality of cables each comprising a flexible portion, each having a first end and a second end, wherein each first end is coupled to an upper plate and each second end is coupled to the orbital plate;
- wherein rotation of the orbital plate from the first position to the second position causes the plurality of cables to converge and form a woven closure in approximately the center of the second aperture, and
- wherein the plurality of cables are configured such that, when the cables converge and form the woven closure, each one of the cables:
- passes over a first other cable and a second other cable, passes under a third other cable, and passes under the first other cable.
A cinch valve comprising:
- a plate comprising a first aperture;
- a plurality of cables, each cable comprising a flexible portion, wherein one end of each cable is mounted to the plate;
- and
- means for causing the plurality of cables to converge and form a woven closure in approximately the center of the first aperture,
- wherein the plurality of cables are configured such that, when the cables converge and form the woven closure, each one of the cables:
- passes over a first other cable and a second other cable, passes under a third other cable, and passes under the first other cable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.