Patent ID: 9683669
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: F16K

Claim:
1. A delay valve configured for delaying release of hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic holding device, the delay valve comprising: a housing forming an inlet port, an outlet port, and a piston chamber, wherein the inlet port is selectively fluidly coupled with the piston chamber, and the inlet port is selectively fluidly coupled with the outlet port; a check valve located between the inlet port and the outlet port, wherein the check valve is actuatable between an open configuration allowing fluid to flow therethrough and a closed configuration blocking fluid from flowing therethrough; a piston translatable within the piston chamber, the piston having a rod portion that engages and holds the check valve in the open configuration when the piston is in a first stroke position and releases the check valve to the closed configuration when the piston is hydraulically translated to a second stroke position via hydraulic fluid filling at least a portion of the piston chamber; and a flow control device operable to control flow of hydraulic fluid between the inlet port and the piston chamber, wherein the flow control device is integral to or mechanically attached within the housing, wherein at least one of the fluid control device and the housing presents an orifice that continuously fluidly couples the piston chamber and the inlet port, wherein a size of the orifice controls how quickly fluid flows out from the piston chamber to the inlet port when a hydraulic pressure drop occurs in the inlet port, thereby creating a delay time between the hydraulic pressure drop in the inlet port and the piston hydraulically moving back to the first stroke position, such that the rod portion actuates the check valve back into the open configuration.