Patent ID: 9657858
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: F16K,Y10T

Claim:
1. A zero-leak, normally-closed fluid valve having a central longitudinal axis, comprising: an actuator housing and a flow cavity housing, the flow cavity housing having a flow inlet and a flow outlet; an actuator column including an actuator rod disposed in the actuator housing, the actuator rod centered on the central longitudinal axis and made of a magnetostrictive material; a solenoid that surrounds the actuator rod and, when activated, creates magnetostriction in the actuator rod; a Belleville spring stack including a mandrel guide that is axially aligned with the actuator rod; a valve stem having a portion axially translatable in an opening in one end of the mandrel guide; a fracture plate axially aligned with and fixed to the valve stem, the fracture plate sealing the flow outlet in a normally-closed position of the fluid valve; a compression spring with a first end that bears on a surface of the actuator housing and a second end that bears on the valve stem to bias the valve stem towards the flow outlet; and a bellows that extends between the surface of the actuator housing and the valve stem and that seals the actuator housing from the flow cavity housing.