Patent ID: 8939173
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: F15B,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A flow control valve, comprising: a body of rectangular shape having four longitudinal faces extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, the body defining a body bore oriented coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the body and a seat member extending into the body bore, the body bore having a bore diameter; an end cap in contact with the body having an end cap passage through the end cap that is disposed in fluid communication with the body bore to vent the body bore; a valve member slidably disposed in the body bore and oriented coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the body, the valve member including: a drive adapter including a rectangular shaped head receiving cavity slidingly receives the rectangular shaped head of the valve member while preventing axial rotation of the valve member, the head receiving cavity further providing a clearance gap about an entire perimeter of the rectangular shaped head, with fluid in the body bore prevented from entering the clearance gap or the head receiving cavity by the seal member; a stepper motor connected to the drive adapter, the stepper motor operating to axially rotate a shaft directly engaged with the valve member to axially displace the valve member; an inlet port extending through the body from the body bore to one of the longitudinal faces of the body to define a ported longitudinal face of the body wherein the inlet port is open to the ported longitudinal face and is closed to the other longitudinal faces of the body; an outlet port disposed in side-by-side relationship with the inlet port, the outlet port extending through the body from the body bore to the ported longitudinal face of the body wherein the outlet port is open to the ported longitudinal face and is closed to the other longitudinal faces of the body; and wherein the cylinder shaped spool valve member has a diameter that creates a close tolerance fit with the bore diameter and wherein the valve member tapers from the rectangular shaped head to the cylinder shaped spool valve member such that the rectangular shaped head of the valve member has a predetermined width that is greater than the diameter of the cylinder shaped spool valve member.