Patent ID: 7225830
Filing Date: 2007-06-05
Classification: F16K,G05D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A normally closed fluid control valve, comprising: a valve body having an upstream end and a downstream end, a generally cylindrical interior extending along a longitudinal axis, an interior wall disposed perpendicular to said longitudinal axis dividing said interior into a generally cylindrical upstream chamber extending inwardly from said upstream end and a generally cylindrical downstream chamber extending inwardly from said downstream end, said interior wall having an upstream side facing said upstream end and a downstream side facing said downstream end, said upstream chamber terminating at said upstream side and said downstream chamber terminating at said downstream side of said interior wall, an upstream end closure enclosing said upstream end, a downstream end closure enclosing said downstream end, a fluid inlet in fluid communication with said upstream chamber, and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said downstream chamber; a conical sealing surface in said downstream chamber extending from said interior wall downstream side toward said downstream end at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis; a reduced diameter central bore extending through said interior wall coaxial with said longitudinal axis, and a plurality of fluid passageway bores extending through said interior wall in circumferential radially spaced relation to said central bore, said fluid passageway bores being of sufficient quantity and sized to provide a total cross-sectional flow area to equal to, or exceeding, the cross-sectional flow area of said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet, respectively; a shuttle valve member having a main body portion disposed in said downstream chamber with a flat bottom surface of sufficient diameter to engage said interior wall downstream side and cover said passageway bores, a conical outer periphery extending from said flat bottom surface at substantially the same angle as said sealing surface, and a smaller diameter cylindrical stem portion extending from said bottom surface slidably received in said central bore; at least one wedge-shaped seal ring groove in said shuttle valve conical outer periphery and an elastomeric seal ring in each said seal ring groove for preventing fluid flow through said fluid passageway bores when said shuttle valve member flat bottom surface is engaged on said interior wall; and a compression spring disposed in said downstream chamber engaged with said shuttle valve member main body portion to normally urge said flat bottom surface into engagement with said interior wall; in assuming a normally closed position, said shuttle valve member flat bottom surface engages said downstream side of said interior wall and said seal ring engages said sealing surface and forms a fluid tight seal between said shuttle valve member outer periphery and said sealing surface prior to surface-to-surface engagement of said conical outer periphery on said conical sealing surface to prevent jamming of said outer periphery on said conical sealing surface; said shuttle valve member is maintained by said spring in the normally closed position with its said flat bottom surface engaged on said interior wall downstream side and covering said passageway bores and each said seal ring preventing fluid flow of a pressure less than the spring force and any differential pressure in said downstream chamber through said fluid passageway bores between said upstream chamber and said downstream chamber; and fluid flow through said fluid inlet into said upstream chamber and said passageway bores of a pressure exceeding the spring force and any differential pressure in said downstream chamber impinges said shuttle member flat bottom surface to move said main body portion away from said interior wall downstream side to an open position, and flows through said fluid passageway bores around said main body portion into said downstream chamber and exits through said fluid outlet.