Patent ID: 6405754
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: F15B,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A modular pneumatic pressure control valve assembly for supplying a choice of pre-selected pressure levels from a pneumatic supply; said modular assembly comprising:a first manifold having a primary supply passage connectable to a supply of primary pressure; a second manifold connected to the first manifold; first and second regulators mounted onto said first manifold each having an inlet for receiving pneumatic pressure from said respective primary supply passage and each having an outlet port for providing respective different first and second lower secondary pressures; an electrically actuated selector valve mounted onto said manifold, said selector valve includes a housing with two inlet ports and two outlet ports with a valve element operably mounted in said housing, said valve element being moveable to a selected one of two positions based on the electrical actuation or de-actuation of the selector valve such that a respective inlet port is connected to its respective outlet port and the other inlet port is closed from its respective outlet port which in turn has an opening to ambient atmosphere; said inlet ports being in fluid connection with said respective outlet ports of said regulators for selectively supplying said respective secondary pressures to said selector valve; the respective outlet ports of the selector valve being connected to respective inlets of a shuttle valve, said shuttle valve having a single outlet selectively in communication with its inlet containing a higher secondary pressure therein; the outlet of the shuttle valve being in communication with an outlet passage in said first manifold for receiving a selected one of the secondary pressures from the respective regulators via the selector valve; said second manifold having a primary supply passage in communication with said supply of pneumatic pressure with an auxiliary regulator mounted thereon for regulating primary pressure from the supply passage, said second manifold also having a secondary inlet port connected to said outlet passage of said first manifold for receiving secondary pressure from one of said regulators on said first manifold; said auxiliary regulator mounted onto said second manifold and having an inlet for receiving secondary pressure from said primary supply passage and having an outlet for providing an auxiliary different secondary pressure different from said first and second secondary pressures; an auxiliary selector valve mounted onto said second manifold, said selector valve includes a housing with two inlet ports and two outlet ports with a valve element operably mounted in said housing, said valve element being moveable to a selected one of two positions based on the actuation or de-actuation of the selector valve such that a respective inlet port is connected to its respective outlet port and the other inlet port is closed from its respective outlet port that has a passage to ambient atmosphere; said inlet ports of said auxiliary selector valve being in fluid connection with said respective outlet port of said auxiliary regulator and said second inlet port that is in communication with said outlet passage from said first manifold for supplying said respective secondary pressures to said auxiliary selector valve; the respective outlet ports of the auxiliary selector valve being connected to respective inlets of an auxiliary shuttle valve which has a single outlet selectively in communication with the inlet of the auxiliary shuttle valve that has a higher pneumatic pressure therein; and the single outlet of the shuttle valve being in communication with an outlet passage in said auxiliary manifold for receiving a selected one of the secondary pressures from the respective first, second, or auxiliary regulators via the selector valves.