Abstract:
A volumetric metering smart valve shuts down automatically when a certain amount of liquid has passed through the valve. This valve has a water wheel which is rotated by the liquid and which drives a disc via a gear train. If the flowing amount exceeds a preset limit, the disc operates a ratchet and spring acting on a column in a closing direction to shut down the valve.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a 371 of international application number PCT/EG2004/000039, filed on Oct, 4, 2004. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a regular valve for potable water and liquid to control and shutdown the flow of liquid in emergency cases. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In computers, if there is no activity of the user, a computer system could shutdown due to lack of attendance. In an electrical system, overloads due to long running cause shutdown of the system. Water and other liquids need some control to shutdown the flow by sensing an emergency or an absence of control. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a volumetric metering smart valve which shuts down automatically when a certain amount of liquid has passed through the valve. This valve has a water wheel which is rotated by the liquid and which drives a disc via a gear train. If the flowing amount exceeds a preset limit, the disc operates a ratchet and spring acting on a column in a closing direction to shut down the valve. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a regular globe valve of the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a smart valve kit with microplanetary gear type components. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a valve of  FIG. 1  converted to be a smart valve using the smart valve kit of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a sealing assembly of the smart valve kit in  FIG. 2  with planetary gear type components with parts separated. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment sealing assembly of the smart valve kit in  FIG. 2  using flow difference type components with parts separated. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of another alternative embodiment sealing assembly of the smart valve kit in  FIG. 2  using electronic counting components with parts separated. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a smart valve having two seals sealing flow in the same direction. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a smart valve having two seals sealing flow in two directions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is related to international application number PCT/EG2004/000039, filed on Oct. 4, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     The invention is to convert a regular globe valve  1  or a tap of the prior art, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to a smart valve which is to shutdown automatically in case of emergency through a double valving operation. Double valving means that the valve has its original closing mode set by either a mechanical device such as a hand wheel  6 , or by an electrical timer, photocell, pneumatic control or level control, as well as additional valving that operates automatically in an emergency. 
     Double valving could be performed by a single seal smart valve assembly  8 , as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , to be attached to the neck of the valve  1  having the hand wheel  6  by a valve neck extension  7 , which would be more practical and economical for installation, or by a double seal smart valve assembly such as the assemblies  9 ,  10  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , respectively. The assembly  9  in  FIG. 7  has an additional orifice  11  for a double seal, one side arrangement in an extension  13  of the orifice. The assembly  10  in  FIG. 8  has an additional orifice  12  for a double seal, two side arrangement. 
     As described herein, an example embodiment of the present invention is described in detail only for the single seal type shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , while alternative embodiments of different types of seals are shown in  FIGS. 7-8 . As an example, the original closing of a regular mechanical globe valve  1  is performed by turning its hand wheel  6  in normal way, for example, in a clockwise direction. The automatic closing of the valve comes through telescopic expansion of the valve&#39;s column  5 , shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , which is located in an expansion chamber  37 , which forces the open valve to close. The expansion of the valve&#39;s column  5  comes under the pressure of a spring  39  which is kept compressed and held by a ratchet  40  at a critical position by a pin  38 . 
     Release of the ratchet  40  occurs when the liquid flow duration is beyond the limit set by the inhabitant of the building in which the valve  1  is located. The liquid flow duration is not only a time set duration, but instead it is a combination of both time and flow rate of liquid passing through the valve. If the valve is left open fully, then automatic shutdown will come within a short time. If the valve is left open at low flow rate, it will take a longer time to shut down automatically. 
     As used herein, the term “streamer” is defined as a wheel. As the flow of the liquid passes through the orifice  3  of the valve  1 , the liquid rotates a round streamer or water wheel  15 , having a driver magnet  16  passing through a nut  17  of a rubber seal  18 , in the center of the valve seal  4  which in turn goes through a double magnet  22 ,  29  to a reduction chamber (gear box)  21  enclosed by a cover  31  to reduce the number of rotations of the top gear and its attached limit disc  33 , having a limiting magnet  32 , to a portion of one turn, so that the number of rotations are reduced to a maximum of one turn of a disc on the top of the chamber. This disc could be adjusted to a suitable point to activate the ratchet  40  to release the column expansion mechanism. 
     If the valve is closed in its regular manner, the liquid flow stops, then the set of gears  24  in the reduction chamber  21  are free to turn about the axle  25  in the opposite direction under the effect of a spring  35  to restart again from its original position. 
     If the valve is kept open for long time then the pointer of the limit disc on the top of the reduction chamber releases the ratchet  40  on the valve&#39;s column to expand the main column extension  43  and to close the valve automatically. 
     After the automatic shutdown, if the hand wheel  6  of the valve is turned by hand to close the valve as per its normal use, such turning of the hand wheel  6  forces the valve column to contract to lock the expansion mechanism (expansion chamber at compression mode) at the same time it hooks the ratchet  40  at a critical position of a pin  38  of the ratchet holder. 
     The invention has four main parts: 
     1. The drive parts round streamer  15  or the whirlpooling round streamer. The streamers are rotated mechanically by the flow of liquid through the valve. 
     2. Speed reduction chamber or gear box  21 , which has two functions: 
     a. Reducing the number of rotations generated by the round streamer, such as the streamer  15 , to a portion of one turn. 
     b. Signaling the expansion chamber  37  by the pointer  34  of the limit disc  33  to expand its column by releasing the pin or hook  38  at the ratchet when the amount of liquid flow is bigger than a preset quantity. 
     3. Automatic reset system in normal use. 
     Flashing out the recorder rotation automatically when the flow stops and return to its start position by the spring  35 . 
     4. Expansion chamber. 
     This mechanism  37  has telescopic expansion of the valve column  5 , under the pressure of a spring  39  and hooked by the ratchet  40  at a critical position, which is also mechanical. 
     Alternative Designs of The Reduction Chamber with Signaling Shutdown 
     A. Mechanical Designs: 
     We have two options for a mechanical design. 
     A1. Reduction through two idle parallel columns  26  and  27 , and a set of equal double gears  23  which rotates freely on both columns and separated by a spacer  28 . 
     A2. Reduction through multistage micro planetary gears  24 . This option is more expensive but it allows free movement backward of the limit disc  33  without the need to disengage the round streamer, such as the streamer  15 . 
     B. Electronic designs: 
     This choice needs periodic maintenance to change an inside battery. It may be needed in very sensitive locations, such as in power plants, for example, in a cooling system of an atomic reactor. 
     The electronic design of the alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a regular electronic current counter  45 , which takes its readings from the magnet  22  located on top of the streamer  15  which rotates due to flow of the liquid. The counter  45  flashes out the readings automatically when the flow stops. 
     Another limit counter may be used which is set by the user as a rule for controlling shutdown. If the reading of the current counter  45  exceeds the reading of the rule counter, then a comparison chip  48  would activate the expansion chamber  37  to expand the column  5  and shutdown the flow. 
     When the valve is turned back to operation, the valve will move the expansion chamber  37  and be ready for regular operation. 
     Alternative of Double Valving 
     In the previous description the present invention was described in terms of a single seal valve as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . In this option the emergency seal closes the valve by spring pressure. If the liquid is under very high pressure then spring pressure should by very high too. 
     One alternative embodiment is to have a separate small area seal for emergency then there will be two seals in sequence. 
     Another alternative embodiment is to have the emergency seal in the opposite direction, to be in the direction of the pressure. 
     Whirlpooling Round Streamer Alternative 
     In a mechanical flashing out of the recorded rotation of the round streamer  15 , the valve  1  requires a free backward movement without generating a flow of liquid in an opposite direction. In a planetary gear such free backward movement is possible, while in direct gearing such free backward movement requires disengagement of the round streamer  15 . For this reason, in another alternative embodiment, the round streamer  15  of  FIGS. 4-6  is replaced by a whirlpooling-type streamer or water wheel, where the flow of liquid generates two movements in both rotational and axial directions for engagement with the reduction chamber  21 . 
     Such a flow stop disengagement using the whirlpooling streamer will be done through a spring  19  to allow the set of gears to rotate free backward to start position. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The smart valve of the present invention does not require any special components except for those devices causing the transfer of movement through at least one magnet to isolate the high pressure end from the low pressure and to isolate small gears from wetting to avoid accumulation of residue especially calcium. 
     In addition, a smart valve kit make it easy to convert any previously installed valves from a regular valve to a smart valve by extending the old valve neck and insert a new seal assembly. 
     Implementation Of The Embodiments 
       FIG. 1  shows a regular globe valve  1  of the prior art having a water inlet  2  and an orifice  3 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a complete smart valve kit of the present invention having a micro planetary gear type assembly. 
       FIG. 3  shows how the globe valve  1  of the prior art in  FIG. 1  has been converted to smart valve by adding the kit shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the components of a smart valve seal. 
     Components  14 - 18  are elements forming the wheel which rotates the flow of liquid in the valve and its holding to the frame of a rubber seal. 
     Components  21 ,  22 ,  24 ,  25 ,  29 , and  31  are elements forming three multistage planetary gears in a casing to reduce the number of rotations of the limit disc. 
     Components  32 ,  33 ,  34  and  35  are the limit disc and its spring to auto set back when the flow stops, and to release the ratchet if the flow exceeds a preset amount. 
     Component  36  is the holder or guide of the limit disc. 
     Component  37  is the column valve&#39;s extension and component  38  is its pin. 
     Component  39  is the spring to extend the valve&#39;s column. 
     Component  42  is an opening for movement of the pin  38 . 
     Component  40  is the ratchet. 
     Component  41  is the axle of the ratchet and its holding spring. 
     Component  43  is the elongation of the valve column to contain the telescopic expansion. 
     Component  44  is a protection cylinder for the inner parts. 
     Component  5  is the end of the valve column of the original globe valve  1  of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the same assembly as in  FIG. 4  with an alternative embodiment operating by a difference in the flowing. 
     In another alternative embodiment, the wheel  15  is replaced with a whirlpooling streamer to have additional axial movement. A washer spring  19  is included to disengage when the flow stops, with the gears  26 - 30  to replace the planetary gear. 
       FIG. 6  shows the same assembly as in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , with another alternative embodiment providing an electronic counting configuration replacing mechanical counting. 
     Component  45  shows the reading of a flow wheel, and component  46  is a battery. 
     Component  47  is a preset counter representing the maximum number of rotations of the counter  45  in the condition when there is an emergency. 
     Component  48  is a comparison chip to compare the reading of the current counter with the limit to initiate a signal from a signal generating device  49  to initiate shutdown. 
       FIG. 7  shows a smart valve with two seals from the same direction, with one for regular usage and one to work only in emergency. 
       FIG. 8  shows a smart valve with two seals in two directions. The emergency one works in the direction of the pressure. This is to be used with an extremely high pressure flow. 
     PARTS LIST 
     
         
           1  Globe valve 
           2  Water inlet 
           3  Orifice 
           4  Regular seal 
           5  Valve column 
           6  Hand wheel 
           7  Valve neck extension—nipple 
           8  Complete smart valve set—single seal 
           9  Complete smart valve set—double seal, one side 
           10  Complete smart valve set—double seal, two sides 
           11  Additional orifice—one side, double seal 
           12  Additional orifice—two sides, double seal 
           13  Extension of orifice 
           14  Axle of water wheel 
           15  Water wheel 
           16  Driver magnet 
           17  Nut of rubber seal 
           18  Rubber seal 
           19  Spring washer 
           21  Reduction chamber 
           22  Driven magnet 
           23  Set of reduction gears 
           24  Multistage planetary gear 
           25  Axle of planetary gear 
           26  Idle axle of gear—center 
           27  Idle axle of gear 
           28  Spacers 
           29  Output drive magnet 
           30  Frame of axle 
           31  Cover of reduction chamber 
           32  Limit magnet 
           33  Limit disc 
           34  Pointer of ratchet release 
           35  Spring for limit disc return 
           36  Disc guide 
           37  Hexagonal column expansion chamber 
           38  Pin of ratchet holder 
           39  Spring 
           40  Ratchet 
           41  Axle of ratchet 
           42  Opening for pin movement 
           43  Main column extension 
           44  Protection cylinder 
           45  Current reading counter 
           46  Battery 
           47  Limit counter 
           48  Comparison chip 
           49  Electronic signal generating device to release the ratchet