Flexible flow diverter

A flow device for interaction with a fluid stream to control its direction comprises a conduit system which includes a cavity in communication with an inlet for the stream and at least one outlet for the stream. Controllable flexible means co-operative with the cavity are provided for interaction with the stream and function to deflect the stream in one direction or the other from its entering direction as it leaves the cavity. The fluid stream can be selectively directed into one or the other of two separate outlets, or a single outlet can be combined with a vortex arrangement so as to enable one to select the direction of rotation of the stream about the axis of the vortex. In one embodiment of the invention, the controllable flexible means by means of which the stream is made to change its direction or flow is constituted by a flexible diaphragm situated at the branching point of Y-shaped outlets which shifts the fluid flow from one branch to another; in another embodiment the stem of a Y-shaped arrangement is bent in one direction or the other to effect a shift in the fluid flow from one branch outlet of the Y to the other; in another embodiment, a deflectable vane is situated in the branching point of the Y-shaped arrangement; in still another embodiment, the conduit is provided with an inlet and an outlet separated by a gap established by the inner ends of two mutually opposite fluid stream-deflectable members together with means for imparting a turning movement to at least one of the deflectable members in one direction relative to the other to effect a corresponding change in direction of the fluid flow at the outlet; and according to still another embodiment, the conduit system takes the form of a vortex fluidister having a cylindrical primary flow-through passage and a secondary inlet including a rigid tube entering through the wall of the primary flow-through passage but which can be brought to varying angular positions from an initial position normal to the primary flow-through passage.

This invention relates to a flow device for the interaction with a fluid 
stream, the device comprising a conduit system with a cavity with at least 
one inlet passage and at least one outlet for a fluid stream. 
Known fluidistors normally have two opposed control fluid conduits or 
secondary inlet ports arranged about perpendicularly relative to the inlet 
direction of the main fluid flow in said cavity, to make possible by the 
inlet or injection of a control fluid through such port or through either 
of such opposed ports to bring the main fluid flow to change for example 
from laminary flow to turbulent flow or from one outlet then being used to 
another or to a restricted outlet. 
Said arrangement, however, has several disadvantages among which could be 
mentioned the consumption of control fluid and the risk of obstruction of 
the control fluid ports. 
These disadvantages are eliminated by a flow device according to the 
invention, said flow device comprising flexible means for interaction with 
a fluid stream entering said cavity such that said fluid stream as in 
fluidistors is by way of example brought gradually to change its flow 
characteristics (flow rate) and/or gradually to increase or decrease its 
flow rate and/or to shift its direction from one outlet then being used to 
another or to or from a restricted outlet, respectively, said flow device 
preferably consisting partially or as a whole of a flexible material such 
as for example rubber. 
According to an embodiment of the flow device of the present invention, at 
least in one of the opposite walls of said cavity there is arranged a 
control chamber having a wall against said conduit system which wall is 
deformable by varying the pressure of a control fluid in the chamber to 
make possible bringing about said change of direction of the fluid stream 
entering the cavity from said inlet passage by making use of the 
"Coanda-effect" or "wall effect" which effect per se is well known from 
the field of fluidistors. 
In another embodiment of the flow device according to the invention the 
inlet passage is arranged to be pivoted or bent relative to said cavity by 
direct or indirect actuation thereof so that by such actuation the inlet 
passage is able to bring about said change of direction of the fluid 
stream entering said cavity from said inlet passage. In such embodiment 
the housing of the device partly or as a whole advantageously consists of 
a flexible material such as for example rubber. 
In still another embodiment of the invention the flow device is arranged 
with a directing device for bringing about said change of direction of the 
fluid stream entering the cavity from said inlet passage, said directing 
device comprising opposite means for example being wedgelike and 
protruding inwardly from the walls of said inlet passage or from the walls 
of the cavity, said means by direct or indirect actuation being mutually 
turnable or displaceable to make possible bringing about said change of 
direction of the fluid stream entering said cavity from said inlet 
passage. Among many fields of application the flow device according to the 
present invention can be used within the same fields as fluidistors, such 
as for the control of a fluid stream or as an amplifier or for the 
measurement or sensing of flow rate, pressure or temperature of a flow 
stream.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-3 show an embodiment of the 
invention in the form of a flow device such as for the control of a fluid 
stream, the device comprising a conduit system with a cavity 2 with at 
least one rigid inlet conduit 3 and at least one outlet 4, 5 for a fluid 
stream, the conduit system comprising diaphragm means 8, 8' or the like 
which by external application of a pressure medium by way of chambers 7, 
7' are deformable to affect said fluid stream. Adjacent the mouth of the 
inlet conduit 3 said diaphragm means each forms a wall portion of said 
cavity 2 which wall portion by means of said pressure can be brought to a 
convex form inwards in said cavity to actuate by Coanda-effect said fluid 
stream to change its direction for example to outlet 5 near said diaphragm 
means 8' (see FIGS. 2-3) from outlet 4 being more remote (see FIG. 1), or 
vice versa. 
In another embodiment (not illustrated) of said fluid device, adjacent the 
mouth of the inlet conduit said deformable diaphragm means forms a 
ring-like circumferential wall portion of said cavity which wall portion 
by means of said pressure can be brought to a convex form inwards in said 
cavity to actuate by Coanda-effect said fluid stream to change its form 
and/or direction for example relative to an inwards protruding, the inlet 
conduit opposing the outlet tube, which tube for example is arranged as a 
turbulence-fluidistor. 
FIGS. 4-6 show another embodiment of a flow device in accordance with the 
invention such as for the control of a fluid stream, the device comprising 
a conduit system with a cavity 2 with an inlet conduit 3 and two outlets 
4, 5 for a fluid stream. The substantially rigid tube forming inlet 
conduit 3 is connected to a flexible or diaphragm-like portion of said 
cavity 2, said inlet tube 3 being arranged by means of flexible, pressure 
medium actuated chambers 12, 12' to be brought to varying angular 
positions to make the inlet tube 3 coaxial with outlet 5 or outlet 4, 
respectively. Said fluid stream can be fed to said rigid inlet tube 3 
through a flexible means (not shown) as for example a hose, the inlet end 
of said hose being mainly stationary. At least one pressure medium 
actuable flexible chamber 13, 13' is arranged for effecting the swing 
motion of the inlet tube 3 to varying angular positions. FIGS. 7-11B show 
an embodiment of the invention in the form of flow device such as for the 
control of a fluid stream, the device comprising a passage system with a 
cavity 2 with an inlet passage 3 and two outlets 4, 5 for a fluid stream, 
the passage system being performed in a material block 1 of cylindrical or 
parallelpipedical form. The material block preferably consists of a 
flexible or resilient material. The material block is lengthwise flexible 
so that thereby the inlet passage 3 is capable of being bent relative to 
the cavity 2 to such degree that the fluid stream entering the cavity 2 
from the inlet passage 3 is brought to change its direction for example 
from one outlet to another of the two outlets 4, 5, or vice versa. The 
material block 1 preferably is provided with external recesses (not shown) 
for facilitating the flexibility thereof. Preferably said cavity 2 and 
said passages 3, 4, 5 have rectangular cross sections. 
FIG. 12 is a section of an embodiment of the invention in the form of a 
flow device such as for the control of a fluid stream, the device 
comprising an inlet conduit 3 at its inner end having two mutually 
opposite stream deflectable members in the form of plate means or ribs or 
wedge means 16, 17 mainly forming a gap for the passage of a fluid stream 
from the inlet conduit 3, said wedge means being arranged by relative 
turning or displacement thereof to change the direction of said fluid 
stream for example to outlet 5 from the other outlet 4, or vice versa. 
In another embodiment of the device of FIG. 12 (see FIG. 14A) at least one 
of the wedge means, 16, is turnable in one direction or the other by means 
of alternatively expandable chambers, 18, 19, arranged in the flexible 
wall of the inlet conduit 3 and is operable by the pressure of a fluid 
medium in these two chambers to displace said wedge means axially of the 
inlet conduit to change the direction of said fluid stream. In still 
another embodiment of the device of FIG. 12 (see FIG. 14A) said pressure 
of said medium is brought about by the thermal expansion of said medium 
such as by electrically heating thereof (for example by resistance, by 
induction or by high frequency energy.) According to the invention, such 
inlet conduit with said thermally controllable wedge means for directing 
the fluid stream advantageously constitute a mainly radially directed 
primary or secondary inlet of a vortex fluidistor said directing means 
being operable to direct said fluid stream mainly tangentially relative to 
said vortex fluidistor. 
FIGS. 12A-12D show other embodiments of the device of FIG. 12 for the 
control of a fluid stream such as for ventilation purposes. The figures 
include conduit means 24, 25 each with an inlet conduit 23 and two outlets 
34, 35 separated by a partition wall 36. In slots 28 of the walls of said 
conduits means plate means, are inserted for the temperature control of 
the fluid stream in said conduit. In the embodiment of FIGS. 12A-12B, 
bimetallic plate means 26, 27 are inserted through said slots 28 and 
direct the flow to one of the outlets 34, 35 dependent on the temperature 
of the flow through said conduit 23. The bimetallic plates are mounted on 
plates 30 being attached to the outside of said conduit. In the embodiment 
of FIGS. 12C-12D, bimetallic plate means 26", 27" are mounted outside of 
said conduit by clamps 31 attached on the outside of said conduit by screw 
means 33. Said bimetallic means are connected to plate means 26', 27' 
inside of said conduit and actuate said plate means dependent on the 
temperature outside of said conduit. According to the invention, such 
inlet conduit with said temperature actuated plate means for directing the 
fluid stream advantageously constitute a mainly radially directed primary 
or secondary inlet of a vortex fluidistor said directing means being 
operable to direct said fluid stream mainly tangentially relative to said 
vortex fluidistor. In still another embodiment of the device of FIG. 12 
(see FIG. 14B, FIG. 17) at least one of said plate or wedge means, 17, 
extends through said inlet conduit wall and in a manner corresponding to 
said turning thereof is operable from the outside for example by a 
cylinder-piston-device 25 being actuated by a pressure medium. 
FIGS. 15A-15B diagrammatically show a vortex fluidistor 1, 2 with an inlet 
conduit 13 arranged mainly as the device of FIG. 12. The wedge means 16, 
17 forms a directing device for the entering fluid stream, the inlet 
conduit 13 constituting a mainly radially directed primary inlet for the 
vortex fluidistor being operable to direct the fluid stream from said 
primary inlet approximately tangentially relative to the vortex 
fluidistor. According to the invention the inlet conduit 13 is capable of 
constituting a mainly radially directed secondary inlet for a vortex 
fluidistor said secondary inlet as well being operable to direct a fluid 
stream approximately tangentially relative to the vortex fluidistor. 
FIGS. 16A-16B show a vortex fluidistor according to FIGS. 15A-15B in 
combination with an inlet conduit 13 with wedge means 16, 17 being 
operable in accordance with the device of said FIGS. 12-13. 
FIG. 17 shows a vortex fluidistor according to FIGS. 15A-15B in combination 
with an inlet conduit 13 with wedge means 16, 17 being operable in 
accordance with the device of said FIG. 14B. 
In the flow device according to FIG. 14B and FIG. 17 one of said wedge 
means 16, 17 advantageously is made separately as shown in FIG. 14C and is 
inserted through the wall of the device, for example through a flexible or 
resilient socket extending outwards from the wall of the device said wedge 
means for example being connected by welding or curing at 38 to the outer 
end of said socket 37. 
FIGS. 18A-18B show another embodiment of the invention, in the form of a 
flow device such as for the flow control of a fluid stream, the device 
comprising a cavity 22 with one inlet passage 23 and two outlet passages 
24, 26 for a fluid stream. Said cavity comprises a single movable plate or 
wedge means 20 arranged between the outlets and opposing the inlet passage 
23 and being turnable about a fulcrum F near its end opposing said inlet 
passage 23 being turnable to varying positions such as to bring the fluid 
stream entering through the inlet passage 23 to change its direction from 
one of the outlets to the other. Said turnable wedge means 20 extends 
through a wall of said device opposing said inlet passage 23, said wedge 
means being turnable from outside for example by a cylinder-piston-device 
25 operable by a pressure medium. The end of said wedge means 20 nearest 
to the inlet passage 23 is arranged in its swing motion to either side 
wall of the cavity 2 to engage a bladder at said side wall, said bladder 
being produced near the mouth of the inlet passage 23 in said cavity 
through Coanda-effect in a manner known from the field of fluidistors. 
In the flow device according to FIG. 18 the material of the end faces of 
the wedge means 20 advantageously is flexible or resilient and is 
connected to the adjacent wall surfaces of the cavity 22. Instead thereof 
the end faces of said wedge means 20 advantageously are separated from the 
adjacent wall surfaces of the cavity through a small clearance, preferably 
comprising sealing means (not shown) between the end faces of said wedge 
means 20 and the adjacent wall faces of said cavity. 
In the device according to FIG. 18 the outlets form passages 24, 26, which 
passages advantageously at least adjacent said wedge means 20 form an 
angle not exceeding 150.degree.. 
In the flow device according to FIG. 18 said wedge means 20 advantageously 
is made separately and is inserted through a flexible or resilient socket 
27 extending outwards from the wall of said device, said wedge means for 
example being connected by welding or curing to the outer end of said 
socket. 
In the flow device according to FIG. 18 said wedge means 20 advantageously 
is arranged so as to be turnable about a fulcrum without a fulcrum pin or 
the like. 
FIGS. 19, 20, 21 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, 
diagrammatically showing a flow device such as for the control of fluid 
streams and particularly for controlled mixing of for example fluid 
streams entering through primary and secondary inlets and having different 
temperatures or different physical or chemical compositions. The device 
comprises a vortex fluidistor 30 with a primary inlet 34 with a mainly 
straight primary through-flow passage 32 to an outlet 36 and a restriction 
plate 35' with an opening 35. The device also includes a secondary inlet 
35 comprising a substantially rigid tube 33 connected to and passing 
through a flexible or membrane-like portion 31 of the wall of said primary 
through-flow passage 32 said tube 33 being arranged to be brought to 
varying angular positions between about radial and about tangential 
positions relative to said primary through-flow passage. The inlet tube 33 
is turnable in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said through-flow 
passage. According to FIG. 20 the inlet tube 33 is radially directed and 
is according to FIG. 21 directed for example about 45.degree. from the 
radial direction. Therefore, with the secondary inlet 33 directed 
according to FIG. 20 the primary flow entering through the primary inlet 
34 can pass mainly unobstructed straight forward through the opening 35. 
With the secondary inlet directed according to FIG. 21, however, the 
primary flow is brought to a powerful rotary motion obstructing the 
passage of said primary flow through the opening 35 and restricting said 
primary flow. Therefore, controlling the angle between the secondary inlet 
33 and said radius makes possible the control of the primary flow as well 
as the control of the mixing of the primary flow through inlet 34 with the 
secondary flow through inlet 33. The fluid stream preferably is fed to 
said rigid inlet tube through a flexible means such as a hose (not shown) 
the inlet end of said hose being substantially stationary. Said inlet tube 
33 preferably has a substantially rectangular cross section. 
Advantageously the devices according to the invention partially or entirely 
consists of rubber or another resilient and/or flexible or wear resistant 
or corrosion resistant material. 
Advantageously the devices according to the invention e.g. FIG. 14C 
comprise a shoulder face 16', 17' adjacent the mouth of the inlet passage 
3, 13, 23, in the cavity 2 so that by Coanda-effect a fluid stream 
entering through said inlet passage will be retained at a side wall of 
said cavity 2 in a manner known from the field of the fluidistors. 
As well as for the control of fluid streams and the like the devices 
according to the invention advantageously are arranged for the measurement 
or the sensing of for example flow rate, pressure, and temperature of a 
fluid stream. 
Advantageously the devices according to the invention can be arranged with 
the application thereon of modifications which are known or obvious for 
example from the fluidistor field and which make said flow device capable 
of measuring or sensing of, for example, flow rate, pressure, and 
temperature of a fluid stream.