Patent Publication Number: US-2010122742-A1

Title: Fluid control throttle valve

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fluid control throttle valve for a reverse osmosis system. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Conventional throttle valve usually provides single throttle orifice for the fluid to flow therethrough. However, if a user wants to adjust the ratio of the flow between a pure water outlet and a waste water outlet of a reverse osmosis system, he/she has to buy another throttle valve with a different bore diameter. Not only is it a waste of money, but it also costs much trouble to install and uninstall the throttle valves. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a throttle valve for a reverse osmosis system that allows users to adjust the flow thereof. 
     To achieve the above object, the throttle valve provided by the present invention comprises a first tube and a second tube, both of which have an inner passage respectively. Between the first and second tubes are disposed an adjusting element and a cylindrical communicating element, wherein the adjusting element has a central axis and a plurality of throttling orifices axially disposed therein; 
     a distance between the central axis and the throttling orifices, respectively, is substantially the same with each other, while the throttling orifices are arranged radially around the central axis of the adjusting element, wherein a bore diameter of at least one throttling orifice is different from that of the other throttling orifices; 
     the communicating element has a through hole, corresponding to the throttling orifices, axially disposed therein, and the communicating element is axially rotatable with respect to the central axis of the adjusting element, wherein the through hole thereof selectively communicates one of the throttling orifices, so as to communicate the inner passages of the first and the second tubes. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a breakdown drawing showing a throttle valve in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an adjusting element in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a combination drawing showing a throttle valve in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an AA profile of the throttle valve in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a flow direction in a throttle valve in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1-4 . The fluid control throttle valve, installed on a waste water outlet of a reverse osmosis system, provided by the present invention comprises a first tube  10 , a second tube  20  and a sleeve  15 . Both of the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20  have an inner passage  5  respectively. Between the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20  are disposed an adjusting element  30  and a cylindrical communicating element  40 . The adjust element  30  and the communicating element  40  are formed integrally in one piece with the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20  respectively. 
     Moreover, the sleeve  15  is used to connect the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20 . The sleeve  15  has a first end  16  and a second end  17 . The first end  16  has an inner thread, and an outer surface of the adjusting element  30  has an outer thread, so that the adjusting element  30  is mounted with the first end  16  of the sleeve  15 . The second end  17  of the sleeve  15  defines an inner space with an opening, while an internal diameter of the opening is smaller than that of the inner space. The communicating element  40  is therefore received in and rotatable with respect to the inner space, and the second tube  20  axially extends out of the opening from the communicating element  40 . 
     Besides, the adjusting element  30  has a central axis and a plurality of throttling orifices  31  axially disposed therein. A distance between the central axis and the throttling orifices  31 , respectively, is substantially the same with each other, while the throttling orifices  31  are arranged radially around the central axis of the adjusting element  30 . A bore diameter of at least one throttling orifice  31  is different from that of the other throttling orifices  31 . In the present embodiment, the bore diameters of the throttling orifices  31  are different from each other, allowing users to choose a desired one and therefore, to adjust the flow of the waste water outlet. 
     In addition, the communicating element  40  has a through hole  41 , corresponding to the throttling orifices  31 , axially disposed therein. The communicating element  40  is axially rotatable with respect to the central axis of the adjusting element  30 , and the through hole  41  thereof selectively communicates one of the throttling orifices  31 , so as to communicate the inner passages  5  of the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20 . 
     The communicating element  40  has a plurality of positioning notches  42  corresponding to the throttling orifices  31 . More specifically, each extension line of the throttling orifice  31  and its corresponding positioning notch  41  passes through the central axis of the adjusting element  30 . Moreover, the adjusting element  30  has a receiving groove  32 . In the receiving groove  32  are disposed a resilient object  321 , such as a spring, and a positioning object  322 . Both ends of the resilient object  321  urge the resilient receiving groove  32  and the positioning object  322  respectively. A end of the positioning object  322 , away from the resilient object  321 , is selectively urged into one of the positioning notches  42 . When the communicating element  40  axially rotates with respect to the central axis of the adjusting element  30 , the positioning object  322  is pushed back into the receiving groove  42 . When the through hole  41  communicates one of the throttling orifices  31 , the positioning object  322  is urged into the positioning notch  42  corresponding to the communicated throttling orifice  31 , so as to position both the adjusting element  30  and the communicating element  40 . 
     Furthermore, the adjusting element  30  is formed with an annular bushing  33  axially extending toward the communicating element  40  side. An outer surface of the annular bushing  33  has an outer thread to be engaged with the inner thread of the sleeve  15 . Besides, the annular bushing  33  receives the communicating element  40  therein and two gaskets are installed between an inner surface of the annular bushing  33  and an outer surface of the communicating element  40 . In addition, a gasket  51  is installed around an opening of each throttling orifice  31 . The above-mentioned gaskets are provided to prevent the throttle valve from leakage. 
     Two engaging surfaces  18  are formed on an outer surface of the sleeve  15 , so as to be engaged with a wrench, fastening the first and the second tubes  10 ,  20  tightly. Moreover, an outer surface of the communicating element  40  has marks corresponding to the throttling orifices  31 , which can be used to inform users of the position of the throttling orifices and/or the current flow amount of the throttle valve. 
     Now, please refer to  FIG. 5 . In the present embodiment, the first tube  10  connects to an outlet leading to the surrounding, and the second tube  20  connects to an inlet communicating a reverse osmosis system. Therefore, the water flows from the second tube  20 , via the through hole  41  and the throttling orifice  31 , adjusting the flow amount of the water, and then flows out of the first tube  10 . When varying the flow amount of the water, the user simply turns the communicating element  40  to let the through hole  41  communicates a throttling orifice  31  with a different bore diameter. Also, the throttle valve of the present invention can be installed reversely, wherein the first tube  10  communicates the reverse osmosis system and the second tube  20  communicates the surrounding. The same result can be achieved as well. 
     The throttle valve of the present invention is designed to realize the follow efficacy: 
     1. A plurality of throttling orifices are axially and radially disposed around the central axis of the adjusting element, such that the users can vary the flow amount of the water by simply turning the communicating element. Therefore, the throttle valve of the present invention facilitates the flow amount control and allows users to adjust the ratio of the flow between the outlet of the waste water and the outlet of the pure water of the reverse osmosis system quickly. 
     2. The present invention provides more than one flow amount for the users to choose from, so they wont have to buy multiple conventional throttle valves, each of which provides only one flow amount. The cost of both money and time is, therefore, reduced. 
     3. Between the adjusting element and the communicating element is installed a positioning means, the combination of the positioning notches and the positioning object, which allows the user to communicate the through hole and the throttling orifice without much effort, and prevents the adjusting element from rotating spontaneously resulted from the impact of the water pressure.