Abstract:
A nitrous oxide or fuel control valve has flow control of nitrous oxide from a fluid-delivery aperture ( 7 ) or flow control of fuel from a fluid-delivery aperture ( 8 ) into a injection nozzle ( 22 ) of an intake manifold of an engine by actuation of an adjuster coupler nut ( 11 ) with an actuation piston ( 14 ) that is actuated with gas pressure from an actuation-pressure source ( 43 ) with an actuation on/off valve( 25 ). It can be structured for low-weight, short-term needs for racing and other sports uses or for heavier long-term needs of engines.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part of application of Ser. No. 11/037,937 filed on Jan. 18, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to nitrous oxide injection systems, more particularly, to a valve which controls the introduction of nitrous oxide or fuel to an injection nozzle prior to injection into a manifold of an internal-combustion engine for enhancing effective pressure of subsequent combustion of the engine for racing and other enhanced-power uses.  
         [0003]     Nitrous-oxide injector systems for enhancing power of internal-combustion engines are well known. None, however, are known to provide the introduction and control of nitrous oxide or fuel with an actuator valve operated by a compressed medium applying force to a piston in a cylinder to open the poppet valve of the nitrous oxide or fuel circuit in a manner taught by this invention.  
         [0004]     Related but different prior art is known to include the following:  
                                       Patent Number   Inventor   Issue/Publication Date                   U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,357   Welch   Jul. 13, 1971       U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,843   Norcia et al.   Aug. 4, 1987       U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,898   Elliott   Nov. 12, 1991       U.S. Pat. No. Re. 35,101   Kelly   Nov. 28, 1995       U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,996   DeLuca   Feb. 16, 1999       U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,862   Touchette et al.   Jun. 13, 2000       U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,225   Thomas et al.   Sep. 12, 2000       U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,165 B1   Steele   Feb. 18, 2003       U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,688 B1   Chestnut   Feb. 17, 2004                  
 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a nitrous oxide or fuel control valve which:  
         [0006]     uses less electricity;  
         [0007]     has less weight;  
         [0008]     has higher flow rates;  
         [0009]     can control the flow of a liquid or gaseous fluid;  
         [0010]     can be repaired or replaced rapidly, easily and accurately;  
         [0011]     can be powered with low-weight and simple power systems; and  
         [0012]     can be directly interchangeable with electric solenoid valves of conventional nitrous oxide systems.  
         [0013]     This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a nitrous oxide or fuel control valve having both a flow circuit from a valve with an actuation piston that is actuated with gas pressure from a low-weight actuation-pressure container controlled by a small electrical solenoid valve of low power consumption and low weight and capable of activating one or more nitrous oxide or fuel control valves taught by the present invention. The nitrous oxide is supplied by a low-weight pre-pressured first fluid container while the fuel is supplied by a mechanized pump or an electrical pump.  
         [0014]     A poppet valve for the flow circuit is actuated with gas pressure to a pneumatic piston. The oxidizer or fuel are both under pressure for controlled release into the injection nozzle(s) by opening of valves for the separate circuits at the same time.  
         [0015]     Prior art nitrous oxide injection systems employ a first separate, heavy and high-current consumption solenoid valve controlling the flow of the oxidizer and a second separate, heavy and high-current solenoid valve for injection of fuel into a mixing nozzle for injection into an intake manifold of an engine. Also, prior art nitrous oxide injection systems utilizing electronic fuel injection to introduce fuel into the engine&#39;s induction system and employ a first separate, heavy and high-current consumption solenoid valve to control the flow of the oxidizer to the injection nozzle(s). Accordingly, in proportion to increased engine power achieved by oxidizer injection systems, the combined weight of present systems is approximately two to three times greater and electrical-current consumption can be as much as one-hundred times greater than with this invention.  
         [0016]     This invention eliminates the heavy and high current draw solenoid and lifts the poppet valve with a piston. The piston can provide much more lifting power than an electric solenoid, allowing a larger orifice and larger poppet valve to be employed, providing higher flow rates. The larger the orifice and poppet valve, the more area it displaces. The pressure of the medium being controlled can exceed 1,250 psi. This pressure is applied to the total area of the orifice so that the larger the orifice, and therefore the larger the area, the more force required to lift the poppet valve off of the orifice. A piston can provide very high lift force in a compact, lightweight package and not draw any electrical amperage.  
         [0017]     Additionally, this invention incorporates a novel inlet circuit arrangement to provide high flow with reduced flow restrictions. Current nitrous oxide or fuel valves connect the inlet port to the orifice and poppet valve chamber that lies above the inlet port with straight or angled passages. As described hereafter in more detail in relation to a preferred embodiment, this invention places inlet port in alignment with chamber and an oval slot, round hole or other shaped-aperture completes the passage. The poppet lifts slightly above the top of the slot, providing unimpeded flow and eliminates a 90 degree (or less) turn (bend) and directs the flow directly into the orifice/poppet valve chamber.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a partially cutaway side view of the control valve of the present; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is an exterior rear perspective view of the control valve of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]     A description of the preferred embodiment of this invention follows a list of numbered terms which designate its features with the same numbers on the drawings and in parentheses throughout the description and throughout the patent claims.  
                                       1.   valve-stem guide       2.   valve housing       3.   inlet aperture       4.   fluid-supply aperture       5.   valve aperture       6.   outlet aperture       7.   fluid-delivery aperture       8.   valve       9.   valve stem       10.   injection activator       11.   adjuster coupler nut       12.   expansion-pressure spring       13.   spring base       14.   actuator piston       15.   actuator cylinder       16.   actuation-fluid inlet       17.   adjustment threads       18.   jam set screw       19.   fluid-supply conveyance       20.   fluid container       21.   fluid-injection conveyance       22.   injection nozzle       23.   actuation-fluid conveyance       24.   actuation-pressure source       25.   actuation on/off valve       26.   control valve       27.   self-adjustment space       28.   cover       29.   cylinder housing       30.   cap screws                  
 
         [0022]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the control valve  26  has a valve-stem guide  1  in a valve housing  2 . An inlet aperture  3  is in fluid communication from a fluid-supply aperture  4  in the valve housing  2  to a valve outlet aperture  6  in the valve housing  2 . An outlet aperture  6  is in fluid communication from the valve aperture  5  to a fluid-delivery aperture  7  in the valve housing  2 .  
         [0023]     A valve  8  is positioned on a valve stem  9 . The valve stem  9  is reciprocatable within an internal periphery of the valve-stem guide  1 . The valve  8  is structured for opening and closing the outlet aperture  6  with the valve stem  9  predeterminedly.  
         [0024]     An actuator piston  14  is positioned proximate activation end of the valve stem  9 . An injection activator  10  is in communication with the actuator piston  14  with the injection activator  10  being structured for actuating the actuator piston  14  predeterminedly for actuation of the valve  8  with the valve stem  9 .  
         [0025]     The valve  8  has a circuit capable of controlling the flow of a gas or liquid, at high or low pressure, or a vacuum. This flow of gas or liquid is stopped (i.e., the valve  8  is OFF when the valve stem  9 , having compliant material on a lower end, such as Viton, Neoprene, Teflon, or similar polymer) is held against a valve outlet aperture  5  by the expansive force of the expansion-pressure spring  12 . The flow of gas or liquid is initiated, i.e., the valve  8  is ON, when the valve stem  8  is lifted off, or above, the valve outlet aperture  5 .  
         [0026]     The fluid-supply aperture  4  is structured for receiving a fluid under pressure for directing the fluid to the outlet aperture  6 .  
         [0027]     The valve  8  can be a poppet valve structured on a valve end of the valve stem  9  for closing and opening the outlet aperture  6  predeterminedly. A poppet valve is intended to include a class of valves which plug openings to aperture predeterminedly.  
         [0028]     A linear axis of the outlet aperture  6  is orthogonal to a linear axis of the fluid-supply aperture  4 . A linear axis of the valve  8 , the linear axis of the outlet aperture  6  and a linear axis of the valve stem  9  are collinear.  
         [0029]     An expansion-pressure spring  12  is positioned with expansion pressure intermediate a spring base  13  proximate an activation end of the valve-stem guide  1  and the valve  8  for spring-pressing the valve  8  closed and for allowing predetermined inlet pressure of the air to open the valve  8  for fluid communication intermediate the inlet aperture  3  and the outlet aperture  6 .  
         [0030]     The injection activator  10  can include an actuator piston  14  in sliding-seal contact with an inside periphery of an actuator cylinder  15  in the cylinder housing  29 . The actuator cylinder  15  has a linear axis collinear to and intermediate the valve-stem guide  1 . An adjustor coupler nut  11  is extended perpendicularly from the actuator piston  14  to attach with the adjustment threads  17  of the valve stem  9 .  
         [0031]     The valve stem  9  can include adjustment threads  17  on activator ends thereof.  
         [0032]     An adjuster coupler nut  11  and jam set screw  18  are screw-positioned on the threads  17  of the valve stem  9  at predetermined piston positions, thereby allowing the piston to travel until stopping against a cover  28  to secure the valve stem  9  and providing a predetermined lift of the valve  8 .  
         [0033]     A self-adjustment space  27  beneath the piston  14  allows the valve  8  to rest securely against the valve aperture  5  to completely stop and seal pressurized flow.  
         [0034]     The actuation-fluid inlet  16  is in fluid communication with the pressure-actuation floor of the actuator cylinder  15 . The pressure-actuation floor of the actuator cylinder  15  is beneath the actuator piston  14  for actuating travel of the adjuster couplet nut  11  in the valve-opening direction. The smaller diameter stem of the actuator piston  14  has a sliding seal to contain the actuation fluid. The actuation fluid acts forcefully on both the small diameter and the large diameter of the actuator piston  14  and moves the actuator piston  14  upward in the direction of the most force developed by the larger area of the larger diameter.  
         [0035]     The fluid-supply conveyance  19  is formed and positioned for fluid communication from a fluid container  30  to the fluid-supply aperture  4 .  
         [0036]     A fluid-injection conveyance  21  is formed and positioned for fluid communication from the fluid-delivery aperture  7  to a predetermined injection nozzle  22 .  
         [0037]     An actuation-fluid conveyance  23  is formed and positioned for fluid communication from an actuation-pressure source  24  to the actuator cylinder  15 .  
         [0038]     An actuation on/off valve  25  is positioned predeterminedly in timing communication intermediate the actuation-pressure source  24  and the actuator cylinder  15 .  
         [0039]     The actuation-pressure source  24  can include structure for pre-pressured containment of a gas for light-weight and quick-supply needs for racing and other predetermined engine uses.  
         [0040]     The actuation on/off valve  25  can include a low-power electrical system for timed release of gas pressure from the actuation-pressure source  24 .  
         [0041]     The actuation-pressure source  24  can include structure for onboard pressurization of a gas for heavy-duty needs that include transportation, industrial, working and other predetermined engine uses.  
         [0042]     Cap screws  30  extending through vertical holes secure the components, i.e., the cover  28 , cylinder housing  29  and valve housing  2 , during operation.  
         [0043]     A new and useful nitrous oxide injection valve having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.