Expanding Patents (Class 251/182)
  • Patent number: 11112015
    Abstract: A fluid valve includes a valve body and a plug. The body includes a chamber and ports that communicate with the chamber. The plug is rotatably disposed in the chamber, and includes a seal disposed in an annular groove provided on the plug surface. An elastic member is disposed in the groove, and biases the seal against an inner surface of the chamber. The seal includes a seal retaining feature that is configured to retain the seal within the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: Robert Bosch LLC, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Chapman, George Popovici, Lesley Wang, Adarsh Venkiteswaran
  • Patent number: 11054043
    Abstract: A fluid valve includes a valve body and a plug. The body includes a chamber and ports that communicate with the chamber. The plug rotates within the chamber, and includes a seal disposed in an annular groove provided on the plug surface. An elastic member is disposed in the groove, and biases the seal against an inner surface of the chamber. When the plug is oriented relative to the body so that the groove is aligned with a port, the seal segregates the chamber into a first chamber that borders an outer surface of the seal and a second chamber that borders an inner surface of the seal, and provides a fluid-tight seal between the first chamber and the second chamber. In addition, the seal inner and outer diameters vary based on a fluid pressure difference across the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignees: Robert Bosch LLC, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Chapman, George Popovici, Lesley Wang, Adarsh Venkiteswaran
  • Patent number: 10287110
    Abstract: A rotary airlock valve has a housing having an internal horizontal taper, a mating rotor within the housing, a circular groove in each end of said rotor with a compression O-ring situated therein, a pair of compression plates within the housing, each having a circular projection adapted to contact a compression O-ring in one of the circular grooves, end plates fixed to the housing by shoulder bolts situated in and extending through the end plates, the shoulder bolts being adapted to exert compressive force on the O-rings to balance the rotor within the housing. The rotor is plastic or coated metal, the plastic rotor being utilized for lower temperature applications, i.e, ambient temperature to about 600° F., and the coated metal rotors being utilized for higher temperature (about 600 to 1200° F.) applications. There are no metal to metal moving parts. The invention can be utilized by an airlock, mass measurement feeder, control valve, or on-off valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Inventor: James W. Sigmon
  • Patent number: 8920753
    Abstract: A valve unit and an apparatus having the same include a plug which includes a phase change material in a solid state at a room temperature and a plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material. The fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material dissipate heat by absorbing an electromagnetic wave energy generated by electromagnetic wave radiation from the outside and block fluid flow in a path formed by a channel. As an external energy source irradiates an electromagnetic wave on the plug, the plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dissipate heat and the phase change material becomes molten, thus opening the path to allow the fluid to flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-myeon Park, Jeong-gun Lee, Yoon-kyoung Cho
  • Patent number: 8850827
    Abstract: A control valve is provided that includes a valve body, a valve element, a first radial seal, and a second radial seal. The valve body forms an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid flow passage therebetween. The valve element is disposed at least partially within the valve body, and is movable between at least a closed position and an open position. When the valve element is in the closed position, fluid is restricted from flowing through the fluid flow passage. When the valve element is in the open position, the fluid is allowed to flow through the fluid flow passage. The first radial seal is disposed against the valve body at a first distance from a centerline of the control valve. The second radial seal is disposed against the valve body at a second distance from the centerline, the second distance being greater than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Franconi
  • Patent number: 7998433
    Abstract: A valve unit and an apparatus having the same include a plug which includes a phase change material in a solid state at a room temperature and a plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material. The fine heat-dissipating particles dispersed in the phase change material dissipate heat by absorbing an electromagnetic wave energy generated by electromagnetic wave radiation from the outside and block fluid flow in a path formed by a channel. As an external energy source irradiates an electromagnetic wave on the plug, the plurality of fine heat-dissipating particles dissipate heat and the phase change material becomes molten, thus opening the path to allow the fluid to flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-myeon Park, Jeong-gun Lee, Yoon-kyoung Cho
  • Patent number: 7806145
    Abstract: There is provided a housing for a flow conditioner. The housing comprises a body having first and second pipe connections, a flow passage between the pipe connections, a carrier receiving cavity within the flow passage, and an opening corresponding to the carrier receiving cavity. A plate carrier has a sealing portion and a flow conditioner carrying portion. The sealing portion has a sealing surface for sealing the opening corresponding to the carrier receiving cavity, and the flow conditioner carrying portion depends from the sealing portion. The flow conditioner carrying portion is sized to be inserted through the opening and into the carrier receiving cavity, and has a plurality of set screw receiving apertures or a retaining lip for securing the flow conditioner. There is a connector for securing the plate carrier within the body such that the sealing surface seals against the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Inventor: Derold Gary Clark
  • Patent number: 7299824
    Abstract: A multi-position fuel valve includes a main body having an enclosed chamber with a number of inlet ports and an outlet port and associated seats in the chamber. Disposed inside the chamber is a revolving rotor that is connected to a selector handle located outside the chamber. The rotor provides a possible passageway between each of the inlet ports and the outlet port. The handle can rotate a maximum 180 degrees, and the valve has a pair of inlet sections and three-positions with an “off” position approximately midway between the other two positions. A pair of balls are positioned in the rotor and lodge in the plurality of seats or elsewhere in the chamber. When this occurs a certain portion of the passageway is cut off meaning there is no fluid flow from at least one of inlet ports through the outlet port. A compression spring with opposing ends bearing against the balls maintains the balls lodged in the seats, and releasably fixes the position of the rotor and handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventors: Iian Z. Golan, Daniel Cohen
  • Patent number: 6305462
    Abstract: A mix door (5) is arranged in air passages (10, 11) of an automotive air conditioning device. The mix door (5) is arranged to extend in a direction to shut an air flow blown from the upstream air passage (10) and swelled in a downstream direction with a predetermined radius of curvature. The door (5) is guided by arcuate cam grooves (19) and driven upward and downward to achieve open/close operation with the aid of a sliding mechanism (M). Compact construction, reduction in air flow resistance, smoothed handling, high sealing and high temperature controlling are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Tsurushima, Toshiyuki Yoshida, Masaharu Onda, Toshiya Uchida, Katsuaki Koshida, Katsuhiro Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 5009392
    Abstract: A rotary air valve for a motor vehicle air conditioning, heating and ventilation system has a spring biased floating valve mounted on a rotary valve frame. The floating valve is spring biased radially outward against the interior of the case so that arcuate ribs at opposite ends thereof remain engaged in internal grooves in the case to provide sealing at these locations while the other oppositely arranged edges of the valve are contacted by seals that are mounted within the case on opposite sides of the openings controlled by the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1991
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: James C. Ostrand
  • Patent number: 4609177
    Abstract: A three-piece angle stop valve comprises a valve body, resilient control sleeve and handle, with no separate fastening or sealing elements required. Inlet line pressure resiliently biases the side walls of the control sleeve and a circumferential sealing flap formed thereon into sealing engagement with the valve bore to prevent leakage. The handle is secured to the valve body by resilient formations which snap into a circumferential groove on the valve body. The handle rotates the control sleeve by means of telescoping splines. Several circumferential and axial reinforcing ribs are formed on the interior of the control sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Assignee: Brasscraft Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Larry G. Turner, Leo S. Stanish, Manfred Kuttruff, Walter J. Budzinski, Robert MacDonald
  • Patent number: 4562994
    Abstract: Three-piece stop valves, in both angle and straight-through forms, are disclosed comprising a valve body, resilient control sleeve and handle, with no separate fasteners or sealing elements being required. The handle and control sleeve are retained within the valve body by resilient formations on the handle which snap into a retaining groove on the valve body. Inlet line pressure resiliently biases the side walls of the control sleeve into sealing engagement with the valve bore to prevent leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Assignee: Brass Craft Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Robert D. MacDonald
  • Patent number: 4548385
    Abstract: A rotor valve has a set of sealing members or inserts positioned in longitudinal channels formed on the outer surface of a cylindrical rotor. A resilient O-ring snuggly engaged in a groove in the rear surface of each insert urges it against a surrounding rotor chamber formed in a valve body. Due to the resilience of the O-ring, the fluid seal between the rotor and the rotor chamber does not bind due to contaminants or extreme variations in temperature. The sealing inserts are formed of a deformable material. Fluid pressure acting on the inserts deforms them to produce a lateral squeezing force on the O-ring. The interaction between the inserts and the O-ring enhances the integrity of both the seal between the inserts and the surrounding rotor chamber and the seal established by the O-ring itself between the rotor and the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: Quality Controls, Inc.
    Inventor: David J. Barbuto
  • Patent number: 3981330
    Abstract: A fluid mixing valve comprises a body defining a cylindrical chamber having two spaced-apart inlets and an outlet spaced axially from the inlets, a valve closure element and a mixture control element in the chamber and a valve spindle connected to the closure and control elements. Axial movement of the spindle moves the closure element in a mode to open or close the inlets. Rotation of the actuator, when the inlets are open, rotates the mixture control element so as to control the relative degree of flow through the inlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1976
    Assignee: H. & D. E. Watts Limited
    Inventor: Horace Watts
  • Patent number: 3967811
    Abstract: An all plastic valve construction wherein a removable cartridge contains all wearable seal surfaces. A hollow valve body member is threadedly received in an underbody member and provided with a plurality of separate and distinct sealing locations. The underbody member includes an annular support seat for supporting a plastic stem member in a position only slightly below its assembled position to facilitate the assembly of the stem with a handle for turning same. Two different embodiments are included for stop means which limit the amount of rotation of the stem member relative to the hollow valve body member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1975
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1976
    Assignee: Kel-Win Manufacturing Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Keller, III
  • Patent number: 3955598
    Abstract: A distribution member for mixing cocks, having the form of a lamellar skirt of an elastically yielding material cooperating with fluid passage ports, and having a backing of a compressed resilient material which exerts an elastical backing action substantially onto the whole surface of the operatively active portion of the skirt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Inventor: Alfons Knapp