Patent Application
20140209601
1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments described herein relate to improved one-way and two-way breather valve assemblies especially useful in venting containers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Breather valves, also known as pressure relief valves, prevent excessive pressure or vacuum buildup in sealed containers, which reduces container weight, cube, and cost. A variety of breather valves have been developed over the years, including valves that keep dust, water, and blowing sand from entering containers.
In some applications, the pressure or vacuum differential versus flow rate profile of a breather valve can be a critical factor in whether a sealed container will deform (or even explode). In other words, if a breather valve cannot expel or intake air fast enough, damage to the container and contents can result.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to create breather valve assemblies with improved flow rate characteristics.
The invention generally relates to improved breather valve assemblies that feature a resilient, deformable member coupled between a stationary member and a pressure-moveable member such that pressure on the moveable member buckles the deformable member. The result of these improved designs is that flow rates can be increased.
In one aspect, embodiments pertain to one-way breather valves having a valve housing enclosing a hollow interior portion and containing a stationary member coupled with and disposed proximally to a first end of the housing and configured such that it provides an opening to the atmosphere. The hollow interior further includes a pressure-movable member disposed in sealing arrangement proximally to a second end of the housing and a resilient, deformable member coupled between the stationary member and the pressure-moveable member.
Preferably, the deformable member is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the stationary and pressure-moveable members such that the deformable member bends toward an interior sidewall of the valve housing upon movement by the pressure-moveable member. Such a design has been found to improve flow rate characteristics over previous designs.
In another aspect, embodiments pertain to two-way breather valves featuring an outer valve housing having a hollow interior portion containing a first member having an opening and disposed in sealing arrangement proximally to a top outer circumference of the housing, a second member disposed above the first member and coupled with the housing, and a resilient, deformable member coupled to the first and second members. The resilient, deformable member is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the first and second members such that it bends radially (buckles) upon movement by the first member. Furthermore, there is an inner valve housing disposed coaxially within the outer valve housing, with the inner valve housing having a hollow interior portion containing a third member disposed below the first member and in sealing arrangement with the first member, and a fourth member coupled with and disposed proximally to the bottom of the inner housing, with the forth member having an opening. A second resilient, deformable member is coupled to the third and fourth members such that it is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the third and fourth members and therefore bends toward a sidewall of the inner valve housing upon movement by the third member.
Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention includes the features hereinafter fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such description discloses only some of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced.
Turning to
The resilient, deformable member 20 is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the stationary and pressure-moveable members such that it bends toward an interior sidewall 22 of valve housing 4 upon movement by the pressure-moveable member 14.
As shown in this one preferred embodiment, the valve housing 4 is cylindrical and contains a threaded portion 24 along the hollow interior portion 6. Thus, the stationary member 8 can threadedly engage the threaded portion 24, thereby making stationary member adjustable such that a tension on the resilient, deformable member 20 is adjustable.
Preferably, the valve housing and stationary/movable members are made of plastic. However, any suitable material may be used. Moreover, preferably the resilient, deformable member is a spring.
Turning to
The resilient, deformable member 50 is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the first and second members such that it bends radially (buckles) upon movement by the first member, thereby moving sealing ring 60 to an unsealed or open position when pressure is coming from inside a container to the exterior of the valve as in
Also included in this embodiment is an inner valve housing 54 disposed coaxially within the outer valve housing 38, with inner valve housing having a hollow interior portion 56 containing a third member 58 disposed below the first member 42 and in sealing arrangement with said first member (for example, through sealing ring 52). A fourth member 62 is coupled with and disposed proximally to the bottom 66 of the inner housing, with the fourth member having an opening 68, and a second resilient, deformable member 70 coupled to the third and fourth members such that it is substantially centrally disposed in relation to the third and fourth members and bends toward a sidewall 72 of the inner valve housing upon movement by the third member.
Thus, when both directions of this two-way valve embodiment are in a closed position, the valve is as shown in
Conversely, when the valve is caused to be open in the pressure direction (
As shown in
Various changes in the details and components that have been described may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the invention herein described in the specification and defined in the appended claims. Therefore, while the present invention has been shown and described herein in what is believed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures can be made there from within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent processes and products. All references cited in this application are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
