Patent Application
20080257426
a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to a valve having an integral hinge configured to receive a flapper door, including a valve having an integral hinge configured to receive a flapper door where the hinge extends at least in part above the opening configured to be closed by the flapper door.
b. Description of Related Art
In line check valves and flapper type valves may be employed in a number of applications. For example, in line check valves and flapper type valves may be employed in a fuel tank filler tube for accommodating insertion of a refueling nozzle and providing for closure and sealing of the filler tube upon removal of the nozzle at the completion of refueling. In line check valves may be costly and the in line piston impedes the fluid flow, causing a greater pressure drop and premature shut-offs when filling the fuel tank rapidly. Flapper type valves generally include a valve housing and a hinge that may be used to connect a flapper door to the valve housing. In many flapper type valves, the hinge may be a separate piece that must be assembled to the valve housing. This requires an increased number of components in order to retain the flapper door to the valve housing and results in a complex assembly process. Furthermore, the use of a separate hinge results in a high risk of accidental disassembly of the hinge and flapper door from the valve housing during drop, shock, splash, or crash scenarios. In some flapper type valves, the hinge may comprise deflectable fingers that must be moved in order to insert the flapper door during assembly. Deflectable fingers provide a high risk of unintentional movement from a desired holding point of the fingers in a working environment due to external conditions, such as vibration or heat. In other flapper type valves, the hinge may extend below the opening configured to be closed by the flapper door, such that the pivot point of the flapper door is below the opening configured to be closed by the flapper door.
There is a desire for a valve that may minimize and/or eliminate these deficiencies.
A valve is provided. The valve may include a housing defining a cavity. A first end of the housing may define an opening configured to be closed by a flapper door. The valve may further include a hinge formed integrally with the housing. The hinge may extend from an upper portion of the housing and be configured to receive the flapper door. In an embodiment, at least a portion of the hinge extends above the opening. The hinge may provide a pivot point for the flapper door that is at or above the opening of the housing.
Various features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which illustrates embodiments and features of this invention by way of non-limiting examples.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as embodied in or defined by the appended claims.
Referring now to
Housing 12 may be provided for structural support of the components of valve 10. Housing 12 of valve 10 may have a longitudinal axis 13. Housing 12 may be a tubular body and may be cylindrical or generally cylindrical in shape. In an embodiment, housing 12 may include a generally D-shaped cross-section. Referring now to
Referring now to
In an embodiment, housing 12 may have a uniform wall thickness. The uniform wall thickness may extend both circumferentially around housing 12 and longitudinally up and down housing 12 at any height of housing 12. In another embodiment, housing 12 may have a variable wall thickness. In an embodiment, at least a portion of housing 12 at a first height may have a first thickness 28 and at least a portion of housing 12 at a second height may have a second thickness 30. Second thickness 30 may be greater than first thickness 28, for example. Second thickness 30 may be greater than first thickness 28 in order to provide stiffening support to housing 12 and/or to compensate for warp that may occur when housing 12 is in its working environment or plastic shrinkage during molding, for example. Second thickness 30 may be located at or near the bottom of housing 12 as shown in its orientation in
Housing 12 defines a cavity 32. Cavity 32 may be defined by the inner surface of housing 12. In an embodiment, cavity 32 may have a first diameter 34 at a first height of housing 12 and may have a second diameter 36 at a second height of housing 12. First diameter 34 may be at a height of housing 12 corresponding to a portion of housing 12 formed by a first mold piece during a molding operation. Second diameter 36 may be at a height of housing 12 corresponding to a portion of housing 12 formed by a second mold piece during a molding operation. Second diameter 36 may be greater than first diameter 34, for example.
Housing 12 may include a radially outwardly extending annular flange 35 located between first end 20 and second end 22. Annular flange 35 may form a groove adapted for receiving a resilient seal ring therein.
Hinge 14 may be provided to receive at least a portion of a flapper door. In an embodiment, hinge 14 may alone define a channel for receiving at least a portion of a flapper door. Hinge 14 may be formed integrally with housing 12. A separate hinge pin and/or hinge housing may not be included in valve 10, thereby reducing the number of required components and lowering cost. Hinge 14 may extend from housing 12, and may extend from an upper portion of housing 12. For example, in an embodiment, hinge 14 may extend from at or about a top one third of housing 12. In another embodiment, for example, hinge 14 may extend from first end 20 of housing 12. Hinge 14 may extend upwardly. In an embodiment, at least a portion of hinge 14 extends beyond (e.g., above) opening 24. Accordingly, hinge 14 may provide a pivot point for the flapper door that is at or above opening 24 of housing 12. Sealing of valve 10 (i.e., through closure of opening 24 by a flapper door) may be improved when the pivot point for the flapper door is at or above opening 24 of housing 12. Hinge 14 may extend from generally flat wall portion 18 on a second side of housing 12. Hinge 14 may extend outwardly (i.e., away) from housing 12. Hinge 14 may have a generally I-shaped or U-shaped cross-section. Hinge 14 may be rigid (i.e., configured to receive a flapper door without substantial deflection or separation of hinge 14 from housing 12).
In an embodiment, hinge 14 may include formation 36 at one end of hinge 14 for preventing the flapper door from disassembling from housing 12. Formation 36 may extend outwardly (i.e., away) from the portion of hinge 14 configured to receive the flapper door. Formation 36 may comprise a hook, for example. Although a hook is mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various other formations may be used for preventing the flapper door from disassembling from housing 12 and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is also understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that formation 36 may not be used in connection with hinge 14 and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. An inner surface 38 of hinge 14 may include at least one protrusion 40 for preventing disengagement of a flapper door from housing 12. Protrusion 40 may be generally trapezoidal in shape as illustrated in
In an embodiment, valve 10 may include a shroud 44 for protecting components of valve 10. Shroud 44 may be formed integrally with housing 12. Shroud 44 may extend from housing 12, and for example, may extend from generally curved wall portion 16 on a first side of housing 12. Shroud 44 may extend upwardly from first end 20 of housing 12. Shroud 44 may extend at least about 180° around first end 20 of housing 12. Although a shroud extending approximately 180° around first end 20 of housing 12 is mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that valve 10 may not include a shroud or may include a shroud that extends less than or more than 180° around first end 20 of housing 12 and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to
Spring 52 may be provided in connection with valve 10. At least a portion of spring 52 may be disposed below hinge 14. Spring 52 has one end thereof formed to a hook-shaped configuration 54. Hook shaped configuration 54 may be slidably registered against post 53 for locating the coil of spring 52 on the spindle. A ridge extending along about the centerline of flapper door 46 may keep the spring force in the center of flapper door 46 in order to compress a seal along the entire circumference of flapper door 46. The other end of spring 52 (i.e., free end) may be rotated by about 90°, for example, with respect to hook-shaped configuration 54, and thereby may provide a torsional preload on flapper door 46 to bias flapper door 46 in a direction to close opening 24. Although 90° is mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the free end of spring 52 may be rotated by about 100°, by about 180°, or by any other amount in order to provide a desired spring tension, and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. Spring 52 may be configured such that the bias force applied to flapper door 46 is low enough such that the force may be overcome by force of flow (e.g., fuel flow) to overcome the spring bias and move flapper door 46 away from opening 24 of housing 12. A pivot point for spring 52 may be at or below the pivot point for flapper door 46. Accordingly, the amount of force against flapper door 46 may be lowered when flapper door 46 is opened, thereby lessening the flow back pressure at high flow rates. Valve 10 may further comprise a hinge pin (not shown). At least a portion of the hinge pin may be disposed below hinge 14.
Referring again to
A method of forming a valve 10 is also provided. The method may include forming a valve 10 having a housing 12 that defines a cavity 32 and having a rigid hinge 14 formed integrally with housing 12. A first end 20 of housing 12 may define an opening 24 configured to be closed by a flapper door 46. At least a portion of hinge 14 may extend beyond opened 24 and may be configured to receive flapper door 46. The method of forming valve 10 may comprise using a first and second mold piece that meet at a parting line, and in particular, at a parting line plane that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 13 of housing 12 of valve 10. The method may further include connecting flapper door 46 to housing 12 of valve 10 by engaging flapper door 46 and hinge 14.
The method may include molding at least one fin 56 that extends across cavity 32. The method of forming fin 56 may comprise using a first and second core pin that meet at a parting line, and in particular, at a parting line plane that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 13 of housing 12 of valve 10. The first core pin may be configured to form a first portion of fin 56. The second core pin may be configured to form a second portion of fin 56. Accordingly, fin 56 may be at least partially disposed in the parting line plane.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and various modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims and their equivalents.
