Patent Application
20100294375
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to pressure reducing valves. More particularly, the present invention relates to a speed controller valve for controlling the opening and closing speeds of a pressure reducing valve.
2. Background Information
Pressure reducing valves ensure practical, safe working water pressures. Municipal and private water suppliers use pumps and pumping stations to boost water supply pressures in supply mains to supply water for, for example, fire fighting, high rise buildings to overcome loss of pressure as elevation increases, and to maintain water supply in water towers and supply tanks.
Pressure in water supply mains can exceed two hundred pounds per square inch, while most plumbing codes require water pressure reducing valves on domestic systems where the municipal water main's pressure exceeds eighty pounds per square inch. Higher pressure could potentially rupture pipes, damage fixtures and even result in injury to the people using them. The regulation of pressure from water supplies is also critical in, for example, a distribution system, a constant operating pressure in an industrial process and nozzles of an irrigation system.
A pressure reducing valve installed after (i.e., downstream of) a water meter in homes, commercial buildings and manufacturing plants is often utilized to automatically reduces the pressure from the water supply main to a lower, more constant and useful pressure. In operation, water entering such a pressure reducing valve from, for example, municipal mains is constricted within a valve body and directed through an inner chamber controlled by a spring-loaded diaphragm or disc. The spring holds a pre-set tension, usually pre-set by the factory, on a valve seat installed with a pressure equalizing mechanism for controlling water pressure. Even if the supply water pressure fluctuates, the pressure-reducing valve ensures a constant pressure at varying flow of water at a constant pressure, as long as the supply pressure does not drop below the valve's pre-set pressure.
A speed controller valve may be used as a pilot valve to regulate the flow of water in and out of a main valve top chamber of a main pressure reducing valve. An inlet portion of the speed controller valve is connected through a pilot control tubing to an inlet side of the main pressure reducing valve, which is the up-stream side of the main valve where the pressure is higher and unregulated. In addition, the inlet side may also be connected to the outlet side of the main control valve through pilot control tubing, which is the downstream side of the main control valve where the water pressure is lower and regulated. The outlet side of the speed controller valve is connected to the top power chamber of the main control valve, which allows the speed controller valve to control the flow of water in and out the top power chamber of the control valve. Therefore, the main control valve opening and closing speed can be controlled and regulated through the use of a speed controller valve. The pressure regulating sensitivity and lack thereof of the main control valve is dependant on the function of the speed controller valve.
A conventional speed controller valve used with a pressure regulating valve has a valve chamber defining a valve seat. On one side of the valve chamber is an opening through which primary pressure is introduced and on another side thereof is another opening communicating with a secondary side of the pressure regulating valve. Conventional speed controller valves may also have a flat valve disk with a seating surface disposed within the valve chamber. The flat valve disk is guided on a needle valve stem supported by the speed controller valve. The valve disk receives pressure on a first surface from the primary pressure source in a valve opening direction and pressure on a second surface from the primary pressure source in a flat valve closing direction. The first and second surfaces of the flat valve disk have substantially the same shape and size. The valve disk may be biased against the valve seat of the valve chamber by a spring.
Thus, a need exists for a pressure reducing valve system including a speed controller valve which efficiently controls a flow into and out of the speed controller valve to control an opening and closing speed of a pressure reducing valve.
The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a speed controller valve system for regulating an opening speed and a closing speed of a pilot operated control valve, such as a pressure reducing valve, which includes a first inlet couplable to a main valve inlet of a pilot operated control valve. An outlet is couplable to a power chamber of the pilot operated control valve to control a flow of fluid between the outlet and the power chamber to control an opening and/or a closing of the pressure reducing valve. An interior chamber connects the first inlet and the outlet. The chamber receives a resilient member connected to a tapered valve poppet received in the first inlet and moveable in response to a flow of fluid at a pre-set pressure from the main valve inlet to the first inlet. The poppet is located in the chamber and the resilient member includes a resiliency to regulate an amount of movement of the poppet at the pre-set pressure to regulate a flow between the first inlet and the power chamber of the pressure reducing valve.
The present invention provides, in a second aspect, a pressure reducing system including a pressure reducing valve and a speed controller valve. The pressure reducing valve includes a main valve inlet, a main valve outlet, and a power chamber. The speed controller valve includes a first inlet in fluid communication with the main valve inlet. The speed controller valve includes a first outlet in fluid communication with the power chamber to control a fluid between the outlet and the power chamber to control and opening and/or a closing of the pressure reducing valve. An interior chamber connects the first inlet and the first outlet. The chamber receives a resilient member connected to a tapered valve poppet. The poppet is received in the first inlet and is moveable in response to a flow of fluid at a pre-set pressure from the main valve inlet to the first inlet. The poppet is located in the chamber and the resilient member has a resiliency to regulate an amount of movement of the poppet axially relative to the chamber at the pre-set pressure to regulate a flow between the first inlet and the power chamber of the pressure reducing valve.
The present invention provides, in a third aspect, a method for regulating an opening and a closing of a pressure reducing valve which includes coupling a first inlet of a speed controller valve to a main valve inlet of the pressure reducing valve. An outlet of the speed reducing valve is coupled to a power chamber of the pressure reducing valve. A tapered valve poppet is connected to an interior surface of an interior chamber of the speed controller via a resilient member. The poppet and the resilient member are adjusted such that a pre-set pressure in the first inlet moves the poppet toward the chamber to regulate a flow of fluid past the poppet to the outlet to the power chamber to regulate an opening and/or a closing of the pressure reducing valve.
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a speed controller valve, a pressure reducing valve and methods for controlling a pilot operated control valve, such as for controlling water pressure, are provided.
In addition, inlet 15 may also be connected to an outlet side 35 of main control valve 40 by pilot control tubing 20. Outlet side 35 is a downstream side of main control valve 40 where the water pressure is lower (i.e., relative to inlet side 30) and has been regulated by the main pressure reducing control valve itself. For example, water in a water supply main pipeline may exceed 200 PSI while many plumbing codes require water pressure reducing valves when water pressure exceeds 80 PSI. Thus, such a water pressure reducing valve (e.g., pressure reducing valve 40) may reduce such water pressure from 200 PSI to less than 80 PSI.
An outlet 17 of speed controller valve 10 is connected to a top power chamber 60 of main pressure reducing valve 40. The speed controller valve controls the flow of water into and out of top power chamber 60 of the control valve. The water pressure in tubing 20 between outlet 17 and top power chamber 60 (and/or a flow of water between outlet 17 and top power chamber 60) regulates the opening and closing speed of main pressure reducing valve 40.
As depicted in
As depicted in
Also, as depicted in
A resilient member (e.g., spring 180) may hold poppet 170 at a desired position and may provide resistance to a flow of water through inlet 15 past poppet 170 to chamber 150 up to a particular preset pressure as depicted in
Poppet 170 may thus be inserted into inlet 15 by movement of such adjustment mechanism thereby inhibiting water flow from inlet 15 toward chamber 150 past poppet 170 between outer surface 176 and interior surface 152. Alternatively, poppet 170 may be located relative to (e.g., spaced from) inlet 15 to allow water to flow into chamber 150. Further, poppet 170 may be located and the resilient member (e.g., spring 180) may be configured (e.g., be shaped and have a particular resiliency) to allow flow into chamber 150 based on a particular desired preset water pressure in inlet 150 pressing on poppet 170. For example, when water pressure in inlet 15 coupled to inlet side 30 and/or outlet side 35 exceeds a particular preset pressure set by a location of poppet 170 and spring 180, along with the resiliency of spring 180, the spring may allow for movement of poppet 170 along stem 160 to increase a flow passage between outer surface 176 of poppet 170 and an interior surface 152 of inlet 15 thereby allowing more flow through chamber 150 to outlet 17 and therefore top power chamber 60. Such an increase in flow to top power chamber 60 may cause increased closing speed of main pressure reducing valve 40 thereby inhibiting flow from an upstream source, such as a city or public water main, past the pressure reducing valve thereby decreasing pressure downstream of the pressure reducing valve. Accordingly, an opening speed and/or closing speed of pressure reducing valve 40 may be controlled by the location of poppet 170 and the resiliency of a resilient member (e.g., spring 180) holding the poppet in chamber 180 and/or inlet 15.
A poppet stop 200 may be axially aligned with, and surround, needle stem 160 and may be attached to top interior surface 190 of chamber 150 as depicted in
Poppet 170 may also include a bypass port 210 located on top end 172 thereof as depicted in
In another example, depicted in
As described above, an adjustment mechanism (e.g., adjustment nut 12 and needle valve stem 160) in combination with a spring, such as spring 180, and poppet 170 may regulate a flow from inlet 15 through chamber 150 to outlet 17 based on a fluid pressure present in inlet 15. Such flow may regulate an opening and closing of main control valve 40 and pilot valve 130 based on a flow thereto (e.g., to top power chamber 60). Further, a flow from the pressure reducer (e.g., top power chamber 60) to outlet 17 and inlet 15 through chamber 50 may be regulated by the adjustment mechanism and thus the extent to which poppet 170 extends into inlet 15 and therefore the size of the passage between outer surface 176 of poppet 170 and interior surface 152 of inlet 15. As described above, the tapered nature of poppet 170 allows an incremental opening and closing (i.e., throttling) of valve 10 therefore allowing an incremental increase or decrease in the passage past poppet 170 (i.e., between outer surface 176 and interior surface 152) to inlet 15, or to outlet 17, depending on a direction of fluid flow. For example, as poppet 170 extends into inlet 15, the flow past poppet 170 (i.e., between outer surface 176 and interior surface 152) decreases until flow around the outside of the poppet substantially stops. In contrast, as the poppet is removed from inlet 15, e.g., by a rotation of the adjustment mechanism (e.g., adjustment nut 12 and needle valve stem 160) the flow past the poppet (i.e., between outer surface 176 and interior surface 152) increases to a maximum flow when the poppet is completely outside inlet 15.
Speed controller valve 10 including components thereof (e.g., poppet 170, spring 180, and needle valve stem 160) may be configured to withstand the pressures (e.g., from 200 psi to less than 80 psi) which would be applied thereto by a flow received from a public water supply main without failure. For example, controller valve 10 and/or some components thereof may be formed of metal (e.g., stainless steel) or thermoplastic. Further, spring 180 may be connected to interior surface 190 and/or top end 172 of poppet 170 in any number of ways which allows spring 180 to be fixed thereto while allowing spring 180 to move (e.g., compress) axially toward poppet 170 while coils 181 thereof move toward one another, preferably without the coils touching each other.
The adjustment mechanism (e.g., adjustment nut 12 and needle valve stem 160) described above could be any mechanism for advancing and retreating poppet stop 200, spring 180 and poppet 170 relative to inlet 15. Also, the poppet stop (e.g., poppet stop 200), described above, could be any shape or size which stops movement of the poppet (e.g., poppet 170), at a particular position when a pressure force on the poppet (e.g., in inlet 15) exceeds that which would allow a resilient member, such as a spring 180, to stop movement of the poppet.
Further, as described above, inlet 15 of speed controller valve 10 may be in fluid communication with an inlet (e.g., inlet side 30) and/or an outlet (e.g., outlet side 35) of a pressure reducer valve such that the water flow pressures at such inlet and outlet may regulate an opening and closing speed of such pressure reducer regulated by a speed controller valve, such as speed controller valve 10.
Also, it would be understood by one skilled in the art that although a speed controller valve system is described relative to a pressure reducing valve above, the speed controller valve system described could be utilized with other pilot operated control valves or like valves.
While several aspects of the present invention have been described and depicted herein, alternative aspects may be effected by those skilled in the art to accomplish the same objectives. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such alternative aspects as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
