Patent Application
20120012190
The present invention relates generally to valve systems that are used for releasing pressurized fluid. More particularly, the present application involves a valve system that may be configured as an inflatable life preserver for use in inflating to provide buoyancy upon immersion in water.
Life preservers are known that are initially provided in a deflated state and worn by a user either around the neck, waist, shoulders, chest, arm, or other body portion. The life preserver includes an electronic sensor that has a time delay circuit that is responsive to immersion in water. Upon immersion for a pre-selected interval, the sensor may activate an inflation gas present within the life preserver to effect inflation. Other applications that incorporate valves, besides life preservers, often include mechanical springs that are used to open or close the valve. For example, in a stop valve, a biasing spring is used to force a disk or other body against a seat that blocks the flow of fluid through a line. Once sufficient pressure is built within the line, the spring force of the biasing spring is overcome and the biasing spring compresses. Fluid may then flow through the line so that pressure within the line is relieved. Once the pressure drops below a certain level, the biasing force of the biasing spring is sufficient to once again force the disk against the seat to seal the valve. Although capable of working for their intended purposes, valve systems that employ electronic components and/or mechanical springs may be complex in design or otherwise limited in applicability. As such, there remains room for variation and improvement within the art.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended Figs. in which:
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.
It is to be understood that the ranges mentioned herein include all ranges located within the prescribed range. As such, all ranges mentioned herein include all sub-ranges included in the mentioned ranges. For instance, a range from 100-200 also includes ranges from 110-150, 170-190, and 153-162. Further, all limits mentioned herein include all other limits included in the mentioned limits. For instance, a limit of up to 7 also includes a limit of up to 5, up to 3, and up to 4.5.
The present invention provides for a valve system 10 that is capable of releasing a pressurized fluid 62 for utility in a variety of applications such as a flotation device, a fire suppression system, a heating device, or an extermination device. The valve system 10 includes a housing 12 and a trigger member 30. The trigger member 30 is provided with a degree of structural integrity to prevent the fluid 62 from escaping a container 60 into which the fluid 62 is housed. Upon being subject to a force that causes the trigger member 30 to lose structural integrity, the valve system 10 opens to cause the release of the pressurized fluid 62 for use in the application in which the valve system 10 is implemented.
One exemplary embodiment of the valve system 10 is illustrated with reference to
The housing 12 may be made of a variety of materials and is shown in additional detail with reference both to
The interior 16 of the housing 12 includes two sections that have diameters that are different than one another. The two sections are spaced form one another in the longitudinal direction 28 of the housing 12 that extends along the direction of the longitudinal axis 26. A plunger 40 is located in the interior 16 and may engage the inner surface 24 of the wall 14. The plunger 40 has a first end 46 and a second end 48 that are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction 28. The diameter of the first end 46 is larger than the diameter of the second end 48 so that pressure applied to the first end 46 is translated into a greater pressure generated by the second end 48. However, it is to be understood that the ends 46 and 48 may be of the same size in other embodiment, and that the size of the second end 48 may be greater than the size of the first end 46 in yet other embodiments. The plunger 40 is illustrated in a first position 42 in
The wall 14 can include a single fluid escape aperture 18 defined therethrough or may include multiple fluid escape aperture 18 defined around the circumference of the outer surface 25 and extending into the inner surface 24. The fluid escape apertures 18 may be four in number in one exemplary embodiment and can be spaced equal distance about the outer surface 25 from one another. In other arrangements, the fluid escape apertures 18 may be from 1-5, from 5-10, from 10-20, or up to 30 in number and may be equally or unequally spaced from one another about the outer surface 25. Although shown as being located at the same position in the longitudinal direction 28, other arrangements are possible in which one or more of the fluid escape apertures 18 are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction 28. The fluid escape apertures 18 may have a circular cross-sectional shape.
Pressurized fluid 62 is stored within a container 60 that is in fluid communication with the interior 16 of the housing 12. The pressurized fluid 62 acts against the first end 46 of the plunger 40 and the engagement between the plunger 40 and the inner surface 24 may be made so as to prevent the fluid 62 from passing between these two components. In this regard, the plunger 40 and the inner surface 24 may be manufactured with a tolerance tight enough to prevent pressurized fluid 62 from moving therebetween yet loose enough to allow the plunger 40 to move with respect to the inner surface 24. In other arrangements, the plunger 40 may include a first O-ring 50 that seats within a depression of the plunger 40 and extends around the entire circumference of the plunger 40. The O-ring 50 is a deformable seal that engages the inner surface 24 and forms a seal at this point to prevent pressurized fluid 62 from moving past the first O-ring 50. The size and engagement of the first O-ring 50 to the inner surface 24 may be selected to allow the necessary seal to be formed yet loose enough to allow the plunger 40 to be moved relative to the inner surface 24. Further, although a single O-ring 50 is used to prevent the fluid 62 from moving through the fluid escape aperture 18, it is to be understood that the plunger 40 can be provided with two or more O-rings in other arrangements to prevent this fluid propagation.
The section of the interior 16 that includes the first O-ring 50 in the first position 42 as shown in
With reference to
The pressurized fluid 62 is stored within a container 60 that may be incorporated into the valve system 10. The container 60 may be a plastic tube in one embodiment so as to have a degree of flexibility imparted therewith. Alternatively, the container may be made out of non-flexible plastic or out of metal in other arrangements. An end of the container 60 is crimped to prevent the fluid 62 from escaping from at this point. A tube cap or any member may be used to seal the end of the container 60 to prevent fluid from escaping in this regard. The opposite end of the container 60 is open and is received within the fitting 80. The outer surface of the container 60 can be frictionally fit into the interior of the fitting 80. In other arrangements, the open end of the container 60 can be attached to the fitting 80 in a variety of manners. With the disclosed arrangement, the interior of the container 60 is in communication with the interior 16 of the housing 12 such that the pressurized fluid 62 will flow through the open end of the container 60, through the fitting 80, through the cap 70, into the interior 16 of the housing 12 via the open end 22, and against the first end 46 of the plunger 40 or against both the first end 46 and the first O-ring 50 if the O-ring 50 is present and used to aid in sealing of the valve system 10.
The fluid 62 may be Freon or a Freon substitute in certain exemplary embodiments. The fluid 62 may be at a pressure from 70-90 psi when in the container 60 in the unreleased state. In other arrangements, the fluid 62 may be pressurized to a pressure from 40-60 psi, from 90-130 psi, from 130-250 psi, or up to 500 psi in accordance with different exemplary embodiments when in the container 60 in the unreleased state. The fluid 62 may be a gas or a liquid when in the container 60 in the unreleased state, and its phase may change or may remain the same when released and vented through the fluid escape aperture 18. The fluid 62 may be a refrigerant such as propane, ammonia, carbon dioxide or a non-halogenated hydrocarbon in certain embodiments. The fluid 62 may be neon, oxygen, argon, nitrous oxide, ethylene, or helium in accordance with other exemplary embodiments. Further, the fluid 62 may be a mixture of one or more substances.
The position of the plunger 40 is held in the first position 42 due to engagement of the second end 48 of the plunger 40 with the trigger member 30. With such an arrangement, the pressurized fluid 62 remains trapped within the container 60, fitting 80, cap 70, and housing 12 thus representing a charged state of the valve system 10. The trigger member 30 is in a first state 32 as shown in
With reference now to
The valve system 10 may be positioned so that a portion of the housing 12 is immersed in water 94. For example, the valve system 10 can be placed into a body of water such as a river or pool. Water 94 will flow through the one or more water inlets 20 and engage the trigger member 30. The trigger member 30 will begin to dissolve upon contact with the water 94. This process will cause the trigger member 30 to move from the first state 32 to a second state 34 in which the structural integrity of the trigger member 30 is less than when in the first state 32. Dissolving of the trigger member 30 will cause the strength of the trigger member 30 to weaken as more and more of the material making up the trigger member 30 breaks up and turns either into a liquid or is reduced significantly in size. The trigger member 30 will break up into dissolved portion 36. While the trigger member 30 is dissolving, the force exerted on the trigger member 30 by the plunger 40 will remain. Once the structural integrity of the trigger member 30 has sufficiently weakened, the force exerted by the pressurized fluid 62 on the plunger 40 will cause the plunger 40 to be moved in the longitudinal direction 28 so that it will move with respect to the housing 12, container 60, cap 70, and fitting 80 in the direction towards the end of the housing 12 opposite end 22. Movement of the plunger 40 will cause the dissolved portions 36 to be expelled from the interior 16. Alternatively, the dissolved portions 36 may simply be compressed within the interior between the second end 48 and the end of the housing 12, or the dissolved portions 36 may be subjected to both a combination of expulsion and compression.
Transfer of the trigger member 30 from the first state 32 to the second state 34 allows the plunger 40 to be moved from the first position 42 shown in
The plunger 40 may include a second O-ring 52 that is carried by the plunger 40 and located closer to the second end 48 than the first O-ring 50 in the longitudinal direction 28. The second O-ring 52 is positioned between the fluid escape aperture 18 and the water inlet 20 when the plunger 40 is in the first position 42. The second O-ring 52 may function to prevent water 94 from moving through the interior 16 of the housing 12 and out of the fluid escape aperture 18. Once the plunger 40 moves to the second position 44, the second O-ring 52 may be located within one or more of the water inlets 20 to seal these water inlets 20 to prevent water 94 from moving through the interior 16 and into the fluid escape aperture 18. The second end 48 may be urged against the inner surface 24 of the wall 14 of the housing 12 to seal any water inlets 20 that may be present through the terminal end of the housing 12. Further, the release of the pressurized fluid 62 into the bladder 90 may cause the plunger 40 to eventually be depressurized since the force of the fluid 62 is now dissipated to the interior of the bladder 90. Movement of the second O-ring 52 into longitudinal alignment with the water inlet 20 may cause the second O-ring 52 to expand to be located within the water inlet 20 thus causing the second O-ring 52 to grab onto the housing 12. However, it is to be understood that the second O-ring 52 need not be present in other arrangements and need not be located at the same longitudinal distance as the water inlets 20 in accordance with other exemplary embodiments.
The valve system 10 can be configured as a life preserver in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. With reference now to
A second clip piece 104 is attached to the housing 12. The user can wrap the bladder 90 about his or her body until the clip pieces 96 and 104 are proximate to one another and then engage same. The user can detach the clip pieces 96 and 104 when the valve system 10 is no longer needed. Both of the clip pieces 96 and 104 are angled in order to facilitate ease of attachment. In this regard, the clip piece 96 has a portion that is attached to the nylon washers 98 and 100 that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26. The portion of the clip piece 96 that is capable of engagement with clip piece 104 is angled to the coaxial portion of the clip piece 96. Theses portions of the clip piece 96 may be located at an angle from 10°-20°, from 20°-30°, from 30°-60°, or up to 90° to one another. The various portions of the clip piece 96 may be integrally formed or may be different pieces that are attached to one another. For example, the portion that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26 may be made of metal and can be a bolt in configuration, while the portion that is angled to the longitudinal axis 26 can be made of plastic.
In a similar manner, clip piece 104 has a portion that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26 and a portion that is angled thereto. The two portions of the clip piece 104 may be angled at degrees similar to those previously discussed with respect to clip piece 96 and a repeat of this information is not necessary. Further, the angled portions of the clip pieces 96 and 104 may be rigidly attached such that the angle to which the portions of the clip pieces 96 and 104 are disposed is not adjustable. However, in other embodiments one or both of the clip pieces 96 and 104 may be hinged such that the angle between the portions of the clip pieces 96 and 104 may be adjustable. The portion of the clip piece 104 that includes the water inlet 20 may be the portion that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26, and the portion of the clip piece 104 that is angled to the longitudinal axis 26 may not include any water inlets in certain exemplary embodiments. The portion of the clip piece 104 that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26 may surround the end of the housing 12 and define one or more apertures that are aligned with the water inlets 20 of the housing 12 so that the water inlets 20 are essentially extended to the exterior surface of the device so that water 94 can enter therein. The end 92 of the bladder 90 may be located between the housing 12 and the portion of the clip piece 104 that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 26 and sealed therein. The clip piece 104 may be a single, integrally formed component or may be made of one or more components that are attached to one another.
Should the user inadvertently fall into a body of water 94 or otherwise come into contact with water 94, the trigger member 30 will be dissolved from the first state 32 to the second state 34. The housing 12 is arranged so that one or more of the water inlets 20 are located outside of the interior of the bladder 90 and exposed to the environment. The water inlets 20 may extend to any exterior surface of the clip piece 104, even those arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis 26. The water inlets 20 are thus open to the environment in both the attached and unattached states of the clip pieces 96 and 104.
Transition of the trigger member 30 to the second state 34 will cause the fluid 62 to flow out of the fluid escape aperture 18 and into the interior of the bladder 90 at which time the bladder 90 will begin to inflate. The bladder 90 may be coated with a fabric in certain embodiments. Fabric may be incorporated into the bladder 90 that is not airtight so as to allow water or other fluid to move therethrough. As such, the bladder 90 may be made of multiple layers made of different materials and some but not all of the layers need be airtight. The bladder 90 can be configured so that inflation of the bladder 90 will cause the bladder 90 to assume a curved or rounded shape thus accommodating use as a life preserver. Further, the nylon strap 102 may function to shape the bladder 90 into a curved or otherwise rounded orientation upon inflation. The container 60 may be made of a flexible material to allow the valve system 10 to be wrapped in a circular orientation around the user when worn and when the bladder 90 is deflated. Once the valve system 10 is no longer needed, the user may detach the clip pieces 96 and 104 from one another in order to remove the valve system 10 from his or her body.
The valve system 10 may be formed into life jackets, life boats, buoys, or other items needed to be inflated when immersed into a body of water 94. The valve system 10 may be configured into a safety ball that inflates to prevent a boat from sinking when the boat becomes swamped in a body of water 94. In other arrangements, the valve system 10 can be formed into a cover, so as to function as an umbrella, when exposed to water 94 in order to inflate the bladder 90 and prevent an object from becoming wet when rain 94 begins to fall. The bladder 90 can be a single compartment or may be made of multiple compartments out of various materials. Further, the bladder 90 can be configured so that upon inflation it takes a variety of shapes such as circular, cylindrical, ring-shaped, or cone shaped.
The valve system 10 may be configured to function such that the only forces acting on the valve system 10 to cause or prevent actuation are the pressure from the pressurized fluid 62 and the structural integrity of the trigger member 30. The valve system 10 may be arranged so that it does not have any mechanical springs or electronics incorporated therein to effect actuation. As such, the valve system 10 may be arranged so that a spring mechanism and/or an electronic system is not present in order to actuate the valve system 10 to allow the plunger 40 to be moved to allow the fluid 62 to be released through the fluid escape aperture 18.
An alternative exemplary embodiment of the valve system 10 is illustrated in
Additionally or alternatively, the valve system 10 may be arranged for the extermination of insects 108 such as ants, termites, or cockroaches. The trigger member 30 may be made of a material such as cellulose when the extermination of termites is desired. The termites 108 may burrow into the trigger member 30 until the structural integrity of the trigger member 30 is compromised thus causing the state of the trigger member to be changed from the first state 32 to the second state 34. At such time, the plunger 40 will move and fluid 62 will be dispensed from the fluid escape aperture 18 which will cause the insects 108 to be killed. The trigger member 30 may be accessed in the variously discussed exemplary embodiments illustrated in
Another application of the valve system 10 is for use as a fire suppressant system. With reference now to
In accordance with other exemplary embodiments, instead of suppressing the temperature source 110, the bladder 90 if incorporated into the valve system may expand to function as a cover, such as an umbrella, to keep an object or person cool once the trigger member 30 melts upon being heated to a particular temperature. The valve system 10 will thus act as a cover to cool a surface, object or person.
The valve system of
The heat or cold may be inserted through the water inlet 20. In this regard, by making the trigger member 30 directly face the temperature source 110 through the water inlet 20, a faster sensing of the temperature source 110 may be realized through convection or radiation heat transfer to cause the valve system 10 to actuate faster. However, other embodiments are possible in which the trigger member 30 is shielded from the temperature source 110 by the wall 14 and in which the water inlet 20 is instead used as an outlet for the melted trigger member 30 to be dispensed. Again, as previously mentioned with respect to other embodiments, the water inlet 20 need not have water inserted therethrough but is broad enough to cover a port associated with the housing 12 that allows heat or cold to be transferred therethrough.
Various portions of the valve system 10 may be configured in a manner similar to, or be made of materials similar to, that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,158 B1 to Barber et al., the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety for all purposes.
While the present invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by way of the present invention is not to be limited to those specific embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended for the subject matter of the invention to include all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
