Pressure regulating shut-off valve

• US 10,712,754 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microtecnica S.R.L (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Microtecnica S.R.L (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Quaglia, Enrico, Savino, Dario
• Primary Examiner(s): Cahill, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US15/423,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 137219
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/106 Tube or ring forms
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/02 by ducted hot gas or liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/123 with stationary valve member and moving sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/126 actuated by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/04 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/00 Construction of housing methods for welding housings B23K; Use of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/363 the fluid acting on a piston F16K31/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/106 Sleeve-like sensing elements; Sensing elements surrounded by the flow path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

There is provided a pressure regulating shut-off valve comprising a valve body, at least one piston serving as a regulating piston and/or a shut-off piston, a solenoid valve, and a pressure relief valve; wherein the valve body defines an inlet and an outlet, and comprises at least a portion formed by an additive manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A pressure regulating shut-off valve comprising a valve body, a regulating piston, a shut-off piston, a solenoid valve, and a pressure relief valve;

wherein the valve body defines an inlet and an outlet, and comprises at least a portion formed by an additive manufacturing process;

wherein the valve body comprises a front portion comprising the inlet, a centre portion, and a rear portion comprising the outlet;

wherein the centre portion is disposed between the front portion and the rear portion;

wherein one or more of the front portion, the centre portion and the rear portion are formed by the additive manufacturing process and the additive manufacturing of the portion(s) includes forming internal passageways or ducts;

wherein the front portion houses the shut-off piston and the rear portion houses the regulating piston;

wherein the shut-off piston and the regulating piston are each separately actuable to prevent fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet; and

wherein the front portion is formed by the additive manufacturing process and comprises a duct internal to the valve body, the duct being defined entirely within a wall of the front portion and formed during the additive manufacturing process, wherein the duct extends within the wall from the solenoid valve to the inlet and thereby connects the solenoid valve and the inlet so that all fluid communication from the inlet to the solenoid valve is within the wall of the valve body, the duct configured to pneumatically supply the solenoid valve from the inlet.

2. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve body defines a main passageway for fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet;

wherein the front portion comprises the inlet for fluid communication into the main passageway.

3. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve body defines a reference chamber fluidly connected to the pressure relief valve, and wherein the regulating piston is partially disposed in air-tight engagement in the reference chamber.

4. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to open when a pressure in the reference chamber exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 3 configured such that the position of the regulating piston is determined by a difference in pressures between the downstream pressure and the reference chamber pressure, and such that the position of the regulating piston regulates the flow of air to the outlet.

6. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 5, wherein an increase of downstream pressure above a predetermined threshold causes the regulating piston to move to a closed position in which fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet is prevented.

7. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve body defines a shut-off chamber fluidly connected to the solenoid valve, and wherein the shut-off piston is partially disposed in air-tight engagement in the shut-off chamber.

8. The pressure regulating shut-off as claimed in claim 7, configured such that pressurisation of the shut-off chamber causes the shut-off piston to move to a closed position in which fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet is prevented.

9. The pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve is an anti-ice pneumatic valve.

10. An aircraft comprising the pressure regulating shut-off valve as claimed in claim 1.

11. A method of manufacturing a pressure regulating shut-off valve comprising a valve body, a regulating piston a shut-off piston, a solenoid valve, and a pressure relief valve, wherein the valve body defines an inlet and an outlet;

the method comprising forming at least a portion of the valve body using an additive manufacturing process;

wherein the valve body comprises a front portion comprising the inlet, a centre portion, and a rear portion comprising the outlet;

wherein the centre portion is disposed between the front portion and the rear portion;

wherein one or more of the front portion, the centre portion and the rear portion are formed by the additive manufacturing process and the additive manufacturing of the portion(s) includes forming internal passageways or ducts;

wherein the front portion houses the shut-off piston and the rear portion houses the regulating piston;

wherein the shut-off piston and the regulating piston are each separately actuable to prevent fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet; and

wherein the front portion houses the shut-off piston and is formed by the additive manufacturing process and comprises a duct internal to the valve body, the duct being defined entirely within a wall of the front portion and formed during the additive manufacturing process, wherein the duct extends within the wall from the solenoid valve to the inlet and thereby connects the solenoid valve and the inlet so that all fluid communication from the inlet to the solenoid valve is within the wall of the valve body, the duct configured to pneumatically supply the solenoid valve from the inlet.