Fluid control device and method of making it
First Claim
1. An article suitable for sintering by heat into a rigid annular valve structure having exterior and interior peripheries, the rigid annular valve structure providing a multiplicity of annularly and axially spaced generally radially extending device passageways which extend between the exterior and interior peripheries, the article comprising:
- a series of individual green state discs fabricated from a powder mixture in an unsintered green state, each one of the individual green state discs having opposing faces and a thickness between the faces, with certain ones of the individual green state discs defining disc passages formed between the opposing faces thereof;
the series of green state discs being mounted in a stack with the opposing faces being disposed in abutting contact in a manner such that the disc passages collectively define a plurality of substantially right angle turns of the generally radially extending device passageways.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a rigid annular valve structure comprised of individual green state discs having partial or complete passages formed therein. The series of green state discs are assembled in an axially aligned stack such that the partial passages of adjacent ones of the green state discs cooperate to collectively define a plurality of substantially radial device passageways for fluid flowing therethrough. The disc passages are formed in the discs prior to the assembly into the stack. The assembled green state discs are heated as a unit in order to simultaneously harden the individual green state discs and to fuse the individual green state discs together to form the rigid annular valve structure. After heating, the rigid annular valve structure may be machined to define interior and exterior peripheries and end faces such that the rigid annular valve structure is suitable for use in a valve assembly.
24 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An article suitable for sintering by heat into a rigid annular valve structure having exterior and interior peripheries, the rigid annular valve structure providing a multiplicity of annularly and axially spaced generally radially extending device passageways which extend between the exterior and interior peripheries, the article comprising:
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a series of individual green state discs fabricated from a powder mixture in an unsintered green state, each one of the individual green state discs having opposing faces and a thickness between the faces, with certain ones of the individual green state discs defining disc passages formed between the opposing faces thereof;
the series of green state discs being mounted in a stack with the opposing faces being disposed in abutting contact in a manner such that the disc passages collectively define a plurality of substantially right angle turns of the generally radially extending device passageways. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of forming a rigid annular valve structure having a series of annularly and axially-spaced generally radially-extending device passageways fluidly communicating between exterior and interior peripheries of the rigid annular valve structure, the device passageways having radially inner and outer ends, the method comprising:
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providing a series of individual green state discs fabricated from a powder mixture in an unsintered green state;
forming each one of the green state discs with opposing faces and a thickness;
forming certain ones of the green state discs with disc passages between the opposing faces thereof;
mounting the series of green state discs in an axially aligned stack with the opposing faces of adjacent ones of the green state discs being disposed in abutting contact such that the disc passages collectively define the device passageways;
applying heat to the series of green state discs to form a sintered rigid body; and
machining the sintered rigid body to form the exterior periphery fluidly communicating with the outer ends of the device passageways and the interior periphery fluidly communicating with the inner ends of the device passageways. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification