Adjustable pressure relief valve

• US 20090173391A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pradip Choksi
• Original Assignee: Pradip Choksi
• Inventors: Choksi, Pradip
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/144 the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7782 With manual or external control for line valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7856 Valve seat formed on or carried by a coupling element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7924 Spring under tension

Abstract

A one-way flow valve is provided wherein the one-way flow valve may comprise a first section and a second section of a housing. A valve member may be disposed between the first and second sections of the housing that permit fluid flow through one direction of the one-way flow valve but prevents fluid from flowing in the reverse direction. The opening pressure (i.e., the pressure differential across the valve member) to permit flow through the one-way flow valve may be increased or decreased by inserting (e.g., threadably engaging) the second section of the housing deeper into the first section of the housing or withdrawing (e.g., threadably disengaging) the second section of the housing from the first section of the housing.

Claims

1. A unidirectional flow valve comprising:

a housing having a fluid flow passageway, the fluid flow passageway defined by an orifice;

a valve member disposed in a middle portion of the fluid flow passageway, the valve member comprising;

a plug traversable between a seated position wherein the plug is in contact with a periphery of the orifice when a pressure difference between a pressure upstream to the plug and a pressure downstream to the plug is less than an opening pressure to prevent backflow of fluid and an unseated position wherein the plug is gapped away from at least a portion of the orifice periphery when the pressure difference is equal to or greater than the opening pressure;

a base member attached to the housing;

a spring having first and second opposed end portions, the first end portion being attached to the housing, the second end portion being attached to the plug;

wherein the plug and base member are selectively traverseable away from each other or closer to each other to respectively increase or decrease the opening pressure until a desired opening pressure is attained.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the orifice has an edge and the plug is in contact with the edge when in the seated position.

3. The valve of claim 1 wherein the plug is a generally flat member.

4. The valve of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a first section and a second section, the first section being threadingly engageable to the second section, the orifice defined by the first section, the base member of the valve member being attached to the first section, the threads of the first and second sections being sufficiently long to permit the base member to extend upstream the orifice periphery to push the plug against the orifice periphery.

5. The valve of claim 4 wherein the first section has external threads and the second section has internal threads which are threadably engageable to the external threads of the first section.

6. The valve of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a first section and a second section, the first section being insertable into the second section to a selective depth, the base member being attached to the first section, the orifice periphery extending from the second section and into an internal cavity of the second section of the housing and being fluid communication with the housing'"'"'s fluid flow passageway, the base member being traverseable behind the orifice periphery to push the plug against the orifice periphery.

7. The valve of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises:

a first section having an inner wall and an outer wall circumscribed about the inner wall, the outer wall having internal threads and the inner wall defining the orifice periphery;

a second section having a wall with external threads threadably engageable to the internal threads of the first section to a selective depth to increase or decrease a spring force of the spring until the desired opening pressure is attained.

8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the upstream end portion is traverseable behind the orifice periphery when the threads of the first and second sections are engaged.

9. The valve of claim 7 wherein the base member of the valve member is secured to the upstream end portion of the housing'"'"'s second section.

10. The valve of claim 9 wherein the base member of the valve member is sonically welded, adhered or locked in with a collet to the upstream end portion of the housing'"'"'s second section.

11. The valve of claim 1 wherein the base member of the valve member is normally in the same plane as the plug.

12. The valve of claim 11 wherein the springs are connecting arm portions that bend to bias the plug toward and against the orifice periphery.

13. The valve of claim 12 wherein the connecting arm portions have a serpentine configuration.

14. The valve of claim 1 wherein the base member of the valve member is normally offset from the plug.

15. The valve of claim 14 wherein the springs are connecting arm portion that stretch to bias the plug toward and against the orifice periphery.

16. A method of setting a desired opening pressure of a unidirectional flow valve, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing a first housing section in relation to a second housing section;

during the advancing step, seating a plug against an edge of an orifice of the second housing section;

during the advancing step, increasing a biasing force that pushes the plug against the orifice edge;

ceasing the advancing step when the desired opening pressure is attained.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the increasing the biasing force step includes the step of stretching a spring connected to the plug to increase the biasing force.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the increasing the biasing force step includes the step of bending a spring connected to the plug to increase the biasing force.