Variable Flow Digital Gas Valve

• US 20100176323A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Robertshaw Controls Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Kimble, James D., Nguyen, Tam
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/129.150
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/24 with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0263 multiple way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/029 Electromagnetically actuated valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0679 with more than one energising coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0652 the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86493 Multi-way valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87265 Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87298 Having digital flow controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87306 Having plural branches under common control for separate valve actuators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87314 Electromagnetic or electric control [e.g., digital control, bistable electro control, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87507 Electrical actuator

Abstract

A variable flow rate gas control valve for use in consumer and commercial appliances is presented. The valve utilizes two or more solenoids to control the operating position of two different valve members whose orifices are sized in an exponential relationship with one another. By opening one or more of the valving members in various combinations, a variable flow rate of gaseous fuel may be controlled in integer multiple steps from full off to full on. The solenoid configurations may be in line, opposing, or symmetrical about an axis of the valve. The number of unique flow rates (F) is related to the number of solenoids (N) as F=2^N. The relationship between the size (S) of the individual gas control orifices for each of the solenoids is related to N by the relationship S=2ⁿ⁻¹ for each individual gas control orifice (n) numbered 1 to N.

Claims

1. A variable flow digital gas valve, comprising:

a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, and an inlet gas manifold positioned therebetween;

a plurality of gas control orifices positioned in the housing to provide fluid communication between the inlet gas manifold and the outlet, each of the plurality of gas control orifices having a different size than the other gas control orifices;

a plurality of solenoid coil assemblies associated with the plurality of gas control orifices, each solenoid coil assembly including a plunger slidably positioned within a coil, the plunger having affixed to an end thereof a valve seal, the plunger and valve seal being held in a quiescent position prohibiting fluid communication between the inlet gas manifold and the outlet through its associated gas control orifice by a valve spring; and

wherein the size of each succeeding gas control orifice is twice the size of a preceding gas control orifice.

2. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of gas control orifices includes a valve seat associated therewith configured to mate with the valve seal in the quiescent position.

3. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 2, wherein the valve seat and gas control orifice are formed as a single element affixed in the housing between the inlet gas manifold and the outlet.

4. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 2, wherein the valve seat and gas control orifice are formed in the housing.

5. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in an opposing configuration.

6. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 5, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and each set of opposing solenoid coil assemblies.

7. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in an in-line configuration.

8. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 7, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and the plurality of solenoid coil assemblies.

9. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in a symmetrical configuration.

10. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 9, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and each of the solenoid coil assemblies.

11. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of solenoid coil assemblies is independently controllable so as to provide 2^N different flow rates between the inlet and the outlet, where N is the number of solenoid coil assemblies.

12. A variable flow digital gas valve, comprising:

a housing defining an inlet and an outlet;

at least two gas control orifices positioned in the housing between the inlet and the outlet to control fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, each of the at least two gas control orifices being sized differently to allow a different flow therethrough;

a solenoid coil assembly associated with each of the at least two gas control orifices, the solenoid coil assembly controlling a position of a valve seal to control fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet through its associated gas control orifice; and

wherein each solenoid coil assembly is independently controllable such that 2^N different flow rates are provided, where N is a total number of gas control orifices provided in the housing.

13. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein a relative size of each gas control orifice is governed by 2ⁿ⁻

1, where n is an ordinal number for each gas control orifice.

14. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein a relative size of one of the gas control orifices is 1, and wherein the size of each additional gas control orifice is governed by 2ⁿ⁻

1 for n=2 . . . N.

15. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein at least one of the gas control orifices is formed in the housing.

16. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein at least one of the gas control orifices is formed as a stamped orifice cup, the stamped orifice cup being affixed in the housing.

17. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein the at least two solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in an opposing configuration.

18. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 17, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and each of the opposing solenoid coil assemblies.

19. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein the at least two solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in an in-line configuration.

20. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 19, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and the at least two solenoid coil assemblies.

21. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 12, wherein the at least two solenoid coil assemblies are mounted to the housing in a symmetrical configuration.

22. The variable flow digital gas valve of claim 21, further comprising a solenoid mounting seal positioned between the housing and each of the at least two solenoid coil assemblies.