SELF SEALING DRAIN FITTING

• US 20110067765A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Army, Donald E. JR., Shiroma, Diana
• Application Number:
  US12/566,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067765A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/410
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 24/046 the assembly of float and valve element being a single spherical element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7361 Valve opened by external means, closing or closing control by float

Abstract

Disclosed is a drain assembly including a buoyant spherical ball (32) and a drain fitting (10) including at least one drain channel (28). The drain fitting (10) is securable at a drain location (18) wherein pressurization at the drain location (18) seals the spherical ball (32) against the drain channel (28). Further disclosed is a method of operating a drain assembly for an environmental control system (14) including locating the drain assembly at a fluid collection area (22) of the environmental control system (14). The drain assembly includes a buoyant spherical ball (32) and a drain fitting (10) including at least one drain channel (28) securable at a drain location (18). An interior (22) of the environmental control system (14) is pressurized and the spherical ball (32) is sealed to the drain fitting (10) via the pressurization of the interior (22) of the environmental control system (14).

Claims

1. A drain assembly comprising:

a buoyant spherical ball (32); and

a drain fitting (10) including at least one drain channel (28), the drain fitting (10) securable at a drain location (18) wherein pressurization at the drain location (18) seals the buoyant spherical ball (32) against the drain channel (28).

2. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the spherical ball (32) is configured to allow fluid (40) to flow through the drain channel (28) when the drain location (12) is not pressurized.

3. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the spherical ball (32) is retained in a volume near the drain fitting (10).

4. The drain assembly of claim 3 wherein the volume is defined by a cage (42) attached to the drain fitting (10).

5. The drain assembly of claim 3 wherein the volume is defined by an interior (46) of a boss (16) at the drain location (18).

6. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the drain fitting (10) is secured at the drain location (18) via a threaded connection (20).

7. The drain assembly of claim 6 wherein the threaded connection (20) is sealed via installation of at least one o-ring (24).

8. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the drain fitting (10) includes a chamfer (38) disposed at the drain channel (28) receptive of the spherical ball (32).

9. An environmental control system (14) comprising:

a collection area (22) of fluid (40) in the environmental control system (14); and

a drain assembly disposed at the collection area (22) including;

a buoyant spherical ball (32); and

a drain fitting (10) including at least one drain channel (28), the drain fitting (10) securable at a drain location (18) wherein pressurization of the environmental control system (14) at the drain location (18) seals the spherical ball (32) against the drain channel (28).

10. The environmental control system (14) of claim 9 wherein the spherical ball (32) is configured to allow fluid (40) to flow through the drain channel (28) when the environmental control system (14) is not pressurized.

11. The environmental control system (14) of claim 9 wherein the spherical ball (32) is retained in a volume near the drain fitting (10).

12. The environmental control system (14) of claim 11 wherein the volume is defined by a cage (42) attached to the drain fitting (10).

13. The environmental control system (14) of claim 12 wherein the cage (42) extends into an interior (22) of the environmental control system (14).

14. The environmental control system (14) of claim 11 wherein the volume is defined by an interior (46) of a boss (16) at the drain location (18).

15. The environmental control system (14) of claim 9 wherein the drain assembly is disposed at a gravitational low point of the environmental control system (14).

16. A method of operating a drain assembly for an environmental control system (14) comprising:

disposing the drain assembly at a fluid collection area (22) of the environmental control system (14), the drain assembly including;

a buoyant spherical ball (32); and

a drain fitting (10) including at least one drain channel (28), the drain fitting (10) securable at a drain location (18);

pressurizing an interior (22) of the environmental control system (14); and

sealing the spherical ball (32) to the drain fitting (10) via the pressurization of the interior (22) of the environmental control system (14).

17. The method of claim 16 comprising:

depressurizing the interior (22) of the environmental control system (14);

floating the spherical ball (14) on a fluid (40) collected in the fluid collection area (22);

breaking the seal between the buoyant spherical ball (32) and the drain fitting (10) via the floatation; and

flowing the fluid (40) through the drain fitting (10) to an exterior of the environmental control system (14).