Valve Design

• US 20130276917A1
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Isentropic, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Isentropic, Ltd.
• Inventors: Howes, Jonathan Sebastian, Macnaghten, James
• Application Number:
  US13/923,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130276917A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/511
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/14 with flexible valve members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/0254 being operated by particular means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/029 with two or more gates
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 3/188 by means of hydraulic forces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7837 Direct response valves [i.e., check valve type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86759 Reciprocating

Abstract

A valve includes a first pan defining a first array of apertures (20′) and a second part (50) defining a second array of apertures (60′), the first pan (10′) being moveable relative to the second part (50) between a first configuration in which passage of a fluid through the valve is substantially prevented and a second configuration in which passage of fluid is allowed. In one embodiment, the first pan (10′) includes a flexible plate-like member configured to engage a sealing face of the second part (50) when in the second configuration and lock in the second configuration in response to a pressure differential across the valve. The plate-like member is sufficiently flexible to conform to a profile of the sealing face in response to a pressure differential across the valve.

Claims

1. A valve comprising a first part defining a first array of apertures and a second part defining a second array of apertures, the first part being moveable laterally relative to the second part between a closed configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are not registered and passage of a fluid through the valve is substantially prevented and an open configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are registered and passage of fluid is allowed;

wherein the first part comprises a flexible plate-like member configured to engage a sealing face of the second part when in the closed configuration and lock in the closed configuration against lateral movement in response to a pressure differential across the valve.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first and second parts are configured to lock in the closed configuration against lateral movement in the presence of a pressure differential across the valve by means of limiting friction between the first and second parts.

3. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like member is sufficiently flexible to conform to a profile of the sealing face in response to a pressure differential across the valve.

4. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the flexible plate-like member is constrained to move in the plane of the member by a retaining plate

5. A valve according to claim 4, wherein the first part is constrained to move substantially parallel to a surface defined by the sealing face of the second part.

6. A valve according to claim 5, wherein the first part is supported by the sealing face of the second part during movement between the closed and open configurations.

7. A valve according to claim 1, further comprising an opening mechanism for moving the first part from the closed configuration to the open configuration and a closing mechanism for moving the first part from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

8. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first part further comprises a strengthening member.

9. A valve according to claim 8, wherein the strengthening member comprises an elongate part extending from substantially one lateral side of the first part to a second lateral side of the first part, opposed to the first part.

10. A valve according to claim 7, wherein the first part further comprises a strengthening member and wherein at least one of the opening mechanism and the closing mechanism engage the strengthening member when moving the first part relative to the second part.

11. A valve according to claim 1, wherein the first part comprises a pair of moveable plates, each plate of the pair comprising a sub-set of the first array of apertures.

12. A valve according to claim 11, wherein each plate of the pair is configured to seal a different group of apertures in the second array of apertures.

13. A valve according to claim 11, wherein each plate of the pair is configured to seal a different section of the same group of apertures in the second array of apertures.

14. A valve according to claim 11, wherein the pair of moveable plates move in opposite directions to one another as the first part moves between the closed and open configurations.

15. A valve comprising a first part defining a first array of apertures and a second part defining a second array of apertures, the first part being moveable laterally relative to the second part between a closed configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are not registered and passage of a fluid through the valve is substantially prevented and an open configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are registered and passage of fluid is allowed;

wherein the first part comprises a flexible plate-like member configured to engage a sealing face of the second part when in the closed configuration and lock in the closed configuration against lateral movement in response to a pressure differential across the valve; and

wherein the plate-like member is sufficiently flexible to conform to a profile of the sealing face in response to a pressure differential across the valve.

16. A valve according to claim 15, wherein the flexible plate-like member is constrained to move in the plane of the member by a retaining plate.

17. An expander or compressor including a valve comprising a first part defining a first array of apertures and a second part defining a second array of apertures, the first part being moveable laterally relative to the second part between a closed configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are not registered and passage of a fluid through the valve is substantially prevented and an open configuration in which the first and second arrays of apertures are registered and passage of fluid is allowed;

wherein the first part comprises a flexible plate-like member configured to engage a sealing face of the second part when in the closed configuration and lock in the closed configuration against lateral movement due to a pressure differential across the valve.

18. An expander according to claim 17, wherein the expander comprises an expansion chamber and the pressure differential across the valve is between a space inside the expansion chamber and a space outside the expansion chamber.

19. A compressor according to claim 17, wherein the compressor comprises a compression chamber and the pressure differential across the valve is between a space inside the compression chamber and a space outside the compression chamber.