Automated Thermal Recirculation Valve

• US 20140230907A1
• Filed: 02/18/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Therm-Omega-Tech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Therm-Omega-Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Tallos, Nicholas, Quinty, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 9,879,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/2
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/002 actuated by temperature variation thermo-electric F16K31/025
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/02 with sensing element expanding and contracting in response to changes of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7737 Thermal responsive

Abstract

An automated thermally actuated valve utilizing a thermally expansive substance to substantially close the valve at a first temperature and a spring to open the valve at a second, lower temperature. A method of utilizing an automated thermally actuated valve to balance and manage hot water supply in a piping system.

Claims

1. An automated valve comprising:

a casing;

a thermal assembly configured to expand to obstruct flow through said casing when said thermal assembly is heated above a set point;

a carrier configured to position said thermal assembly within said casing; and

a retaining ring configured to retain said carrier with said casing.

2. The automated valve of claim 1 wherein said thermal assembly further comprises:

a thermally expansive substance within a cup and sealed with a molded diaphragm contacting a plug positioned adjacent to an antiextrusion disk further contacting a piston, a threaded guide positioned about said plug, antiextrusion disk, and piston, said threaded guide fixedly clamped to said molded diaphragm by crimping a top edge of said cup to form a cup lip, and a piston casing positioned about said piston and said threaded guide, and a spring positioned about said piston casing.

3. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said casing further comprises:

a first end, a seat proximate said first end, a second end, and a retaining groove disposed interior said casing and proximate said second end, and said piston casing configured to obstruct flow through a seat opening.

4. The automated valve of claim 3 wherein:

said thermal assembly is positioned within said casing between said seat and said retaining groove, said cup is positioned substantially interior to said carrier, and said retaining ring is seated within said retaining groove to maintain the position of said thermal assembly within said casing.

5. The automated valve of claim 3 wherein said first end further comprises:

a substantially hexagonal exterior circumference and a threaded interior and said second end further comprises a substantially hexagonal exterior circumference and a threaded interior.

6. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said thermally expansive substance comprises a paraffin wax.

7. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said thermally expansive substance comprises n-Docosane.

8. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said thermally expansive substance comprises a mixture of paraffin wax, a thermally conductive metal, and an elastomer.

9. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said thermally expansive substance comprises a mixture of approximately twenty percent by weight n-Docosane, approximately four percent by weight elastomer, and approximately seventy six percent copper flake.

10. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said threaded guide further comprises an annular groove and said molded diaphragm further comprises an annular bead, and said annular bead is positioned within said annular groove and fixed in relative position by said cup lip.

11. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said spring further comprises a spring first end and a spring second end, said piston casing further comprises an outwardly projecting piston casing collar, and said spring second end contacts said piston casing collar to bias said piston casing away from said spring first end, said spring first end contacts a seat interface disposed within said casing.

12. The automated valve of claim 2 wherein said plug is formed of an elastomeric material and is substantially cone shaped, and said threaded guide possesses an interior diameter that is substantially narrower proximate said anti-extrusion disc than proximate said molded diaphragm.

13. The automated valve of claim 1 wherein said carrier further comprises a carrier first side and a carrier collar positioned opposite said carrier first side, said carrier collar possessing an exterior diameter larger than the diameter of said carrier first side, said carrier further comprising a plurality of carrier holes to allow fluid flow.

14. The automated valve of claim 13 wherein said exterior diameter of said carrier collar is greater than an interior diameter of said retaining ring

15. The automated valve of claim 4 wherein said retaining ring further comprises a first eyelet and a second eyelet that can be drawn together to temporarily reduce the diameter of said retaining ring to facilitate insertion of said retaining ring into said retaining groove.

16. A method of distributing fluids, comprising:

detecting, by an automated valve, a temperature of fluid flowing through the automated valve;

permitting, by the automated valve, fluid to flow through the automated valve while the temperature is not above a set point;

determining, by the automated valve, that the temperature rises above the set point; and

in response to the temperature rising above the set point, automatically preventing flow of the fluid through the automated valve.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

detecting that the temperature has dropped so that it is not above the set point; and

in response to the temperature not being above the set point, automatically permitting the flow of the fluid through the automated valve.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said automated valve comprises a casing, a thermal assembly, a carrier, and a retaining ring wherein said thermal assembly expands to obstruct flow through said casing when said thermal assembly is warmed above said set point, said carrier positions said thermal assembly within said casing, and said retaining ring retains said carrier with said casing.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said thermal assembly further comprises a cup containing a thermally expansive mixture of a paraffin, a thermally conductive material, and an elastomer.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said fluid is water.

21. An automated valve comprising:

a thermally expansive substance that when heated above the melting point of said thermally expansive substance, expands to push a molded diaphragm towards a plug which in turn pushes a piston and a piston casing into a seat opening to substantially obstruct flow through the automated valve, a spring positioned between a seat interface and a piston casing collar to provide a return force so that when said thermally expansive substance is cooled below said melting point, said piston and said piston casing are pushed away from said seat opening to substantially open the automated valve to fluid flow, said thermally expansive substance held within a cup and said cup is maintained within a casing by a carrier and a retaining ring.