Labyrinth trim valve

• US 4,473,210 A
• Filed: 03/30/1982
• Issued: 09/25/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1978
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Copes-Vulcan Inc.
• Original Assignee: John A. Brighton
• Inventors: Brighton, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenthal, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US06/363,655
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.3, 137/625.37, 138/43, 138/46, 251/127
• US Class Current: 251/127
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 47/045 and the closure member being rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86791 Piston

Abstract

A fluid flow restrictor for use in a high pressure valve or the like which comprises a series of closely interfitting concentric cylinders alternately attached to the valve seat and an axially movable valve plug of the valve. In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, various arrangements of slot openings are formed through the several cylinders. The slot openings may be of any geometric shape, for example, rectangular or trapezoidal, and are of sufficient volume to act as expansion chambers for a compressible fluid. The openings of each cylinder communicate with the openings of an adjacent cylinder by various overlapping relationships between openings or by viscous friction flow paths between the cylinders to form restricting flow paths therebetween. Axial displacement of the valve plug will move the interfitting cylinders with respect to one another to vary the flow path dimensions between the slot openings of the cylinders. In another specific form of the invention, the interfitting cylinders are slotless, providing a viscous friction flow path between cylinders and expansion chambers above the open ends of each cylinder and between adjacent cylinders.

Claims

1. A fluid flow restrictor means for use in a passage-forming means conducting high pressure fluid, which comprises

(a) a plurality of closely interfitting concentric cylinders mounted within said passage-forming means to form an inlet and outlet means for fluid flow,

(b) alternate ones of said cylinders being arranged for controlled movement with respect to the others of said cylinders,

(c) a stem element mounted for selective, controlled, axial movement within the confines of said passage-forming means,

(d) said alternate ones of said interfitting cylinders being associated with said stem element and arranged for a close interfitting relation between said others of said cylinders whereby the selectively controlled axial movement of the stem element selectively varies the axial orientation of the interfitting concentric cylinders,

(e) each of said cylinders being formed to include straight-lined walls, and

(f) means forming fluid flow paths through said interfitting concentric cylinders to provide controlled disipation of fluid energy comprising restricted fluid flow paths formed by and between the straight-lined walls of adjacent cylinders and expansion chambers defined by the open end of each cylinder and the confronting straight-lined walls of the two cylinders adjacent thereto,

(g) the restricted fluid flow paths formed by and between the straight-lined walls of adjacent cylinders each comprising the spacing of uniform width defined by and between and extending throughout the overlapping portions of the straight-lined walls of a pair of interfitting adjacent cylinders,

(h) said spacing being of laminar dimensions, said laminar dimensions being of uniform width throughout the area of overlap of the straight-lined walls of the interfitting cylinders to provide a restrictive viscous friction fluid flow path of uniform width dimension through said spacing,

(i) the length dimension of each of said viscous friction fluid flow paths of uniform width laminar dimension and the length dimension of each of said expansion chambers being selectively variable in accordance with the axial orientation of said cylinders determined by said stem element,

(j) said interfitting concentric cylinders being arranged and configured whereby the means forming fluid flow paths through the interfitting cylinders provides a multiplicity of fluid flow passages whereby the fluid flows sequentially and repetitively form areas of restriction defined by the spacing of uniform laminar dimensions between the straight-lined walls of adjacent cylinders to areas of expansion defined by the open end of each cylinder and the confronting straight-lined walls of the two adjacent cylinders.

2. The fluid flow restrictor means according to claim 1, further characterized by

(a) said passage-forming means comprising a valve body including an inlet passage and an outlet passage,

(b) a valve seat arranged intermediate the inlet and outlet passages of said valve body,

(c) a valve plug mounted for axial movement within the confines of said valve body and arranged for a mating relation with said valve seat to open and close said valve,

(d) said plurality of closely interfitting concentric cylinders being alternately mounted to the valve plug and valve seat whereby the axial movement of said valve plug will displace said alternate ones of the interfitting cylinders with respect to the others of said cylinders.