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Fluid control system

  • US 5,139,044 A
  • Filed: 08/15/1991
  • Issued: 08/18/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A fluid control system comprising:

  • valve means for movement between the open and closed positions;

    valve actuation means, connected to said valve means, for manual actuation to a first open or closed position, and triggerable actuation to a second closed or open position, respectively;

    a flow rate sensor in series with said valve means for producing an output indicative of flow rate through the valve, all fluid flowing through the valve means flowing through the flow rate sensor, the flow rate sensor comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet communicating with a central chamber in the housing, a flow cylinder located in the central chamber and forming a flow plenum between the central chamber walls and the flow cylinder, the flow plenum in communicating with the housing outlet, the flow cylinder having a central bore connecting a cylinder inlet with the cylinder outlet, the housing inlet connected to the cylinder inlet, the flow cylinder having a plurality of apertures in its cylindrical wall communicating with the central bore and the flow plenum, a displacement piston positioned within the central bore of the flow cylinder for longitudinal displacement within the central bore, a means for biasing the displacement piston to the cylinder inlet, the piston sealing off the apertures in the cylindrical wall when displaced to the cylinder inlet, the apertures being open when the piston is displaced towards the cylinder outlet, a fluid flowing into the housing inlet flows through the cylinder inlet into the central bore where it displaces the piston towards the cylinder outlet to open the apertures to permit the fluid to flow through the apertures into the flow plenum and out to the housing outlet, the displacement of the piston against the biasing means being proportional to the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor, a means for generating a magnetic field in the piston, and a sensor means responsive to the magnetic field adjacent said housing and proximate said piston for sensing the displacement of the piston and producing an output signal indicative of the fluid flow through the flow rate sensor; and

    microprocessor means, connected to said flow rate sensor and said valve actuation means, said microprocessor means adapted for receiving programmed information and for receiving said output signal and computing a flow volume through the valve means, comparing the flow volume to said programmed information and triggering said valve actuation means when the conditions imposed by said programmed information are met.

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