Auto-drainage assembly

• US 5,636,655 A
• Filed: 07/17/1995
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SMC Corporation (Alamo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kimura, Yasuhisa, Kawamura, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/481,389
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 137/181, 137/195
• US Class Current: 137/181
• CPC Class Codes: F16T 1/24 using levers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3034 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3077 Servo-control

Abstract

An auto-drainage assembly to be inserted into a pneumatic piping system which supplies pressurized air to a pneumatically operating machine, for separating a drain liquid from the piping. The auto-drainage assembly is the type which includes a drain reservoir case, a hollow discharge guide shaft fitted in position at the bottom of the reservoir case, a drain valve seat provided within the discharge guide shaft for discharging the drain liquid to the outside, a hollow piston driven by pressurized air supplied to a pilot chamber in relation with upward and downward movements of a float within the drain reservoir case, and a drain valve body provided on the piston. The drain valve body is constituted by an annular seal member which is fitted on the outer periphery of the piston, and a large number of drain discharge grooves are provided on the inner periphery of the discharge guide shaft in such a way as to define a corresponding number of guide surfaces between the respective drain discharge grooves. As the drain valve body is moved up and down for opening and closing the drain valve seat, the seal member is guided along the guide surfaces between the drain discharge grooves to prevent dislocation of the seal member under the influence of gushing streams of the drain liquid being discharged.

Claims

1. An auto-drainage assembly of the sort essentially including a drain reservoir case, a hollow discharge guide shaft fitted in an opening the bottom of said drain reservoir case, a drain valve seat formed in said discharge guide shaft for discharging a drain liquid therethrough, a piston slidably received in a pilot chamber in communication with said drain reservoir case through a pilot valve seat to be opened and closed in relation with upward and downward movements of a float within said drain reservoir case, and a drain valve body provided on the piston for opening and closing the drain valve seat, characterized in that said auto-drainage assembly comprises:

an annular seal member fitted on the outer periphery of said piston to serve as said drain valve body; and

a large number of drain discharge grooves formed on the inner periphery of said discharge guide shaft alternately with guide surfaces to be brought into sliding contact with said drain valve body when unseated from said drain valve seat, said guide surfaces being arranged in a diameter which is one of substantially the same as and slightly larger than said drain valve seat.

2. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 1 or comprising a drain valve seat provided in said discharge guide shaft at the bottom of said drain reservoir case for discharging a drain liquid therethrough, a hollow float guide erected on said discharge guide shaft for guiding a float up and down therealong, a piston slidably fitted in said float guide and defining a pilot chamber therein, a pilot valve seat opening into said pilot chamber, a pilot valve body disposed rockably and in face to face relation with said pilot valve seat to open and close same in relation with upward and downward movements of said float, and a drain valve body provided on said piston to open and close said drain valve seat by sliding movements of the piston.

3. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 2, further comprising spring seats for a normally closing spring to be charged between said discharge guide shaft and said piston for biasing said piston in the direction of closing said drain valve body on said drain valve seat, along with spring seats for a normally opening spring to be charged in said pilot chamber between said float guide and said piston for biasing said piston in the direction of unseating said drain valve body from said drain valve seat.

4. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 3, further comprising interlocking portions provided opposingly on said piston carrying said drain valve body and on a manual operating member inserted into said discharge guide shaft, said interlocking portions being engaged with each other upon moving said manual operating member in a downward direction, causing said piston to move downward together with said manual operating member to open said drain valve seat.

5. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 2, further comprising interlocking portions provided opposingly on said piston carrying said drain valve body and on a manual operating member inserted into said discharge guide shaft, said interlocking portions being engaged with each other upon moving said manual operating member in a downward direction, causing said piston to move downward together with said manual operating member to open said drain valve seat.

6. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising interlocking portions provided opposingly on said piston carrying said drain valve body and on a manual operating member inserted into said discharge guide shaft, said interlocking portions being engaged with each other upon moving said manual operating member in a downward direction, causing said piston to move downward together with said manual operating member to open said drain valve seat.

7. An auto-drainage assembly of the sort essentially including a drain reservoir case, a hollow discharge guide shaft fitted in an opening the bottom of said drain reservoir case, a drain valve seat formed in said discharge guide shaft for discharging a drain liquid therethrough, a piston slidably received in a pilot chamber in communication with said drain reservoir case through a pilot valve seat to be opened and closed in relation with upward and downward movements of a float within said drain reservoir case, and a drain valve body provided on the piston for opening and closing the drain valve seat, characterized in that said auto-drainage assembly comprises:

an annular seal member fitted in the inner periphery of said discharge guide shaft to serve as said drain valve seat; and

a large number of drain discharge grooves formed on the circumferential surface of said drain valve body alternately with guide surfaces to be brought into sliding contact with said seal member when said drain valve body is unseated from said drain valve seat, said guide surfaces being arranged in a diameter which is one of substantially the same as and slightly smaller than said drain valve seat.

8. An auto-drainage assembly as defined in claim 7, comprising a drain valve seat provided in said discharge guide shaft at the bottom of said drain reservoir case for discharging a drain liquid therethrough, a hollow float guide erected on said discharge guide shaft for guiding a float up and down therealong, a piston slidably fitted in said float guide and defining a pilot chamber therein, a pilot valve seat opening into said pilot chamber, a pilot valve body disposed rockably and in face to relation with said pilot valve seat to open and close same in relation with upward and downward movements of said float, and a drain valve body provided on said piston to open and close said drain valve seat by sliding movements of the piston.