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Spring piloted safety valve with jet venturi bias

  • US 5,791,339 A
  • Filed: 03/13/1997
  • Issued: 08/11/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A lung ventilator safety valve for relieving pressure from a vent in a patient airway of a ventilator system, the vent having a valve seat, said safety valve having a valve open position venting pressure from the patient airway and a valve closed position, said safety valve comprising:

  • a valve housing fluidly connected to a vent in the patient airway;

    an armature connected to the valve housing for movement with respect to said valve housing between an armature open position and an armature closed position;

    a shaft disposed in said valve housing, a first end of the shaft attached to said armature;

    a poppet valve seal mounted to a second end of said shaft and adjacent to the valve seat of the vent for allowing a relief flow from the vent in the valve open position and for sealing the vent in the valve closed position;

    a pilot spring disposed on said shaft having a biasing force urging said poppet valve seal to the valve closed position to seal the vent, whereby said poppet valve seal will move to the valve open position to allow the relief flow when pressure within the patient airway exceeds the biasing force of the pilot spring, to protect a patient from excess pressure in the patient airway;

    an electromagnetic coil mounted to said valve housing adjacent to said armature, said electromagnetic coil having a biasing force when energized urging said armature to the armature closed position; and

    a return spring disposed in said valve housing having a biasing force opposed to the biasing force of said pilot spring and the biasing force of the electromagnetic coil when energized, the return spring biasing force being less than the biasing force of the electromagnetic coil when energized and greater than the biasing force of said pilot spring, whereby said electromagnetic coil allows said poppet valve seal to move to the valve closed position when said electromagnetic coil is energized, and said return spring causes said poppet valve seal to move to the valve open position to allow the relief flow when said electromagnetic coil is not energized, to provide an emergency air pathway for a patient in the event of interruption of power to the safety valve.

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