Radial flow diaphragm valve

• US 5,909,747 A
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Meter Company
• Original Assignee: American Meter Company
• Inventors: Schieber, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferensic, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARID, RAMYAR M
• Application Number:
  US09/054,978
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 251/331, 251/118, 251/127, 251/126, 137/512.15, 137/492
• US Class Current: 137/492
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/17 the diaphragm being actuated by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7769 Single acting fluid servo
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/784 Integral resilient member forms plural valves

Abstract

A valve arranged for radial fluid flow from its inlet to its outlet has a spring-loaded diaphragm covering a valve cage member having a central opening communicating with the valve inlet surrounded by a plurality of peripheral openings communicating with the valve outlet. The valve cage member is downwardly concave and a valve top member closing off the valve body has an upwardly concave surface which is substantially the inverse of the concave surface of the valve cage member. Accordingly, the diaphragm moves from a zero flow configuration against the valve cage member to a full flow configuration against the valve top member symmetrically without stretching.

Claims

1. A valve for regulating the flow of fluid therethrough, comprising:

a valve body having an inlet end, an outlet end, a top wall between said inlet and outlet ends, a valve chamber in said valve body open to said top wall, an inlet passage extending through said valve body and open to said inlet end and said valve chamber with the opening of said inlet passage to said valve chamber being circular, and an outlet passage extending through said valve body and open to said valve chamber and said outlet end, wherein said outlet passage is annular and concentric with the opening of said inlet passage to said valve chamber to at least partially surround said inlet passage where said inlet and outlet passages open to said valve chamber, the opening of said inlet passage to said valve body inlet end and the opening of said outlet passage to said valve body outlet end sharing a first centerline which is orthogonal to a second centerline which is defined by the concentric openings of the inlet and outlet passages to the valve chamber;

a generally disc-like valve cage member disposed in said valve chamber and overlying the openings of said inlet and outlet passages to said valve chamber, said valve cage member having a central opening in registration with the opening of said inlet passage to said valve chamber and a plurality of peripheral openings surrounding said central opening and in registration with the opening of said outlet passage to said valve chamber, a portion of the upper surface of said valve cage member opposite the openings of said inlet and outlet passages to said valve chamber being generally concave and tapering upwardly from a planar region surrounding said central opening and past said plurality of peripheral openings;

a flexible diaphragm within said valve chamber and overlying said valve cage member so as to cover said central opening and said plurality of peripheral openings, said diaphragm including a spring cup on the side of said diaphragm opposite said valve cage member, said spring cup having a flat surface adjacent said diaphragm and parallel to said valve cage member planar region, said spring cup flat surface being larger than said valve cage member central opening so that said spring cup provides support to said diaphragm across said valve cage member central opening and onto said valve cage member planar region for sealing contact thereon, said diaphragm in its unstressed state having a lower surface which is complemental to the portion of the upper surface of said valve cage member in the region of said valve cage member extending from the periphery of said central opening past said plurality of peripheral openings;

a valve top member mounted to said valve body top wall over said valve chamber, said valve top member engaging the periphery of said diaphragm to capture and sealingly engage the diaphragm periphery between the valve top member and the valve cage member, the valve top member being formed with an internal control chamber overlying the valve chamber, said control chamber of said valve top member including a surface opposite said upper surface portion of said valve cage member which is substantially the inverse of said upper surface portion of said valve cage member;

a spring disposed in the control chamber of the valve top member, the spring engaging the valve top member and the diaphragm spring cup to yieldably bias the diaphragm into sealing contact with the valve cage member and prevent fluid flow from the inlet passage to the outlet passage through the central opening and the plurality of peripheral openings of the valve cage member; and

a channel through said valve top member providing fluid communication to said control chamber;

wherein said valve chamber, said valve cage member and said diaphragm are all circular in section orthogonal to said second centerline;

whereby said diaphragm moves symmetrically without elongation or rolling from a zero flow configuration in contact with said upper surface portion of said valve cage member to a full flow configuration in contact with said control chamber surface, said diaphragm being compressively loaded in flow configurations between said zero flow and full flow configurations.

2. The valve according to claim 1 wherein said diaphragm is formed with a generally conical projection extending into said central opening of said valve cage member to direct fluid flow from said central opening toward said plurality of peripheral openings of said valve cage member.

3. The valve according to claim 1 wherein:

said central opening of said valve cage member is circular and each of said plurality of peripheral openings of said valve cage member comprises an elongated slot extending along a radius of said central opening;

said plurality of peripheral openings of said valve cage member are arranged at distances relative to said central opening to effect a desired opening and closing profile for said valve; and

said peripheral openings in said first group are closer to said central opening than are said peripheral openings in said second group;

whereby a gradual flow increase through said valve is effected as said diaphragm lifts off said valve cage member.

4. The valve according to claim 1 wherein:

said control chamber of said valve top member is circular in section orthogonal to said second centerline and includes a central cylindrical portion concentric with said second centerline; and

said spring comprises a helical compression spring disposed in said central cylindrical portion.

5. The valve according to claim 1 further including:

a first seal ring surrounding the opening of said inlet passage into said valve chamber and between said valve body and said valve cage member; and

a second seal ring surrounding the opening of said outlet passage into said valve chamber and between said valve body and said valve cage member.