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Fluid detection and shutoff actuation apparatus retrofitable on fluid shutoff valve

  • US 6,170,798 B1
  • Filed: 09/30/1999
  • Issued: 01/09/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A fluid detection and shutoff actuation apparatus, comprising:

  • (a) a rotatable plate having a peripheral edge and a protrusion attached on and extending outwardly from said peripheral edge, said plate being mountable over an outer end of a shaft of a shutoff valve for undergoing rotation with the shaft between a first position of said rotatable member in which the valve is placed in an opened condition and a second position of said rotatable member in which the valve is placed in a closed condition;

    (b) means for imposing a biasing force on said rotatable plate so as to bias said plate to undergo rotation from said first to second position and therewith change the valve from the opened to closed condition;

    (c) a linear actuator mountable in a spaced relationship from said plate and having a movable plunger movable reciprocably and linearly between an extended position toward and a retracted position away from said plate;

    (d) a trigger member mountable adjacent to and between said actuator and rotatable plate and connected to said movable plunger of said actuator for undergoing pivotal movement toward and away from said plate as said movable plunger is correspondingly moved between said extended and retracted positions, said trigger member having a protuberance thereon extending outwardly toward said plate such that, in response to reciprocal linear movement of said movable plunger of said actuator toward and away from said trigger member between said extended and retracted positions and pivotal movement of said trigger member therewith toward and away from said plate, said protuberance on said trigger member is moved between a blocking position adjacent to said plate in which said protuberance is engaged with said protrusion on said plate preventing rotation of said plate and thereby retaining said plate in said first position and the valve in the opened condition and an unblocking position away from said plate in which said protuberance on said trigger member is disengaged from said protrusion on said plate allowing rotation of said plate such that said biasing force can rotate said plate from said first to second position and therewith change the valve from the opened to closed condition;

    (e) fluid detector means for sensing presence or absence of a fluid at a location being monitored; and

    (f) a control mechanism for controlling operation of said actuator in response to said fluid detector means sensing the presence or absence of the fluid at the location being monitored such that said control mechanism prevents activation of said actuator and thus movement of said movable plunger thereof from said extended to retracted position in response to sensing the absence of fluid and causes activation of said actuator and thus movement of said movable plunger thereof from said extended to retracted position in response to sensing the presence of the fluid which correspondingly results in movement of said protuberance of said trigger member from said blocking to unblocking position and rotation of said rotatable member from said second to first position and changing of the valve from the opened to closed condition.

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