Purgable multiport valve

• US 6,644,348 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Lougheed, Edgar P., Connolly, Brian J., Possanza, Steven D., Jones, Angela H. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US09/996,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20030098075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 137/597, 137/886, 251/63.6
• US Class Current: 137/597
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet

Abstract

A multiport valve is taught for regulating flow of liquid therethrough originating from at least two sources. The valve includes a three cylindrical valve chambers each having a piston residing therein such that through actuation of the pistons flow through each valve chamber can be permitted or stopped independently. There is an inlet port that tangentially intercepts the first cylindrical valve chamber and there is an outlet port that tangentially intercepts an intermediate cylindrical valve chamber. The design of the three valve chambers and the inlet and outlet ports to the valve chambers effectively eliminates any bubble traps in the valve and allows bubbles to be swept from the valve chambers.

Claims

1. A multiport valve for regulating flow of liquid therethrough originating from at least two sources comprising:

a first cylindrical valve chamber having a first inlet port and a first outlet port, the first inlet port tangentially intercepting the first cylindrical valve chamber;

a first piston residing in the first cylindrical valve chamber, the first piston being movable to engage and disengage with a first valve seat located at the first outlet port;

a second cylindrical valve chamber having a second inlet port and a second outlet port;

a second piston residing in the second cylindrical valve chamber, the second piston being movable to engage and disengage with a second valve seat located at the second inlet port;

a primary liquid inlet port for delivering liquid to an internal conduit, the internal conduit connecting with and being coaxial with the second inlet port, the internal conduit also connecting with and being coaxial with a alternative inlet port in an intermediate cylindrical valve chamber, the intermediate cylindrical valve chamber having a third inlet port and a third outlet port, the third inlet port being connected to and coaxial with the first outlet port, the third outlet port tangentially intercepting the intermediate cylindrical valve chamber; and

a third piston residing in the intermediate cylindrical valve chamber, the third piston being movable to engage and disengage with a third valve seat located at the alternative inlet port.

2. A multiport valve as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the multiport valve is oriented such that the third outlet port is substantially horizontal and tangentially intercepts the intermediate cylindrical valve chamber at a top surface thereof.

3. A multiport valve as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a respective valve actuator for actuating each of the first, second and third pistons.

4. A multiport valve as recited in claim 3 wherein:

at least one of the respective valve actuators is pneumatically controlled.

5. A multiport valve as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

an integrally formed valve body, the first, second and intermediate valve chambers residing therein.

6. A multiport valve as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a first integrally formed fitting in the first inlet port.

7. A multiport valve as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a second integrally formed fitting in the second inlet port.

8. A multiport valve as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a third integrally formed fitting in the third outlet port.

9. A multiport valve as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

a fourth integrally formed fitting in the primary liquid inlet port.

10. A multiport valve as recited in claim 6 wherein:

the first integrally formed fitting allows for a conduit to be connected thereto wherein the conduit has the same inside diameter as the first inlet port beyond the first integrally formed fitting.

11. A multiport valve as recited in claim 7 wherein:

the second integrally formed fitting allows for a conduit to be connected thereto wherein the conduit has the same inside diameter as the second inlet port beyond the second integrally formed fitting.

12. A multiport valve as recited in claim 8 wherein:

the third integrally formed fitting allows for a conduit to be connected thereto wherein the conduit has the same inside diameter as the third inlet port beyond the third integrally formed fitting.

13. A multiport valve as recited in claim 9 wherein:

the fourth integrally formed fitting allows for a conduit to be connected thereto wherein the conduit has the same inside diameter as the primary liquid inlet port beyond the fourth integrally formed fitting.

14. A multiport valve as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

each respective valve actuator is independently controllable for actuating each of the first, second and third pistons.

15. A multiport valve as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the second outlet port is vertically oriented.

16. A multiport valve as recited in claim 1 wherein:

each of the valve seats is positioned in an end wall of a respective cylindrical valve chamber and there is a transition from a cylindrical wall of the respective cylindrical valve chamber to the end wall thereof that is radiused.