Valve device for controlled supply of a pressure fluid

• US 7,040,320 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2000
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Techwood As
• Original Assignee: Techwood As
• Inventors: Fjeld, Anders, Ottestad, Nils Terje
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US10/149,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20030127098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 12820014-20024, 128/204.18, 128/204.26, 128/205.24, 12820714-20718, 251/12, 251/61, 251/62, 251/63.6, 251/84, 251/281, 251318-323, 251/331, 251/336, 251/337, 251/356, 137/455, 137/469, 137/488, 137/511, 137/561.R
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0677 Gas-saving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/207 Membrane valves with pneumatic amplification stage, i.e. having master and slave membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/365 the fluid acting on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7837 Direct response valves [i.e., check valve type]

Abstract

A valve device for controlled supply of a pressure fluid, having a housing (2) with a supply chamber (3) for the supply of a pressure fluid from an inlet (4) connected to a pressure fluid source, and having an outlet (5) communicating with the supply chamber (3) via an outlet valve (6). The valve device includes a reference chamber (10) connected to the outlet (5) through a narrow, leakage-forming duct (11), a regulating unit (12–14) adapted to keep the supply chamber (3) permanently pressurised at a value just above the pressure in the reference chamber (10), and a control valve (20) having a valve body (21) for opening and closing of a passage (19) between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10). The control valve body (21) is arranged to be influenced by an external force for opening of the passage (19), and to be influenced by a closing force determined by the pressure in the chambers (3, 10) at the cessation of the influence of the external force, and the outlet valve (6) is a one-way valve having a predetermined opening pressure.

Claims

1. A valve device for controlled supply of a pressure fluid, comprising a housing (2) having a supply chamber (3) for the supply of a pressure fluid from an inlet (4) connected to a pressure fluid source, and having an outlet (5) communicating with the supply chamber (3) via an outlet valve (6), characterised in that the valve device comprises a reference chamber (10) connected to the outlet (5) through a narrow, leakage-forming duct (11), a regulating unit (12–

14) adapted to keep the supply chamber (3) permanently pressurised at a value just above the pressure in the reference chamber (10), and a control valve (20) having a valve body (21) for opening and closing of a passage (19) between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10), the valve body (21) being arranged to be influenced by an external force for opening of the passage (19), and to be influenced by a closing force determined by the pressure in said chambers (3,10) at the cessation of the external force influence, the outlet valve (6) being a one-way valve having a predetermined opening pressure.

2. A valve device according to claim 1, characterised in that the regulating unit comprises a diaphragm (12) forming a partition between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10), a spring (13) arranged in the reference chamber (10), which spring actuates the diaphragm (12) and provides for a desired pressure difference between the chambers (3,10), and a supply valve (14) arranged between the supply chamber (3) and the inlet (4) and having a valve body (15) which is operatively connected to the diaphragm (12), so that the supply valve (14) is opened and closed in step with the opening and closing of the control valve (20).

3. A valve device according to claim 2, characterised in that the valve body (21) of the control valve (20) comprises a cylindrical thin rod (23) which is carried approximately leakage-free and frictionless in a guide (24) in the valve device housing (2).

4. A valve device according to claim 2, for demand-controlled supply of oxygen to the respiration of a user, characterised in that it comprises a sensor chamber (31) which is partly defined by a sensor diaphragm (32) arranged to sense the breathing pressure of the user, the sensor diaphragm (32) being operatively connected to the valve body (21) of the control valve (20), so that the passage (19) between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10) is opened when a negative pressure is produced in the sensor chamber (31) at the user'"'"'s inhalation.

5. A valve device according to claim 4, characterised in that the safety means comprises a pressure chamber (36) which is connected to the supply chamber (3) via a passage (37) having a one-way valve (38), which pressure chamber (36) is partly defined by a resilient disc (41) shutting off the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is close to the supply pressure of the pressure fluid source (25), the pressure chamber being connected to the outlet (5) via a narrow, leakage-forming passage (45), so that the resilient disc (41) opens the passage (43, 44) between the inlet and the outlet if the pressure chamber (36) is not supplied with oxygen from the outlet chamber (3) in the course of the predetermined time period.

6. A valve device according to claim 5, characterised in that the resilient disc (41) is arranged to shut off the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) only when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is higher than the opening pressure of the outlet valve (6).

7. A valve device according to claim 6, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

8. A valve device according to claim 5, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

9. A valve device according to claim 1, characterised in that the valve body (21) of the control valve (20) comprises a cylindrical thin rod (23) which is carried approximately leakage-free and frictionless in a guide (24) in the valve device housing (2).

10. A valve device according to claim 9, characterised in that it comprises a safety means (36–

38, 41–

45) which is arranged to open a passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) if the breathing pressure of the user is not registered by the valve device (1) during a predetermined time period.

11. A valve device according to claim 10, characterised in that the safety means comprises a pressure chamber (36) which is connected to the supply chamber (3) via a passage (37) having a one-way valve (38), which pressure chamber (36) is partly defined by a resilient disc (41) shutting off the passage (43,44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is close to the supply pressure of the pressure fluid source (25), the pressure chamber being connected to the outlet (5) via a narrow, leakage-forming passage (45), so that the resilient disc (41) opens the passage (43,44) between the inlet and the outlet if the pressure chamber (36) is not supplied with oxygen from the outlet chamber (3) in the course of the predetermined time period.

12. A valve device according to claim 11, characterised in that the resilient disc (41) is arranged to shut off the passage (43,44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) only when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is higher than the opening pressure of the outlet valve (6).

13. A valve device according to claim 12, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

14. A valve device according to claim 11, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

15. A valve device according to claim 10, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

16. A valve device according to claim 9, for demand-controlled supply of oxygen to the respiration of a user, characterised in that it comprises a sensor chamber (31) which is partly defined by a sensor diaphragm (32) arranged to sense the breathing pressure of the user, the sensor diaphragm (32) being operatively connected to the valve body (21) of the control valve (20), so that the passage (19) between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10) is opened when a negative pressure is produced in the sensor chamber (31) at the user'"'"'s inhalation.

17. A valve device according to claim 16, characterised in that the safety means comprises a pressure chamber (36) which is connected to the supply chamber (3) via a passage (37) having a one-way valve (38), which pressure chamber (36) is partly defined by a resilient disc (41) shutting off the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is close to the oxygen supply pressure, the pressure chamber being connected to the outlet (5) via a narrow, leakage-forming passage (45), so that the resilient disc (41) opens the passage (43, 44) between the inlet and the outlet if the pressure chamber (36) is not supplied with oxygen from the outlet chamber (3) in the course of the predetermined time period.

18. A valve device according to claim 17, characterised in that the resilient disc (41) is arranged to shut off the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) only when the pressure in the pressure chamber (36) is higher than the opening pressure of the outlet valve (6).

19. A valve device according to claim 18, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

20. A valve device according to claim 17, characterised in that a flow restriction (46) is arranged in the passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5).

21. A valve device according to claim 1, for demand-controlled supply of oxygen to the respiration of a user, characterised in that it comprises a sensor chamber (31) which is partly defined by a sensor diaphragm (32) arranged to sense the breathing pressure of the user, the sensor diaphragm (32) being operatively connected to the valve body (21) of the control valve (20), so that the passage (19) between the supply chamber (3) and the reference chamber (10) is opened when a negative pressure is produced in the sensor chamber (31) at the user'"'"'s inhalation.

22. A valve device according to claim 21, characterised in that the sensor chamber (31) and the outlet (5) of the valve device are connected to respective hoses (48 resp. 49) leading to a nose catheter (47) for the user, so that the hose (48) from the sensor chamber (31) is a sensing line conveying negative pressure at the users inhalation, and the hose (49) from the outlet (5) supplies oxygen to the user during the inhalation phase thereof.

23. A valve device according to claim 22, characterised in that it comprises a safety means (36–

38, 41–

45) which is arranged to open a passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) if the breathing pressure of the user is not registered by the valve device (1) during a predetermined time period.

24. A valve device according to claim 21, characterised in that it comprises a safety means (36–

38, 41–

45) which is arranged to open a passage (43, 44) between the inlet (4) and the outlet (5) if the breathing pressure of the user is not registered by the valve device (1) during a predetermined time period.