Three-way, two-position in-tube solenoid gas valve assembly

• US 7,543,603 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chia-Ping Wang, Wei-Ching Wang, Yu-Ching Wang
• Original Assignee: Chia-Ping Wang, Wei-Ching Wang, Yu-Ching Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Wei-Ching, Wang, Yu-ching, Wang, Chia-ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle; Stephen M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schneider; Craig M
• Application Number:
  US11/344,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20070175529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.25, 137/625.27, 137/625.65, 137/625.67, 137/625.68, 137/596.1, 137/596.17, 137/596.2, 137/625.48, 137/625.49, 137/625.5, 137/106, 137/596.16, 914/20
• US Class Current: 137/596.2
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 13/0405 for seat valves, i.e. poppet valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86622 Motor-operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86887 Combined disk or plug and gate or piston
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86895 Plural disk or plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87209 Electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87241 Biased closed

Abstract

A tube defines a cavity. Normally-open fitting (2) and normally-closed fitting (3) are respectively fitted into the tube to form ports (34),(35) having seats (40),(13). A body secured to fitting (3) defines a chamber (26) to which port (35) leads. Body (4) defines holes (27),(30) leading into chamber (26). A solenoid assembly (6) is slidable within chamber (26), includes a coil, segregates chamber (26) to chambers (7),(29) which communicate respectively with holes (27),(30) and defines a chamber (16), a seat (18), a seal (14) and an orifice (33) leading between seat (18) and seat (13). A rod-piston assembly includes a rod (37) attached to: assembly (6), sealably passing through body (4) into cavity and preventing gas communication between cavity and chamber (7); and a piston with a seal (39). A magnetic rod (15) slides within chamber (16). Spring (17) urges rod (15) towards seat (18) to seal orifice (33). Spring (12) urges assembly (6) towards seat (13) to seal port (35). The coil moves rod (15) and assembly (6). Assembly (6) and the rod-piston assembly are movable between positions wherein: the piston seals against seat (40); and wherein seal (14) seals against seat (13).

Claims

1. A solenoid gas valve (101) comprising:

a valve tube (1) defining;

a gas input port (41) for receiving a flow of gas;

two outlet passages; and

a cavity (22) communicating with the gas input port (41) and the outlet passages;

a normally-open outlet fitting (2) and a normally-closed outlet fitting (3) respectively fitted into said outlet passages to provide gas exit ports (34),(35) having seal seats (40),(13), one (13) of the seal seats being for the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed fitting (3) and the other (40) of the seal seats being for the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open fitting (2);

a support cylindrical body (4) defining pass-through holes (27) and (30) and being secured in the cavity (22) to the normally-closed outlet fitting (3) to define a chamber (26) to which the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed fitting (3) leads and to which the pass-through holes (27) and (30) lead;

a solenoid assembly (6) fitted and slidable within the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4), the solenoid assembly;

including an electrical coil (11);

being disposed in sealed relation in the support cylindrical body (4) so as to divide the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4) to a front side chamber (7) which communicates with one (27) of the pass-through holes and a back side chamber (29) which communicates with the other (30) of the pass-through holes

defining;

a hollow chamber (16);

an interior orifice seal seat (18);

a seal (14); and

a bleed orifice (33) leading between an interior orifice seal seat (18) and the one (13) of the seal seats;

a rod-piston assembly including;

a rod (37) attached to the solenoid assembly (6) and passing through the support cylindrical body (4) into said cavity (22) in sealed relation to said support cylindrical body (4) so as to prevent gas communication between said cavity (22) and said front side chamber (7); and

a piston (38) with a seal (39), attached to the rod (37) of the rod-piston assembly;

a magnetic rod (15) fitted and slidable within the hollow chamber (16);

a spring (17) for and urging said magnetic rod (15) towards the interior orifice seal seat (18) to seal said bleed orifice (33);

a spring (12) for and urging said solenoid assembly (6) towards the one (13) of the seal seats to seal the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed outlet fitting (3);

wherein

the electric coil (11) provides a magnetic field for movement of said magnetic rod (15) in the solenoid assembly (6); and

the solenoid assembly (6) and the rod-piston assembly are movable between a position wherein the piston (38) of the rod-piston assembly seals against the other (40) of the seal seats and a position wherein the seal (14) of the solenoid assembly (6) seals against the one (13) of the seal seats.

2. An assembly for controlling a pneumatic cylinder (104) having a piston separating the cylinder into a side A and a side B, the assembly comprising:

the solenoid gas valve (101) of claim 1; and

a pair of gas release valves (102), (103),

each of said pair of gas release valves including;

a segregated chamber (54,53) which is segregated by a body piston (57) into two chambers (54),(53);

a chamber (52) having a cap piston (58) disposed therein;

a chamber (59);

which communicates with the segregated chamber via one (53) of the two chambers;

which communicates with the chamber (52) having the cap piston (58) disposed therein; and

which terminates in a sealing seat (45) in the chamber (52) having the cap piston (58) disposed therein;

a spring (50) for the body piston (57) and a spring (42) for the cap piston (58) which urge the body piston (57) and the cap piston (58) towards one another and urge the cap piston (58) against the sealing seat (45);

a gas inlet (47) communicating with the chamber (59) which communicates with the one (53) of the segregated chamber;

a gas outlet (43) communicating with the chamber (52) having the cap piston (58) disposed therein; and

a port (55) communicating with the other (54) of the two chambers;

the gas exit port (34) of said normally-open outlet fitting (2) being connected in use to the one side (A) of said pneumatic cylinder (104), to the gas inlet (47) of the one (102) of the pair of gas release valves and to the port (55) of the other (103) of the pair of gas release valves; and

the gas exit port (35) of said normally-closed outlet fitting (3) being connected in use to the other side (B) of said pneumatic cylinder (104), to the gas inlet (47) of the other (103) of the gas release valves and to the port (55) of the one (102) of the gas release valves;

wherein, in use, when the gas is introduced into the solenoid gas valve (101),

initially,

in the solenoid gas valve (101), the spring (17) for the magnetic rod (15) pushes the magnetic rod (15) to seal against the interior orifice seal seat (18) to close the bleed orifice (33);

the spring (12) for the solenoid assembly (6) pushes the solenoid assembly (6) to seal against the one (13) of the seal seats and close the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed outlet fitting (3);

gas flows through the gas input port (41) via cavity (22) and exits through the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2);

in the other (103) of the gas release valves, gas from the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) enters the other (54) of the two chambers via port (55) and builds up pressure therein until such time as the sum of forces of gas pressure in the other (54) of the two chambers and the spring (50) for the body piston (57) exceeds that of the spring (42) for the cap piston (58) whereupon the spring (50) for the body piston (57) pushes the cap piston (58) to provide an open path to atmosphere between the gas inlet (47) and the gas outlet (43);

in the one (102) of the gas release valves,

gas from the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) flows, via the gas inlet (47), to the one (53) of the two chambers and to the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54);

the force exerted by gas pressure in the one (53) of the two chambers and the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54) overcomes and compresses the spring (50) for the body piston to separate the body piston (57) from the cap piston (58), with the spring (42) for the cap piston keeping the cap piston (58) seated against sealing seat (45);

in the pneumatic cylinder (104), the exiting gas from the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open fitting (2) flows into side (A) thereby to push the piston of said cylinder (104) towards side (B), expelling gas from side (B) which exits to atmosphere via the open path in the other (103) of the gas release valves;

when the coil (11) is energized,

in the solenoid gas valve (101), the magnetic rod (15) moves, to unseat from the interior orifice seal seat (18) and to open the bleed orifice (33) to allow gas, in the hollow chamber (16) and the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4), to flow to the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed fitting (3), thereby;

reducing the pressure in the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4); and

causing the solenoid assembly (6) to unseat from the one (13) of the seal seats and piston (38) of the rod-piston assembly to seat against the other (40) of the seal seats, thereby to open the gas exit ports (35),(34), such that gas incoming through the gas input port (41) exits the gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed fitting (3) via the other of the pass-through holes (30);

in the one (102) of the gas release valves, the exiting gas from solenoid gas valve (101) enters the other (54) of the two chambers via port (55) of the other (103) of the gas release valves and builds up pressure therein such that the sum of the force created by gas pressure in the other (54) of the two chambers and the force exerted by the spring (50) for the body piston (57) exceeds the force exerted by spring (42) for the cap piston (58) and by gas pressure in the one (53) of the two chambers, whereupon the body piston (57) pushes the cap piston (58) to open a path for fluid between the gas inlet (47) and the gas outlet (43);

in the other (103) of the gas release valves, the gas exiting from the solenoid gas valve (101) enters the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54), but because the force exerted by pressure in the one (53) of the two chambers and the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54) is less than that of the spring (42) for the cap piston (58), the cap piston (58) remains seated against sealing seat (45);

in the pneumatic cylinder (104), the gas exiting from solenoid gas valve (101) enters side (B) of the cylinder (104) to cause the piston thereof to move towards side (A) of the system, expelling gas from side (A) which vents to atmosphere through the open path in the one (102) of the gas release valves;

when the solenoid is de-energized,

in the solenoid gas valve (101), the magnetic rod (15) moves to seal against the interior orifice seal seat (18) and block the bleed orifice (33) such that gas fills the hollow chamber (16) and the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4) to equalize the pressure between the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4) and the back-side chamber (29), whereupon the spring (12) for the solenoid assembly urges solenoid assembly (6) to move, to unseat the rod (38) of the rod-piston assembly from the other (40) of the seal seats and push the seal (14) of the solenoid assembly (6) against the one (13) of the seal seats, to close gas exit port (35) of the normally-closed outlet fitting (3) and to open the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) such that gas exits through gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) via cavity (22);

in the other (103) of the gas release valves, gas enters the other (54) of the two chambers via the port (55) and builds pressure therein to unseat cap piston (58) via body piston (57), to provide a path between the gas inlet (47) and the gas outlet (43);

in the one (102) of the gas release valves,

gas enters, via groove (48), the one (53) of the two chambers and the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54) such that the force exerted by the gas therein is greater than that exerted by the spring (50) for the body piston (57) so as to separate the body piston (57) from the cap piston (58), but because the force exerted by the spring (42) for the cap piston (58) is large enough to overcome the pressure built up in the one (53) of the two chambers and the chamber (59) which communicates with the segregated chamber (53,54), the cap piston (58) remains seated against sealing seat (45);

in the pneumatic cylinder (104), gas exiting from the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) enters side (A) to push the piston of cylinder (104) towards side (B) and cause the expulsion of gas from side (B) gas to atmosphere, via the open path of second gas release valve (103).

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the outlet fittings (2),(3) are threaded into the outlet passages of the valve tube (1);

the support cylindrical body (4) is inserted into said normally closed outlet fitting (3) by pins;

the solenoid assembly (6) further includes a flange (10), a stop (9) and a sleeve (8);

an o-ring (28) located in flange (10) provides for said division of the chamber (26) defined by the support cylindrical body (4) into the front side chamber (7) and the back side chamber (29);

the flange (10) includes the one (13) of the seal seats;

a plastic insert (14) is molded onto the flange (10) to define the seal (14) of the solenoid assembly (6);

a plastic insert (39), molded onto the piston (38) of the rod-piston assembly, seals against the other (40) of the seal seats when the gas exit port (34) of the normally-open outlet fitting (2) is closed;

to prevent said gas communication between said cavity (22) and said front side chamber (7), a pair of o-rings (36) located circumferentially around the rod (37) of the rod-piston assembly are provided;

a rubber insert (19)is molded onto said magnetic rod (15) to seal against the bleed orifice (33);

the coil (11) is energized via lead wires (32) which pass through the hole of an internal pass-through plug (20) which is inserted into said support cylindrical body (4) and is used for the purpose of strain relief.