Gas valve with electronic proof of closure system
First Claim
1. A valve assembly for controlling fuel flow to a combustion appliance, the valve assembly comprising:
- a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, with a fluid path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port;
a first valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port;
a second valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port downstream of the first valve, with an intermediate volume between the first valve and the second valve defined by the valve body;
a first valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the first valve relative to a first axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position;
a second valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the second valve relative to a second axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position;
a first sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the first axis, where the first sensor senses whether the first valve is in the closed position;
a second sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the second axis, where the second sensor senses whether the second valve is in the closed position;
a first switch having a first switched signal path and a first control input, wherein the first control input sets the state of the first switched signal path to either a first state or a second state; and
a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the control input of the switch, the controller sends a signal to the first control input of the first switch to set the state of the first switched signal path to the first state in response to the controller receiving a signal that indicates the first sensor senses that the first valve is not in the closed position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one illustrative but non-limiting example, a valve assembly may include a valve body having an interior and an exterior, a valve or valve sealing member positioned in the valve body, a sensor element (e.g., a magnet and/or a ferrous core) secured relative to the valve sealing member and a sensor (e.g., a magnetic field sensor) positioned outside of the interior of the valve body. The valve sealing member may be movable between an opened position and a closed position, and the sense element may move with the valve sealing member. The sensor may be configured to detect a position of the valve sealing member and communicate that position to a valve controller.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A valve assembly for controlling fuel flow to a combustion appliance, the valve assembly comprising:
-
a valve body having an inlet port and an outlet port, with a fluid path extending between the inlet port and the outlet port; a first valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port; a second valve situated in the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port downstream of the first valve, with an intermediate volume between the first valve and the second valve defined by the valve body; a first valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the first valve relative to a first axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position; a second valve actuator, secured relative to the valve body, for selectively moving the second valve relative to a second axis, between a closed position, which closes the fluid path between the inlet port and the outlet port, and an open position; a first sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the first axis, where the first sensor senses whether the first valve is in the closed position; a second sensor fluidly isolated from the fluid path by the valve body, and radially spaced from the second axis, where the second sensor senses whether the second valve is in the closed position; a first switch having a first switched signal path and a first control input, wherein the first control input sets the state of the first switched signal path to either a first state or a second state; and a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the control input of the switch, the controller sends a signal to the first control input of the first switch to set the state of the first switched signal path to the first state in response to the controller receiving a signal that indicates the first sensor senses that the first valve is not in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A valve, comprising:
-
a valve body having an interior and an exterior, the interior defining a fluid channel; a valve having a valve stem, the valve positioned in the fluid channel of the valve body, the valve translatable along or about an axis between a closed position and an open position; a sensor element secured relative to the valve stem, the sensor element translates within the fluid channel and with the valve stem; a magnetic field sensor positioned outside the interior of the valve body and spaced from the valve stem; wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect a position of the sensor element through the valve body, and thus the position of the valve along or about the axis within the valve body; a switch having a switched signal path and a control input, wherein the control input sets the state of the switched signal path to either a first state or a second state; and a controller coupled to the magnetic field sensor and the control input of the switch, wherein the controller sends a signal to the control input of the switch to set the state of the switched signal path to the first state in response to the controller receiving a signal that indicates the magnetic field sensor senses that the valve is not in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of detecting a position of a valve of a valve assembly having a valve body that defines a fluid channel with the valve enclosed within an interior of the valve body and in fluid communication with the fluid channel, the valve translatable with respect to the valve body along a translation axis, the method comprising:
-
positioning the valve at a first position within the interior of the valve body along the translation axis, the first position is one of an open position and a closed position; sensing a location of the valve along the translation axis with a position sensor positioned exterior to the valve body and spaced from the valve; wherein sensing the location of the valve along the translation axis includes sensing the location of a sensor element that is secured relative to the valve at a position that is within the fluid channel defined by the valve body; sending a signal from a controller to a control input of a switch having a switched signal path in response to the controller receiving a signal that indicates the sensed location of the valve is not at the closed position, wherein the control input sets a state of the switched signal path to either a first state or a second state; and setting the state of the switched signal path of the switch to the first state in response to the control input of the switch receiving the signal that indicates the sensed location of the valve is not at the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification