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 first 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 sets the state of the first switched signal path to the first state when the first sensor senses that the first valve is not in the closed position.
1 Assignment
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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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A valve assembly for controlling fuel flow to a combustion appliance, the valve assembly comprising:
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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 first 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 sets the state of the first switched signal path to the first state when 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)
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14. A valve, comprising:
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a valve body having an interior and an exterior; a valve positioned in 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, the sensor element translates with the valve; and a magnetic field sensor positioned outside the interior of the valve body and radially spaced from the axis; and wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect a position of the valve along or about the axis within the valve body. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of detecting a position of a valve of a valve assembly having a valve body and a valve stem enclosed within an interior of the valve body, the valve translatable with respect to the valve body along a translation axis, the method comprising:
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positioning the valve stem at a first position within the interior of the valve body along the translation axis; sensing a location of the valve stem along the translation axis with a position sensor positioned exterior to the valve body and radially spaced from the valve stem. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification