DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLY FOR PRESSURE OPERATED PILOT CONTROLLED SHUTOFF VALVE

• US 3,593,957 A
• Filed: 08/15/1969
• Issued: 07/20/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul A. Dolter, Wesley S. Swanson, William R. Mccarty Jr
• Original Assignee: Paul A. Dolter, Wesley S. Swanson, William R. Mccarty Jr
• Inventors: Dolter, Paul A., Mccarty, William R. Jr., Swanson, Wesley S.
• Application Number:
  US04/850,572
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• US Class Current: 251/30.03
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/404 the discharge being effected through the diaphragm and being blockable by an electrically-actuated member making contact with the diaphragm

Abstract

Fluid pressure operated pilot controlled diaphragm valve. The diaphragm forming the valve has a marginal sealing portion, an annular thin-walled bellowslike portion extending radially inwardly of the sealing portion and a disclike central portion extending inwardly of the thin-walled bellowslike portion. A plastic insert rigidly backs up the disclike portion of the diaphragm and has a guide boss leading through the disclike portion of the diaphragm, having a central pilot orifice leading therethrough. The insert has a bleed hole of smaller crosssectional area than the cross-sectional area of the pilot orifice leading therethrough. The diaphragm has a series of bleed holes leading therethrough. A communicating passageway is provided between the bleed holes in the disclike portion of the diaphragm and the bleed hole leading through the plastic insert. The bleed holes leading through the diaphragm serve as a screen to prevent dirt from clogging the bleed hole leading through the plastic insert.

Claims

1. In a solenoid controlled pressure operated diaphragm shutoff valve, a valve body having a valve cavity therein, an inlet passageway opening to said cavity and having communication with a source of fluid under pressure, an outlet port, an annular valve seat disposed radially inwardly of said inlet passageway and having communication with said outlet port, an annular sealing groove extending about said outlet port, a flexible diaphragm cooperating with said annular valve seat to control the flow of fluid between said inlet passageway and said outlet passageway and sealed along its margin in said sealing groove, said diaphragm having a thin-walled bellowslike annular portion disposed inwardly of its peripheral portion and a disklike central portion, a relatively rigid insert backing up said disklike central portion and having a disklike portion reinforcing said diaphragm, on one side thereof and a central guide portion extending through said diaphragm beneath said disklike central portion of said diaphragm and having guiding engagement with said outlet passageway, a central pilot orifice leading through said central guide portion of said insert and having communication with said outlet, an armature having a valve on the end thereof cooperating with said central pilot orifice, to open and close said orifice, a solenoid coil energizable to move said armature to open said orifice, bleed means leading through said diaphragm and said insert and providing pressure to close and maintain said valve closed upon closing of said pilot orifice by said armature, said bleed means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced screening holes leading through said diaphragm, a single bleed hole leading through said insert and of smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said central pilot orifice, and passageway means between said circumferentially spaced screening holes and said single bleed hole leading through said insert.

2. The solenoid controlled fluid pressure operated diaphragm shutoff valve of claim 1, wherein the insert is a plastic insert, and wherein the passageway means is an annular passageway in the disklike central portion of said diaphragm and communicates with said screening holes and has communication with said central bleed hole leading through said insert.

3. The solenoid controlled fluid pressure operated diaphragm shutoff valve of claim 1, wherein the insert is a plastiC insert, and wherein the passageway means between said circumferentially spaced screening holes leading through said diaphragm and said single bleed hole leading through said insert comprise an annular passageway in said insert having communication with said bleed hole in said insert and opening to said diaphragm and having communication with said circumferentially spaced screening holes.

4. The solenoid controlled fluid pressure operated diaphragm shutoff valve of claim 1, wherein the circumferentially spaced screening holes leading through said diaphragm comprise a screen molded in the disklike central portion of said diaphragm and an annular passageway leading from said screen and having communication with said bleed hole leading through said insert.

5. The solenoid controlled fluid pressure operated diaphragm shutoff valve of claim 1, wherein the communicating passageway means between said screening holes leading through said diaphragm and said bleed hole leading through said insert, comprise an annular passageway in said insert opening to said diaphragm and a screen in said annular passageway and having communication with said screening holes leading through said diaphragm.

6. A flexible diaphragm valve made from a resilient material and particularly adapted for a pilot controlled pressure operated valve, comprising, a diaphragm having a peripheral sealing portion, an inner annular bellowslike portion and a central disklike portion forming a shutoff valve, a rigid plastic insert backing up said central disklike portion and sealed thereto, said annular bellowslike portion extending about the periphery of said plastic insert and outwardly therefrom and terminating into said peripheral sealing portion, said insert having a central guide boss leading through said central disklike portion of said diaphragm, having a central pilot orifice leading therethrough, and having one bleed hole spaced radially of said central pilot orifice and of a lesser cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said central pilot orifice, a plurality of circumferentially spaced screening holes leading through said disklike portion of said diaphragm, and communicating annular passageway means between said screening holes and said bleed orifice.

7. A flexible diaphragm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the communicating passageway means is an annular passageway in the insert and opening to said screening holes and having communication with said bleed orifice.

8. A flexible diaphragm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the communicating passageway means is an annular passageway in said central disklike portion of said diaphragm and opening to said insert.

9. A flexible diaphragm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the screening holes in said diaphragm comprise a screen molded in said central disklike portion of said diaphragm and an annular passageway in registry with opposite sides of said screen and with said bleed hole leading through said orifice.

10. A flexible diaphragm in accordance with claim 6, wherein the communicating passageway means comprises an annular passageway in said insert, opening to said disklike portion of said diaphragm, and having a screen extending thereabout.