Plunger-type fuel pressure regulator

• US 5,123,436 A
• Filed: 11/04/1991
• Issued: 06/23/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prestolite Wire LLC (General Cable Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mallory, Inc.
• Inventors: Deeds, Ted E., Koechlein, Gregg W., Wizemann, Werner O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US07/787,744
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 137/505.37, 137/505.42, 137/12, 137/2, 251/332
• US Class Current: 137/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/0666 characterised by the form of the obturator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7826 With valve closing bias

Abstract

An improved pressure regulator for use in racing and other high demand environments for use with a high pressure, high output pump. The sealing plunger is designed to make a hard surface seal and also carries an "O"-ring to form a secondary seal. The primary function of the "O"-ring however, is to create a venturi in the normal ranges of operation to thus create a cushion area which prevents chattering, hydraulic hammering, pulsations, and the like in the fuel flow through the regulator.

Claims

1. A method of operating a throttling valve between a relatively high pressure and relatively large liquid volume pump means and a point of use to avoid chatter, pulsations and the like especially when said throttling valve is in the range of very slightly to slightly opened, said throttling valve being of the type having a plunger operating on a valve seat and operated by diaphragm means in response to the pressure on the output side of said throttling valve, comprising the steps of creating a pressure cushion between said plunger and said valve seat by creating a venturi effect between said plunger and said valve seat when said throttling valve is in said range, providing a pair of conical surfaces one each on said plunger and on said valve seat, locating said pair of conical surfaces to be substantially parallel to each other and spaced from each other during operation of said valve in said range, providing an "O"-ring associated with said plunger extending from said plunger into the space between said plunger and said valve seat, the protrusion of said "O"-ring into said space being effective to create said venturi, said cushion being effective to prevent said chatter, pulsations and the like of said plunger, and the step of preventing said plunger from contacting other parts of said valve in all positions of said plunger except the closed condition of said throttling valve.

2. The method of claim 1, and operating said pump means in the range of about 6 to 25 psi and at flows of up to 500 gallons per hour, and delivering the liquid from said pump means through said throttling valve to said point of use at pressures of about 7 psi.

3. The method of claim 1, and the step of causing said throttling valve to be normally open.

4. The method of claim 3, said last mentioned step being performed by the steps of providing spring means associated with said plunger to urge said plunger to the closed position with respect to said valve seat and providing second spring means acting upon said plunger to urge said plunger to the open position with respect to said valve seat, and selecting said second spring means to be stronger than said plunger spring means.

5. The method of claim 4, and the step of manually selecting the force of said second spring means acting on said plunger.

6. The method of claim 1, and the steps of selecting the materials of said plunger and of said valve seat to be capable of being formed with a hard sealing surface, and selecting said materials from the group consisting of metals comprising brass and aluminum and non-metals comprising ceramics and plastics.

7. The method of claim 1, and configuring and locating said pair of conical surfaces and said "O"-ring such that said venturi causes a drop in pressure and increased velocity of the fuel flowing through said space between said plunger and said valve seat, causing said drop in pressure to create a pair of higher pressure zones surrounding a low pressure zone, and causing all of said zones to occur in said space between said plunger and valve seat which creates said cushioning effect and to thereby hold said plunger steady to thereby prevent said chatter, pulsations and the like of said plunger.

8. A method of operating a throttling valve between a relatively high pressure and relatively large liquid volume pump means and a point of use to avoid chatter, pulsations and the like especially when said throttling vale is in the range of very slightly to slightly opened, said throttling valve being of the type having a plunger operating on a valve seat and operated by diaphragm means in response to the pressure on the output side of said throttling valve, comprising the steps of creating a pressure cushion between said plunger and said valve seat when said throttling valve is in said range, said cushion being effective to prevent said chatter, pulsations and the like of said plunger, and the step of preventing said plunger from contacting other parts of said valve in all positions of said plunger except the closed condition of said throttling valve, said step of creating said cushion being performed by the step of providing an "O"-ring associated with said plunger for cooperation with said valve seat, wherein said plunger and said valve seat provide the primary seal through said throttling valve and said "O"-ring and said valve seat provide a secondary seal only, selecting the shapes and sizes of said "O"-ring and said plunger and said valve seat such that said "O"-ring protrudes beyond said plunger in the unsealed condition of said plunger on said valve seat a selected relatively small distance, and selecting said distance such that said cushion is created in said range of openness of said throttling valve.

9. The method of claim 8, said selected relatively small distance being in the range of about 0.002 inches to about 0.020 inches.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said cushion is created by the step of using said "O"-ring to create a venturi effect between said plunger and said valve seat.

11. The method of claim 8, and the steps of forming a groove in said plunger for carrying said "O"-ring therein, said sizing and shaping said groove and said "O"-ring so that said "O"-ring will compress substantially entirely into said groove in said plunger in the closed condition of said throttling valve.

12. A method of operating a throttling valve between a relatively high pressure and relatively large liquid volume pump means and a point of use to avoid chatter, pulsations and the like especially when said throttling valve is in the range of very slightly to slightly opened, said throttling valve being of the type having a plunger operating on a valve seat and operated by diagram means in response to the pressure on the output side of said throttling valve, comprising the steps of creating a pressure cushion between said plunger and said valve seat when said throttling valve is in said range, said cushion being effective to prevent said chatter, pulsations and the like of said plunger, and the step of preventing said plunger from contacting other parts of said valve in all positions of said plunger except the closed condition of said throttling valve, and providing fail-safe means adapted to prevent disengagement of the portion of said diaphragm means in contact with said plunger under all extremes of operating positions of said plunger and said diaphragm means.

13. The method of claim 12, and providing operating pin means as part of said diaphragm means, said step of providing fail-safe means including the steps of forming an opening in said plunger, fitting the free end of said operating pin means into said plunger opening, and selecting the shapes and sizes of said pin means and said plunger opening so that at least a portion of said pin means remains in said plunger opening even when said plunger and said diaphragm means are at maximum separation from each other.