A solenoid valve has a main body defining a gas inlet passage, a gas outlet passage, and a cavity; a core tube forming a closure for said the cavity so as to prevent an escape of gas; a cylindrical main piston slidably movable in said the cavity of said the main body, said the main piston forming a front chamber and a back chamber in said the main body, said the main piston having a gas conduit for passing the gas from said the gas inlet passage to said the front chamber and an axial hole for passing the gas from said the back chamber into said the gas outlet passage with a bleed orifice at one end of said the axial hole; said the main piston being spring biased to a closed position; a spring biased pilot piston; and an electrical coil means associated with said the core tube to provide a magnetic field for movements of said the pilot piston and said the main piston, so that when said the coil means is deenergized said the pilot piston closes said the outlet passage and causes a pressure equalization allowing said the return spring to push said the main piston to close the valve, while when said the coil means is energized said the pilot valve opens said the outlet passage and lowers a pressure which causes pushing of said the main piston to open the valve.
|
0. 9. A valve comprising:
a valve body having an inlet (16) and a downstream passageway (24) and a cavity communicating with each of the inlet and downstream passageway (24), the cavity including a front chamber (25) and a back chamber (15);
a solenoid coil (1);
a main piston (19) mounted for reciprocating movement in the valve body, the main piston having:
a passageway (27) terminating in an orifice (35);
being exposed to the front chamber (25) and the back chamber (15); and
a guide portion (26);
a pilot piston (9) constructed from ferromagnetic material and mounted for reciprocating movement in the guide portion (26);
a return spring (11) biasing the main piston (19) to a position which blocks flow between the inlet (16) and the downstream passageway (24);
a pilot piston spring (8) biasing the pilot piston (9) towards a position which blocks the orifice (35);
wherein the valve is adapted such that
when the coil (1) is energized, the pilot piston (9) is urged by the coil (1) away from the position which blocks the orifice, to allow gas from the back chamber (15) to bleed out of the valve through the orifice (35) and passageway (27);
when the main piston (19) is in the position which blocks flow between the inlet (16) and the downstream passageway (24) and the coil (1) is not energized, the front chamber (25) and back chamber (15) are in fluid communication with the inlet (16);
when gases in the back chamber (15) are bled from the valve via the orifice (35) and passageway (27), force resulting from the pressure difference between the front chamber (25) and back chamber (15) becomes greater than the force of the return spring (11), which results in the movement of the main piston (19) away from the position which blows flow between the inlet (16) and the downstream passageway (24), thereby allowing flow through the valve;
when the coil (1) is not energized, the pilot piston (9) seals against the orifice (35), allowing the pressure between the front chamber (25) and back chamber (15) to equalize, whereupon the main piston (19) is forced by the return spring (11) to the position which blocks flow through the valve.
1. A solenoid gas valve construction comprising:
a main body defining an inlet, an outlet and a cavity communicating with both the inlet and outlet;
a tubular core comprising an inwardly directed annular flange and disposed in the cavity,
a tube surrounding the core,
a stop occluding the end of the tube,
an o-ring mounted about the core and sealing the core to the main body;
a threaded nut, a spacer, a seal and a sleeve defining, in combination with the core, a main piston chamber;
a guide bushing having communication conduit holes locating circumferentially thereon, the guide bushing being in abutment at one end with the stop such that a pilot piston chamber is defined by the guide bushing, the core and the stop;
a main piston comprising an end, a recess portion, and a cylindrical body, the main piston being connected to the other end of said guide bushing and, together with said guide bushing, being slidably movable in said main piston chamber; said main piston segregating said main piston chamber to a front chamber and a back chamber, said main piston further having an axial passage including a drain orifice extending therethrough providing for communication between the pilot piston chamber and the outlet, the main piston further having a cavity located at an outer circumferential portion of the main piston to communicate with the front chamber and a passage connecting said cavity to said back chamber;
a pilot piston slidably movable in said pilot piston chamber;
an insert, having an axial through hole and disposed in said cavity, places into said cylindrical cavity of said main piston; the diameter of the axial through hole being smaller than that of said drain, the through-hole and passage defining a gas passage from said front chamber, to said back chamber;
a return spring received within said back chamber between said main piston and said inwardly-directed annular flange of said core, to urge said main piston in a direction away from said core, so that said spherical end of said main piston presses against said valve seat to close the communication between the inlet and outlet; and
a pilot piston spring biasing to urge said pilot piston in a direction away from said stop of said core, so that the pilot piston presses against said drain orifice of said passage to achieve a gas-tight seal.
2. A solenoid gas valve as defined in
3. A solenoid gas valve as defined in
4. A solenoid gas valve as defined in
6. A solenoid gas valve as defined in
8. A solenoid gas valve as defined in
0. 10. A valve according to claim 9, wherein the guide portion (26) is ferromagnetic and, when the coil (1) is energized, is biased by the coil (1) away from the position which blows flow between the inlet (16) and the downstream passageway (24), thereby to avoid shut-off of the main piston in the event of an abrupt change in pressure.
|
The present invention relates generally to solenoid gas valves, and more particularly to a dual active pistons solenoid gas valve, in particular for alternative fuels vehicles.
In vehicles that run on gaseous alternative fuels, such as natural gas or hydrogen, the fuel is normally stored in a high-pressure tank, and a valve is utilized to open and close access to conduits, along which such high-pressure gaseous fluids flow from a storage tank to a vehicle engine. Typically such valves are of the solenoid type.
Solenoids of a reasonable size can typically produce a pulling force that is approximately only 1/100 of the force necessary to unseat a valve that is being forced shut by the high-pressure gasses. To overcome this, most of the gas valves adapt a two-stage process in which a small “bleed” orifice is first opened, allowing the high-pressure gas from the storage tank to flow through the “bleed” orifice and into a downstream outlet passage way that leads the engine. As the downstream outlet passage way fills up with gas, the pressure will increase, subsequently gradually reducing the force necessary to unseat the closed valve. Eventually, the differential pressure between the upstream and downstream passage ways becomes so small as to allow the valve to be open by the relatively weak pull of the solenoid valve, thus resulting in the flow of high-pressure gas from the storage tank to the vehicle engine.
One of the main problems with the above described system is the length of time required for the downstream chamber to fill with a sufficient volume of high-pressure gas, so that the solenoid can unseat the main valve. This problem is exasperated in large vehicles, such as buses where the gaseous fuel storage tank can be several meters away from the engine and therefore, it may take an unacceptable period of time for the passageway downstream of the valve to fill up to the point when the solenoid can unseat the main valve. These valves are also disadvantageous in vehicles that are bi-fueled by gasoline and natural gas or dual-fueled by diesel fuel and natural gas. When these vehicles switch over from liquid fuel to natural gas, there can be a conspicuous loss in power output over an unacceptable period of time, while the passage way downstream of the valve fills up with natural gas.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid gas valve of the above mentioned general type which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid gas valve which has an intrinsic ability to shut off gas flow when a battery voltage is diminishing, so that when the battery becomes weaker, the pull on the pilot piston will weaken accordingly allowing it to close, so as to provide equalization of pressures in two chambers and sealing of the main piston, to stop the flow of gaseous fuels to the engine when the battery expires and the vehicle stops running.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a solenoid gas valve that will virtually open and close instantaneously, once the solenoid coil is energized, so that a very rapid and immediate opening of the valve to a wide-open position is performed.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a solenoid gas valve in which there is no reliance on the built-up pressure within a downstream outlet passage way as a means for operating the valve, so that the inventive solenoid gas valve can operate soundly and rapidly independently from the pressure in the downstream outer passage way.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated in a solenoid gas valve which has a main body defining a gas inlet passage, a gas outlet passage, and a cavity; a core tube forming a closure for said cavity so as to prevent an escape of gas; a cylindrical main piston slidably movable in said cavity of said main body, said main piston forming a front chamber and a back chamber in said main body, said main piston having a gas conduit for passing the gas from said gas inlet passage to said front chamber and an axial hole for passing the gas from said back chamber into said gas outlet passage with a bleed orifice at one end of said axial hole; said main piston being spring biased to a closed position; a spring biased pilot piston; and electrical coil means associated with said core tube to provide a magnetic field for movements of said pilot piston and said main piston, so that when said coil means is deenergized said pilot piston closes said outlet passage and causes a pressure equalization allowing said return piston to push said main piston to close the valve, while when said coil means is energized said pilot valve opens said outlet passage and lowers a pressure which causes pushing of said main piston to open the valve.
When the solenoid gas valve is designed in accordance with the present invention, it avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and provides for the above-specified advantages. The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
A rapid action solenoid gas valve in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in
A main piston 19 controls the main stream by sliding up and down within a rubber sleeve 13. The valve shuts off when the main piston 19 slides down pressing against a seal 20, and opens when the main piston 19 slides away from the seal 20. An O-ring 22 is provided underneath the seal in order to prevent gas leakage. A threaded nut 14 holds the spacer 21 and seal 20 in place. An insert 18 with an axial through-hole 30 is pressed into a cylindrical cavity 32 of the main piston 19 allowing high-pressure gas flows into the back chamber 15. An appropriate sealant is placed around an insert 18 to avoid gas leakage into the interstitial spaces between the main piston 19 and the front chamber 25. The core also presses the rubber sleeve 13 that prevents gas leakage into a back chamber 15 from surrounding space. High-pressure gas flows from the front chamber 25 to the back chamber 15 via a network of spaces, orifices and passageways (36, 30, 31, 32 and 33). The axial through-hole 30 limits the high-pressure gas flow when the valve is opened and that helps to create the pressure difference between the two chambers. An interference fit between the main piston 19 and the rubber sleeve 13 also prevents gas flow axially between the two chambers via the interstitial spaces between the main piston 19 and the rubber sleeve 13.
When the coil 1 is energized, the pilot piston 9 opens and high-pressure gas from the back chamber 15 bleeds out of the valve through another network of orifices and passageways (35, 27, 23, and 24). A drain orifice 35 and a passageway 27 are drilled into the main piston 19, and they lead to the valve outlet. A return spring 11 inside the core applies a force against the main piston 19 so that it closes tightly. Guide bushing 26 is made of ferromagnetic material and threaded with the main piston 19 to provide a pilot piston chamber 38 to guide the movement of the sliding pilot piston 9. Another hole 34 is provided to connect the back chamber 15 to the pilot piston chamber 38. One end of the pilot piston 9 is molded with sealing material 10. A pilot piston spring 8 attached to the stop 4 supplies the force necessary to keep the pilot piston 9 closed when the solenoid is inactive.
The solenoid valve in accordance with the present invention operates in the following manner.
Once the gas in the back chamber 15 is released downstream 24, the force resulting from the pressure difference between the front 25 and back chamber 15 becomes greater than the force of the return spring 11, which results in opening the main piston 19, as shown in
When the solenoid magnetic coil is no longer energized, the pilot piston seals against the drain orifice 35, allowing the pressure between the front 25 and back chamber 15 to equalize again as gas continues to flow into the back chamber 15 through the axial through hole 30. The main piston 19 is consequently forced by the return spring 11 to close against the seal 20, thus seizing the flow, and the valve returns to the condition shown in
It will be understood that the elements described above may also be usefully applied in other types of constructions differing from the type described in detail above.
While the invention and description have been illustrated and embodied in a solenoid gas valve, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications.
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
2832200, | |||
3270626, | |||
3273468, | |||
3312445, | |||
4197785, | Jun 16 1977 | Hydraulic actuator cushioning device | |
4494726, | Aug 08 1983 | Deere & Company | Control valve |
4520227, | Mar 06 1982 | Robert Bosch GmbH | Strain relief connection between a housing and an electric conductor assembly |
4699351, | Jul 11 1984 | Target Rock Corporation | Pressure responsive, pilot actuated, modulating valve |
4799645, | Jan 19 1988 | Deere & Company | Pilot operated hydraulic control valve |
5188017, | Jun 18 1991 | ENBRIDGE GAS DISTRIBUTION INC | Natural gas cylinder fitting and solenoid valve |
5294089, | Aug 03 1992 | ASCO CONTROLS, L P | Proportional flow valve |
5529387, | Sep 06 1994 | Valcor Engineering Corporation | Solenoid operated discharging orifice shutoff valve |
5538026, | Mar 29 1995 | Parker Intangibles LLC | Pilot-operated proportional control valve |
5762087, | Jul 15 1996 | TELEFLEX GFI CONTROL SYSTEMS L P | Instant-on valve construction for high pressure gas |
6315266, | Jul 12 1999 | TGK CO , LTD | Pilot-operated flow regulating valve |
6435210, | Mar 31 1998 | Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG | Electromagnetic valve |
6443420, | Apr 14 1997 | Burkert Werke GmbH & Co. | Wide-ranging valve |
6540204, | Jul 14 1999 | Luxfer Canada Limited | High pressure solenoid pilot valve |
6994308, | Aug 25 2004 | In-tube solenoid gas valve | |
7334770, | Aug 22 2005 | Solenoid isolation valve | |
7341236, | Mar 07 2006 | HUSCO INTERNATIONAL, INC | Pilot operated valve with a pressure balanced poppet |
7543603, | Feb 01 2006 | Three-way, two-position in-tube solenoid gas valve assembly | |
8066255, | Jul 25 2001 | Sprutan Group Ltd | Solenoid gas valve |
8172197, | Jul 06 2006 | BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT | Fast-acting pneumatic diaphragm valve |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Nov 26 2013 | Sprutan Group Ltd | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Apr 08 2016 | WANG, CHIA-PING | Sprutan Group Ltd | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 038905 | /0877 |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Jul 22 2019 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Jan 06 2020 | EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Jul 26 2019 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Jan 26 2020 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 26 2020 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Jul 26 2022 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Jul 26 2023 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Jan 26 2024 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 26 2024 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Jul 26 2026 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Jul 26 2027 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Jan 26 2028 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 26 2028 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Jul 26 2030 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |