On-off valves for high pressure fluids

Abstract

An on-off valve that can operate between an open position and a closed position. The on-off valve has a valve body with a cylindrical valve cavity, an inlet, an outlet, and in an open position the inlet is in communication with the outlet. A cylindrical valve cartridge is sealably mounted within a chamber of the valve cavity and has a central cavity facing the valve cavity and a bore forming communication with an atmosphere external to the valve cartridge. A pin extension is movably mounted within the bore. A pin bushing and a pin seal are mounted within the central cavity, and an actuating pin is movably mounted at least partially within the central cavity. A valve poppet is slidably mounted within the valve cavity. In a closed position a first end portion of the valve poppet closes the first outlet, and in an open position the first end portion opens the first outlet. A bias element is mounted to exert a bias force to and urge the valve poppet against the valve cartridge. An actuator is mounted with respect to the valve body and operates the actuating pin between the open position and the closed position of the on-off valve.

1 . An on-off valve operable between an open position and a closed position, the on-off valve comprising:
 a valve body having a cylindrical valve cavity, a first inlet, a first outlet, a first chamber and a second chamber, in the open position said first inlet in communication with said first outlet;   a cylindrical valve cartridge sealably mounted within said second chamber of said valve cavity, said valve cartridge having a central cavity facing said valve cavity and a bore forming communication between said central cavity and an atmosphere external to said valve cartridge, a pin extension movably mounted within said bore, a pin bushing and a pin seal mounted within said central cavity, an actuating pin movably mounted at least partially within said central cavity and passing through said pin bushing and said pin seal, said actuating pin having a first end abutting said pin extension and a second end positionable within said central cavity, said pin extension having an end movably mounted within said bore;   a cylindrical valve poppet slidably mounted within said valve cavity and having a first end portion at least partially positioned within said first chamber of said valve cavity and a second end portion at least partially positioned within said second chamber of said valve cavity, said valve poppet having a passage extending from said first end portion to said second end portion, in the closed position said first end portion of said valve poppet closing said first outlet, in the open position said first end portion of said valve poppet opening said first outlet, said actuating pin moveable to be sealably mounted within said second end portion of said valve poppet;   a bias element mounted to exert a bias force to and urge said valve poppet against said valve cartridge; and   an actuator mounted with respect to said valve body, and said actuator operating said actuating pin between the open position and the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . A valve body having two inline cylindrical cavities connected by a central bore, a first chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet, and a second chamber having a bleed bore in communication with an atmosphere external to said valve body;
 a valve cartridge sealably mounted in said second chamber of said valve cavity and having a cartridge cavity facing said valve cavity and a bore forming communication with said atmosphere, said cartridge cavity housing a centrally and slidably mounted actuating rod, a rod seal, and a rod bushing, said actuating rod having a first rod end within said valve cavity and a second rod end extending to said atmosphere through said bore of said valve cartridge;   a valve poppet slidably mounted within said valve cavity through said central bore with a first end portion positioned within said first chamber and a second end portion positioned within said second chamber facing said cartridge cavity, said valve poppet movable between a first position in which said first end portion of said valve poppet closing said first outlet and a second position in which said valve poppet abuts said cartridge cavity, said valve poppet having a center shuttle cavity housing a slidably mounted shuttle, a shuttle biasing element, and a shuttle seal, said shuttle having a first shuttle end, a middle shoulder and a second shuttle end, and a passage extending from the said first shuttle end to said second shuttle end, said first shuttle end of said shuttle extending to outside of said second end portion of said valve poppet, said second shuttle end of said shuttle communicating with said shuttle seal inside said shuttle cavity of said valve poppet, said shuttle biasing element urging said shuttle shoulder toward said second end portion of said valve poppet, said shuttle cavity having a bleed hole leading to a shuttle exterior of said shuttle, a check valve positioned inside said first end portion of said valve poppet and communicating with said shuttle central passage and said shuttle exterior allowing fluid passage only from said shuttle central passage to said shuttle exterior;   a seal bushing assembly mounted with respect to said first chamber of said valve cavity and having a central bore accommodating said first end portion of said valve poppet;   a spacer bias element urging said seal bushing assembly toward said second chamber of said valve cavity; and   an actuator mounted with respect to said valve body, and said actuator operating said actuating rod between said open position and said closed position.   
     
     
         3 . The on-off valve of  claim 1  wherein said valve poppet has a monolithic body with a centrally positioned said passage. 
     
     
         4 . The on-off valve of  claim 1  wherein said second end portion of said valve poppet is larger than said first end portion, and said valve poppet comprises a ball check valve mounted with respect to said valve poppet to allow fluid to flow through said passage only from said second end portion to said first end portion. 
     
     
         5 . The on-off valve of  claim 3  wherein the said valve poppet and said valve cartridge are separate elements. 
     
     
         6 . The on-off valve of  claim 3  wherein said valve poppet and said valve cartridge are integrated to form a sealed valve cartridge that solely occupies said valve cavity, said sealed valve cartridge has a first outlet end and a second actuator end, said first outlet end of said sealed cartridge communicates with said first outlet of said on-off valve, and said second end of said sealed valve cartridge communicates with said actuator of said valve. 
     
     
         7 . The on-off valve of  claim 6  wherein said sealed valve cartridge has a conical first end communicating with a tapered said valve outlet and a flat second end communicating with said actuator, and said flat second end of said valve cartridge has a diametrical seal assembly to seal off said valve cavity from an exterior. 
     
     
         8 . The on-off valve of  claim 6  wherein said sealed valve cartridge has a conical first end communicating with a tapered said valve outlet and a conical second end communicating with said actuator through a tapered said second chamber of said valve cavity. 
     
     
         9 . The on-off valve of  claim 5  wherein said actuating pin has a diameter of less than 0.065 inches and has a flat first end and a sharp second end. 
     
     
         10 . The on-off valve of  claim 7  wherein said actuating pin has two or more diameters of less than 0.065 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The on-off valve of  claim 2  wherein said valve cartridge and said valve poppet are separate parts. 
     
     
         12 . The on-off valve of  claim 2  wherein said valve cartridge and said valve poppet are integrated to form a sealed valve cartridge having a conical first outlet end and a flat second actuator end, said sealed valve cartridge solely occupies said valve cavity of said on-off valve, and said flat second actuator end of said sealed valve cartridge has a diametrical seal assembly to seal off said second chamber of said valve cavity of said on-off valve. 
     
     
         13 . The on-off valve of  claim 2  wherein said valve cartridge and said valve poppet are integrated to form a sealed valve cartridge having a conical first outlet end communicating with a tapered said valve outlet of said valve cavity and a conical second actuator end communicating with said actuator, and said sealed valve cartridge solely occupying said valve cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The on-off valve of  claim 13  wherein said shuttle has two or more diameters. 
     
     
         15 . The on-off valve of  claim 14  wherein a first shuttle end of said shuttle communicates with said first end of said actuating rod, a shuttle diameter of said first shuttle end of said shuttle corresponds to a rod diameter of said first end of said actuating rod, said passage of said first end of said shuttle forming a seal by said first end of said actuating rod when said valve is closed, said seal positioned about an entire circumference of said first shuttle end of said shuttle, and said first rod end of said actuating rod has an enlarged head to form said seal. 
     
     
         16 . The on-off valve of  claim 13  wherein an actuator is attached to said on-off valve, said actuator comprises a cylinder, a cylinder cap, a compression spring, a piston with a diametrical seal, a piston rod, an air inlet, a coupler, and a locking collar, said compression spring positioned between said cylinder cap and said piston, said coupler attached to said cylinder and maintaining said locking collar in a middle, and said locking collar attached to said valve body with said coupler abutting said valve cartridge or said valve body. 
     
     
         17 . The on-off valve of  claim 16  wherein said compression spring urges said piston to push down said piston rod, and said piston rod urges said actuating pin of said valve body to move into said valve body to close said valve. 
     
     
         18 . The on-off valve of  claim 17  wherein said compression spring is designed and compressed to produce a selected force transferred to move said on-off valve into said closed position and form a force equilibrium between said spring force and a fluid force inside said on-off valve to keep said on-off valve in said closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The on-off valve of  claim 18  wherein said on-off valve is moved into said open position by disrupting said force equilibrium between said spring force and said fluid force inside said on-off valve using compressed air sent into said actuator to lift said piston. 
     
     
         20 . The on-off valve of  claim 18  wherein said on-off valve is moved into said open position by disrupting said force equilibrium between said spring force and said fluid force inside said on-off valve caused by a sudden rise of said fluid pressure. 
     
     
         21 . The on-off valve of  claim 5  wherein said valve body is attached to an actuator assembly comprising an actuator body, a pivotally mounted trigger lever, a bias spring, a spring piston, a piston rod, a grip handle, a trigger guard, a fluid inlet tube, an inlet adapter, and at least one outlet adapter, and said actuator body having a spring cavity to accommodate said bias spring and said spring piston and to provide a necessary force to counter a hand force produced through said pivotally mounted trigger lever. 
     
     
         22 . The on-off valve of  claim 21  wherein said valve body has two outlet tubes including a dump tube in communication with said valve cartridge, said actuator body is attached to said valve body so that pulling said pivotally mounted trigger lever toward said grip handle produces a pushing force against said actuating pin or actuating rod of said valve cartridge and causes said dump port of said on-off valve to close, and releasing said hand grip on said pivotally mounted trigger lever and said bias spring returning said valve cartridge to said open position. 
     
     
         23 . The on-off valve of  claim 21  wherein said valve body has only one outlet tube and said valve actuator has a bias spring urging said spring piston and said piston rod against said valve cartridge within said valve body to keep said on-off valve in said closed position, and moving said pivotally mounted trigger lever toward said grip handle compresses said bias spring and releases said force on said valve cartridge and moves said on-off valve to said open position. 
     
     
         24 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 16  wherein said actuator spring is compressible by a hand-operated cam assembly of said actuator to change a status of said valve. 
     
     
         25 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 24  wherein said cam assembly is attached to said actuator to provide a force to compress said actuator spring from below said spring piston so that a hand force pulling said cam lever moves said on-off valve to said open position. 
     
     
         26 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 24  wherein the said cam assembly is mounted on a top of said cylinder of said actuator to compress said actuator spring from said top so that a hand force pulling said cam lever moves said on-off valve to said closed position. 
     
     
         27 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 24  wherein an electrical solenoid is mounted on top of said actuator and is used with a cantilever device or a hydraulic pressure intensification device to produce a sufficient force to counter said spring force from said actuator to change a status of said on-off valve. 
     
     
         28 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 18  wherein at least one of said valve assemblies is mounted on a common manifold in communication with a pump applicator system to maintain a system pressure at a desired level, and said valve assemblies have actuators adjusted to a desired spring force to maintain said on-off valves closed at a desired pressure level and an over pressurization of said system pressure resulting in releasing a predetermined amount of fluid from said valves by incorporating precise orifice nozzles in said valves. 
     
     
         29 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 1  wherein said first inlet is positioned at a side of said valve body. 
     
     
         30 . The on-off valve assembly of  claim 1  wherein a second end portion of said valve poppet abuts said valve cartridge assembly.