Rolling diaphragm metering valve

Abstract

An improved metering valve, or flush valve, incorporates a rolling diaphragm mechanism of a cylindrical elastomeric material providing a smoothly transitioning flow rate control from the full open to the full close position. The rolling diaphragm sealing means is actuated by a floating cup driven by the differential pressure between the valve fluid inlet and an intermediate actuation control chamber. The valve control is spring biased to the normally closed position and is actuated by dumping all fluid from the control chamber through a poppet mechanism which is triggered mechanically through a sealing diaphragm. Upon dumping fluid from the metering chamber, the actuating cup is compressed by the pressure of the inlet fluids to roll the diaphragm to a substantially open position. A metering orifice within the actuating cup passes fluid from the inlet at a controlled rate to the metering chamber which, by the transfer of fluids through the metering orifice, is gradually filled with fluid and expands moving the rolling diaphragm towards the sealingly closed position. The amount of fluid passed is substantially a function of the size of the metering orifice. The metering orifice has a range in sizes. The design of the valve is such that the dynamic pressures across the rolling diaphragm are essentially in balance during actuation and closure, thus the closing bias can be established with a relatively weak spring mechanism or the like.

I claim: .[. 
     
       1.  A valve controlling fluid flow comprising: a. a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for fluid flow therethrough;   b. a cylindrical divider within said body, having an end and having passages for fluid flow peripherally disposed along the sides of said divider;   c. said divider dividing the valve body into an intake chamber and an outlet chamber;   d. a convoluted cylindrical elastomeric diaphragm having one edge sealingly connected adjacent to the preiphery of the closed end of the cylinder divider extending along the interior walls of the cylinder divider sealing adjacent to the passages, being convoluted inwardly;   e. a diaphragm activating cup sealingly connected to the other end of the convoluted diaphragm forming thereby a metering chamber;   f. a flow metering orifice within said activating cup;   g. a dump means for dumping the fluid contents of the metering chamber to the exhaust chamber;   h. a biasing means biasing said actuating cup towards a maximum size of the metering chamber..]. .[.2. A valve as described in claim 1 wherein the valve further comprises vertical guide means installed substantially vertically along the axis of the cylindrical divider substantially coaxially with the actuating cup passing therethrough, restricting thereby   
     
     
        the movement of the actuating cup to substantially one dimension..]. 3. A valve as described in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.9 .Iaddend.wherein the dump means .[.further.]. comprises a movable poppet located within .[.a mating sealing orifice.]. .Iadd.said fluid dumping passage .Iaddend.having an open and .[.a.]. closed position, said poppet .[.being connected to.]. .Iadd.in contact with .Iaddend.a flexible .[.metal.]. diaphragm in the valve body wall .[.haing.]. .Iadd.having .Iaddend.a resting position and .[.a.]. displaced position, corresponding to the poppet closed and the 
     
     
        opened position respectively. 4. A valve as described in claim .[.3.]. .Iadd.9 .Iaddend.above wherein the dump means further comprises .Iadd.a movable poppet located within said fluid dumping passage having an open and closed position, and .Iaddend.an electromagnet solenoid external mounted upon the valve body, mechanically connected to .[.the metal diaphragm.]. .Iadd.said movable poppet .Iaddend.such that the actuation of the solenoid displaces .[.the metal diaphragm.]. .Iadd.said movable poppet 
     
     
        .Iaddend.from its resting position to its displaced position. 5. A valve as described in claim 3 wherein the movable poppet further comprises: a. a stepping locking .[.skirt.]. .Iadd.shoulder .Iaddend.upon the .[.popped.]. .Iadd.poppet.]..Iaddend. adjacent .[.to.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.the .[.metal.]. diaphragm;   b. a displaceable spring clamping means having an open and a closed position, displaceable by the movement of the stepped .[.skirt.]. .Iadd.shoulder .Iaddend.as the poppet is actuated from a closed to an open position, springing to the closed position upon passage .[.skirt.]. .Iadd.of said shoulder, thereby .Iaddend.locking the poppet against return to the poppet closed position;   .[.b..]. .Iadd.c. .Iaddend.a second displaceable diaphragm button having a resting and a displacing position;   .[.c..]. .Iadd.d. .Iaddend.cam means internally connected to and actuated by the movement of the second diaphragm for expanding the clamp from the closed position to a second open position, unlatching the .[.first.].   
     
     
        poppet to return to the closed position. 6. A valve as described in claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.9 .Iaddend.above wherein the dump means .[.further.]. comprises: a. a poppet located with .[.a mating opening the end of the cylindrical.]. .Iadd.said fluid dumping passage .Iaddend.having an open and closed position;   b. a screw .[.rotatably connected to saidd.]. .Iadd.located adjacent said .Iaddend.poppet .[.mating with a screwdriver means, rotating.]. such that .[.the.]. .Iadd.said .Iaddend.screw .[.transitions.]. .Iadd.positions .Iaddend.the poppet .[.from.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.the closed .[.to.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.the open position;   c. a magnetic rotating means affixed to said screw for rotating the screw .[.from.]. .Iadd.between .Iaddend.a position corresponding to the closed position of the poppet to a position corresponding to the open position of   
     
     
        the poppet. 7. A valve as described in claim 6 wherein the magnetic .[.drive.]. .Iadd.rotating .Iaddend.means further comprises: a. an axial torqueable .[.extension.]. .Iadd.portion .Iaddend.of the screw .Iadd.extending .Iaddend.into the exhaust chamber of the valve;   b. a fluid passing substantially open wheel orthogonally mounted on said extension wherein the wheel further comprises a series of alternating .[.pool.]. .Iadd.pole .Iaddend.permanent magnetic elements circumferentially positioned in a plane coextensive with the multiple magnetic driving wheel. .Iadd.8. The valve as described in claim 9 wherein said selected cross-section of said passage defined by said inner section within said body has a cylindrical shape. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A valve controlling fluid flow comprising:   a. a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for fluid flow therethrough;   b. an inner section within said body having interior walls defining a passage of a selected cross-sectional shape for fluid flow therethrough, said inner section having an open end for receiving fluid from said inlet and a closed end, and further having orifices disposed peripherally along the sides of said interior walls such that fluid flows into said open end and out of said pheripheral orifices through said interior walls;   c. said inner section dividing the valve body into an intake chamber and an outlet chamber;   d. an elastomeric rolling diaphragm having a shape conforming to said selected cross-sectional shape of said passage, and having one edge sealingly connected to said interior walls of said passage at a location between said peripheral orifices and said closed end, said rolling diaphragm for moving between a first position wherein said diaphragm extends along said interior walls of said passage to seal said orifices against fluid flow, and a second position for opening said orifices to allow fluid flow;   e. a diaphragm actuating means sealingly connected to the other end of said rolling diaphragm forming thereby a metering chamber between said closed end and said actuating means, and for moving said diaphragm between said first and second positions;   f. said activating means defining a flow metering orifice for allowing the passage of fluid from said open end of said inner section to said metering chamber;   g. said closed end of said inner section defining a fluid dumping passage between said metering chamber and said outlet chamber, said fluid dumping passage having a fluid rate of flow substantially in excess of the fluid rate of flow through said flow metering orifice;   h. a dump means for opening and closing the fluid dumping passage so as to dump the fluid contents of the metering chamber to the outlet chamber; and   i. a biasing means biasing said actuating cup to urge said diaphragm to   
     
     
        said first position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10.  A valve controlling fluid flow comprising: a. a valve body having an inlet and an outlet for fluid flow therethrough;   b. an inner section within said body having interior walls defining a passage of a selected cross-sectional shape for fluid flow therethrough, said inner section having an open end for receiving fluid from said inlet and a closed end, and further having orifices disposed peripherally along the sides of said interior walls such that fluid flows into said open end and out of said pheripheral orifices through said interior walls;   c. said inner section dividing the valve body into an intake chamber and an outlet chamber;   d. an elastomeric rolling diaphragm having a shape conforming to said selected cross-sectional shape of said passage, and having one edge sealingly connected to said interior walls of said passage at a location between said peripheral orifices and said closed end, said rolling diaphragm for moving between a first position wherein said diaphragm extends along said interior walls of said passage to seal said orifices against fluid flow, and a second position for opening said orifices to allow fluid flow;   e. a diaphragm actuating means sealingly connected to the other end of said rolling diaphragm forming thereby a metering chamber between said closed end and said actuating means, and for moving said diaphragm between said first and second positions;   f. said activating means defining a flow metering orifice for allowing the passage of fluid from said open end of said inner section to said metering chamber;   g. said closed end of said inner section defining a fluid dumping passage between said metering chamber and said outlet chamber, said fluid dumping passage having a fluid rate of flow substantially in excess of the fluid rate of flow through said flow metering orifice;   h. a movable poppet located within said fluid dumping passage for opening and closing the fluid dumping passage so as to selectively dump the fluid contents of the metering chamber to the outlet chamber, said poppet including a stepping locking shoulder adjacent a first location on a flexible diaphragm in the valve body wall such that pressure on the flexible diaphragm at said first location results in movement of said poppet from a closed to an open position, a displaceable spring clamping means having an open and a closed position, displaceable by the movement of the stepped shoulder as the poppet is actuated from said closed to an open position, locking the poppet against return to the poppet closed position, and springing to the closed position upon passage of said shoulder thereby locking the poppet against return to the poppet closed position, a release means adjacent a second location on said flexible diaphragm such that pressure on said flexible diaphragm at said second location moves said release means from a resting position to a displacing position, and cam means internally connected to and actuated by the movement of said release means for expanding the clamp from the closed position to the open position thereby unlatching the poppet and allowing it to return to the closed position; and   i. a biasing means biasing said actuating cup to urge said diaphragm to said first position. .Iaddend.