US3683637A — Flow control valve

Claim 1

Independent Claim 278 words

A flow control valve comprising; a valve body, an inlet passage formed in one end of said valve body, a plurality of distribution passages formed in the side of the valve body so as to communicate with said inlet passage, valve means disposed between the inlet passage and the distribution passages, a heat sensitive device retained on the valve body on the side opposite the portion where said inlet passage is formed, said heat sensitive device having an output member operative upon sensing the temperature and pressure of surrounding refrigerant, means for operatively connecting the output member of said heat sensitive device to said valve means, a cup-shaped cover fixed to said valve body with the sides of heat sensitive device and said valve body located inside thereof, a distribution chamber formed between the valve body and the cover, a header chamber formed between the heat sensitive device and the cover, sealing means for sealingly separating said distribution and header chambers from one another, distribution means for communicating each of the inlet ends of a plurality of tubes of an evaporator directly with the distribution chamber, header means for communicating each of the outlet ends of a plurality of the tubes of the evaporator directly with the header chamber, said cover being supported at said distribution chamber and header chamber such that the portion of said cover forming the outer surface of said header chamber is closely spaced from the evaporator, means for connecting a low pressure refrigerant passage of a refrigeration cycle with the heAder chamber, and means for connecting a high pressure refrigerant passage of a refrigeration cycle to the inlet passage of the valve body.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 278 words

A flow control valve comprising; a valve body, an inlet passage formed in one end of said valve body, a plurality of distribution passages formed in the side of the valve body so as to communicate with said inlet passage, valve means disposed between the inlet passage and the distribution passages, a heat sensitive device retained on the valve body on the side opposite the portion where said inlet passage is formed, said heat sensitive device having an output member operative upon sensing the temperature and pressure of surrounding refrigerant, means for operatively connecting the output member of said heat sensitive device to said valve means, a cup-shaped cover fixed to said valve body with the sides of heat sensitive device and said valve body located inside thereof, a distribution chamber formed between the valve body and the cover, a header chamber formed between the heat sensitive device and the cover, sealing means for sealingly separating said distribution and header chambers from one another, distribution means for communicating each of the inlet ends of a plurality of tubes of an evaporator directly with the distribution chamber, header means for communicating each of the outlet ends of a plurality of the tubes of the evaporator directly with the header chamber, said cover being supported at said distribution chamber and header chamber such that the portion of said cover forming the outer surface of said header chamber is closely spaced from the evaporator, means for connecting a low pressure refrigerant passage of a refrigeration cycle with the heAder chamber, and means for connecting a high pressure refrigerant passage of a refrigeration cycle to the inlet passage of the valve body.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 136 words

A flow control valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat sensitive device is composed of a partition wall and a diaphragm interposed between upper and lower casings, integrally secured to each other at their outer edges, said lower casing being retained directly on the valve body, said upper casing and said partition wall defining a first chamber therebetween, said partition wall and said diaphragm defining a second chamber therebetween, said diaphragm and said lower casing and said valve body defining a third chamber therebetween, said first and second chambers being communicated with each other through passage means, said first chamber being charged with gas and an adsorbent, said second chamber being charged with the same gas as in said first chamber, and said third chamber being communicated with the header chamber through a passage.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 89 words

A flow control valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat sensitive device is composed of a diaphragm interposed between an upper casing and a lower casing integrally secured to each other at their outer edges, said lower casing being retained directly on the valve body, said upper casing and said diaphragm defining a first chamber therebetween, said diaphragm and said lower casing defining a second chamber therebetween, said first chamber having gas sealed therein and said second chamber being communicated with the header chamber through a passage.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 76 words

A flow control valve as defined in claim 1, wherein said valve means includes a ball valve provided in the inlet passage and a spring urging said ball valve into a closed position, a valve rod being axially slidably disposed within the valve body with one end thereof connected to said valve ball, and a spacer being interposed between one end of the valve rod and undersurface of the output member of the heat sensitive device.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 196 words

A flow control valve arrangement for a refrigerating cycle of the type having a plurality of evaporator tubes running parallely through an evaporator; said arrangement comprising: housing means, inlet means in said housing means for introducing refrigerant from a high pressure refrigerant source, a distributing chamber in communication with said inlet means by way of inlet valve means, a plurality of distributor chamber outlet means for communicating between said distributor chamber and respective inlets to a plurality of evaporator tubes, a header chamber in direct communication with all of the respective outlets of said plurality of evaporator tubes for collecting all the low pressure refrigerant after it passes through the evaporator, a sensing device arranged in said header chamber for sensing pressure and temperature characteristics of the low pressure refrigerant in said header chamber, and control means operatively connecting said sensing device to the inlet valve means for controlling the flow of refrigerant into the distrubition chamber as a function of the temperature and pressure characteristics of the refrigerant in said header chamber, said header chamber and said distribution chamber being arranged in said housing means and being separated from one another by common partition means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 196 words

A flow control valve arrangement for a refrigerating cycle of the type having a plurality of evaporator tubes running parallely through an evaporator; said arrangement comprising: housing means, inlet means in said housing means for introducing refrigerant from a high pressure refrigerant source, a distributing chamber in communication with said inlet means by way of inlet valve means, a plurality of distributor chamber outlet means for communicating between said distributor chamber and respective inlets to a plurality of evaporator tubes, a header chamber in direct communication with all of the respective outlets of said plurality of evaporator tubes for collecting all the low pressure refrigerant after it passes through the evaporator, a sensing device arranged in said header chamber for sensing pressure and temperature characteristics of the low pressure refrigerant in said header chamber, and control means operatively connecting said sensing device to the inlet valve means for controlling the flow of refrigerant into the distrubition chamber as a function of the temperature and pressure characteristics of the refrigerant in said header chamber, said header chamber and said distribution chamber being arranged in said housing means and being separated from one another by common partition means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 23 words

An arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said control means includes a rigid control rod extending through said common partition means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 87 words

An arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said housing means is constructed as a cylindrically shaped rigid housing, said inlet means including an inlet passage at one end of the housing, said distribution chamber outlet means comprising a first set of passages extending radially outward through the side walls of the housing, and the communication between the header chamber and the outlets of said evaporator tubes being by way of a second set of passages extending radially outward through the side walls of the housing.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 35 words

An arrangement acCording to claim 7, characterized in that said housing is supported with respect to the remaining refrigerating cycle by the connection between the evaporation tubes and the first and second set of passages.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 49 words

An arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that said housing includes a one-piece cylindrical cup shaped cover detachably attached to a valve body at the edges of the open end of the cover, said first and second sets of passages extending through the side walls of said cover.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-08-15	1976-02-14	1976-08-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-08-15	1980-02-14	1980-08-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-08-15	1984-02-14	1984-08-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Flow control valve

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