US3690344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Silent flexible tube type valve
Assignee: Grove Valve and Regulator Co
•
Filing: 1971-02-08
•
Granted: 1972-09-12
•
Expires: 1991-02-08
Abstract
Abstract A valve including a flexible tube normally firmly engaged around a cylindrical member, as by means of a control pressure, to prevent fluid flow through radial openings through the member. When the tube is progressively forced away from the surface of the member, as by overcoming the control pressure, flow through the member to a downstream flow passage is initiated. The flow openings are formed by a series of closely axially spaced, thin annular members providing a high length-to-cross section ratio between them. The annular members may be formed non-planar to increase the length of the flow path within the radial space requirements.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard S Brumm
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:53
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16K; F16K47/00; F16K47/08; F16K7/00; F16K7/02; F16K7/04; F16K7/07; F16K7/075; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S251/00; Y10S251/901; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/8593; Y10T137/86493; Y10T137/86718
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A flexible tube valve comprising: a housing having inlet and outlet flow passages, a cylindrical sleeve secured in said housing with the interior thereof in direct communication at one end thereof with one of said flow passages, a barrier across the other end of said sleeve, a flexible tube engageable over a cylindrical surface of said sleeve, means for urging said tube into sealing engagement with said cylindrical surface, a plurality of closely spaced, axially aligned thin imperforate annular members forming said sleeve, a plurality of bolts extending through the annular faces of said spaced members and secured to said barrier, and a plurality of spacers around said bolts and disposed intermediate successive spaced members forming a plurality of generally radial flow paths with a high length to crosssectional dimension ratio between said spaced members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A flexible tube valve comprising: a housing having inlet and outlet flow passages, a cylindrical sleeve secured in said housing with the interior thereof in direct communication at one end thereof with one of said flow passages, a barrier across the other end of said sleeve, a flexible tube engageable over a cylindrical surface of said sleeve, means for urging said tube into sealing engagement with said cylindrical surface, a plurality of closely spaced, axially aligned thin imperforate annular members forming said sleeve, a plurality of bolts extending through the annular faces of said spaced members and secured to said barrier, and a plurality of spacers around said bolts and disposed intermediate successive spaced members forming a plurality of generally radial flow paths with a high length to crosssectional dimension ratio between said spaced members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said spaced members are non-planar to increase the flow path length between the exterior and interior of said aligned annular members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said annular members have a plurality of annular convolutions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 3 wherein: at least some of the convolutions in adjacent annular members are aligned to provide serpentine flow paths between them.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 3 wherein: concave portions of at least some of the convolutions in adjacent annular members oppose each other to provide a series of expansion chambers radially across said annular members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said spacers comprise porous annular members arranged alternately with said imperforate annular members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 6 wherein: said porous annular members are formed of screening.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said flexible tube is stretched over the external surface of said cylindrical sleeve, and including: a port in said housing for introducing a control pressure around said flexible tube to seal said tube around said sleeve.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said flexible tube is disposed in juxtaposition with the internal surface of said cylindrical sleeve, and including: a cylindrical protuberance on said barrier extending within said sleeve, said tube being sealed to said protuberance adjacent said one end of said sleeve, and means for introducing a control pressure between said tube and said protuberance to urge said tube against the internal surface of said sleeve.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
The flexible tube valve defined by claim 1 wherein: said flexible tube is disposed in juxtaposition with the internal surface of said cylindrical sleeve, and including: a valve operator mounted in said housing for reciprocation within said sleeve, said tube being secured at one end thereof to said operator to roll away from and into sealing engagement with said internal surface with reciprocation thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-09-12 | 1976-03-13 | 1976-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-09-12 | 1980-03-13 | 1980-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-09-12 | 1984-03-13 | 1984-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |