Multiway valve

Claim 2

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, said diaphragm means including a first support diaphragm having its outer edge secured to the housing and its central portion attached to the spool and closing one end of the bore, and a first control diaphragm spaced from and on the side of the support diaphragm away from the bore forming a wall of said chamber, one of said annular members being integral with said support diaphragm.

Claim 3

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an eLongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, said diaphragm means including a first support diaphragm having its outer edge secured to the housing and its central portion attached to the spool and closing one end of the bore, and a first control diaphragm spaced from and on the side of the support diaphragm away from the bore forming a wall of said chamber,the wall of the bore between two of said passages being stepped axially towards one of the passages and radially outwards, forming a contact surface at right angles to the axis of the valve member, which constitutes one of said valve seats, and a hollow cylindrical boss on the support diaphragm, on the side facing the middle of the spool, terminating in a frontal surface extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spool, said frontal surface, in one end-position of the valve member, bearing on the contact surface of the wall of the bore and thus closing off communication between two of said passages.

Claim 4

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an eLongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, said diaphragm means including a first support diaphragm having its outer edge secured to the housing and its central portion attached to the spool and closing one end of the bore, and a first control diaphragm spaced from and on the side of the support diaphragm away from the bore forming a wall of said chamber,the wall of the bore between two of said passages being stepped axially towards one of the passages and radially outwards, forming a contact surface at right angles to the axis of the valve member, which constitutes one of said valve seats, and a hollow cylindrical boss on the support diaphragm, on the side facing the middle of the spool, terminating in a frontal surface extending substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spool, said frontal surface, in one end-position of the valve member, bearing on the contact surface of the wall of the bore and thus closing off communication between two of said passages.

Claim 5

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the ouside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, one of said annular members being integral with said diaphragm means.

Claim 6

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the ouside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, one of said annular members being integral with said diaphragm means.

Claim 7

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal meAns, said mounting means including spring means supporting the end of the spool remote from the diaphragm means, the spring means comprising a helical compression spring which is supported at its one end on the housing and at its other end engages the valve member.

Claim 8

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therethrough with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal meAns, said mounting means including spring means supporting the end of the spool remote from the diaphragm means, the spring means comprising a helical compression spring which is supported at its one end on the housing and at its other end engages the valve member.

Claim 9

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therebetween with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, the diaphragm means being a single diaphragm formed integrally with one of said annular members and secured at its outer circumference on the housing, and engaging at its inner circumference on the spool and forming one wall of said chamber.

Claim 10

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therebetween with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, the diaphragm means being a single diaphragm formed integrally with one of said annular members and secured at its outer circumference on the housing, and engaging at its inner circumference on the spool and forming one wall of said chamber.

Claim 11

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therebetween with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, the bore being stepped and, seen from one axial end to the other, firstly narrowing, then gradually widening conically, the widened part of the central portion of the housing containing an insert member of a generally conical shape having connecting passages leading to the bore, said member having a central bore through which the valve member passes, and which includes two valve seats, an O-ring mounted on the spool, the opposed faces of said O-ring constituting two of said seal means and being engageable with one valve seat provided on the housing, and with one on the insert member.

Claim 12

A multiway valve comprising a housing having a bore therein, a plurality of passages connecting the bore to the outside of the housing, and a plurality of valve seats within the housing located between the openings of the passages into the bore, a valve member comprising an elongated spool, means mounting said spool for movement within the bore longitudinally thereof, said spool having a plurality of seal means in the form of annular members having a sealing surface engageable with each of the valve seats spaced therealong at fixed distances apart, said mounting means including means mounting the spool to float in the bore out of frictional contact with the walls thereof and including diaphragm means adjacent one end of the spool secured to the housing and supporting the spool, said housing having a chamber therein of which said diaphragm means forms a wall, and means to conduct pressure fluid to said chamber, said diaphragm means including a diaphragm of the snap-action type, said valve having n paths therebetween with n-1 valve seats and n-2 seal means, the bore being stepped and, seen from one axial end to the other, firstly narrowing, then gradually widening conically, the widened part of the central portion of the housing containing an insert member of a generally conical shape having connecting passages leading to the bore, said member having a central bore through which the valve member passes, and which includes two valve seats, an O-ring mounted on the spool, the opposed faces of said O-ring constituting two of said seal means and being engageable with one valve seat provided on the housing, and with one on the insert member.