Ultrasonically bonded valve assembly

Claim 2

A valve apparatus for providing a repeatable fluid-tight seal capable of controlling corrosive liquid and the like in a spacecraft comprising: a valve member having a first sealing surface; a valve seat member having a second sealing surface and a fluid conduit adapted to receive the valve member, one of the sealing surfaces of the valve member and the valve seat member being made from a relatively soft material and the other member being made from a relatively hard material having the characteristics of being ultrasonically bondable to the soft material and having a relatively slight adhesive affinity for the soft material; actuator means for controlling the fluid conduit by moving the valve member relative to the valve seat member; ultrasonic transducer means for producing both the formation of an ultrasonically welded bond joint between the first sealing surface of the valve member and the second sealing surface of the valve seat member to provide a closed sealed position and the separation of the ultrasonically welded bond joint to release the valve member from the valve seat member to provide an open valve position including clamping means for holding the respective sealing surfaces directly against each other while in their solid state during the formation of the welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces as they remain in their solid state; and means for actuating the ultrasonic transducer means at a frequency characteristic of the materials of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface member to effectuate the formation and separation of the ultrasonic welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces while the respective sealing surface materials are in a solid state whereby a fluidtight sealing bond joint can be effectuated and the sealing surface materials can be subsequently released with relatively slight adhesive interaction and deformation of the respective sealing surfaces thereby permitting repetitive fluid-tight bonding of the sealing surfaces.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer means for producing the formation and separation of the bond joint includes an ultrasonic transducer operatively connected to the valve member for ultrasonic welding of the valve member and the valve seat member.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 wherein the valve member has a bore and the ultrasonic transducer means for producing the formation and separation of the bond joint includes an ultrasonic transducer and a velocity transformer, the velocity transformer operatively connected to the ultrasonic transducer and mounted within the bore of the valve member.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 wherein the valve member is hollow and at least part of the ultrasonic transducer means for producing the formation and separation of the bond joint is mounted within the valve member and operatively connected to that portion of the valve member that contacts the valve seat member.

Claim 6

The invention in claim 1 wherein one of the valve member and valve seat member comprises a metal and the other comprises a ceramic.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 wherein one of the valve member and valve seat member is copper and the other is aluminum oxide.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer means is a magneto-restrictive member.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer means is a piezoelectric member.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic transducer means is a pair of piezoelectric ring members mounted with their ends abutting each other and having a common polarity.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 1 wherein the valve member is hollow and the ultrasonic transducer means for producing the formation and separation of a bond joint includes a velocity transformer and a transducer mounting member, the clamping means exerting a force to hold the transformer against the valve member, the ultrasonic transducer, the velocity transformer and transducer mounting member being positioned inside and valve member with the transducer being operatively positioned between the transducer mounting and the velocity transformer.

Claim 12

A valve apparatus for providing a repeatable fluid-tight seal capable of controlling corrosive liquid and the like in a spacecraft comprising: a hollow valve member having a first sealing surface; a valve seat member having a second sealing surface and a fluid conduit adapted to receive the valve member, one of the sealing surfaces of the valve member and the valve seat member being made from a relatively soft material and the other member being made from a relatively hard material having the characteristics of being ultrasonically bondable to the soft material and having a relatively slight adhesive affinity for the soft material; actuator means for controlling the fluid conduit by moving the valve member relative to the valve seat member; ultrasonic transducer means in the hollow valve member for producing both the formation of an ultrasonically welded bond joint between the first sealing surface of the valve member and the second sealing surface of the valve seat member to provide a closed sealed position and the separation of the ultrasonically welded bond joint to release the valve member from the valve seat member to provide an open valve position including an ultrasonic transducer, a velocity transformer and a transducer mounting member positioned inside the hollow valve member, the transducer being operatively positioned between the transducer mounting member and the velocity transformer and further including clamping means for holding the respective sealing surfaces directly against each other while in their solid state during the formation of the welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces as they remain in their solid state; and means for actuating the ultrasonic transducer means at a frequency characteristic of the materials of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface member to effectuate the formation and separation of the untrasonic welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces while the respective sealing surface materials are in a solid state whereby a fluid-tight sealing bond joint can be effectuated and the sealing surface materials can be subSequently released with relatively slight adhesive interaction and deformation of the respective sealing surfaces thereby permitting repetitive fluid-tight bonding of the sealing surfaces.

Claim 13

A valve apparatus for providing a repeatable fluid-tight seal capable of controlling corrosive liquid and the like in a spacecraft comprising: a hollow valve member having a first sealing surface; a valve seat member having a second sealing surface and a fluid conduit adapted to receive the valve member, one of the sealing surfaces of the valve member and the valve seat member being made from a relatively soft material and the other member being made from a relatively hard material having the characteristics of being ultrasonically bondable to the soft material and having a relatively slight adhesive affinity for the soft material; actuator means for controlling the fluid conduit by moving the valve member relative to the valve seat member; ultrasonic transducer means in the hollow valve member for producing both the formation of an ultrasonically welded bond joint between the first sealing surface of the valve member and the second sealing surface of the valve seat member to provide a closed sealed position and the separation of the ultrasonically welded bond joint to release the valve member from the valve seat member to provide an open valve position including an ultrasonic transducer, a velocity transformer and a transducer mounting member positioned inside the hollow valve member, the transducer being operatively positioned between the transducer mounting member and the velocity transformer and further including clamping means for holding the respective sealing surfaces directly against each other while in their solid state during the formation of the welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces as they remain in their solid state; and means for actuating the ultrasonic transducer means at a frequency characteristic of the materials of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface member to effectuate the formation and separation of the untrasonic welded bond joint directly between the sealing surfaces while the respective sealing surface materials are in a solid state whereby a fluid-tight sealing bond joint can be effectuated and the sealing surface materials can be subSequently released with relatively slight adhesive interaction and deformation of the respective sealing surfaces thereby permitting repetitive fluid-tight bonding of the sealing surfaces.