초록 ▼

A land ( 56 ) on an index member ( 32 ) disposed in the interior chamber of a manifold ( 38 ) is aligned with an actuating member ( 34 ) and thereby holds open a check valve ( 36 ) through which fluid flows into the manifold's interior chamber, through a control valve ( 12 ), and out a manifold outl

A land ( 56 ) on an index member ( 32 ) disposed in the interior chamber of a manifold ( 38 ) is aligned with an actuating member ( 34 ) and thereby holds open a check valve ( 36 ) through which fluid flows into the manifold's interior chamber, through a control valve ( 12 ), and out a manifold outlet ( 74 ). At the same time, another actuating pin ( 42 ) is so aligned with a recess ( 58 ) in the indexing member ( 32 ) as to permit another check valve ( 44 ) to prevent flow through itself into the manifold chamber. When the control valve is closed, flow stops, and pressure builds up in the manifold chamber. The index member ( 32 ) is accordingly driven against the force of a bias spring ( 48 ) to a lower position, in which a lower cam-follower surface ( 82 ) engages a lower cam surface ( 84 ). That engagement rotates the index member to a position in which it permits pressure to be communicated through both check valves ( 36 and 44 ) into the manifold chamber. When the control valve ( 12 ) reopens and thereby again relieves the pressure within the manifold chamber, the return of the index member ( 32 ) to the upper position causes an upper cam-follower surface ( 52 ) to engage cam pins ( 54 ). Those pins thereby cam the index member ( 32 ) to a new position, in which it opens the left check valve ( 44 ) and allows the right check valve ( 36 ) to close. By thus alternately operating the control valve ( 12 ) between its two, open and closed positions, the system is advanced through a sequence of three different flow states.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A multi-way valve comprising:A) a reciprocation stepper that includes:i) a reciprocation member biased to a relaxed reciprocation state and reciprocable between the relaxed reciprocation state and an extended reciprocation state; andii) an index member that can assume each of a sequence of at lea

1. A multi-way valve comprising:A) a reciprocation stepper that includes:i) a reciprocation member biased to a relaxed reciprocation state and reciprocable between the relaxed reciprocation state and an extended reciprocation state; andii) an index member that can assume each of a sequence of at least three index positions through which reciprocation of the reciprocation member advances it;B) a two-way control valve operable between open and closed states thereof; andC) a manifold defining a manifold chamber to whose pressure the reciprocation member is so exposed as to tend to be urged thereby toward its extended reciprocation state, the manifold providing a plurality of ports, including a control port through which the control valve controls flow and at least one controlled port whose flow state the index position of the index member determines, that afford fluid communication with the manifold chamber and together assume, from a sequence of at least three different flow states, a flow state determined by the control valve's state and the index member's index position,whereby, when at least one port is so coupled to at least one source of pressurized fluid that the manifold-chamber pressure is great enough when the control valve is in one said open or closed state thereof, called its pressure-maintenance state, to hold the reciprocation member in its extended reciprocation state but is low enough when the control valve is in its other state, called its pressure-relief state, to permit the reciprocation member to assume its relaxed reciprocation state, the ports can be stepped through the sequence of at least three flow states by operating the control valve between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states. 2. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the index member is the reciprocation member. 3. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 2 wherein:A) the index member forms a relaxation-state cam-follower surface and extended-state cam-follower surface;B) the reciprocation stepper includes a relaxation-state cam member so shaped and positioned as to engage the relaxation-state cam-follower surface and thereby cam the index member to the next index position in the sequence thereof as the reciprocation member assumes its relaxation reciprocation state; andC) the reciprocation stepper includes an extended-state cam member so shaped and positioned as to engage the relaxation-state cam-follower surface and thereby cam the index member to the next index position in the sequence thereof as the reciprocation member assumes it extended reciprocation state. 4. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 3 wherein:A) each controlled port includes:i) a port passage extending between the exterior and the interior of the manifold; andii) a port valve operable between an open state, in which it permits fluid flow through the port passage, and a closed state, in which it prevents such flow; andB) the index member forms an index-member surface so shaped as to operate each port valve selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 5. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 4 wherein:A) each port valve is a check valve so oriented as to tend to seat in response to flow through the port passage into the interior of the manifold and thus prevent such flow; andB) the index-member surface is so shaped as to unseat each check valve selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 6. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 3 wherein:A) each controlled port includes a port passage formed by the manifold between the exterior and the interior thereof; andB) the index member forms an index-member surface so shaped as to obstruct each port passage selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 7. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 3 wherein the control valve is an electrically operated valve. 8. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 7 wherein the control valve is a latching valve. 9. A multi-wa y valve as defined in claim 3 further including a bias spring that biases the reciprocation member to the relaxed reciprocation state. 10. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 3 wherein the number of controlled ports is two. 11. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 10 wherein the sequence of flow states consists of first, second, and third flow states that, when the control valve alternates between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states, repeatedly follow each other in the following order: first, second, first, third. 12. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 11 wherein the multi-way valve prevents flow when it is in the first flow state, permits flow only between a first of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the second flow state, and permits flow only between a second of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the third flow state. 13. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 2 wherein:A) each controlled port includes:i) a port passage extending between the exterior and the interior of the manifold; andii) a port valve operable between an open state, in which it permits fluid flow through the port passage, and a closed state, in which it prevents such flow; andB) the index member forms an index-member surface so shaped as to operate each port valve selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 14. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 13 wherein:A) each port valve is a check valve so oriented as to tend to seat in response to flow through the port passage into the interior of the manifold and thereby prevent such flow; andB) the index-member surface is so shaped as to unseat each check valve selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 15. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 2 wherein:A) each controlled port includes a port passage formed by the manifold between the exterior and the interior thereof; andB) the index member forms an index-member surface so shaped as to obstruct each port passage selectively in accordance with the index member's index position. 16. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 2 further including a bias spring that biases the reciprocation member to the relaxed reciprocation state. 17. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 2 wherein the control valve is an electrically operated valve. 18. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 17 wherein the control valve is a latching valve. 19. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 1 further including a bias spring that biases the reciprocation member to the relaxed reciprocation state. 20. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the control valve is an electrically operated valve. 21. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 20 wherein the control valve is a latching valve. 22. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of controlled ports is two. 23. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 22 wherein the sequence of flow states consists of first, second, and third flow states that, when the control valve alternates between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states, repeatedly follow each other in the following order: first, second, first, third. 24. A multi-way valve as defined in claim 23 wherein the multi-way valve prevents flow when it is in the first flow state, permits flow only between a first of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the second flow state, and permits flow only between a second of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the third flow state. 25. A method of flow control comprising:A) providing a multi-way valve that includes:i) a reciprocation stepper that includes:a) a reciprocation member biased to a relaxed reciprocation state and reciprocable between the relaxed reciprocation state and an extended reciprocation state; andb) an index member that can assume each of a sequence of index positions through which reciprocation of the reciprocation member advances it;ii) a control valve operabl e between open and closed states thereof, andiii) a manifold defining a manifold chamber to whose pressure the reciprocation member is so exposed as to tend to be urged thereby toward its extended reciprocation state, the manifold providing a plurality of ports, including a control port through which the control valve controls flow and at least one controlled port whose flow state the index position of the index member determines, that afford fluid communication with the manifold chamber and together assume, from a sequence of at least three different flow states, a flow state determined by the control valve's state and the index member's index position;B) so coupling at least one port to at least one source of pressurized fluid that the manifold-chamber pressure is great enough when the control valve is in one said open or closed state thereof, called its pressure-maintenance state, to hold the reciprocation member in its extended reciprocation state but is low enough when the control valve is in its other state, called its pressure-relief state, to permit the reciprocation member to assume its relaxed reciprocation state; andC) operating the control valve between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states and thereby stepping the ports through the sequence of at least three flow states. 26. A method of flow control as defined in claim 25 wherein:A) the coupling of at least one port to at least one source of pressurized fluid includes coupling each of the controlled ports to a source of pressurized fluid; andB) the method includes coupling the control port to relatively low pressure. 27. A method of flow control as defined in claim 26 wherein the control valve is an electrical valve. 28. A method of flow control as defined in claim 25 wherein:A) the control valve includes a solenoid by which it is actuated; andB) the operating of the control valve includes changing its state by driving current through its solenoid momentarily. 29. A method of flow control as defined in claim 28 wherein:A) the operating of the control valve to its pressure-maintenance state includes driving current through its solenoid momentarily in one direction; andB) the operating of the control valve to its pressure-relief state includes driving current through its solenoid momentarily in the other direction. 30. A method of flow control as defined in claim 26 wherein the number of controlled ports is two. 31. A method of flow control as defined in claim 30 wherein the sequence of flow states consists of first, second, and third flow states that, when the control valve alternates between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states, repeatedly follow each other in the following order: first, second, first, third. 32. A method of flow control as defined in claim 31 wherein the three multi-way valve prevents flow when it is in the first flow state, permits flow only between a first of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the second flow state, and permits flow only between a second of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the third flow state. 33. A method of flow control as defined in claim 25 wherein the control valve is an electrical valve. 34. A method of flow control as defined in claim 33 wherein:A) the control valve includes a solenoid by which it is actuated; andB) the operating of the control valve includes changing its state by driving current through its solenoid momentarily. 35. A method of flow control as defined in claim 34 wherein:A) the operating of the control valve to its pressure-maintenance state includes driving current through its solenoid momentarily in one direction; andB) the operating of the control valve to its pressure-relief state includes driving current through its solenoid momentarily in the other direction. 36. A method of flow control as defined in claim 25 wherein the number of controlled ports is two. 37. A method of flow control as defined in claim 36 wherein the seque nce of flow states consists of first, second, and third flow states that, when the control valve alternates between its pressure-maintenance and pressure-relief states, repeatedly follow each other in the following order: first, second, first, third. 38. A method of flow control as defined in claim 37 wherein the multi-way valve prevents flow when it is in the first flow state, permits flow only between a first of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the second flow state, and permits flow only between a second of the controlled ports and the control port when it is in the third flow state.