초록
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A pressure relief check valve system includes a valve body, a flapper, a magnet, an electromagnet, and a pressure sensor circuit. The flapper is rotationally mounted on the valve body and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The magnet is coupled to the flapper, and the electromagnet is coupled to the valve body. The pressure sensor circuit is adapted to sense one or more fluid pressures and is operable, based on the one or more sensed fluid pressures, to selectively supply or interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet. T...
A pressure relief check valve system includes a valve body, a flapper, a magnet, an electromagnet, and a pressure sensor circuit. The flapper is rotationally mounted on the valve body and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The magnet is coupled to the flapper, and the electromagnet is coupled to the valve body. The pressure sensor circuit is adapted to sense one or more fluid pressures and is operable, based on the one or more sensed fluid pressures, to selectively supply or interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet. The electromagnet is coupled to receive the electrical current and, upon receipt of the electrical current, either magnetically attracts or does not magnetically attract the magnet, to thereby hold the flapper in the closed position or allow flapper rotation to the open position, respectively.
대표
청구항
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We claim: 1. A pressure relief check valve system, comprising: a valve body having an upstream side, a downstream side, and a flow channel that extends between the upstream and downstream sides; a flapper rotationally mounted on the valve body and movable between a closed position, in which the flapper at least substantially seals the flow channel, and an open position, in which the flapper unseals the flow channel; a magnet disposed within and movable with the flapper; an electromagnet disposed within the valve body and configured to selectively receiv...
We claim: 1. A pressure relief check valve system, comprising: a valve body having an upstream side, a downstream side, and a flow channel that extends between the upstream and downstream sides; a flapper rotationally mounted on the valve body and movable between a closed position, in which the flapper at least substantially seals the flow channel, and an open position, in which the flapper unseals the flow channel; a magnet disposed within and movable with the flapper; an electromagnet disposed within the valve body and configured to selectively receive electrical current, the electromagnet operable, upon receipt of the electrical current, to either magnetically attract or not magnetically attract the magnet, to thereby at least substantially inhibit flapper rotation from the closed position or allow flapper rotation to the open position, respectively; and a pressure sensor circuit configured to sense at least a fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body and operable, based on the sensed fluid pressure, to selectively supply or interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor circuit is configured to supply the electrical current to the electromagnet and, if the sensed fluid pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, to interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electromagnet is configured, upon receipt of the electrical current, to generate a magnetic field that attracts the magnet, and thereby generates a magnetic force that at least urges the flapper toward the closed position. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor circuit is configured to interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet and, if the sensed fluid pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, to supply the electrical current to the electromagnet. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the electromagnet is configured to generate a magnetic field that attracts the magnet when the electrical current is interrupted, to thereby urge the flapper toward the closed position, and to generate a magnetic field that does not attract the magnet when the electrical current is supplied thereto, to thereby allow upstream fluid pressure to at least urge the flapper toward the open position. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor circuit comprises a pressure switch configured to sense the fluid pressure and, based on the sensed fluid pressure, to selectively move a switch between an open and a closed position. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the pressure switch is configured to move the switch to (i) the open position when the sensed fluid pressure is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure value and (ii) the closed position when the sensed fluid pressure is less than the predetermined pressure value. 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the pressure switch is configured to move the switch to (i) the closed position when the sensed fluid pressure is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure value and (ii) the open position when the sensed fluid pressure is less than the predetermined pressure value. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor circuit comprises: a sensor configured to sense at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body and supply a signal representative thereof; and a control unit coupled to receive the signal from the sensor and operable, in response thereto, to selectively supply or interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to (i) interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet when at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure and (ii) supply the electrical current to the electromagnet when at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is less than the predetermined pressure. 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to (i) supply the electrical current to the electromagnet when at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is greater than or equal to a predetermined pressure and (ii) interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnet when at least the fluid pressure on the up stream side of the valve body is less than the predetermined pressure. 12. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a power source configured to supply the electrical current. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve body further comprises: a second flow channel that extends between the upstream and downstream sides; a second flapper rotationally mounted on the valve body and movable between a closed position, in which the second flapper at least substantially seals the second flow channel, and an open position, in which the second flapper unseals the flow channel; a second magnet coupled to the second flapper; a second electromagnet coupled to the valve body and configured to selectively receive electrical current, the second electromagnet operable, upon receipt of the electrical current, to either magnetically attract or not magnetically attract the second magnet, to thereby at least substantially inhibit second flapper rotation from the closed position or allow second flapper rotation to the open position, respectively. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein electrical current is simultaneously supplied or interrupted to the first and second electromagnets. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the pressure sensor circuit is operable to selectively supply or interrupt electrical current to the first electromagnet, if at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is at or above a first value, and to selectively supply or interrupt electrical current to the second electromagnet, if at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is at or above a second value that differs from the first value. 16. A pressure relief check valve system, comprising: a valve body having an upstream side, a downstream side, and a plurality of flow channels that extend between the upstream and downstream sides; a plurality of flappers rotationally mounted on the valve body, each flapper movable between a closed position, in which the flapper at least substantially seals one of the flow channels, and an open position, in the flapper unseals one of the flow channels; a plurality of magnets, each magnet disposed within and movable with one of the flappers; a plurality of electromagnets, each electromagnet disposed within the valve body and configured to selectively receive electrical current and operable, upon receipt of the electrical current, to either magnetically attract or not magnetically attract one of the magnets, to thereby at least substantially inhibit rotation of one of the flappers from the closed position or allow rotation of one of the flappers to the open position, respectively; and a pressure sensor circuit configured to sense at least a fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body and operable, based on the sensed fluid pressure, to selectively supply or interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnets. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pressure sensor circuit is configured to supply the electrical current to the electromagnets and, if at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is equal to or greater than a predetermined pressure, to interrupt the electrical current to the electromagnets. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the electromagnets are each configured, upon receipt of the electrical current, to generate a magnetic field that attracts one of the magnets, and thereby generates a magnetic force that at least urges one of the flappers toward the closed position. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the pressure sensor circuit is configured to interrupt electrical current to the electromagnets and, if at least the fluid pressure on the upstream side of the valve body is equal to or greater than a predetermined pressure, to supply the electrical current to the electromagnets. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the electromagnets are each configured to generate a magnetic field that attracts one of the magnets when the electrical current is interrupted, to thereby at least urge one of the flappers toward the closed position, and to generate a magnetic field that does not attract one of the magnets when the electrical current is supplied thereto, to thereby allow upstream fluid pressure to at least urge one of the flappers toward the open position.
