A double action directional fluid flow valve includes a stepped piston connected with a poppet valve and moveable by a controller between open and closed positions by applying a continuous pressure to a small diameter piston face and selectively applying and removing pressure from a large diameter piston face to move the poppet valve between an open position and a closed position.

An integrated valve and manifold assembly includes a water valve configured to control water flow from one or two valve outlets. At least one of the outlets is coupled to a manifold. In some examples, the manifold is a dual-extrusion manifold having at least one air channel and at least one water conduit, and the water valve has a pair of air channels attached to a periphery of the water valve and configured to couple to the manifold air channels. In examples wherein at least one of the manifolds is a dual-extrusion manifold, a top portion of the assembly includes an air valve configured to control flow of air to air channel(s) of the dual-extrusion manifold. In other examples, the assembly includes a one-outlet or two-outlet water valve configured to couple to water manifolds, with no attached air channels or air valves.

A chromatography valve for use in fluid analysis and chromatography applications is provided. The valve includes a first body having passages extending therethrough and opening on a flat face of the first body at respective passage ports. The valve also includes a second body engaged with the first body in a sealed relationship, whereby one of the first and second bodies is movable relative to the other one between two or more positions for controlling fluid circulation through the passages. The second body includes at least one cartridge receiving cavity for receiving at least one cartridge removably provided therein. The cartridge has channel(s) for channeling fluid of pairs of the passage ports, depending on the position of the first body relative to the second body, thereby channeling fluid through selected ones of the passages via the at least one channel. A method of operating the valve is also provided.

A sequencing manifold for the purpose of supplying control and supply services of pre-determined temporal sequences to fluid processing assemblies is provided. The functioning of this sequencing manifold requires that translation be applied to the sequencing ports. Actuator mechanisms may supply such translation as either continuous motion or as a series of stepwise motions. Actuator mechanism can be obtained that rely on only mechanical means without the need for a source of electricity. With such actuators, it becomes feasible to conduct the operations of fluid processing assemblies in remote and primitive locations that lack a source of electricity. One skilled in the mechanical arts can provide various actuator mechanisms to meet these requirements.

A bistable valve system includes a valve body, a plug, a pneumatic or mechanical driving system acting on the plug, and an anti-stall system also acting on the plug to avoid an operative block. The valve body has an inlet for a working fluid, first and second outlets for the working fluid, and a working chamber. The plug is slidably inserted into the working chamber to move between a first and a second stable working position so as to alternatingly and selectively place the inlet and the first or the second outlet in fluid communication. The anti-stall system includes a first permanent magnet coupled with the plug to integrally slide therewith and a second permanent magnet arranged in the working chamber facing the first permanent magnet. The first and second permanent magnets have a opposite polarities to generate forces that are repulsive with respect to each other.

A flow path switching valve includes (a) a valve body in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a predetermined surface and an opposite surface, the valve body including an open flow passage having an opening on the predetermined surface, (b) a main body including a plurality of ports having a respective opening on a facing surface thereof facing the predetermined surface, and a plurality of connection flow passages each connected to respective one of the plurality of ports, (c) a pair of plate springs attached to opposite ends of the valve body to support the valve body with a predetermined gap formed between the predetermined surface and the facing surface, the plate springs applying elastic force to the valve body in accordance with an amount of movement of the valve body in a predetermined direction, and (d) an actuator for reciprocating the valve body in the predetermined direction.

An air conditioner includes a switching valve, a flow rate restricting portion and an on-off valve. The switching valve provided in a flow path between a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a heat exchange portion and a heat exchange portion. During heating operation, the switching valve causes a second connection port, a third connection port and a first connection port to communicate with one another. The flow rate restricting portion and the on-off valve are connected in series between an outlet and an inlet of the compressor during the heating operation, to bypass a part of refrigerant. During defrosting operation of the heat exchange portion, the switching valve is configured such that a fourth connection port and the second connection port communicate with each other, and the third connection port and the first connection port communicate with each other.

A fluidic device can include: a plurality of fluid conduits, each fluid conduit including a first conduit portion separated from a second conduit portion; and at least one transport body that is movably positioned between the first conduit portion and the second conduit portion of each fluid conduit. The at least one transport body can include: at least one port adapted to be aligned with a first conduit portion and a second conduit portion of at least one first conduit so as to fluidly couple the first conduit portion with the second conduit portion; and at least one blocking body portion adapted to be aligned with a first conduit portion and a second conduit portion of at least one second conduit so as to fluidly isolate the first conduit portion from the second conduit portion of the at least one second conduit.

The flow path switching valve includes a valve seat which is provided with a valve chamber and first to fourth openings in communication with the valve chamber, and a valve body which is movable in the valve chamber. When the valve body is located at a first position, a first flow path which connects the first opening to the second opening and a second flow path which connects the third opening to the fourth opening and is partitioned from the first flow path are formed in the valve chamber. When the valve body is located at a second position, a third flow path which connects the second opening to the third opening and is partitioned from the first opening and the fourth opening is formed in the valve chamber, and the first opening and the fourth opening are shielded from each other.

A shape memory alloy (SMA) valve including an SMA activator component having a shape memory effect to open or close the valve. The SMA valve may be formed from a monolithic sheet of SMA or a wire of SMA. The SMA valve may operate via choking, torsion or lateral movement in one or more dimensions. The SMA valve may include a stage or ball seal and the SMA actuator component may be provided to the stage or ball seal and configured to move the stage or ball seal to seal or open a flow of gas or liquid when the shape memory effect is activated. The SMA valve may include heat sinks to help adjust the temperature of the activator components and/or may include a biasing component to bias the valve in a particular direction.