A four-way valve for switching a refrigerant flow path includes: a housing part including a refrigerant filling chamber configured to receive refrigerant; a valve plate disposed at one side of the housing part and having at least three inflow/outflow holes formed therein; a valve pad part disposed in the refrigerant filling chamber, rotating to contact one of surfaces of the valve plate, and occupying one of the at least three inflow/outflow holes continuously and occupying selectively one of the remaining holes of the at least three inflow/outflow holes so as to make the occupied inflow/outflow holes communicate with each other, thereby forming a changed flow path; a rotation drive part for transferring a driving force to rotate the valve pad part; and a deceleration part, disposed between the rotation drive part and the valve pad part, for increasing a driving torque transferred from the rotation drive part.

A rotary actuator includes a central housing; an output shaft that extends through the central housing; a vane that is mechanically coupled to the output shaft and divides the central housing into a first chamber and a second chamber; and a flow control mechanism that is moveable within the central housing and including a high pressure port and a low pressure port for communicating hydraulic fluid into and from the first and second chambers. The flow control mechanism is moveable to position the high pressure port and low pressure port relative to the first chamber and the second chamber for communication of the hydraulic fluid, thereby generating a pressure differential across the chambers. The vane rotates within the central housing in response to the pressure differential, and rotation of the vane drives the output shaft. A motor is configured to receive control signals to drive the movement of the flow control mechanism.

Methods and apparatus for generating droplets are disclosed. In one arrangement a peristaltic screw pump is configured to drive pulsatile flows of fluids in different conduits which are phased relative to each other such that a sequence of droplets are formed at a junction downstream from the pump.

A multi-port valve assembly, which includes a housing, a rotor disposed in the housing such that the rotor is operable for being placed in a plurality of positions, and a first channel integrally formed as part of the rotor. The multi-port valve assembly includes various ports which are all integrally formed as part of the housing. The rotor is rotated such that the multi-port valve assembly is placed in one of a plurality of configurations having two or more flow paths, providing fluid communication between the various ports. The rotor may include a first side channel, a second side channel fluidically isolated from the first side channel, and where the first side channel and the second side channel are fluidically isolated from the first channel. The rotor may also a first channel and a second channel, and the second channel is fluidically isolated from the first channel.

An engine system having a coolant control valve device may include valves that distribute coolant that is injected into a coolant inflow chamber to coolant demand elements, respectively; a driver that operates each of the valves; a safety valve that bypasses coolant that is operated by a coolant temperature to be injected into the coolant inflow chamber; and a degassing member that collects coolant including a bubble, wherein a degassing passage that is opened or closed by operation of the safety valve is formed.

A rotary planar peristaltic micropump (RPPM) includes an actuator having a shaft engaged with a motor such that activation of the motor causes the shaft to rotate, and a bearing assembly engaged with the shaft. The bearing assembly has a bearing cage defining a plurality of spaced-apart openings thereon, and a plurality of rolling-members accommodated in the plurality of spaced-apart openings of the bearing cage, such that when the shaft rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along a circular path. The RPPM also includes a fluidic path in fluidic communication with first and second ports. The fluidic path is positioned under the actuator and coincident with the circular path, such that when the shaft of the actuator rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along the fluidic path to cause a fluid to transfer between the first and second ports.

A valve positioning structure is provided for pressing down a switch arranged in a valve so that fluid is allowed to flow through an inlet opening of the valve when the switch is pressed down in order to control the fluid to flow into/out of at least one bladder. The valve positioning structure includes a casing that receives the valve therein and the casing is provided with a contact member and a manipulation member respectively and movably on upper and lower surfaces of the casing. The contact member and the manipulation member are coupled to each other so that the contact member is operable to drive the manipulation member to move. The manipulation member includes an operation section, where the operation section is movable toward and is enabled to press down the switch when the manipulation member is driven by the contact member to move toward the switch.

A rotary actuator includes a central housing; an output shaft that extends through the central housing; a vane that is mechanically coupled to the output shaft and divides the central housing into a first chamber and a second chamber; and a flow control mechanism that is moveable within the central housing and including a high pressure port and a low pressure port for communicating hydraulic fluid into and from the first and second chambers. The flow control mechanism is moveable to position the high pressure port and low pressure port relative to the first chamber and the second chamber for communication of the hydraulic fluid, thereby generating a pressure differential across the chambers. The vane rotates within the central housing in response to the pressure differential, and rotation of the vane drives the output shaft. A motor is configured to receive control signals to drive the movement of the flow control mechanism.

A refrigeration cycle device includes a pre-evaporator decompression unit that decompresses refrigerant which flowed out from an exterior heat exchanger, and an evaporator passage that guides the refrigerant which flowed out from the exterior heat exchanger to a suction port of a compressor while passing through a pre-evaporator decompression unit and an evaporator. Further, the refrigeration cycle device includes a bypass passage that guides the refrigerant which flowed out from the exterior heat exchanger to the suction port of the compressor while bypassing the pre-evaporator decompression unit and the evaporator, a pre-exterior device switching unit, and a passage switching unit that opens and closes the bypass passage. Further, the pre-exterior device switching unit and the passage switching unit form a coupled valve where the pre-exterior device switching unit and the passage switching unit are mechanically coupled.

The present disclosure provides for fluid valves with automatic draining diverters.