GAS/FLUID TIMER

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and apparatus for controlling actuation and flow/pressure simultaneously over a timed cycle. In particular, the present invention relates to a gas/fluids actuator for readily controlling gas/fluids flow. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel improvements in timed gas/fluids flow actuation pressure/flow control and cessation thereof including: a timer including: a valve, an actuator element for controlling flow through the valve, and a timer for readily activating and deactivating the actuator.

Claims

1. A timer comprising: (a) a valve; (b) an actuator element for controlling flow through said valve; and (c) a timer for readily activating and deactivating said actuator.

2. The timer of claim 1, wherein said valve is a gas valve.

3. The timer of claim 1, wherein said valve is a fluid/liquid valve.

4. The timer of claim 1, wherein said timer is a mechanical clockwork timer.

5. The timer of claim 1, wherein said timer further comprises a cam surface and wherein said cam surface further includes a slot formed in said cam surface for readily accommodating a plunger element controlling flow through said valve.

6. The timer of claim 1, wherein said valve includes a diaphragm and a seal for substantially resolving a diaphragm failure leading to inadvertent flow.

7. The timer of claim 1, wherein said actuator element further comprises a protrusion for readily facilitating manual rotatable displacement of said actuator element.

8. The timer of claim 5, wherein said plunger element plunger element is substantially spherical for readily reducing friction in contact with said cam surface and wherein said plunger is biased with a bias for readily facilitating positive “off action” for high pressure and low pressure.

9. The timer of claim 2, wherein said timer further comprises including a cam surface and wherein said cam surface further includes a slot formed in said cam surface for readily accommodating a plunger element controlling flow/pressure through said gas valve.

10. The timer of claim 9, wherein said gas valve includes a diaphragm and a seal for substantially resolving a diaphragm failure leading to inadvertent gas flow.

11. The timer of claim 9, wherein said timer further comprises a cam surface and wherein said cam surface further includes a slot formed in said cam surface for readily accommodating a plunger element controlling flow through said valve and wherein said cam surface includes a protrusion for readily facilitating manual rotatable displacement of said cam surface

12. The timer of claim 9, wherein said plunger element plunger element is substantially spherical for readily reducing friction in contact with said cam surface and wherein said plunger is biased with a bias for readily facilitating positive “off action” for high pressure and low pressure.

13. The timer of claim 3, wherein said timer further comprises including a cam surface and wherein said cam surface further includes a slot formed in said cam surface for readily accommodating a plunger element controlling flow through said fluid/liquid valve.

14. The timer of claim 13, wherein said fluid/liquid valve includes a diaphragm and a seal for substantially resolving a diaphragm failure leading to inadvertent fluid/liquid flow.

15. The timer of claim 13, wherein said actuator element further comprises a protrusion for readily facilitating manual rotatable displacement of said actuator element.

16. The timer of claim 13, wherein said plunger element is substantially spherical for readily reducing friction in contact with said cam surface and wherein said plunger is biased with a bias for readily facilitating positive “off action” for high pressure and low pressure.

17. The timer of claim 13, wherein said timer further comprises including a variable cam surface and wherein said cam surface further is tracked by a plunger element which in addition can also control the amount of flow/pressure through said gas/fluid/liquid valve.

18. The timer of claim 1, wherein said timer further comprises including a cam surface and wherein said cam surface further includes a contour formed in said cam surface for readily accommodating a plunger element controlling flow through said valve.

19. The timer of claim 5, wherein said plunger element plunger element is substantially spherical for readily reducing friction in contact with said cam surface and wherein said plunger is biased with a bias for readily facilitating positive “off action” for precise control of pressure/flow.

20. The timer of claim 9, wherein said plunger element plunger element is substantially spherical for readily reducing friction in contact with said cam surface and wherein said plunger is biased with a bias for readily facilitating flow/pressure control.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram view of a first embodiment of the system and method for timed gas/fluids flow actuation and cessation; and

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cam actuator according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The system and method for timed gas/fluids flow control, actuation and cessation according to the present invention and as described herein, readily facilitates efficiently, securely and reliably controlling timed/controlled activation of a gas/fluids valve and which preferably shall readily facilitate simple and/or easy use as well as simple and/or easy maintenance.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a system and method for timed gas/fluids flow actuation and cessation 10 according to the present invention includes a gas/fluids valve 12, a timer 14 and an actuator element 16, attached to or integrally formed with gas/fluids valve 12 for readily activating and/or deactivating gas/fluids valve 12.

[0017] Although many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a non-limiting exemplary system and method for timed gas/fluids flow actuation and cessation which shows preferred methodology of the present invention and should be given the broadest reasonable interpretation.

[0018] Preferably, timer 14 is a mechanical rotateably displaceable clockwork timer including a cam surface 18. Cam surface 18 may be formed on protrusion element 24 rotated by timer 14. Cam surface 18 is tracked by plunger element 22 thereby readily controlling gas/fluids valve 12.

[0019] Preferably, cam surface 18 includes a slot/contour 20 formed in cam surface 18 for readily accommodating a plunger element 22 controlling the flow of gas/fluids through gas/fluids valve 12.

[0020] Preferably, cam surface 18 and slot 20 formed in cam surface 18 readily facilitate both ON/OFF operation as well as controlling flow over the timing cycle of gas/fluids valve 12.

[0021] Preferably, cam surface 18 includes or is integrally formed with at least one protrusion 24 for readily facilitating manual rotatable displacement of cam surface 18 by a user.

Namely, displacing cam surface 18 and actuator element 16 substantially from timer 14 to protrusion 24 and substantially spherical plunger element 22 thereby readily reducing friction between protrusion 24 and substantially spherical plunger element 22. As a person skilled in the art would envisage, the novel improvements in controlled and timed gas/fluids flow actuation and cessation of the present invention are readily usable with reducing friction between protrusion 24 and substantially spherical plunger element 22 may have other applications besides a clockwork driven timer.

[0022] Preferably, actuator element 16 and cam surface 18 can be configured to an activation selected from the group consisting of “normally open” and “normally closed”.

[0023] Preferably, cam surface 18 can be configured to include a multiplicity of slots 20 for readily facilitating sequence operation of gas/fluids valve 12.

[0024] Preferably, cam surface 18 includes a plurality of time markings 26 for readily setting actuator element for a timed activation.

[0025] Optionally, gas/fluids valve 12 is readily activated by rotateably displacing protrusion 24 and cam surface 18 wherein, according the non-limiting example herein is preferably “normally off”.

[0026] Preferably, gas/fluids valve 12 includes a diaphragm 28 and a seal 30 for the purpose of substantially resolving a diaphragm failure leading to inadvertent gas/fluids flow.

[0027] Preferably, displacement of cam surface 18 and tracking cam surface 18 with substantially spherical plunger element 22 readily provides several distinct advantages over gas flow timers known in the art, including but not limited to the torque required to actuate the gas/fluids valve 12 is reduced, cam surface 18 diameter is determined by protrusion element 24, multiple slots 20 can be readily formed thereby readily facilitating a plurality of activations and cessations of flow and pressure control in a single rotation and thus gas/fluids valve 12 is not limited to a simple ON/OFF actuation and control of gas/fluids valve 12 is not restricted to a “start” and an “end” of a rotation.

[0028] Preferably, diaphragm 28 is a nitrile or neoprene valve diaphragm for readily regulating gas/fluids flow there through by way of activating a gas/fluids valve.

[0029] Preferably, plunger element 22 is substantially spherical and rotationally displaceable for readily reducing friction in contact with cam surface 18.

[0030] Optionally, plunger element 22 is substantially cylindrical and readily rotationally displaceable for readily reducing friction in contact with cam surface 18.

[0031] Preferably, plunger element 22 is biased with a bias 32 for readily facilitating positive “off action” for high pressure and low pressure.

[0032] Preferably, cam surface 18 and plunger element 22 by way of actuating through slot 20 substantially reduce friction and readily facilitate use of an increased resilient bias 32 thereby providing enhanced sealing properties at both low and high pressures.

[0033] As can be seen in FIG. 1 and as a person skilled in the art would envisage, the novel improvements in controlled and timed gas/fluids flow actuation and cessation of the present invention are readily usable with the flow of liquids and fluids and not only gas.

[0034] The use of actuator element 16 and/or protrusion 24 and/or cam surface 18 with slot 20 readily facilitate at least one task selected from the group consisting of: a control of flow rate, at least one complex control sequence using a plurality of cam surfaces 18 controlling a single valve and a control of more than one valve sequence using a plurality of cams surfaces and/or valves. As such, the use of actuator element 16 and/or protrusion 24 and/or cam surface 18 with slot 20 readily facilitate replacing linkages known in the art and providing a positive on/off mechanism. Furthermore, the construction of the gas/fluids timer according to the present invention readily facilitates sequencing operation a plurality of gas/fluids valves 12 over a 24 hour period as well as complex timed sequencing, pressure and flow control.

[0035] It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended to only serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention.