Saint-gobain Performance Plastics Corporation

Furon Company

Osmonics, Incorporated

Mace Corporation

Bunnell Plastics, Inc.

Furon

Kenji A Kingsford

Anthony K Chan

David R Martinez

Peter N Nguyen

Hy B Nguyen

Mario Fregoso

John E Bridges, Iii

Raymond T Savard

Thomas J Sievers

Van Trong Tran

Tom J Sievers

Dennis S Kwiecinski

David L Henderson

Mixing devices comprise a mixing element having a body with a fluid inlet port, and a fluid outlet port that is separated from the fluid inlet port. Fluid outlet passages extend through a body wall section defining the fluid inlet port, and fluid inlet passages extend through a body wall section defining the fluid outlet port. The body includes an outside surface having a reduced diameter section, and the fluid inlet and outlet passages are positioned axially along the reduced diameter section. The mixing element is statically disposed within an internal chamber of a housing, and an annular volume is defined between an inside surface of the internal chamber and the mixing element reduced diameter section to facilitate passage and mixing of fluid within the annular volume. The mixing element total inlet area is approximately equal to its total outlet area to minimize unwanted pressure drop.

Static mixing device

Precision dispense pumps comprise a housing that has an internal chamber disposed therein. A pressurizing assembly disposed within the chamber and includes a cylindrical pressurizing member having a head, a thin-walled skirt extending axially away from the head, and a flange is positioned circumferentially around the skirt. The pressurizing assembly includes a support coupled to backside of the pressurizing member. The support has a cylindrical outside surface sized support the skirt when it is translated from a chamber surface during pressurizing assembly axial movement. A shaft projects through an opening in the support and into a partial opening in the pressurizing member. A fluid transport body is attached to the housing and includes a fluid chamber having a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port. An actuator is disposed within an actuator housing attached to the housing and is coupled to the shaft to cause axial movement of the pressurizing assembly within the housing chamber. The pump can includes a vacuum assist element connected to the housing to provide a desired pressure differential within the pump to bias the skirt against supportive chamber or support surfaces during pressurizing assembly movement. Check valves are in fluid flow communication with the fluid inlet and fluid outlet ports to ensuring checked one-way passage of fluid into and out of the fluid chamber during respective intake and output strokes of the pressurizing assembly.

Precision dispense pump

A valve assembly includes a valve body having a fluid chamber and a fluid inlet and fluid outlet. A poppet assembly is movably disposed within the chamber and includes a poppet head. The chamber includes a valve seat and is interposed between the fluid inlet and outlet. An actuator is attached to the poppet assembly. A lock-out mechanism is connected with the actuator for placing the valve into a closed position with the poppet head positioned against the valve seat. The lock-out mechanism includes a shaft member that is movably attached to the valve apparatus. When the shaft member is in a first position, the actuator is permitted to cause desired poppet assembly movement with the valve. When the shaft member is in a second position, the actuator and poppet assembly position within the valve is fixed with the poppet head seated against the valve seat.

Valve with lock-out mechanism and method of using the same

Variable flowrate regulators of this invention r comprises a regulator body having a fluid transport chamber disposed therethrough. Fluid inlet and outlet ports are in fluid flow communication with the chamber, and a valve seat is positioned at one end of the chamber. A diaphragm housing is attached to the body and has a diaphragm chamber in fluid flow communication with the fluid transport chamber. A diaphragm is disposed within the diaphragm chamber. A one-piece poppet assembly is attached to the diaphragm and is disposed within the body. The poppet assembly comprises a head that has a diameter sized greater than that of the valve seat for providing a leak-tight seal thereagainst when placed in a closed position. The poppet assembly also comprises a plurality of orifices positioned downstream from the head for passing fluid into the fluid transport chamber when the head is unseated from the valve seat. The plurality of orifices is positioned concentrically within the fluid transport chamber.

Variable flowrate regulator

Anti-pumping dispense valves, constructed according to principles of this invention, comprise a fluid transport housing having a fluid inlet passage extending into the housing, a fluid outlet passage extending out of the housing, and a fluid transport chamber disposed within the housing. The fluid transport chamber includes an valve seat. An actuator housing is attached to the fluid transport housing and includes an actuator chamber that is in contact with the fluid transport chambers. A diaphragm/poppet assembly is disposed within the fluid transport chamber and comprises a poppet positioned downstream of the seat for placement against the seat to stop fluid flow through the first fluid transport chamber. An actuator is disposed within the actuator chamber for moving the diaphragm/poppet assembly. Dispense valves of this invention operate to provide a slight vacuum within the fluid flow passageway in the valve to retain or pull back into the valve any nondispensed liquid, thereby eliminating and/or greatly reducing the possibility product contamination via unwanted excess liquid dispensement or dried residual liquid dispensement.

Anti-pumping dispense valve

Fittings of this invention comprise a body having a substantially hollow transport passage extending between a body first end and a body second end. The fitting body ends are adapted to accommodate attachment with respective fluid handling devices. The fitting has a hexagonal outside surface portion for grasping and rotating the fitting. An interlocking attachment member is disposed along an outside surface of the fitting body and is adapted to form an interlocking attachment with a complementary member of a fluid handling device when the fitting is connected thereto. The interlocking attachment member comprises a plurality of ratchet teeth that are configured to register with a complementary fluid handling device member. The fitting body first end includes a tongue that is configured to provide an interference fit within a groove in a fluid handling device opening to provide a leak-tight seal between the fitting the fluid handling device.

Universal interlocking fitting

A dispense head assembly comprise a housing, and a body having a fluid inlet and outlet attached to the housing. A piston is disposed within the body and housing and is attached at one end to an actuating handle. A poppet/diaphragm is attached to the opposite piston end and includes an imperforate head, a thin-walled sleeve that extends axially away from the head, and a tongue that defines a terminal edge of the sleeve and that forms a leak-tight interference seal with the body. The poppet/diaphragm sleeve is rolled between opposite piston and assembly wall surfaces to provide open- and closed-flow poppet/diaphragm movement. A dip tube adapter is releasibly attached to the housing and body. A tongue and groove seal arrangement is used to form a leak-tight interference seal therebetween. A dip tube is attached to the second adapter body end to provide fluid pick-up from a fluid container to the dispense head assembly. A retainer ring is attached to the adapter body, and a handle mount is pivotably attached to the ring. The handle mount registers with the dispense head body when it is attached to the adapter, thereby providing a pivot end to the handle to permit piston movement and related open- and closed-flow poppet/diaphragm assembly operation.

Dispense head assembly

Fluid handling devices comprise a body having a fluid passage therethrough and a fluid inlet and outlet at passage ends. The body is formed from a non-metallic material in a number of different forms, e.g., pipe fittings, pipes, valves and the like. The body includes weldable stubs that extend outwardly therefrom that are designed to facilitate welded attachment with the weldable stubs of an adjacent fluid handling device. To facilitate accurate rotational positioning of the device vis-a-vis other adjacent devices, one or more alignment marks are positioned along the device surface. The alignment marks are positioned on the device to provide an indication of rotational position of the device about an axis running through at least one of the weldable stubs. In one embodiment, the alignment marks are integral with and placed along an outside surface of the device body. In another embodiment, the alignment marks are integral with and placed along an outside surface of the weld stubs. The number of alignment marks placed on the fluid handling device can vary depending on the particular fluid handling device geometry and application. Devices of this invention can also include stubs that are specially engineered having a compact design to facilitate welding installation by providing a desired weld crush. Additionally, devices of this invention can also include a measuring reference point integral with the body for providing a measuring point between adjacently arranged fluid handling devices.

Rotationally orientable fluid handling devices

Pumps of this invention comprise a pump housing having at least one pressurizing chamber disposed therein, and a pressurizing member is disposed within the pressurizing chamber. The pressurizing member has a body with a solid imperforate head at one end, a thin-walled skirt extending away from the body head, and a flange extends circumferentially around a terminal edge of the skirt. A piston is disposed within the pump housing and is connected at one end to the pressurizing member. A piston gland is attached to the chamber and includes a diametrically positioned piston guide through which the piston is disposed. The flange is interposed between the chamber and the piston gland and includes sealing means to provide a fluid-tight seal therebetween. A pressurizing member plug is attached to the pressurizing member and has an outside wall surface that contacts and carries a variable portion of the skirt inside surface during reciprocating pressurizing member axial displacement. The thin-wall skirt has a sufficient axial length to roll between the plug outside wall surface and the gland inside diameter to permit pressurizing member reciprocating axial displacement within the pressurizing chamber.

Reciprocating pump

A valve apparatus comprises a valve body, a piston disposed within the valve body, and a rolling diaphragm poppet that is attached the piston to regulates fluid flow through the valve via interaction with a valve seat within the valve body. The valve body has a chamber extending therethrough that includes a valve seat at one chamber end that defines a fluid inlet passage into chamber. The piston disposed within the chamber and is adapted for axial displacement therein by an actuating means. The rolling diaphragm poppet is attached to an end of the piston and is of a one-piece construction. The poppet includes a head that has a circular radial cross section, and that has a frontside surface that is adapted to interface with the valve seat in the chamber to control fluid flow therethrough. The head also has a backside surface that is adapted to accommodate attachment with an end of the piston. The poppet includes a cylindrical sleeve that extends axially away from a peripheral edge of the head and that has a non-bellowed configuration. A flange extends radially from the sleeve to define a peripheral edge of the poppet. The flange including means for providing a leak-tight seal with the valve body. Axial displacement of the poppet head within the chamber, in response to the axial movement of the piston, is provided by a rolling movement of the sleeve in an axial direction between a piston wall surface and a concentric wall surface within the valve body.

Compact valve with rolling diaphragm poppet

A coupling system comprises a first coupling member having a tongue that projects axially a distance therefrom, and a second coupling member that is threadable attached to the first coupling member. The tongue is inserted within a groove disposed within a second coupling member body. The tongue is axially displaced within the groove by rotation of one of the first or second coupling member relative to the non-rotated coupling member to form a leak-tight seal therebetween. At least one of the first or second coupling member body includes a hollow passage that extends axially therethrough. An elastomeric member is disposed within the groove and is interposed between a base portion of the groove and an end portion of the tongue. The elastomeric member is sufficiently compressible to enable further axial displacement of the tongue within the groove after the leak-tight seal is achieved, thereby providing rotatable adjustment of the first and second coupling members vis-a-vis one another while maintaining such leak-tight seal. The elastomeric member enables the first or second coupling member to be rotatably adjusted from 1 to 360 degrees or more vis-avis the other, after contact between the tongue and elastomeric member, to achieve a desired orientation between the fluid handling members coupling members.

Adjustable leak-tight coupling system

A magnetically-driven centrifugal pump comprises a pump body having a pump chamber extending therein from a pump body open end to a pump body closed end, and includes a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port for accommodating passage of liquid to and from the pump chamber. An outer magnet assembly is disposed concentrically around the pump chamber and attached to a drive means. An inner magnet assembly is disposed within the pump chamber and is mounted to a shaft that is rotatably mounted within the pump chamber. An impeller is attached to the inner magnet assembly and is mounted to the shaft. Together, the shaft, inner magnet assembly and impeller are rotated within the pump chamber by magnetically coupling with the outer magnet assembly. A diaphragm is disposed within the open end of the pump body and is positioned adjacent the impeller. The diaphragm includes a sleeve that extends radially therefrom and is adapted to form a leak-tight seal with the pump body without the use of O-ring seals. The diaphragm sleeve facilitates axial displacement of the diaphragm relative to the pump body to adjust the spatial distance between the impeller and diaphragm to zero tolerance after the pump has been assembled. Such adjustment feature minimizes pressurized liquid bypass from an impeller cavity of the pump, and maximizes pump output pressure and pump efficiency. The pump includes means for axially displacing the diaphragm, and fixing the axial displacement of the diaphragm, to achieve a determined pump output pressure after the pump has been assembled.

Magnetically-driven centrifugal pump

A valve assembly comprises a valve body and at least one valve seat is disposed within the valve body. A groove is disposed therein concentrically around the valve seat. A poppet assembly is disposed within the valve body and comprises an imperforate valve stem and a valve plug at an end of the valve stem. For three-way flow, the valve body includes two valve seats, and a valve plug at each valve stem end. A cap is attached to an end of the valve body top and a first flexible imperforate diaphragm is disposed within the cap. A second flexible imperforate diaphragm is disposed within the valve body between the poppet assembly and the first diaphragm, and forms a leak-tight seal with the valve body. A base is attached to an opposite end of the valve body. A third flexible imperforate diaphragm is disposed in the valve body between the poppet assembly and the base, and forms a leak-tight seal with the valve body. A spring means is disposed between the base and the third diaphragm for imposing a biasing force onto the poppet assembly. A containment body is used to encapsulate the spring means and isolate it from any liquid that leaks past the third diaphragm.

Diaphragm valve with leak detection

A spray gun includes a body with a barrel portion having an inner chamber that extends therethrough from a front to a rear portion, and a grip portion. The grip portion includes a water inlet conduit and water outlet conduit disposed therein that each extend through the grip portion to the internal chamber. A spray nozzle is disposed within the front portion of the barrel and includes a valve seat disposed around an inlet end of a passageway extending therethrough. A popper assembly is slidably disposed within the inner chamber and has a cylindrical body with a valve element at one end that is adapted to form a liquid-tight seal with the valve seat when the gun is operated in a no flow position. The poppet assembly also includes a diaphragm at an opposite end of the body that is adapted to form a liquid-tight seal with an adjacent portion of the inner chamber. The water inlet conduit is positioned within the inner chamber adjacent the diaphragm to dispense water adjacent the valve element, and the water outlet conduit is positioned adjacent the diaphragm to receive water circulated through the inner chamber. The spray gun includes a spring retaining body attached to the rear portion of the barrel that is adapted for accommodating pivoting attachment of a handle thereto, and for accommodating a spring to maintain engagement between the valve element and the valve seat in a no flow position. The spring retaining body and handle are each configured to provide dual-action pivoting movement of the handle.

Spray gun

A double-diaphragm gauge protector constructed according to principles of this invention comprises a diaphragm housing formed from a upper housing body, a lower housing body, and a central housing body interconnected between the upper and lower housing bodies. A first diaphragm is disposed within the upper housing body forming an upper chamber therebetween and a liquid pressure-transfer medium is disposed within the upper chamber. The first diaphragm includes a transfer pad that projects outwardly away from a frontside or downwardly facing bottom surface of the first diaphragm toward the lower housing body. A second diaphragm is disposed within the lower housing body forming a lower chamber therebetween. The second diaphragm also includes a transfer pad that projects outwardly away from a frontside or upwardly facing top surface of the second diaphragm toward the first diaphragm. The transfer pads of the first and second diaphragms are positioned one on top of the other. A freely-floating spacer is disposed within the central housing body and is interposed between the bottom and top surfaces of the first and second diaphragms, respectively. The transfer pads of the first and second diaphragms are disposed within a central opening in the spacer.

Growing community of inventors

DeVore, CA, United States of America

Kenji A Kingsford