Humphrey Products Company

Parker-hannifin Corporation

Robert Brian Knepple

Leonard Joseph Jabcon

Scott Klien

David T Klien

James Alden Beverly

Mark William Friedman

Stephen P Claussen

Andrew Bishop

Yufeng Qi

Paxton Augustine

Leonard J Jabcon, Jr

Leonardi J Jabcon, Jr

A novel valve that may include a self-energizing seal member with a lobe extending toward a valve seat surface, a radially outwardly extending skirt, an axially extending nose, solenoid-operated three-position valve member, a pressure sense port, and/or a pressure pick-up opening. The features of the valve may allow the valve to operate at higher flow rates while requiring less energy to operate, may have a wider pressure and/or temperature operation range, may allow bidirectional fluid flow, may be less expensive to manufacture, and/or may enable a simple and compact assembly of the valve with a pressure sensor. The self-energizing seal member may include a base portion and the lobe extending may extend at an angle from the base portion relative to a longitudinal axis. The lobe may reduce energy requirements to operate the valve compared to larger sealing contact area seals. For example, the lobe may have a small sealing area to allow the valve to be better balanced.

High flow direct acting valve

A central tire inflation/deflation system (CTIS) with a novel valve that may deflate more quickly and may deflate to a lower pressure than the previously known central tire inflation/deflation system valves. Also, the present valve may not be temperature sensitive, at least because the present valve does not require trapped air behind a diaphragm to operate the valve. The present valve may be placed into existing CTIS's in place of existing valves, without modifying pneumatic lines of the existing CTIS's. Thus, the present valve may be operated by a single fluid flow line, receive pressure from the single fluid flow line, and exhaust to the single fluid flow line. A second communication line, either a pneumatic pilot line or an electrical line, is not necessary, which allows the present valve to be retrofit into an existing CTIS without adding weight or complication from additional components.

Central tire inflation/deflation system with a timed function CTIS wheel valve

A pressure and temperature compensated valve assembly includes a flow valve allowing inflation flow from a control port to a tire port and controlling deflation flow from the tire port to the control port. A throttle valve restricts deflation flow between the tire port and the control port when deflating the tire at high flow rates or when tire pressure is high, thus enabling the flow valve to be closed. The throttle valve includes a throttle diaphragm that throttles in response to flow from the tire port and which does not restrict inflation flow from the control port. The valve assembly further includes a temperature responsive member engaging the flow valve, and which deforms in response to a change in temperature in the valve assembly, thus negating temperature effects on the flow valve, allowing the flow valve to close at a consistent force across a range of operating temperatures.

Pressure and temperature compensated control valve assembly

A pressure protection valve () is provided featuring a swivelable output port fitting () and a valve element () having a portion () configured to redirect a portion of the fluid flow toward the fixed seat () upon initial opening of the valve (). The valve element () is in a portion of the fitting that is inserted into a pressure container so as to be protected from external forces. The valve () may also include a vent cover () sealing the vent port (), the vent cover () movable to vent pressure through the vent port () when the valve () opens and to relieve pressure through the vent port () when the valve () closes.

Pressure protection valve

An actuator for selectively moving a part relative to another part includes a shape memory wire, which contracts when heated. One portion of the shape memory wire is fixed to a first body, and another portion of the shape memory wire is coupled to a second body, which is movable relative to the first body. When heated the shape memory wire contracts and moves the second body in a direction of travel from a first position relative to the first body toward a second position. The actuator further includes a magnetic field for generating a magnetic force on the second body. The magnetic force acts on and moves the second body in the direction of travel to the second position after the shape memory wire initially contracts, and further decouples the second body from the shape memory wire when applying the magnetic force to the second body to thereby unload the load on the shape memory wire when the second body is moved to the second position.

Actuator and valve assembly

Contiguous independently-controllable conveyor system zones are controlled by zone control modules executing a program element associated with each module. Each module is coupled with an object detector and a conveyor zone actuator. A two-way zone control module communication port is coupled with two adjacent upstream zone control module communication ports and two adjacent downstream zone control module communication ports. An object detector port is coupled with an object detector, an actuator control port is coupled with an actuator, and a conveyor zone actuator is thereby controlled. Memory allocation in a module includes an event logic element responsive to inputs from adjacent upstream and downstream module communication ports. A program element associated with each module identifies the position of the module in a series of modules. The actuator is controlled by an event logic element, and by communication from an object detector and an adjacent upstream and downstream module.

Networkable zone control modules and method and conveyor system incorporating the same

A package control conveyor system comprises a plurality of independently-controllable package conveying units each of which comprises a zone control module operably connected to a package sensing device and a package conveying unit for selectively activating and deactivating the package conveying unit, wherein the zone control modules are communicably interconnected upstream and downstream so that each zone control module can selectively activate and deactivate its associated package conveying unit in response to information provided by one or more upstream and/or downstream zone control modules.

An actuator for selectively moving a part relative to another part includes a shape memory wire, which contracts upon heating, and a magnetic field. One end of the shape memory wire is fixed to a first body. The other end of the shape memory wire is coupled to a second body, which is movable relative to the first body. When heated, the shape memory wire contracts and moves the second body in a direction of travel from a first position relative to the first body toward a second position. A magnetic field generates a magnetic force on the second body, which acts on and moves the second body in the direction of travel to the second position after the shape memory wire initially contracts to thereby reduce the load on the shape memory wire when the second body is moved to the second position. The actuator may be used, for example, to move the valve stem in a valve.

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Robert Brian Knepple