The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 23, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 30, 1998
Stephane M d'Alayer de Costemore d'Arc, Genappe, BE;
Staar S.A., Brussels, BE;
Abstract
A flow limiter device for liquid delivery systems including a pipe having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, two adjacent chambers within the pipe through which liquid flows between the inlet and outlet, one chamber being smaller than the other chamber, a valve member movably mounted in the pipe for movement between a flow-limiting position and a full-flow position, and an internal control element which, when actuated from outside the device, causes the valve member to shift from the flow-limiting to the full-flow position. At the flow-limiting position, the valve member limits flow through the smaller chamber to a predetermined limited-flow rate; pressure exerted on the valve member due to liquid flow through the device is effective to move the valve member to the full-flow position when liquid is admitted through the inlet and the control element is actuated; an abutment carried by the control element has a first position where it determines the location of the valve member relative to the smaller chamber and sets flow-rate at the flow-limiting position, and a second position to which it is moved when the control element is actuated and where, when moved by liquid pressure, the valve member operatively clears the abutment and moves to the full-flow position. Flow is sequential through the chambers in both the flow-limiting and full-flow positions of the valve member. Alternative constructions are shown for operating the internal control element from outside the device including a manual handle, a power actuator, and alternative outside-inside connections including a mechanical through-wall coupling and a magnetic coupling.