| US 7,455,073 B2 | ||
| Variable flow valve | ||
| Konstantin Shukhmin, Tauranga (New Zealand); Rana Waitai, Papamoa (New Zealand); and Andrew Palmer, Tauranga (New Zealand) | ||
| Assigned to Robertshaw Controls Company, Richmond, Va. (US) | ||
| Filed on Aug. 21, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/507,107. | ||
| Application 11/507107 is a continuation of application No. PCT/NZ2005/000135, filed on Jun. 21, 2005. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 533669 (NZ), filed on Jun. 21, 2004; and application No. 536055 (NZ), filed on Oct. 19, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0278285 A1, Dec. 14, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. F16K 11/065 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 137—625.34 [251/129.09] | 18 Claims |
| 1. A fluid metering valve, comprising:
a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port,
a fluid flow path between said inlet port and said outlet port,
a valve member located in said housing in said fluid flow path, said valve member moveable among a series of indexed positions,
said housing having a plurality of apertures arranged such that a varied selection of said apertures is in said fluid flow
path according to the indexed position of said valve member, wherein varied selections of said apertures of each indexed position
varies the flow volume permitted through the flow path via the selected one or more apertures, with no said apertures in said
flow path for at least one said indexed position of said valve member;
a stepping motor fixedly connected to said valve member, said stepping motor providing for movement between a plurality of
predetermined positions, said indexed positions of said valve member corresponding with the predetermined positions of the
stepping motor; and
wherein said apertures are provided in an axial array and said stepping motor includes a linear array of magnetic elements
operating within a set of axially spaced selectively energised coils.
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